Baby-led Weaning Support Thread Part 3

[Lippy Chick]

Monsi, I would say that Holly is your daughter and therefore your mother does what you want her to do.  So if you want to go BLW only, then you do it and stick to it.  She will be OK and you and your mother will reap the benefits later.  There is no need to do purees at all.  About the pears, just make sure they're ripe, leave the skins on and cut them into spears.  Holly will work out the rest, Alice used to suck the flesh off and spit out the skin.  We haven't really done apples yet, but someone suggested baking them in rings, because then they're easier to handle.  Haven't tried it, but know others have and found it good.  Veggies, we boiled in the microwave or roasted.  Soft is best initially and then move on to harder foods once Holly has got the hang of it.

Pauline

[grahamsmama]

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?

Well, he said they "generally recommend" 20 ounces.  But Meghan has the opposite issues; it's hard for me to get 20 ounces into her.  So, I heard, "get at least 20 ounces into her."  Milk is still the most important, I wouldn't be worried about 28 ounces.  She's eating lots of good foods and she's still a few months off from a year.  You might cut it just a bit at that point, or she might just stop taking as much.   

Welcome Monsi!  I'm going to make some baked apples this week.  I've been giving Meggy the Gerber jars of apples.  She'll eat fresh pears or canned pears, but has an easier time mushing the canned ones right now. I've had great luck cooking cut up vegetables (zucchini, carrots, celery, potatoes) in the crockpot with some vegetable broth.  They get nice and soft and then Meghan will just pick them up and eat them.

[lovedtodeath]

Jake gags and vomits pears if I give him spears or skin. He gets them whole and scrapes off manageable bites. If he gets a spear he will bite off a big chunk. I poke a hard plastic straw through to help him grip, and peal them.

[Bryony]

Thanks Alison!  Katie never took to a bottle so we have more success with a sippy cup - although I know what you mean about the "sipping"!! 

Bryony

[monsi]

Thanks for the advice Pauline. I actually had my mum over yesterday and we gave Holly banana and avo and my mum was fine with it although still worried about choking. I am going to try her with some zucchini sticks and also bought watermelon to try. I have to stop myself from getting too excited and offering too many new foods too soon! I assume you are still supposed to go with one food at a time for a few days to check for reactions.
I am trying to stick with organic food for a while and cant find any pears so will have to wait a while to do them.. or just go with regular ones.
It is a very messy event this BLW!! But so cute to watch!

I am the worst cook ever so this is going to be a challenge for me - I am not even sure I have any idea how to bake an apple!

[Lippy Chick]

Monsi, not a problem. Really glad your mum is a bit happier.  If it helps, you have to remember that she is not choking but gagging, which is a reflex to prevent choking.  Alice did it a lot and still does every now and again.  It's not nice to watch, but it will diminish as she gets used to it.  I didn't stick with the whole wait for three days thing.  I think you can if you feel happier, but you don't necessarily have to.  I was really excited too when I started and now am quite evangelistic about the whole thing.

About the mess, we have a shower curtain on the floor under her high chair and use two bibs, a regular bib and a long-sleeved bib over the top of regular bib.  The neck on the long-sleeved one is quite wide and so this way it helps her not to get too messy or wet.

Lyn is the person to ask about baked apples.

Pauline

[grahamsmama]

Well, I found the recipe I started out with for baked apples, but it doesn't really resemble what I do so much anymore.  The gist is core the apple.  Sprinkle the apples with whatever you like- maple syrup, butter, sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, raisins, or nothing.  Pour apple juice in the bottom of the pan.  Bake at 400 for 45-60 minutes, depending on the kind of apple.  I just did Fuji apples and it took an hour.  I think granny smith apples take less time. 

I am not a great cook either.  But I found a cookbook I really like.  It's called The Dinner Doctor by Anne Byrn and it has very easy recipes.  I use it all the time. 

[MJMom]

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.   

