Baby Led Weaning Support Thread - Part 5!

[munzle]

Hi Angela,

Sure I posted a reply yesterday, but it seems to have gone awol. Anyway, it could be a growth spurt, but normally they don't last longer than a week and this has been going on for two weeks now. I don't mind feeding her at night as it's easier to feed at 4 than for her to wake at 6 and not go back to sleep, but not sure if I'm reinforcing her night waking by feeding her - don't want it to become a habit. Have tried pumping an hour after feeds to give to her at the next feed, as suggested by Tracy, but I just don't seem to be able to get any milk out at the moment. At the same time she has dropped of her curve on her growth chart. I'm not really worried about this as I know they're not perfect for bf babies (am big fan of kellymom already) but it does make me wonder if she needs more calories. Soooo confusing! Any advice?

[Purplecattypants]

Have you posted on the bf boards? If not i'd say do it, they are fab and will be able to give you loads of advice 

[mumofalice]

Berni, how's things with you?  Not seen you around in a while

Thanks for asking after me 

Haven't really had chance to get on the boards (only for a quick read now and again - don't tell DH tho  ) as DH has been off shift and it was Alice's birthday on Monday (where did the year go?  ) so we've had a busy few days.

Hope you and your LOs are all doing well 

I've been ROFPMSL at some of your posts tho - especially the ones about food refusal. Why do we take it so personally? There is nothing I like more than seeing Alice eat - in fact it never ceases to amaze me how much she can eat in one sitting (am sure she over-eats even tho it's not supposed to be possible  ) - however, when she decides she doesn't like something (which was her favourite thing only a couple of days ago  ) I am really upset, especially if it's something I've made myself LOL!!

So . . . Alice is not a baby anymore  and once again I'm feeling a bit out of my depth and have a whole load of questions I'm hoping you can help me with (Freya's Mum - feel free to slap my wrists (again LOL!) if I go way off subject as I have a tendency to do this  )

First of all . . . we've managed to drop down to 2 x BFs per day (morning and night) and am now wanting to drop the morning BF. Do I now start to offer her the solids first and milk with her breakfast - I'm kind of assuming that seems like the logical thing . . . but then my logic got a bit lost when I became a Mum LOL!!

Also . . . now that Alice is one milk isn't going to be her main source of nutrition - that should now come from solid food right? I offer her what I like to think is a balanced diet but how do I know she's getting enough of everything? For instance I'm not at all worried about her FIVE a day as she has fruit with every meal (is that too much I always wonder?!!) and eats veg - but am a bit worried that she might not get enough protein . . .

I'm also worried about her milk / fluid intake (I know this is not exactly BLW related - but am hoping you ladies may have some advice  ) as we're having a few sippy cup issues   When we first introduced a sippy cup at 6 months Alice wouldn't let you help her with it - and now we have a complete reversal which I'm really beginning to worry about. Alice won't pick up the cup herself - she swipes it off her tray and starts crying if you don't help her with it. I don't know how to fix this . . . I want her to be able to use a cup herself (like I know she is capable of ) but at the same time I need to know that she is taking in fluid - any advice would be REALLY welcome. I keep helping her with the cup (even tho I don't want to) because I don't want to make it into a real problem - but maybe I'm doing that anyway  We do also have a straw cup that we offer - but Alice has never attempted to suck on the straw, she just likes to bite it instead 

One other question I have . . . is about the organix range of snacks which I know quite a few of you are fond of (as am I - and Alice even more so  ) I try to keep Alice's diet as healthy as possible but I do wonder if the snacks are maybe not as healthy as I think. Am sure she would eat a whole packet of the cheese & herb puffs if I let her - is that a bad thing? Talking of snacking - how are your LOs doing with snacking? Alice doesn't seem to eat anything unless she's sat in her high chair at meal times - when she eats her weight in pasta / bread / whatever she fancies that day 

Okay . . . think that's it for now (as if it isn't enough alreay  ) - would love to hear your thoughts / advice as always. 

