Can i start off with puree and introduce baby led weaning later?

[centrestage88]

LO is a week shy of 7 months.
I was very keen on baby led weaning, but he still isnt sitting well on his own and doesnt reach out for things very well on his own. As such, I often end up putting the food into his mouth after which he puts it into his mouth.
Read that BLW involves baby sitting up well on his own, picking up food on his own.

Started him on solids a few days ago.

Can I start off giving him puree and then gradually introduce BLW when he can sit unassisted and reach out for things more independently?

[*Liz*]

Yes of course - it's the introduction of finger foods then  .

That's pretty much what I have done with all 3. Mine have all refused the spoon early so my baby is now on all table food (or being fed bits with my fork  ). He only really accepts feeding for a bit of soya yoghurt otherwise.

But no issue at all with using purée for first tastes if you think it suits your LO better.

[creations]

For me the idea of BLW is *baby led* yes it's about baby self feeding but also about following baby's cues, watching out for when they need help, watching out for signs of fullness or dislike of foods.
When mine screamed because he couldn't pick the food up and get it to his mouth fast enough it was an indication he would like a bit of help. Depending on his need for help I either held the food for him to eat (this didn't happen very often, he could also pull my hand towards his mouth showing his desire to eat the food rather than me 'making' him eat it) or held the finger food or pre-loaded spoon/fork out for him to grab from me.  If he was fine picking up on his own I followed his lead with that too.
Some parents (more so previous generations I think) have been more focused on 'getting baby to eat' in some cases almost forcing purées into a shut mouth, trying to get baby to eat as much as possible.  More recently the move is towards a more baby led approach whether following the traditional routine of purée/mashed foods and introducing finger foods or whether following the BLW route.  The two methods seem to be merging too.

Mine was a bit wobbly sitting up when he started solids so I tucked a folded towel behind him in his high chair to give him a bit of extra support. For purees or finger foods baby should ideally be upright to help them should they need to move the food forward in their mouth (ie to reduce risk of choke), this could also be upright on your knee if you find this more comfortable.

[centrestage88]

My lo doesnt grab for food, but puts food into his mouth when I put it in his fist. But there are times when he just holds the food in his hand and does not put it in his mouth.
However, when I put the food into his mouth, he gums it very enthusiastically.( ie: finger food pieces of carrots)
He also likes it when I feed him on a pre-loaded spoon. ( he doesnt hold the spoon though, I put the spoon into his mouth).

I stop when he turns his head away or shuts his mouth.

I do put a little towel behind his seat but perhaps I need a thicker one as he's still wobbly. He hates it in the high chair after a while though, so I transfer him to my knee after a while.

[centrestage88]

Oh, when can I introduce oatmeal to him ( ie: rolled oats?)

Are they allergenic?

Allergies don't run in my family though.

[jessmum46]

We gave oats from pretty early on, you can make a nice porridge with a small quantity of oats, milk and add raisins, pear/apple with a tiny sprinkle of cinnamon.  For smaller babies you can use a stick blender just to smooth it out a little - both of mine have loved it!  If there is no history of allergy in your family no need to avoid any food in particular other than those universally not recommended for small babies e.g. nuts, raw egg etc

[centrestage88]

Thanks!
Do I need to buy oats specifically meant for babies ( iron-fortified) or can I just use normal rolled oats.
Will normal rolled oats provide enough iron for lo?

Do instant oats provide the same nutritional value as whole rolled oats?

[centrestage88]

Also,I'm concerned about lo's iron intake.
Must I give him baby rice cereal ( which is often fortified with iron)? ( I often read that baby's first food should be iron fortified rice cereals)

 Can I give him cooked normal brown rice? Will it provide him sufficient iron?

[creations]

You can just use normal rolled oats, not fortified but LO is still getting nutrients from milk.

Instant oats such as Ready Brek are fortified, this is fine for baby even though it is not specifically a baby cereal, the original flavour has no added sugar. I wouldn't recommend other flavours at this point but you can add some fruit if you wanted, mashed banana, grated apple or a cooled fruit puree for example.

There is no need to begin with baby rice or indeed no need to use it at all.  It has little nutritional value.

Whole grains such as brown rice/bread/pasta are not advised because these may be too filling, if baby gets too full he may not take as much milk. It's recommended to give babies white rice/bread/pasta although if you are making something for yourself and it is a small amount baby is having then it would be ok.  For example I had wholemeal sliced bread and didn't buy a white loaf just for LO because he only had a small amount, but other things (pitta, naan, bread rolls, crumpets, pancakes, pasta etc) were all white rather than wholemeal.

The iron in your breast milk is readily absorbed by LO so there is no need to worry about iron stores/supplements.

Meat can be given as a finger food for baby to suck and gum on, they can get quite a lot out of it even with no teeth.  If you eat meat you might offer a hunk to baby.
Dark leafy vegetables, beans and lentils all contain iron.  Liver is a very high source of iron, my LO liked liver pate so I made a home made smooth salt-free pate for him and offered as a spread on bread/toast or just cut into chunks for him to eat.

In the UK there is a recommendation for vitamin supplements for babies from 6 months (it's often a liquid measured with a little dropped onto a spoon) but this varies country to country.  You may want to ask your medical professional if vitamin supplements are recommended where you are, and if so which vitamins.

[centrestage88]

Thks! Will check with my doc re vitamin drops for babies.
Thanks for reassurance on iron intake for lo. I'm glad that I don't have to give him rice cereal.

Can I start lo on beef? Liver pate sounds yummy!!

[creations]

Yes you can offer beef. As with anything just don't season with salt or salty stocks for cooking.

With liver pate it's great if you can make your own (and very easy) so that there is no salt, ensure livers are cooked all the way through even if your recipe says to leave them pink inside.

[centrestage88]

Thanks.
Gosh, offering him meat does make him seem almost not babyish anymore.
Beef and liver on my next shopping list.

[creations]

By the way if you don't usually eat beef or cook it for the family there is no need to get it just for LO.  Other meats such as turkey thigh are almost just as high in iron if that's your concern.  Or some of the iron rich vegetables.  If you do eat beef though then yes certainly you can go ahead and offer it.

[centrestage88]

we love beef! especially huge slabs. Hopefully lo will grow up loving a a juicy steak too. =)

[creations]