Baby Led Weaning support thread #12

[ginger428]

Sure, creations, will check it out. Thanks.

Do any of your LO's scarf down food in 60 seconds? DS likes to fll his mouth to capacity. Not sure how to teach him to take smaller bites. Ideas? (Not a hunger issue as he has timed meals and snacks and can usually tell me when he's hungry.)

Any benefit to feeding breakfast at 8am with a 6am WU? I noticed many people do this.  We don't do a morning milk because he gets yogurt or milk in cereal at breakfast so our breakfast is usually around 7.

[cath~]

For us breakfast is usually an hour or so after WU.  No particular reason. Just cos if there's no rush then we take our time with showers, getting dressed etc. before heading down for breakfast.  DD2 does have a bf when she wakes up in the morning though.

[*Ali*]

Yes I didn't intend to offer so many times already but as I said it is hard not to offer anything if she is there for our meals. she really isn't taking in much at many sittings though. Today we were rushing for one graduation ceremony to the other so she sucked on a dry rice cake for breakfast, had a toast crust at lunch and then sucked on and smeared a kiwi fruit for dinner. I wouldn't be offering so often I was spoonfeeding her baby rice and purées that she was taking in most of. With BLW though there is a lot of waste while they practise, isn't there?

[*Liz*]

Thomas gets offered 2/3 meals a day as well Ali. I take the 'most is waste' approach as well, and tend to think encouraging him to join family meals is very healthy really.

Unfortunately he can't have what we have due to his issues with dairy, so it might be just a dry rice cake like you say.

[creations]

tend to think encouraging him to join family meals is very healthy really.

I agree. If they are interested to do so.
Very little waste here though, but then mine acted like I'd starved him for the first 6 months. It wasn't unusual for him to eat his food and then demand mine too!  I have some hilarious (to me) film clips of him scoffing away

[*Ali*]

I tried the musli balls this morning. They got smushed everywhere to say the least!

[creations]

Try leaving the mix for a minute or two before rolling into balls as it will firm up and making it a bit drier to roll and pick up.

[newkidontheblock]

That is a classic picture of BLW Fleur!! Haha. What a cutie! Great bib, what is that? Looks washable too

Thanks, ginger. That's a kushies bib that DH's aunt sent us from Canada. We don't get them here. But I love it so much - it is so much better than the rubbish mothercare ones we have. The designs keep peeling off on them and they don't catch any food. And yes, it's washable.

Regarding muesli, I bought a sugar-free one for DD (Baggrys)
(gorgeous photo btw)
Is there no fruit in it?

Nope. Just oats, cereals & nuts. I add raisins, dates, figs as wanted.

We have hit a bit of a bump with BLW - she still eats the same food as us and SO well but she's suddenly so moody & picky, and it leads to so much waste. And she is hell bent on feeding the dogs..everything. The main reason this is troubling me is that I've noticed a pattern with NWs and food intake. Earlier, she was nursing so well and I never bothered about food intake (although she ate a lot) Now we are nursing thrice a day but if she eats less solids, we are getting a NW for food. This is irrespective of how much she has at BT feed

[newkidontheblock]

Ugh ugh ugh! I am so sick of all meals. They are taking FOREVER and she doesn't even eat that much - on her own, that is. I just don't want her waking at night and so I'm ending up feeding, which is super hard with a BLW baby who is hell bent on doing everything herself (but won't eat, mind you). Meal times used to be so nice. In fact, we went out for lunch today and she ate so beautifully. But at home.... she hates everything offered. She keeps wanting things - a bowl, a spoon, another spoon. And she cries a lot if she doesn't get it. How do I deal with this? Any and all advice appreciated!

[ginger428]

Fleur, we went through that phase and it was hard... had to take a break from BLW and try all sorts of distractions. One thing that worked often is I would give his favorite spoon to hold in one hand and an empty container (new for him) for him to play with while I spoon fed with another. For snacks, I held him in my lap or we were at a park and let him eat from a lid or something.  I guess being outside or not his seat distracted him enough to pick up food and actually eat it! It lasted a little while, maybe a couple months or so, but it did get better.  I gave him utensils and containers to play with a lot during that period.  Maybe it got better because the novelty wore off? He's feeding himself again without screaming for a spoon/bowl/fork now... so hopefully ya'll will get there soon, too.

[newkidontheblock]

Thanks, Ginger. I keep feeling I'm doing something wrong because the whole point of BLW is following her lead/ not forcing/ using distractions but I don't want any NFs! So I mentioned how she ate so well at the restaurant yesterday? Well, we parcelled some of those noodles and I offered it to her for lunch, and she just threw them away You are right. It is eating at home that is no fun for her. It is really really annoying me though. I know she's a baby and I can't let this get to me but it is so hard to keep cool

[creations]

Maybe you can make home meals more 'formal' by making a big deal of setting the table, setting out the cutlery, using napkins etc?
FWIW mine would love food one day and reject the same food the next day, he basically wouldn't eat the same food 2 days running. Snacks and fruit were ok but not the main meals, I could almost see the disapproval on his face "You think you can give me left overs - think again Mummy!) he clearly felt it was my job to produce a fresh meal every day.

Do you really think less solids will lead to NW though? I wouldn't expect it to. I'd just assume more milk would be taken or she'd catch up on calories the next day if she'd fallen a little short the day before.

[newkidontheblock]

Maybe you can make home meals more 'formal' by making a big deal of setting the table, setting out the cutlery, using napkins etc?

We do this. Our table is laid out for the meal, and it is leading to so many problems. She wants everything she can see, all at once.

Do you really think less solids will lead to NW though? I wouldn't expect it to. I'd just assume more milk would be taken or she'd catch up on calories the next day if she'd fallen a little short the day before.

Exactly, right? But this is what the pattern seems to suggest. I'm feeling like I'm failing at this:(

[cath~]

((hugs))

what about an indoor picnic or changing the location of where she eats?  Any other little changes you could make to make mealtimes more interesting/fun?

is she in a high chair with a tray?  if so, can you remove it and pull her up to the table?  or try a booster seat?

can you get her involved in "cooking" e.g. washing some fruit/veg, putting toast in toaster (with your help), getting things out the fridge or other cupboards for you? mixing things?

[creations]

She keeps wanting things - a bowl, a spoon, another spoon. And she cries a lot if she doesn't get it. How do I deal with this? Any and all advice appreciated!

OK, so many set up some A time with a whole stack of bowls and spoons?
When mine had a thing in his head he wanted to master I'd look for some safe options to (almost) overload him with that stuff, let him have his fill of it and do all his experimentation in a more suitable place/time.