Berni x

PS Sharon - how you doing with dropping a BF? I know it's probably too late now but Camys Mum and I have been tackling a similar thing over the past few weeks and we have a thread going on the BF board - once again the advice and support is great 

Here's the link, it might be worth a read 

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=128491.msg1376717#msg1376717

[mumofalice]

Okay I know I haven't posted in a while . . . but am now getting a complex as since I last posted this thread has been EXTREMELY quiet 

I would really appreciate any suggestions you have on the sippy cup issue I'm trying to deal with - or if I'm asking in the wrong place (not exactly sure where it goes?) then please point me in the right direction . . .

Meal times are starting to become a bit stressful with the cup - and that is totally wrong when BLW, isn't it? DH is starting to lose his patience with Alice (I'm trying to keep mine, but it's getting harder  ) - but I just don't know what to do 

Should I let her just keep swiping the cup onto the floor and not help her in the hope she will drink when she's thirsty? Just so worried that she won't take enough fluids then . . .

[Jocasta]

No idea on the sippy cup issue - sorry!  I'm having a little issue of my own - Mae won't take one!  I've been syringing boiled water as she's been really playing up lately and I had to rule out dehydration.  She'll take up to 20 ml a time from a syringe but just doesn't know what to do with a sippy lol!

I guess I'd suggest not helping her for a day and see how she goes...  That's what I'd do but not sure if it's your answer 

[lisi's mum]

hmmmm, have you tried giving her a normal mineral water bottle with one of those sports tops? Lisi never drank from a sippy ever but one of those was ok. Or a bottle with a straw in it.

This time I haven't actually bothered even trying figuring N's still getting plenty of bm, but that's no help to you.

My only quibble with the Organix stuff is with the packaging actually - it is too similar to really unhealthy snacks and I don't really want N making the association between shiny crinkley packages and good things IYKWIM. Organix in small amounts seems fine, crisps, not so... I don't want that fight!

Have you seen the thread on toddler sized portions? It was quite reassuring how little of stuff they need. http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=24957.0 TBH I have relaxed a bit as of late - Lisi is such a faddy eater it seems that she eats what she needs when she needs it. As long as there's some of most food groups going in at some point through a day that's enough for me. There was a programme on the bbc a while back called my child won't eat. There was a girl there who'd eaten nothing but chocolate biscuits for several years who looked astonishingly ok.

[Purplecattypants]

Hey B!!

I'm so sorry, I read through your post the other day and then got sidetracket and completely forgot about it!!  Hmmmm i'm not sure on the sippy thing either  You're probably best of posting separately, although i'm not sure where would be best...FSF, Disc & soc...either way if you post the mod will move it to the correct board if its wrong. My gut feeling is that's its just a phase and it will pass....does it matter a huge deal if you have to help her for a while? We've had to opposite    Josh wouldnt drink from one until after 9 months, with me helping....at nearly a year he has JUST started using it independantly. I do still have to help him sometimes, especially if he gets it the wrong way round/upside down lol!

That link Katie gave on Toddler portions is great was gonna post that myself. A portion really is rather small! Josh is such a fusspot lately too, gobbles something up one minute, refuses it the next.....its annoying but I try not to let it bother me. I think part of its to do with teething too.

Oh and I see Katies point on the Organix range....I think its a good range though, I just dont give him the packet lol. Really, its the only "junk free" range, so I honestly think its only a good thing. I get their newsletter, and thay have just bought out a range of snacks for the older child which will be in the normal snack isle rather than  the babyfood isle. Josh does snack when not in his highchair, but he usually gets it EVERYwhere and its just toooo messy for my liking!! Raisins/sultanas/prunes are good as a not-so-messy snacl though 

[mumofalice]

Hey ladies (and LOs  )

Thanks for getting back to me . . . apologies for being so needy - I was very hormonal yesterday and there were lots of tears (from me more than Alice  )

Still not really sure what to do about the sippy cup (or any kind of cup  ) - but will post elsewhere to see if anyone else has had the same thing. It just seems really strange that Alice has gone from not accepting any help at all to not even attempting to lift it by herself 

Ang - I didn't think it would matter if I helped her for a little while . . . but the little while seems to have been a long while now, iykwim? Alice is going for her first trial at the childminder this week  and am not sure if she will expect her to be able to drink from a cup herself . . .

