how do you handle introducing solids with two?

[greenteamomma]

Kind of a vent but looking for ideas please:

So #1 DD2 just starting solids but I find myself in the kitchen ALL day, feeding one and then the other.  I can't seem to get there days to match, ever.

#2 she wants to do BLW which I'm fine with but then see point #1!!!!  Its such a mess and then DS1 wants some too which is fine but see point #1.

#3 She obviously smooches her food in her mouth to eat.  Then DS1 shows me how he is a baby too (he's 27 months).  It gets old pretty fast!

#4 I find that I'm not always able to fit in her "lunch" because of waiting after she has bottle and then its too close to naps (cause she's short napping these days) and its time to get DS1 in bed.  He needs some cuddles before bed too! 

#5 Anytime we are eating and she's just had a bottle, she cries cause she sees us eating and wants some.  I find myself thinking if you could only wait you would take more....

I feel in a rut!

[~inbalance~]

Well, BLW really helped out with a lot of these issues for us!  Mostly because I could prepare much of the same food for both boys, and for the whole family for that matter.

Another thought is if you prepare some stuff ahead of time and freeze it, so it's easy to grab and heat when the time comes?

For the early weeks I tried to stay really relaxed about DS2's eating.  He basically joined in our meals and ate when we ate, BUT if for some reason I had to skip one of his meals (ie lunch), it wasn't a big deal.  I wasn't really focused on 3 'meals' a day with him until probably 8-9mos.  Remember bottles are more important and solids is just a bonus, so if you can't fit the solids in then don't worry too much about it.

As for the food smooching from both of them, just one of those things mamas gotta deal with I supposed! 

I guess my biggest piece of advice, particularly if you are interested in BLW, is to make mealtime a 'family affair'.  Do it all together, at once.  Prepare meals you can all share, or at least that the kids can share, and then sit down all at once and enjoy.  It takes a lot of the pressue off of you to prepare a whole bunch of different things, and to have to feed your LO's at separate times.  I would prepare something for all of us, then we would all sit down and eat together. 

[greenteamomma]

thanks for reading my rant Martina!  You always bring me back to solid ground!  I know its all mother territory just having a blah day I guess! 

We have been giving her stuff but she ends up not eating much of BLW type foods and even though its ok, its always on my mind.  Is she ok, did she have enough "taste experience" for her age etc?  She is on the low side of milk intake so I would like to do more puree foods to sneak some milk calories in but there is no time or she'll have nothing of the spoon.  I have to find some recipes I guess.  Anyway, this is becoming ANOTHER rant so I had better stop. 

We'll try to do more family meals, your right!  Thanks for reminding me!

[~inbalance~]

If she won't have anything to do with the spoon, then there's nothing you can do about that!    DS2 was the same, he would not touch the dang spoon and even now will swat it away if I try.    TBH he really didn't eat that much, but it was the fact that we always offered that mattered.

Maybe you will find some new ideas on the Baby Food Recipes board:  http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?board=10.0

I know what you mean, sounds like how DS2 was.  Just remember that there is only so much you can do.  If you are offering healthy food, that is a huge part of the equation.  Trying to stay relaxed (even when it's hard!), is another important part. 

[*Liz*]

Meg was another one who refused a spoon at an early stage, we had a few good weeks before she decided she could do it herself  .

I always just fed her when I fed DS regardless of when her last bottle etc was or how close it was to nap time. I just couldn't see any other way of doing it - if J wasn't eating he would need me for something else so I couldn't be feeding M then anyway. It was bad enough leaving him for all the BFs.

It all worked out just fine. DD is a better eater than DS ever was - probably because she always ate with us.

These second kids have to go with the flow a bit more, hey  ?

[Fiver]

After seeing my friend do BLW with #3, I'm not convinced there is such a thing as "BLW foods".  She just gives him whatever the rest of the family are eating, whether that's something with chunks or something like chilli.  Her DS then just digs in with his hands.  Yes, messy at times, but he's an amazing eater and they've inspired me to try BLW with DD.