Tell me about BLW how did you start?

[maxysmum]

I want to go the BLW route with Loen and want to know how to start. What is best to introduce first? What meal do I start with? How do I work it around bottles? is it like feeding purees in that you give a bottle then about an hour later offer food? I want to mix it with spoon feeding as there are times when i'm not going to be able to let him eat at his own pace and I know that BLW can be time consuming, how should I do a mix of the 2?

Sorry for so many questions but I want to be prepared and certain of what to do.

TIA

[Mrs Coops]

Hi
I started BLW when my LO was 25 weeks old as she could sit with support and accurately get things in her mouth.

Her first food was half a banana while sat in daddy's lap. After she got over the initial shock that it wasn't an inanimate object she just shoved it in her mouth and chomped away! Since then she's eaten loads. Bread lightly toasted was an early first food along with broccoli, par boiled carrots & parsnips, ripe avocado (v messy though), tomatoes (de-seeded to save the mess) and cucumber. We found she didn't get on with mange tout or bell peppers as she can't get any flesh off easily. With those you need to eat the skin really, babies can't quite gum them. Anything with flesh on a skin is a winner, like tomato's, she just strips it bare leaving a thin skin behind!

The best time to start feeding them is when they are not starving for a milk feed or tired! I did it a little while after a BF and it was mid afternoon. Every baby is different and it's a matter of doing it when it suits both of you. I have gradually increased how often she eats and now were up to four times a day. Although breakfast is still hit or miss as she is fairly full after a hefty boob feed. The idea with BLW is they set the pace, I found my lo actually cried for a feed if I didn't offer one!

I work her solid feeds around how long she naps. If she has a short nap and isn't due a milk feed for a while I give her solids, she has NEVER turned down a milk meed, although being BF I can't say how much she had before or after solids were introduced. If she has a long nap I boob her on waking, wait about half hour then in with the solids.

As for spoon feeding I can't really help there as I have never pureed anything. The first time I tried spoon feeding her some yogurt she wouldn't let me near her mouth, she just kept grabbing the spoon to examine what this foreign object was being pushed in her face!! I only tried to spoon feed her it to save the mess. I actually tried the yogurt again today, only now she's a bit more advanced she kept grabbing the spoon then shoving it in her mouth, I just had to wrestle it off her to load it again! Mind you, she also used it as a drum splattering yogurt everywhere!!!!!!!!!!

BLW is time consuming. My LO could sit there feeding for an hour sometimes, not great if your on a schedule. I have started cheating by holding the food up so she can eat it without chasing it around the tray all day. Or feeding her a whole banana while she sits in my lap. She can eat it in five minutes and it saves on the clean up, as there is only the bib, her hands&face and my arms.

Apart from the mess and the time BLW is really good fun. You can use the time to your advantage I have a much cleaner kitchen now!! I do very quick little jobs here and there like get the push chair ready to go out, but never leave her for more than a minute just in case she should choke & I am always within ear shot. Certainly when she first started I never left her at all as she did gag a fair bit.

I hope that helps answer a few questions?

x x x

[Mimi 2]

I did combo feeding with ds although the spoon feeding were mostly for the yogurt and mashed avocados.  Everything else he fed himself using his fingers or a fork.

I don't think I followed any schedule in ds' meals.  He got bm first thing and then when we (dd and myself) eat, he sits in his chair with his share.  I let him sit in there for as long as he wanted.  I agree that it can be time consuming as he can sit in his highchair for an hour eating and playing with his food.  When he started to drop his food, I give him several warnings and then end the meal.  I often use the time he's in there to clean up after the meal.  Those were the good old days as he can actually sit in the chair for longer than 10 min.  Now, it's very hard to keep him in his seat.  lol

When I'm in a hurry to leave the house, then I would feed him (finger feeding him) or offering yogurt.  Otherwise, he he gets his solids after bm. 

I think some of the first foods I gave him was a broccoli, cheerios, noodles and pancakes.  Soon after he had fish and chicken and pork ribs and eggs. 

BLW is a fun way of introducing solids.  Have a visit at the support thread at the top of the board.  You will get lost of help.