Katie - the link to Toddler Portions was a great help and I already feel like I don't need to worry as much  I think Alice gets a fairly balanced diet anyway - lots of fresh fruit and veg, carbs and some protein - and a few organix snacks to top it all off  I did see that programme you were mentioned actually - have to agree that the girl who pretty much lived on chocolate looked pretty good on it - that's my kind of diet LOL!!

Have to agree on the Organix packaging - I try and keep the packets away from Alice too - tho am sure she can hear the rustle of the packet from the next room LOL!!

Ang - PMSL at you and your not-so-messy snacks - the Clean Police are still on patrol then 

[Jocasta]

Does anyone else's child have an unhealthy attachment to a certain food?  What I mean by this is that Mae absolutely ADORES melon.  To the extent that the first time she had it, she wailed miserably when it fell out of her mouth.  She's still completely addicted to it and every time she's eating some and loses grip, or the piece that she bit off pops out of her mouth, she actually cries!  So, anyone else experience this or something similar?

Also, MIL said that as Mae won't take a sippy, I ought to offer her boiled water from a bottle.  I really don't want to go down this route as she's my only true breast-success and as such, I don't want to create a bottle addiction when it's not necessary (Sophie's only JUST gone over to a sippy from drinking out of a bottle and I've been trying with her since she was eight months old!).  As she's still breast fed, does she really need extra water?  She has lots of watery fruits...

[lisi's mum]

Jo - still bf-ing more or less on demand or at least every 4 hours? She doesn't need water. My mum can't get her head around that one either. I keep trying to give Norah water 'cause I hear all these folk telling me I should, but she's not into it at all. Screws up her nose and spits it out again most of the time.

Norah's melon is fennel, she goes crazy crazy for it (strange child)

[binxyboo]

No water needed. We have had weather up to 110F here this Summer, and Kate didn't need any water. Just bf on demand.

[Jocasta]

Thanks guys

[*Nicola*]

Hiya guys

B ... will Alice take a cup with a straw?  Callie drinks from a straw or a sports bottle or a free flow cup.  I wouldn't worry about her at the childminders in terms of eating.  You will prob find she comes on leaps and bounds around other and older children

Jo .. Callie has been addicted to lots of foods!  Now that she is getting older she changes the object of her affection regularly.  Blueberries were a fav for SO long, as were cherries but they seem to be out right now and cheese is back in.

I think organix is fab Ciara is 5 and loves the cereal bars, carrot sticks, sweetcorn rings, noughts and crosses .. serioulsy she devours them and usually picks them over a bag of quavers!

x

[Jocasta]

I think organix is fab Ciara is 5 and loves the cereal bars, carrot sticks, sweetcorn rings, noughts and crosses .. serioulsy she devours them and usually picks them over a bag of quavers!

You couldn't get her to have a word with Sophie could you?  If it's packed full of cr@p, she'll chow down - if it even so much as hints "healthy", she's not interested   I've only ever given her wholemeal bread but she won't eat that any more - eats tons of white at MILs   The only thing really good for her that I can think of that she'll eat is strawberries - little moo!

[meltown]

hi everyone.  I have decided to try this with Reagan and will be starting it int he next few weeks.  I am totally lost with it all so forgive me if I ask a lot of questions you guys have covered 100 times over.  I was wondering if there are any things, like carrotts that are supposed to be held off with this?  I heard not until 9 months, is that the case with BLW or you just ignore all those things and trust that it will all be ok? 

we have a lot of the same pickiness with B jo.  maybe it is the age.  we have found that he LOVES beans, so we try to give him those every couple days so that eh gets veggies and hope he will grow to like others.