Hoping to start BLW

[babyrose]

ok so I'm hoping to start BLW today even though we have been spoon feeding in the bouncers I feel like they are falling behind with their eating skills. I would love to take a different approach and BLW ( new high hairs come today this is also another reason)

Where do I start and what foods is best to start with?

TIA. Nicola

[*Ali*]

There was is great info in our FAQ on getting started. Baby-Led Weaning

Any come join us on the BLW support thread Baby Led Weaning support thread #12

[creations]

In general I altered the way I cooked the family meals so that BLW was easier. eg:
- chopping vegetables into batons/wedges rather than say rounds or diced (in soups, stews or for steaming or roasting)
- not using salt in cooking (including no stock cubes or low salt stock and using a smaller amount or seasoning with other herbs and spices rather than salt)
- not using honey or any of the other foods which should be avoided
- making sure things like canned tuna was in oil not brine
- if I made spaghetti I threw a few pasta twists in at the same time for DS and fished them out at the end.  There's no harm giving the spag but my DS was so frustrated by being unable to get it in his mouth in the early days it was better to give him something he could grip and shovel in with ease

Although I also made foods I wouldn't usually eat too. Pancakes, muffins and things like that which I could batch cook and freeze so that I had a few things available if I needed to go out and about etc.

[babyrose]

Thanks Ali and creations.

I've started reading some of the threads already and getting a better picture of BLW. I understand wholemeal is to be avoided? I think we will skip spaghetti until they are a bit older and stick with pasta shapes.

How about meats especially beef or mince? I'm assuming chicken strips ok? Do u think banana bread ok?

[creations]

Wholegrain foods are generally avoided whether Lo is weaning with BLW or the more traditional puree route. The reason is that it will fill them up too much and they will/may feel less hungry to take their milk or take more/variety of solids to gain enough nutrition (the milk is more important at this stage but later on the variety of foods could be limited by LO being full on whole grains).

meat is fine, minced, meat balls, large chunks of roasts or stews etc. Sometimes they will just suck and gum at the strips or hunks of meat rather than bite pieces off.

I would suggest banana bread without the sugar.

[babyrose]

We have been doing a bit of blw and spoon feeding as they are still really small in the high chairs and keep sliding over to one side and can't lean forward to grab stuff either.

I still feel blw is the way forward for us and they are both enjoying it and want to take over any chance they get!

[creations]

Sounds great
I used a folded towel behind DS to make make the high chair a bit smaller when he was so little.  He was able to sit unaided but even so he needed a bit of support in the chair to help him stay fully upright.
I often handed him bits of food in the early days too, sometimes he knocked it out of reach on his tray or the table, sometimes he just got frustrated with trying to pick up something slippery, he was very happy to grab it out of my hand and shove it in his mouth!
I also pre-loaded foods on a spoon and a small plastic fork.

[babyrose]

Thanks creations,

Will try the towel tomorrow hopefully that will help, I've just been handing them food really as you said and hopefully they reach for things themselves soon.

Plastic fork sounds great will give that ago, spoons don't seem to be a problem they love feeding themselves that way.