Baby Led Weaning support thread #12

[newkidontheblock]

Thanks! Great ideas from both of you!

[Sunnyday01]

Hi

My little boy is 8 1/2 months old and we have been doing baby led weaning since he was six months, as he refused to take food off a spoon. It's been going generally very well, he's very good at feeding himself with a spoon and picking things up off his tray.

The problem we have at the moment it he only really likes eating things he knows, for example he will eat his Weetabix and banana in the morning, and he loves is sandwiches at lunchtime followed by some fruit, but when it comes to dinner time he hardly eats anything - if I'm lucky he'll eat some carrot or a bit of pasta, he will eat pizza but that's it, often he just pushes it around or off his tray.

He's still on 4 x 6oz milk per day at 7, 11, 3 and 7 and takes it all.

I'm not really sure what to do about the dinner time meals, should I give him the same 7 mea,s each week so he gets used to them? I don't want him just to eat Weetabix and sandwiches for the rest of his life!! Lol

[creations]

Two things come to mind:
1. Many LOs eat more in the earlier hours of the day so it can be very common for them to have a great appetite for breakfast and lunch but not so much at dinner time.  You might have more luck if you bring dinner earlier or, as he is still young just accept that he isn't going to have much appetite at dinner time yet.
2. Taking the above into account, LOs will sometimes be more than happy to try out new foods at breakfast or lunch time. If you don't want to cook something different at breakfast time maybe save a portion of dinner from the night before and serve for breakfast.  This way you can introduce some different foods but without being concerned about him needing to eat at dinner time.
I think mine was a bit older than yours but I did have a concern about him not eating much protein and foods he had previously accepted (eg eggs) he had started to refuse at lunch and dinner.  A tip I was given from another BWer was to try him at breakfast time. I had been quite nervous as I thought he was so used to his breakfast muesli that he would kick up a big fuss if I changed breakfast but I tried it - served an omelet and he just ate it without batting an eye.  From my experience I think it's worth trying out, they are far less fussy when they are very hungry so if you persist he will increase his food range.

[LaraAndrea]

I started my LO off with purees but I find she is showing interest in finger foods. I have started offering finger foods.
Some she won't even try to pick up, others she would rather play with there are only a couple things she will readily try to eat. She will still take some pureed occasionally.

Does this improve over time and further exposure?
Should I continue to offer the rejected food in hopes that she will eventually try it??

Thanks!

[creations]

I think  your LO is about 7 months, at this age it's nothing to worry about at all.  Some LOs are not very interested in solids at all until they are more like 9, or 10 months old.  I would keep offering the various foods (not all in one meal, they don't need lots of options at every meal and you don't need to keep offering different things until one is accepted either, but a range across the week is good).  It's advised in the UK to introduce finger foods at this age even when going the puree route with weaning so just keep offering. You might find she takes a piece of something from you if you hold it out to her rather than her always picking things up herself off the tray/plate.
One of the easiest ways to prepare food is to just offer what you are having, it might involve adapting some meals or the way you cook to cut out salt or sugar, honey, nuts...but on the whole it is likely to be less work and then if she isn't all that interested it's no big deal really just try again another day.

[LaraAndrea]

Thanks again creations!

I will continue on. It seems like my little lady doesn't like dirty hands, so gooey or slimy things don't go over well

[*Ali*]

Anyone currently doing blw? I'm planning to start next month when my baby turns 6mo.

[creations]

Ali I can't believe you are back on this thread again already - 6 months!! Welcome back

[eva026]

Yup, we are doing blw. Dd is 9mo now.

[*Ali*]

Hi Eva, how's it going? Can you remember what food you started blw with?

Seren will be 6mo in 2wks. I'm thinking of making her some breast milk lollies to keep her entertained at the table until she's ready for more. She currently just has a spoon she sucks. It's amazing how quickly she went to not being able to pick it up to grabbing it and ramming it in her mouth. I've prepped her 360 cup to start offering her breast milk in it too. Then we'll do water when we start solids. I sense a lot of wasted breast milk in the future lol

[eva026]

We started with avocado in a feeding mesh to keep her entertained at the table. The first things were zucchini, pasta, pear and pumpkin. Then all the fruit and veg. About a month later I made more mince into baton shaped meatballs and gave her omelette a, from then at about 7-8 months she just got whatever was on the menu for the day, sans salt.
We are still struggling with getting her to drink milk out of anything besides a boob! So frustrating.

[*Ali*]

Cool. I guess we'll see what's for lunch that day. She is desperate to put anything and everything in her mouth bless her.

[eva026]

When are you starting?

[*Ali*]

We're going to start this Saturday coming so we can enjoy it as a family.  She'll be 179 days.

[eva026]

Lol, are you marking the days off on a calendar?
Well good luck and enjoy, I’m sure baby will. Good the weather is nice now so you can strip her before she eats.