24 weeks..ready for solids and what method?

[buttonbaby]

Hi there,
My ds is almost 24 weeks so coming to that time for starting on solids, did BLW with dd but not sure my son would be ready for this.
He was only 10 days premature (induced as he stopped growing) but was the weight of what a 5 week premature baby might be…5lb 3 and was in NICU due to lack of sucking skills and having jaundice and according to tests doctors said he was “behaving ” 5 weeks .

Ds also had a lot of problems with silent reflux and weight gain and was in hospital for that a lot , he is now 11lb/5kg. He does often hold his head up but at times lets it droop (and read holding head up is one of the signs for readiness), he doesn’t sit up well in a high chair really..tried him today in a supportive one and he was well below the table and slouching a  little. I could use his bumbo and play tray though or hold him on my knee at the table.

My dd could pick up and replace her dody by 5 mths but he rarely picks up things and puts them in his mouth, he loves to hold on to a blankie and  push that too his mouth but its an effort,  when I sat him in the bumbo today (as he couldn’t reach the high chair table, I put some very light teething stuff in front of him to see if he’d pick it up..did a little but struggled to get it to his mouth so not sure baby led weaning would work yet?
SO over all just wondering:
Is he ready for solids?
If so is BLW an option for him?
Should I  start with spoon feeds  and introduce BLW when I see more signs?


He has regular hospital reviews and I will ask his dr but appreciate any additional advice?

[Buntybear]

Hi,

here are some FAQs that may help 

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=36922.0

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=92560.0

I am no expert on BLW so maybe have a look at

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=184657.0

HTH!

[buttonbaby]

Thanks so much for getting those links for me buntybear..have read the first 2! Read all the FAQ and still not sure what to do! 
.
Read these on another tread:
Signs your baby is ready:

Your baby is interested in things around her; she tries to get hold of things and put them in her mouth. She watches you eat and tries to grab the food. never really see any interest & really remember DD showing interest and also not really putting things in his mouth!
She can hold her head steady and sit with some support. Not very well

She may seem less satisfied with just milk feeds - she may stop gaining weight or start wanting a lot more feeds. Definitely not wanting more feeds. Intake is currently 15-17 oz…huge improvement from before meds though!

Also not sure he has lost the reflex to push spoon/food out!

So I think he is not showing signs of readiness for BLW and its what I hoped to do so I guess my question is should I start trying with purees, leave it a few days if nothing , try again etc and then once he is showing more signs such as grabbing food and putting them into his mouth go for the BLW approach?
Will have a good look at the BLW support thread....thanks for that!

[Buntybear]

Well, from what I understand of BLW (and there is a bit on the last page of the sticky that I have just read) you could try finger foods for while because he will just be getting used to them at first anway? It would be about him exploring the new foods, playing with them etc. You could do that for one meal and give him him a bit of puree for another maybe?

[buttonbaby]

Yeah was thinking I might do a mixed approach..see what suits him..thanks again
I guess I think I know he wont pick up the food but no harm giving both a go (one at a time to see which is best for now!

[*Kara*]

Honestly, I don't think he is ready at all... He can't really hold his head up or sit... feeding solids before those two things happen can be dangerous with regards to the risk of choking.

[buttonbaby]

Thanks Kara..was wondering if he was ready at all..he does hold head up at times but also lets it droop after a while/if he gets tired. I remember dd could sit up at 6 mths..unaiaded, would fall after a while, ds can't sit unaided at all so definitely overall wondering if he is ready!

[Buntybear]

Go with your gut instinct. Maybe leave it a few more days but keep offering things as you have been to encourage him to pick up and explore.

[buttonbaby]

Thanks will do that..both gut and toys for exploration!

[Lemonthyme]

BLW purists say there's no mixed approach!  I however think that's a load of tosh and you should just go with what your baby seems to want and need.  

