Baby Led Weaning Support Thread - Part 9

[amayzie]

hmm.. never heard of matzo meal.. i like the idea of the veg puree and oats.. adding the extra nutrients sounds good. I ended up just putting a little pepper (actually- the poor thing- it was not that small an amount, and out of a pepper grinder so largish bits!) and smoked paprika on them and them grated cheese all over them once they were cooked. He loved them!! Just chewed them to death. I think a couple of bits went down and quite a bit of the juices.

Any of you done any pram feeding? I attempted it today (I know beckygatt- i'm crazy- I thought of you AGAIN as i tried to keep the banana off the pram!)... wasn't a very large success.. but we were out, he was grizzling... you know... he seemed keen for a banana.. Any tips? Or just leave it for when he's 3....

[beckygatt]

Lol on the kfc! I like the idea of coating chicken in veg puree too! The other day I made little patties with minced chicken and grated veg. Girls both loved them! I froze some too. Animal fat is healthy so I wouldn't worry about lean mince too much. And no I've never tried pram feeding, except a rice cake

[creations]

I've just added a couple of variations of the recipe I use for making oaty bars for DS (kind of like flapjacks, kind of like the organix soft oaty bars).  They are SO easy to make, great finger food, pretty clean eating for out and about, freeze well and are baddy free.

On this page
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=62087.15#top
reply numbers 16, 18 and 20

[Khalam's Mama]

I try to avoid messy food but we do lots of pram eating. If you put on a bob over the straps it isn't so bad. banana is probably the worst food for getting off the straps so I would avoid that. I learnt that with DS1. He has been able to eat in the pram fine for about 1.5hrs now. I have given B a flapjack and a biscuit on occasions in the pram but it was a bit messy. kept him quiet while out and a bout.

[amayzie]

I learnt that with DS1.

Yep... i'm on DS1 now.. i actually didn;t have him strapped in at the time as i was sitting in front of him.. Those oat cake biscuit things look great!  so i guess aiming for crumbly things (or uncrumbly) rather than gooey things is best in the pram.. just brush out the crumbs..

[Khalam's Mama]

Yes crumbley is easier than stodge.

[amayzie]

ok ladies... i thought i'd have a bit of a vent!! I met today with my work people.. all physios, occupational therapists and speech pathologists. I was discussing with one of the young speechies about BLW and she was saying 'oh- the paediatric feeding workshop people are really against it'.. they are the people that provide training and are the experts in the paed feeding field out here.. She said that they say it's a choking hazard... she was soo righteous about it!! I said that you need to supervise- and this is the recommendation of the BLW idea- and she said 'oh- but people don't!' - I thought- Well i'm NOT PEOPLE!! Also that 'they can hoard food in their palates'.. well the book also suggests to ensure that you check for this- The same thing the Dr told me when she was discussing traditional weaning with me!!  It soo frutrated me... it wasn't really the forum to go into too much detail- christmas lunch- but i was soo annoyed!! I have worked for many years studying paediatric feeding myself and have gone with BLW as it lines up with much of this!! And I can;t help it if 'people' don't supervise!! Humph!! I guess it has made me really think about BLW in a more clinical way to ensure that i've made the right decision for me- nd i think that yes i have!! I must say that i would be unlikely to recommend it in a professional capacity as you can never trust that people WILL supervise- although pretty much all of my clients would be unsuitable as they have physical disabilities or swallowing disorders.. but there are definitely things I can do myself as i can have control over it!!!

Also- i say that 'i made the decision to do it as it is right for me'... but do have to mention that you ladies have been VERY supportive!! Oh- how frustrating young therapists can be!!!

Thanks ladies!! i'll be coming to the 7 month thread soon- have missed you guys on the 4-6 month thread!

[creations]

Katy, I've vented in a very similar way about 'professionals' attitude towards BLW, but I think my rant was MUCH longer.  It's infuriating isn't it that some people equate it with neglect and poor parenting.
There's no N for 'neglect' in BLW and who's to say that traditional route parents aren't neglectful?

Lets take a poll of all the children who have been removed from their neglectful or abusive parents and see how many were traditional weaned and how many baby led weaned - yeah sounds OTT I know but SERIOUSLY how can people think we would just leave our babies to choke?

Quite recently in the UK a nurse caused the death of her own baby due to force feeding purée (the baby got pneumonia due to food in the lungs and couldn't be saved).  She was obsessed with the baby's weight, I think the news reports said she had been previously warned not to force feed the baby in this way but continued to do so because that was how her own mother had weaned her children.  Does this mean that all parents who wean with purées are going to kill their babies?  No of course not, it means that some parents are STUPID, neglectful and abusive, it has nothing to do with the purée or the finger food.

Now I shall go and take some deep breaths

[amayzie]

Thanks.. What a horrible story!! Yeah- if you don't supervise, or check that their mouths are clear, or shove foods in their mouths that they can't pick up, or give them whole nuts- then you AREN"T DOING BLW!!!!! You are simply being an IDIOT!!! he he- sorry.. a bit dramatic..

Thanks!

[Khalam's Mama]

How funny. I went to a xmas lunch with my physio colleagues yesterday and they were all marvelling at how he just sat on his blanket feeding himself while  caught up with my friends. I was sat right next to him of course.

[beckygatt]

That is a horrible story! I am a paediatric physio and I think blw is great! Can't believe how good Sohia's coordination is getting! (This morning she managed cheerios all alone). Of course it wouldn't be suitable for certain babies with problems, but as long as you let them feed themselves and always supervise its fine. Don't let them get you down!!

[amayzie]

oh i won't.. i think in part it's a young therapist who likes to prove how much she knows... she's a good speech path- but is the type who has to say what she knows... and i always think 'yes dear... i have been doing this a long time now too...'- Yeah- i'm well in favour from a speech pathology point of view too! I think that she was mainly hung up on giving a 6 month old sandwiches.. which i wouldn't personally anyway.. bread is REALLY hard to chew, and goes gluggy.. I always come up with the comebacks AFTER!!

Oh and our zest and deep love of mango has not abated- and our fine motor skills have improved allowing us to eat it much more effectively!! (us=hamish... my fine motor skills are passable...)

[londonlady]

Katy, it's funny as the "professional" view here (or at least the advice from the health visitors  - which I assume comes from our government which in  turn would come from the paediatric health professionals / advisors) is to go the BLW route...  They are running DVDs at the baby clinic, and basically just saying "give the baby what you eat" (minus any salt / sugar of course.)  You daren't mention the word purees in clinic lol!!

I hate that people always want to get into a debate about how you raise your children... and for the most part we sit there and politely nod along and do a much repeated non commital-don't-want-to-get-into-a-row-with-you version of an explanation when really what we want to do is say that it's none of their business and to stop ramming their opinions down my throat! Or maybe that's just (very British) me...!

[beckygatt]

Lol, I do the same Rach!

[Khalam's Mama]

Me too!