Baby Led Weaning Support Thread - Part 5!

[lisi's mum]

Lou - let the fun begin! Have you checked out the BLW sticky? http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=92560.0

As for what to start with, we started on fruit and steamed veggies cut in sticks. For the first couple weeks Norah didn't actually ingest anything, just played around with chewing on stuff. Infact I could only tell that something had gone down when it came out the other end.

If she's going 7 hours durning the day without a milk feed but waking every couple hours at night that sounds to me like she's reverse cycling, but that's a topic for the breastfeeding board.

Have fun!

[lisi's mum]

Oh, Berni, just wanted to add - if you're nervous about allergic reactions trying peanut butter you could do what a friend did - drive around to the nearest A&E department and sit in their carpark whilst you feed A a pb sandwich. If you need help it's not far away 

Then again, I think I read that you're not going to go into anaphylactic shock on the first exposure to an allergen so maybe you should do that second time you give it to her 

My principles seem to have flown out the window (again) : Norah's become a bread monster, grabbing it from me and sweeping all the other good stuff off her tray.

Oh, and how careful are you all about salt? I managed to keep L totally salt free for a year. I made a barley soup which has salt in the stock, albeit very little and was ummming and ahhing as to whether to give N any or if I'd be forever compromising her kidneys 

[Jocasta]

I try to limit the salt thing with Mae - I never add any salt to things I cook for her and I only ever give her salt free shop bought finger foods.  But, if I'm making something with stock etc, I don't worry about that.  I give her wholemeal bread a lot as well and that has added salt (although not much).  Also, there are occasions when Sophie manages to stuff a crips into Mae's mouth before I can get there to stop her   I try not to sweat it but I wouldn't purposefully add salt into her diet if that makes sense?

[lou29]

Thanks Lisi's mum, I've just had a look through the BLW sticky for some ideas. I'll have a look on the breastfeeding bit for advise on reverse cycling.

Lou.

[lisi's mum]

That's kind of where I am Jo, I was just SO strict with Lisi I'm feeling a bit guilty with Norah. Kind of irrational eh? I mean, to many I am still way too strict (you should have heard my conversation with MIL the other day, I think she thinks I'm a fruit loop)

[Jocasta]

(you should have heard my conversation with MIL the other day, I think she thinks I'm a fruit loop)

Lol!  Welcome to the club

Mae was sat upright nursing yesterday at MILs - she said "she looks too old to be feeding now".  I replied "wait until she's 3!" I'll still be nursing this one at 18 now just out of the principle of the thing

[huntersmummyinoz]

hi everyone,

my little man is almost 10mths old and is being Mr Independent regarding the spoon, teething put him off but also developmental i think as will only take daytime milk in a cup now too.

he will happily eat mashed fruit/pudding/custard/yoghurt on a spoon but thats it. lunch and dinner are all finger foods now which is easy enuf to do, but cereal for breaky is proving a little more interesting!

any nutritious breakfast ideas? he's always had porridge or weetbix before. he will eat wholemeal toast but worry that's not giving him enuf IYKWIM

cheers,
kirry

[huntersmummyinoz]

actually he also eats meet in a spoon, i whizz whatever we are having up with a little baby gravy or stock, but can he start having meat as finger foods now? if so, which ones are okay or soft enuf to give?

[Freya'sMum]

You can offer meats as big strips (like roast chicken goujons) or little flakes (salmon, cod, haddock) however if you are feeling creative try this http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=102407.0 with any meat (chicken with apple and thyme, pork with apple and sage, beef with tomato puree and basil, or lamb with mint)

For breakfast miniwheats (adult cereal, mini shredded wheat pillows, no added salt, sugar etc) soaked in milk or oj, or even dry are good to nibble on, raisins accompany this well, any naturally soft fruit pieces actually (grapes, apricots, peaches, plums, pear, strawberries & raspberries, melon, mango, banana, blueberries, pineapple - whatever's in season!) - mashed fruit on ricecakes/toast can also be popular

Also loadsa ideas here http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=95978.0 such as tasty muffins

Ax

[Jocasta]

Yeah, we give shredded wheat here too - Mae LOVES it!  She'll have a go dry but she prefers it soaked in milk or juice

[huntersmummyinoz]

thanks ladies,

checked out thread and going out shopping

kirry

[lilac83]

I have a few questions about baby led weaning:

Do you use baby cereal and baby food or jump directly to the "finger food"?
How does your LO feed him/herself? Spoon? Fingers?
Wouldn't it be a complete mess to give them mashed baby food and let them eat it by themselves?

If someone could please explain a little I would appreciate it!

[Jocasta]

Yeah, BLW is where you skip purees and go straight to finger foods.  Mae eats pretty much what we eat.  TBH, in my experience BLW is messy however you do it lol, but so worth it!  Mae eats such a huge variety of food - in fact, I'm yet to find something she doesn't like! 

It's resulted in our eating more healthily as a family really as I'm always mindful to cook something that's completely natural, fresh and nutritious.  We're all benefitting from BLW lol! 

I can't rave about it enough!

I have to confess that I have spoon fed Mae a few things - but only because I'm eating it outside of her meal times and she's creating Mary hell to try some (such as adult porridge oats or yoghurt)   I'm not going to the rigmarole of highchair, bibs and clean up just for the sake of a few mouthfuls of MY food   It's funny though because I have to hold her hands down to spoon feed her - because she's always fed herself, she associates eating with the hand to mouth gesture lol.

That is the only downside to BLW in my view - EVERYTHING that they see you putting in your mouth, they want too!  The amount of times she's cried for my cup of tea lol!

[*Nicola*]

It's oh so quiet ... ssh .. ssh ...

What's happened!!!

Thought I would just check in and see how our self feeding babes are doing now?

Things are good here Since moving to cow's milk Callie has REALLY upped her solids intake.  For breakfast she's eating a banana, a crumpet/toast and usually a yoghurt with about 4oz of milk

Our new thing is cutlery   She LOVES having anything from a spoon or a fork LOL it must be novel since she's never had them!! So usually now we do some food on tray which she loves trying to stab with the fork She is GLEEFUL if she gets a bit on   Then at the same time I load up some forks to hand to her.  Once she is finished with the one she has, she hands it back to me says 'ta' and holds out hand for the next food filled fork   Does the same with spoon, so is now having yoghurts, custards etc which is wonderful

Hows the other bubs doing? x

[Jocasta]

Aw, she's sounds so gorgeous and with your new avatar - I just want to scoop her up and give her lots of squidges!!!! 

Mae's doing really well - eating EVERYTHING in sight.  If I want to eat anything to myself, I have to wait until Mae's in bed!  She's such a little ganet!!!