Baby Led Weaning Support Thread - Part 9

[creations]

Katy, I would think by the time you get winter you won't need a cover all bib.  The mess reduces rapidly.  I can use a 'normal' bib on DS now just to catch the chin dribbles.  I still put a muslin over his trousers for any accidentally dropped food but the cover all bibs with arms didn't do that job, still had to have a muslin there.
My favorite bibs have turned out to be the cheapest possible sort form one of those bargain shops (here they are pound shops), all plastic, short sleeved, just dunk in the sink with the washing up.   All other bibs with the velcro fastening mess up all the other clothes in the laundry even when I make sure they are fastened before going in the machine...they became a pet hate of mine!

[beckygatt]

I didn't use the long sleeve bib for very long and now I only use it for something really messy (not a word Katy! ). Muslin over the legs helps too but she tends to kick it off. My favourite bib is a soft plastic one from mothercare with a flap to catch food. It doesn't interfere with eating and I just wash it in sink

[amayzie]

Ah- i can't wait for that!! I must say i also like the aldi silicone ones that have a catcher bit and they can be washed in the sink! I have a couple of IKEA ones too- plastic... much better than soaking them etc!

beckygtt- I got a mothercare couple the other day! They are ok- the food catcher is good! And i would NEVER say ANYTHING!!

Lucky you guys don't think i need a coverall bib- as i bought one and lost it!! I don't want to buy another till i find the first!!

Oh- and was it you Beckygatt the other day offering your LO weet bix? How did you serve that? I gave him a 'kids' weet bix- lower sodium and sugar... with a little bit of milk on it...(smidgy amount) he LOVED it! I only gave him one tho- and he didn't eat the whole thing.. i;m being mindful of the whole wheat thing... But i don't offer it at every meal, and brown rice is apparently not included- so im all good i think!!

[londonlady]

Sofia likes to play peepo with her plastic pelican bib...

[beckygatt]

No I've never given weetabix actually. For cereal I give cheerios which she loves and is becoming really good at picking up!

Is it OK to give ricotta before a year? Thinking of making a ricotta pie...

[amayzie]

I've read cheese is ok.. and i think ricotta wuld be included...- just read it again on the momtastic website (you know it don't you.. tell me if you need a link.. it's a bible for me!!)

So cheerios- i thought they were all sugary? I haven't actually read the box.. i think i;m getting my impression from the fact that the cheer leeders in Glee are called the 'cheerios'

[MommyMoulton]

É will be 6 months next week and we have started purees but I would like to give him some finger foods after the purees and again whdn he sits in the high chair when dh and I eat a little later. Suggestions on what to start with?

[suzannemoore]

I just wanted to pop on her as my lo is 8 months old and eating off of my plate and has totally given up on the food I have prepared for her in the past.  She does very well mashing food with her gums, and has two teeth.  I just wanted to find out exactly what BLW is.  I know I should know this, but...  The only thing that she will still eat that are smooth is yogurt.  Thanks!  I look forward to joining the chat!

[beckygatt]

In BLW you simply put food on their tray and let them feed themselves. You give them whatever food you are eating, within reason of course, not too much salt, sugar etc and no raw meat or eggs, honey etc before a year. If you google it there is a website with lots of useful info. I did purees with DD1 and blw with DD2 and I think its great! She's eating so much already. It should prevent problems with fusiness, refusing lumps and that sort of thing.

MM - I started with steamed vegetable sticks, like carrot, beetroot, apple, and roast veg like sweet potato and parsnips. I soon moved onto pieces of chicken and pasta. I think its a very good idea to give finger foods too and encourage self feeding from now

[MommyMoulton]

Beckyg- so like a whole carrot stick? Or do you chop it up into bits? If the latter howsmall?

[beckygatt]

It would be a few inches long, enough to be able to hold and still bite. So for an average size carrot I'd half it down the middle then quarter it longitudinally to make them thinner. Does this make sense??  At the beginning I aimed for all foods to be cut in a 'finger' shape.

So this evening I bit the bullet and gave S cottage pie to eat with her hands!! It wasn't actually all that messy either. She had the long sleeve bib on but probably didn't really need it

[amayzie]

Good work beckygatt!! You are coming along!

MM: A couple of the basic 'safety features' to go with BLW are that you don't offer foods that are too hard and will break off. SO if you were too offer raw carrot sticks for example, they may break the end of them off and get a small piece they can choke on. The other thing is that babies can't physically handle objects that they can't put into their mouth... so for example- at 6 months they can't manage to safely eat a small piece of food like a blueberry (for example), but at 8 or 9 months they probably can.... at 6 months they don't have the fine motor skills to use a pincer grip (index finger and thumb) to pick up such a small onject, or even access the food thats in the palm of their hand. The 'safety' part of that is that you are not meant to put food into the babies mouth for them. So- if they can't pick up a tiny piece of food- but you put it in their mouth for them they are at more risk of choking.

I usually- at least initially- offerred foods that were very soft, this meant that i knew that he'd chomp them down very easily. To start with (at 6 months) they just do a lot of exploring with the food (fancy word for playing with)- then after a little while (for us about a week or 2) they start eating the stuff. Now Hamish eats heaps right away! I know that if he isn't eating what i've offerred him- he's probably not going to have anything, and that if i was doing purees it'd be a day i'd have a fight to get stuff in anyway!

[MommyMoulton]

Ok thanks ladies... seems silly to steam up one carrot.... can I microwave it? No dishwasher here(actually yes.. but its me! BLAH)

[amayzie]

I pretty much microwave it all! Just watch for hot spots... what i tend to do is microwave it, then leave it to cool- if i'm in a hurry pop it in the freezer for a few minutes- we also have a person powered dishwasher.... HATE!!

I LOVE the photo of the dog and the baby! Very cute!!

[MommyMoulton]

Katy- so like a carrot stick in as microwave dish with like a bit of water for like a min or two? Sorry I'm not much of a cook... Hence ht feeding solilds is rough....really do need an instrucctions manual with steps or an on call nanny or cook or something!