Baby-Led Weaning Support Thread #1

[Cornish smiler]

Hi all, hope you're having a good day.  I gave Sam eggy toast for breakfast and he really enjoyed it!  Then for lunch I did gnocchi, fishfingers and peas.  I think he picked up some peas but not sure if it went any further than that!  He gobbled up the fishfingers though and loved his gnocchi (I cut it in half so it was easier for him to hold).  He's getting better with his sippy cup too and I feel he's just starting to really make progress now.

Got a few pictures here from yesterday and today -

[Elvira]

I am glad to have been of use, Cornish smiler and I forgot to tell you another "unexpected source" of non hemo iron: Watermelon.  Half a slice packs a lot of iron too.

[Bryony]

Elivira - thanks for the info, v helpful!

Ali - wow your Sam is amazing! He eats such a lot of different stuff - what a great advert for BLW!!

Bryony x

[Cornish smiler]

Thanks Bryony, I'm very proud of him and think Mum and Dad will see a big difference in him when I go home for the week.  I've warned them we'll need a waterproof mat underneath his chair.  Good job the TinyDiner came as it does seem to save a lot of mess, and I actually think he's really enjoying being sat up to the table with the rest of us - he's eating better I'm sure.

How is Katie doing?  Has your mat come now?

[Bryony]

No our mat hasn't come yet - I ordered it from a different company to you, they said it would arrive by the end of the week so hopefully soon!  I am hoping it will be slightly easier for her to pick stuff up from it as our dining table is very shiny and the food just sliiiiides around....    Katie is definitely "eating" (although in tiny amounts) rice cake, toast and broccoli but most other things she is struggling to pick up.  I am now being hard hearted and not putting food into her hand, she has to pick it up herself! I feel very mean but she's getting better at it already. 

I bought some oatmeal today (thanks for that!) and there are bananas in this week's veg delivery so once these are slightly riper I will see how Katie gets on with those.

Bryony

[Cathy_D]

Cathy - we are in West London so not that far away! 

Practically neighbours, in the grand scheme of things   Let me know if you ever plan to meet up with other Baby-whisperers this side of London. Or if you fancy us meeting up sometime.

Have come to the conclusion I can just describe you all as 'friends' even though we haven't ever met. Hope that's not presumptious of me!

You might be surprised - when I went to the local health clinic yesterday I picked up a leaflet on weaning, and it was very pro giving finger foods ASAP.  While it didn't go as far as "only" finger foods, it was definitely suggesting giving finger foods as soon as your LO can pick them up, as it will encourage motor skills etc.   I suspect that in a few years' time everyone will be doing BLW...!

Am going to a 'weaning workshop' organised by the local HVs in a couple of weeks so will be interesting to see what they say. Am pretty sure we will go BLW regardless, though .... Am starting to get impatient for September and real-food time!!

What does everyone think about these 'safe feeder' things you put banana etc into for the LO to suck - looks like a dummy with a mesh bag attached.  Would you say they are BLW-ish (since the LO is in control of their eating) or not (since they end up eating something they maybe wouldn't have been able to pick up in its natural state)?  I wondered if this was a way round the 'banana too squishy to handle' problem?

[Aly Mac]

Cathy we are all friends here

I have a mesh feeder I bought before I went BLW.  I use it now for teething iwth some ice and works well.  when L first used it she chewed the handle instead.  I found it helped me get over the whole gag thing - so more help for me than her. from a true BLW sense I don't think it is probably *recomended*, but these are your rules (that's the way I am thinking of all this feeding thing!)

bought some rice cakes, mini wheats and some frozen vege packs - you know the ones in the mixed portions that you nuke?  I found them on the blw blog. they are a little small though but handy if you need some veges quick. I just didn't nuke them for as long as they said.

mini wheats went ok.  I think she is used to more for brekky than what she can feed herself so I also gave her half a vitabrt (normally she has a whole one).  I might gradually take her to the hand feeding in the morning.  Oh and loves kiwi fruit!!! I gave her half for lunch and I ate the other half but should have kept it for her as she scoffed it right down.  she had a whole one with dinner!!!  good because they are kind of firm but disolves a tthe same time.

oh, and Nikki, your lo is going so well!! need to try L on some fishsticks. (I'm going nuts here! Ali,not Nikki - where did I get Nikki from???)