Cute little kids you have Lyn!!!

lovedtodeath- egg yolks are fine.  Egg whites have high incidence of allergies.  If your DD has been fine to date, then I wouldn't worry about it.  My DD broke out right around her mouth within minutes of eating egg whites (darn that BLW and my thinking quiche would be fine!)  Cheese is typically OK by 8 or 9 months (I think...)  I think as long as you are doing a 3-4 day wait between introducing new foods so you can pinpoint what may be giving your LO issues, (if assuming your Lo gets any issues) then you're in good shape.

monsi- totally get where you're coming from.  I was skeptical as well.  We still do a combination.  it's easier to spoon feed for breakfast just because I don't have time to clean up a mess, but dinner is no holds barred BLW!  As bath follows dinner, it doesnt' matter where the food gets.  Although MJ tends to be rather neat with her BLW, I've found the errant avocado in her hair and banana in her ear.  Just for my own plug though?  BLW pays off in spades when you're out to eat and at holidays.  We just order off the menu what MJ can eat, and just plop it in front of her and give the server (and sometimes the bus boy) a bigger tip.  Or at the holidays, you get to actually enjoy a HOT meal!  instead of you and DH taking turns feeding your LO!  And I've noticed MJ will eat much more when we are eating as a family.  Do what you feel most comfortable with.  Whether it's pure BLW, purees or a combination.

Good luck!

[MJMom]

Btw, dinner was an utter success tonight although it did not start out that way.

After presenting Marina with Tofu, sweet potatoes and spinach, she looked at me like I was crazy.  I'm thinking, honey, you used to like these.  So we snazzed them all up. 

Spinach got sauteed with garlic and olive oil (which was my dinner any way).  Tossed the tofu with ginger, soy, and a wee bit of sesame oil.  The sweet potatoes got the ginger treatment.

I think marina ate her body weight in food!   

Apparently after having fun foods during Christmas and New Years, she wasn't going to go back to her plain boiled food again. 

[monsi]

Thanks MJMom. I think I will just let her go at her own pace and try the spoon every now and then to see if she takes it. I cant wait to go out and order food for her to eat at a restaurant!

I think you are so right about them eating better when you are eating too. I sat near Holly today and ate a peach and when I offered her a taste she happily took it... until she became more interested in the plastic mat that I put under her to save the carpet! I thought maybe if the pressure of sitting in the highchair was off she would be better.

Going to try zucchini sticks this arvo - fingers crossed!

[grahamsmama]

Alissa- do you cook the tofu?  I'm going to introduce tofu this week.  I was going to make egg rolls for everyone else, so I figured just saute the tofu in a little olive oil, maybe low sodium soy sauce.
I do have a friend who coats tofu in shake n' bake, bakes it, and gives her kids tofu nuggets. 

[VickyB20]

I made tofu burgers several weeks back that were a huge success.  I'm pretty sure I posted the recipe on the recipe board but if you can't find it, let me know!!
It was in the Finger Foods book and was much easier to make than I thought it was going to be!
Vicky
x

[jaylabliss]

I definetly give Jude tofu, plain and sliced up- and he devours it. I just buy the extra firm kind and it stays together pretty well.
Monsi- BLW is messy, but you'll find some foods that your lo eats neater and you can stick with them when you don't feel like cleaning up a huge mess. After the first few weeks everything changes. Jude has been doing BLW for about 8 weeks and its amazing- everything used to just get mashed up and thrown around and now.... its all disappearing!
Jude had a kiwi for breakfast and seriuosly ate the whole thing! A bowl of peaches for lunch and a banana and string cheese for dinner. I love it!

[grahamsmama]

I'm having cheese issues.  LOL
When you're giving string cheese, are you slicing it up first or just letting them gnaw on the stick? 
She won't seem to eat cheese now, unless it's melted on toast, which is fine, I'm just curious how others serve it.

[lovedtodeath]

Jake eats mac and cheese and shredded cheese, besides quesadillas.

Alissa, I agree Jake eats much better when it is normal stuff. He doesn't go for the food with no sauce anymore. How much longer do we need to worry about salt and sugar?

Is there a link besides the one I dispense (mother 2 mother) on how much solids they need (I know they don't need them but my 28 lb boy is nursing way too much for my liking, especially with a job on the horizon) I realized he will be 9 months which means I can try to eliminate some feedings. As soon as I post things are going well, he will want to nurse every hour and a half the next day. Right now he gets 2 meals (sometimes only one) and sometimes a snack. He will generally eat about 5 bites per meal and he is done. A snack is a rusk, some cereal, or fruit, very small bites.

I have been enjoying seeing some of you on different threads! Probably won't last though with time constraints.