Baby-led Weaning Support Thread Part 3

[lovedtodeath]

Thanks Cathy and Bryony!

Mimi, if you want your milkfeed schedules to stay consistent you should probably keep the solids cosistent too. What Allison said

I have found that meat is important while wanting to cut down milk so I have experimented. I put sliced roasted chicken in the baby food grinder and just put it on the tray. He picked up the little bits and ate them. He rolled his pear in it and ate it that way. Today I mixed it with plain macaroni. (instead of cheese sauce) and he really liked it that way too, and it sticks to the macaroni perfectly.

I really need to spend less time on here and figure out our taxes.

[lovedtodeath]

link on meat in baby's diet

[lyndsy_p]

lovedtodeath, I've offered meat since month 7. In Canada it is one of baby's first foods due to the hight iron content. She has tried Roast Beef, Chicken (all kinds), Ground Beef and Chicken Sausages.

[lilmonkey]

Yay...we have broccoli in the diaper.  I can't believe that I'm getting excited about bm again.  Gave him some steamed carrots and a fair size was missing.  So we'll see if it make through his system. 

[Bryony]

Yay...we have broccoli in the diaper. 

LOL!  I remember that feeling!  Glad he's doing well

[Lippy Chick]

Welcome Mimi.  I had a day off yesterday (spent the day in the Spa, my birthday present from before Christmas, fabby), so am just catching up with everyone.  It is amazing how much you miss in one day.

Alice's milk feeds have started taking longer again and we're wondering whether she's getting ready to move to solids first and reducing her milk intake.  She has really increased the amount of solids she eats in the past few days.  Actually, for about a week now, she has been sick every evening about 5 o'clock for about half an hour.  Not huge amounts, but maybe 4,5, 6 times.  When I want to be cooking I'm busy wiping up her sick and "vanishing" the floor.  Going to talk to my HV about it when I next see her.  Anyone else experienced this. 

About meat, we give Alice meat and she's fine with it. 

On the salt thing too.  She had a whole slice of bread for breakfast today and we realised that it's half her daily salt intake, in one slice!!!!    So Stuart is thinking about baking our own no salt bread. 

We seem to make pancakes very differently over here, they are literally just flour, eggs and milk.

Pauline

[Cathy_D]

We make our own bread, with no salt. We have a breadmaker (2nd hand, from freecycle) and it is SOOOO easy. Takes me less time to put the ingerdients in than to walk to the shop to buy bread when we run out!  Just need to learn to realise I've run out 2.5 hours before it is needed!!

You really can't taste the difference with leaving the salt out ... well, maybe the 1st few times, if you are ultra-taste-sensitive but you adjust really fast.  And you can make it half and half white and wholemeal (or whatever proprotions you like) for added goodness but without it feeling too heavy.  I definitely recommend it!

[Lippy Chick]

Cathy, thanks for the recommendation.

Before Alice came along Stuart used to bake bread every Saturday and would do the odd interesting bread (e.g amazing ciabatta, yummmmeeeee bacon sarnies).  We don't have a bread maker and he does refuse to buy one, so it will be by hand, but he says it doesn't take too long to make and I guess we can freeze some too.  His pizzas are really great too.

Pauline

[grahamsmama]

I made some meatballs for Meghan tonight that came out really well and they were super easy.  A great way to introduce meat.
It was just 1.25 lb lean ground beef, 1 egg, spinach sauteed in garlic and olive oil (blenderized), 3/4 cup whole wheat stuffing (I made this- just cut up the bread and baked it until it was toasted), 3/4 cup hot water, 1/2 tsp baking powder.  Mix it all together, season with a little more garlic (can never have enough of that!!), sea salt (tiny bit), and sage.  Bake at 325 for 15 min (covered with aluminum foil), raise temp to 350 and take off aluminum foil and bake for another 15 minutes.  I made them tiny and she had no trouble with them.

[elliesmama]

Hello!  My lo is 7 months and is not very interested at all in eating from a spoon, but when I've given her bites of what I'm eating, she's done great and eaten at least a couple bites.   So I think that BLW might be great for us, but I'm nervous about how to start and what to give.  I'm also super worried about choking, as there has been no sign of teeth yet.  Right now I offer oatmeal and some fruits and veggies, but like I said, she doesn't want it.  Any ideas for me?  How did you ladies start?  How big of chunks should I give?

Thank you!

[Lippy Chick]

Laurie welcome.

If you go to page 8 of this thread we have answered similar questions of another newbie, so you might find the answers on that page, if you have more please come back, we're all a friendly bunch and really, really helpful.  We all love BLW and I'm sure you're making the right decision to go with it.  One tip, shower curtain under the high chair, catches all the debris.

Enjoy.

Pauline

[elliesmama]

Thanks, Pauline!  I just looked over those and they were very helpful.  So choking is not really a danger with BLW?   Ellie's eaten a couple crackers on her own and she definitely gags, which makes me super nervous--should I just know that that's normal and not panic and do the sweep thing?  How do I know if she's choking?

[elliesmama]

Sorry for all the questions, I just am one of those that needs my hand held through things like this.  Nobody I know has ever done BLW.

[Bryony]

Laurie - the ONLY thing Katie has ever gagged on, I think, is crackers - they are quite dry and can get "stuck"  - so IMO I'd avoid crackers if you get this problem, and try slightly softer stuff until she's used to the idea 

If she was choking she'd not be able to breathe - you'd know!  As others have suggested, if you are concerned about choking you could always do a basic first aid course or read up on what you'd do. It's sooo unlikely - and no more likely than weaning onto puree - but in my experience being prepared for something makes it less scary

HTH!

Bryony

[grahamsmama]

  How do I know if she's choking?

Don't worry, you'll know, because they won't cough.  They'll just look, well, like they have something caught in their throat.  Meghan hasn't choked on any foods, but she did pick a leaf up off the floor and choked on that.  I flipped her over, held her downward and hit her back.  She threw up all over the place and the leaf came out.  There was no question there was something wrong.  The gagging is a protective response so that they don't choke. 
And, Laurie, we're happy to hold your hand for you while you start this process!
I think it's easier for them if you give them rather big pieces of things so they can hold onto it and suck/chew the end.  Even now, Meghan prefers big chunks over bite size pieces.