[Aly Mac]

Jenn, if you are lurking I hope its going well with WK.!

[Aly Mac]

Me again!  I just priced the tinydiner here so I can take it out and about with me $34!!!!! my god.  It's alot for a placemat (I know its better than that but still!)

[Bryony]

Aleesa, wow that sounds like a lot!  Although I can't remember what the exchange rate is at the moment. They are £10 here.  Let me know if you want me to post you one!!!!

Cathy - yes as Aleesa says we are all friends here!  Would be fun to meet up if we live anywhere near each other - I will PM you to let you know where we live!

Bryony

[Aly Mac]

10 pounds is currently $24 aussie. ($21 US)

so $35 Aussie is 15 pounds.  not that much different I suppose just seems alot (it's $30 US).

Not worth sending love, but thanks for the offer.  By the time I do postage I would be able to buy it.  just sounded so easy to roll up.  anything else is bulky.  oh well.

well dinner tonight the hit was zuccini and then apple.  I think i have finally got the size and the texture just right!!!

[Aly Mac]

This is a Q for you Alison when you get a chance.

Lilly is now 9 months old and I've been reading the FAQ's that it's about now that you would swap from bf then solids, to solids then bf.  Do you think would be the same for babies on BLW?  I think (with L anyway) that with BLW, she isn't having the level of food intake that other bubs are when spoon fed.  I can tell the difference even since I have stopped the spoon feeding. L is still on 4 bf per day, which I think for her at the mo is what she needs, though the 11am and 3pm feed she is not looking for it, but more than happy to chug away when offered. (in fact the 11 used to be 10.30 and the 3pm used to be 2.30. The 3 is now in the midst of her afternoon nap so is now more like 4pm!).

Our routine as follows.

6.30/7am bf (can't get to me quick enough)
8am solids
9am - 10.30/11 sleep
11am bf
12.30/1pm solids (1pm if I have to run errands, and she seems ok with this time)
2pm - 3.30 sleep
3.30pm bf
4.45pm solids
5.30pm bath (alternate days)
6pm/6.15pm bf
6.45pm bed

thanks for your help Alison xx

[Bryony]

Well today I tried the banana coated in oatmeal - and Katie managed to pick it up - so thanks for this everyone!

However one thing I wanted to ask - the last few days Katie has grizzled from the moment she's eating until I take her out of the high chair. I can't work out whether she doesn't like the feel of it in her mouth, or is frustrated that she can't do something that she wants to do.  I really don't want her to associate eating with being unhappy so I was wondering whether to give it a miss for a few days.  I am eating at the same time as her (breakfast in the morning, a bit of whatever she's having in the afternoon), and leave it completely up to her whether or not she picks up the food and puts it in her mouth....

any thoughts anyone?  has anyone experienced this?

Bryony

[Aly Mac]

I've found L gets a little antsy with feeding herself at night if she is a little tired.  i took this as she was too tired to feed herself as she was used to me putting food in her mouth.  i then put a little of the food in her mouth for her and most times she gets back on track. maybe look at the time she is getting antsy and see if she is tired or maybe not hungry enough?

let us know how you go bryony.

[Cornish smiler]

Yeah, Sam's like that sometimes if he is tired and will just grizzle so I help him out and he's soon right as rain again.  Like everything with babies you just have to be flexible!!!

Made Sam and us a pizza today and it was just lovely - I'll put the recipe on the recipes page.  I did it with tomatoes, ham and cheese and it was just sooooo tasty.  Sam wouldn't stop until he'd cleared almost everything which is a very good sign so feel very proud of myself 

We're off to Cornwall for 10 days as from tomorrow lunchtime so probably won't be on here very much.  I'll check in from time to time but hope you all have fun with your feeding!

Ali x