I did traditional weaning with my son which there is a lot of rubbish written about.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with traditional weaning as long as you increase texture gradually and you introduce finger foods from 6-7 months just as you would with BLW.  The official guidance in the UK is to wait until they are putting things in their mouths, however, I think it's one of those circular things; the WHO introduced guidelines that you should wait till 6 months and then start weaning, the UK government then looked at what things happen around that time and made it part of the guidance.  The jury is out though on whether you should wait till they're doing that as many children couldn't efficiently feed themselves before 9 months.  There is also a school of thought that earlier weaning might decrease allergies.

http://www.bda.uk.com/publications/statements/PositionStatementWeaning.pdf

Anyway, I think from reading up at the time that most people think 6 months is ok as long as you get onto a full range of foods pretty quickly and it can be difficult to do that with BLW depending on the child.  If your child takes to it no problem then fine.  I've just found with talking to people in the BLW community (there is one) that most found their child took to it really easily or refused spoon feeding so they had no choice.  

I don't want to diss BLW because I think it has a range of benefits and BLW toddlers do tend to feed themselves better (all catch up in time though) but it's very dependent on the child as to whether you can do it.  It also does worry me though that a child of 6 months is being permitted to decide on the nutritional balance of their meals.

So as someone who considered both methods and chose TW, that was my thinking.  Good luck with whatever you decide.

[buttonbaby]

Hey lemonthyme,
Thanks very much for all that info,.
Did realize that pure BLW involves no purees and have to admit with dd I mainly did BLW but sometimes offered yogurts and brekies which were in a mush form.e.g porridge but for the most part I used BLW so feel she still got the benefits from it. With ds I’m thinking of doing the same but a more mixed approach, if I do go ahead and wean at the 24 week mark, I will try both but have a feeling he wont pick up foods (will encourage exploration with light toys over the next while) and I might try purees but if neither suits I will wait a little while and try again/..again both if one way doesn’t suit and see how it goes! If purees seems to be suited best I will use this until he is picking up toys more and putting them in his mouth and once I think he is ready Il do more BLW, as you described as official guidance in the UK.
Good to know your take and thanks for the links and info a lot of which I didn’t realize!

[Lemonthyme]

Yeah.  Sorry I got on my high horse!  BLW I know would insist upon feeding the child porridge and only allowing them to feed with their hands!  I just say do what works for you!

[Lolly]

I used a mixed approach with both my refluxers - they had purees and finger foods from the start. With DS his reflux was made worse by introducing solids but he was not being treated at the time. With DD I was intending to do pure BLW but we ended up having to start rice cereal at 17 weeks because she was pouring milk back out (paed advice to start) so we kept it simple for her until closer to 6 months and then let her have finger foods.

They both were sitting unaided by 5 months, and DD in particular knew what to do with food from the start - she stole pizza crust from Daddy's plate in a restaurant just before she hit 6 months and refused to let it go . DS was a bit slower to eat, was very good at getting toys in his mouth but would throw anything edible off the tray .

I agree with Lemonthyme - you need to do what suits you and your baby. I honestly believe there is no right and wrong, just what's right for you and your LO.

Laura

[buttonbaby]

Thanks lolly and lemonthyme, good to hear others say there is no right and wrong and just to do what works.

Dd was sitting unaided at 5 mths too, constantly putting things in her mouth, v interested in food, I remember reading all the signs with her and think definitely to them all and having no doubt and she did great from day 1 but definitely different when reading the signs with ds in mind.

I think it will be a little trial and error, Il see what works, and if needs be Il start with purees and eventually get to BLW!

LOL about he pizza Laura!
Thanks again!

[Lemonthyme]

No problem.  I suppose you can't say what would happen if I'd BLW my son but I know when he's upset, for example because he's teething or tired he will not feed himself and wants to be fed and will happily (well grumpily) cry away for food even if it's in front of him.  I'm sure I won't still be feeding him when he's a teenager though!

Maybe it's a boy thing???