Baby-led Weaning Support Thread Part 3

[grahamsmama]

Lyn, love the new pic, but why only two and not three?

That's the picture I had done of them when I was pregnant.  I figure I'd had a pic of just Meg for a while, so it's the big kids turn.   

[lyndsy_p]

We had our 9 month check yesterday and our doc recommended 20 ounces from now until 12 months.  Right now we have 4 bottles, 5-6 ounces each. 

Lyn...was this your doc's recommendation for ALL babies that age or just Meggy? We are drinking waaaayyy more milk than that (like 28oz at least). Should I be pushing more solids?

[lovedtodeath]

I am confused  I have mommies on my AP board saying no eggs or dairy until 12 months. I have been giving him egg yolks and sometimes scrambled whole eggs, and cheese they have become standbys and now I am worried.

[monsi]

Hi there,
I just wanted to say that when I first started to read about BLW here I was a bit skeptical but after attempting to start my 6 month old on solids and have her eat happily for about a week before deciding that the spoon wasn't getting anywhere near her mouth, today I put her in her high chair and gave her a piece of banana in her hand - she loved it and happily ate what she could with the rest of it sliding around everywhere!

I do think I would like to try and get her eating from a spoon again but am definitely going to stick with the finger food for a while as she seemed to be getting a bit traumatised by me trying to put the spoon in when she wasn't interested. I am going to try and work my way through all the BLW posts but any quick tips or best starter foods would be greatly appreciated if any of you have the time!

When you are doing BLW have you ever tried to offer food from a spoon or just stick only with finger foods? Do rusks count as food?

Cheers,
Monsi

[lovedtodeath]

Welcome Monsi!!

Here is a good place to start, as it is recent posts with a "newby"

https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=110326.105

Jake ate a ton yesterday. Avocado slice, 2 egg yolks and a half of tortilla! And everytime he sees someone with a banana, he shoves half of it in his mouth I had stopped with the bananas as he wasn't to keen on them before. How things change!

[Bryony]

Lovedtodeath - we've been doing dairy and eggs since about 7 months...  not sure why there is such variation in reccomendations around the world!

Monsi - welcome!

[Lippy Chick]

Welcome too Monsi, I was going to direct you to the same place as Lovedtodeath. 

I don't do a spoon, but I think some people on this thread do.  I'm not concerned about it because she will use one eventually.  I have a feeling she may well go straight to using a fork.  Good for you for being willing try something different and not sticking with what clearly is making your child unhappy.  I don't do rusks either, they just seem a bit too synthetic for my liking, I think there's a recipe somewhere though for home-made ones.  I tend to make everything myself and freeze what is freezable, then I know she's not getting too much salt or sugar.

Lovedtodeath, good on Jake for liking bananas again.  As far as eggs are concerned, I was told it was OK from 7 months too and that as long as they are fully cooked it is fine.  I tried Alice on omelette and she really didn't like it, then again they are disgusting!!    She really likes French toast, I must try scrambled egg again now her pincer grip is getting better.  Don't worry, dairy and eggs are fine.

Lyndsy, Alice is drinking 32 ozs in a day and I haven't been told to decrease it.  However I will be moving to solids first in about a month's time.

Lyn, ah I see.  It's a gorgeous picture and I can understand why you want one of them for a while.  Good for you. 

Pauline

[VickyB20]

Hi all!  And welcome Monsi.

Re: eggs & dairy... whole eggs & cheese have been pretty much a staple in this house from about 7 months old!  Started off doing them just in 'baked' finger foods but happily introduced the occasional cheese omelette a few weeks later.  (Now, I often grate a bit of cheese on their trays if they're being impatient and I haven't finished preparing their meal!)  And eggy bread is an quick easy meal too, which they love.  The most important thing is to see if your LO reacts to it.  If not, go ahead!  The 'rules' are really just guidelines and are so variable anyway.

Re: spoons.  I spoon-feed my boys yoghurt and the occasional fruit pot on the unusual occasions when I have no fresh fruit in the house.  It's convenient to be able to do but accounts for a tiny proportion of what they eat.

Vicky
x

[lovedtodeath]

Vicky, I tried clicking on your blue text expecting a link.  Checked the official site and they recommend eggs at 9-10 months, cheese at 7 months. So I guess I was early with eggs, but with all the other stuff I have to avoid, I need him eating something! I think we are more picky in the US b/c food allergies seem to be more prevalent. So is diabetes and obesity....hmmmmm.

Thanks Pauline, he used to not like avocado either and I hadn't tried it in a while.

There is a great thread about gagging on this site: http://babyledweaning.blogware.com/blog/TheGaggingThing

[Freya'sMum]

Monsi,

Welcome. Try this link from this forum's recipes section Finger Foods for Young Babies.

I did BLW for the same reason you have described, Eryn wouldn't entertain the idea of a spoon, and it's been fabulous - she is quite able at 18 months to feed herself with a spoon and fork, and, apart from her own preferences, she eats just about anything by herself!

So, IMO, you don't need to mix self and spoon feeding - just let 'em get on with it themselves!

Everyone interested in the milk thing... 20oz is the minimum amount of milk babies should be having until 12 months old, but I wouldn't be in any hurry to drop to this if your los are having more than this, remember 'until 1 food's just for fun', milk is the superfood and solid food is for practice and experience - babies have years and years and years (about 80ish ) to eat as much as they want of whatever they want - what's the rush?

Ax

[Bryony]

Alison - do you know what the recommendations are for milk for babies after 12 months ?

We've started giving Katie her mid morning and mid afternoon milk feeds in a sippy cup as she's starting nursery this week - she only has about 4 oz out of the cup. I suspect she has more than that from me (BF) at 7am and 7pm and if I BF her mid morning or mid afternoon, but I would say it's a bit borderline whether she's getting 20oz.... 

Bryony

[monsi]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone! I have read that thread and it was very helpful. Just a question about pears or apples - do you cook them to soften them or are they ok just as they are? I guess the same applies to carrots and other vegies too.

I go back to work for 2 1/2 days a week next week and my mother will be looking after Holly so I either have to convince her that BLW is a good idea or see how Holly goes with a bit of a mixture between purees and finger foods. My mum is a bit of a panicker and I just cant see her feeling comfortable with the finger foods... I guess if it is all Holly will eat she will have no choice but to go with it!

Cheers,
Monsi

[monsi]

Ok, I just answered my own question - I should have checked that finger foods post before writing my last one!

[Freya'sMum]

Bryony,

The recommendations for 12-24 months are 12-20oz of milk or milk-based products per day - my girls had nearer 20oz because I worry about osteoporosis - for Eryn her milk intake is mainly milk itself because with BLW she cannot always feed herself large quantities of dairy products (yogurt, custard, cheese sauce, cheese, rice pudding etc), especially as a baby/young toddler who hadn't mastered self spoon-feeding - it's easier for her now, she eats cheese sauce like it's soup !

If Katie is having 8oz ebm in the daytime, and 2 other good bf, plus some dairy products in her solid diet, I think she'll be fine - I still offer Eryn's milk feeds in a bottle, because she sips from a sippy-cup, and I want her to drink the stuff - when she's worked out how to suck thru a straw then I'll switch from bottle to beaker, and probably stop measuring the oz too!

Ax

[lovedtodeath]

Here is a link on how to fix your tickers https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=111374.0