Baby-Led Weaning Support Thread #1

[Aly Mac]

Hi Ali - I'm new to this too, so not sure about giving you advice.  From what I've done based on the advice of others here, just put some food down in front of him and see how he goes. He does need to be able to pick it up though - his pincer (I think that's it!) Something soft enough but in a shape that he can hold easily.  Carrot sticks steamed enough so that he can chew (but not too soft that they break - I made that mistake LOL) If you are worried about that try banana or avocado.  Just a little slippery - you need alot of patience and he may not eat anything at first. I would just keep trying as I am.  I was more the problem as I was and am paranoid she will choke.

so glad the sleepoing is going well and that he is thriving so well!!

PM me if you would like to chat anytime!

[Cornish smiler]

Think I may have done my first bit of BLW - cut a Farley's rusk into sticks and gave him one.  He put it to his mouth and made it really soggy but the good news is I heard his little gums scrunch the rusk up and he swallowed some!!!  He got it everywhere but I am sure that he enjoyed it; he was feeling the different texture and touching the soggy end a lot.  Problem was he kept rubbing it over his eyes too so just done a big clean up on him!!!!  My husband is very keen on the idea of BLW and we're just going to try a bit more at tea time - put some steamed veg in front of him and if he eats it great, if not nothing lost. 

Ali

[Aly Mac]

Great Ali!!!!

Lillys first finger food was a rusk too - great for teething.  And I felt kind of safe with it.

can't wait to hear how dinner goes! (It's 9pm here...)

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

Hi Ali - sounds good to me too!  We just added carrot sticks to the menu too - they seemed to be a big hit - and it's a great distraction while the rest of us are having supper!

[Ami ~ 3 girls' mom]

article in support of BLW: http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21924101-5006007,00.html

[Cornish smiler]

I made cauliflower and broccoli cheese for tea with carrots and we gave Sam a couple of broccoli florets and some carrot sticks.  He did actually manage to bite off some of the carrot and whirled it around in his mouth before spitting it back out.  I think he did manage to digest a tiny bit.  As for the broccoli, he put it up to his mouth and it was like yuk and he proceeded to throw it over the side of the chair (after rubbing it in his face and hair!!).  Tried a tiny bit of watermelon for pudding, but he's got a cold and was tired and I think had enough by then so I took them away.

All in all, I think that was pretty good.  The encouraging thing was when he first tasted the carrot he pulled a face but he went back for more a few times and was actively gumming it.  He can pick things up but we were passing them to him - is that OK?

Daddy is giving him a bath now and then bottle and bed after a very exciting day!!!

Ali

[Freya'sMum]

I think it is fine to 'offer' your los the foods in the way it is easiest for them to take it - if they can claw it from the tray/table with their fingers, or daintily pick it up with a pincer grip (thumb and forefinger), that's great, but being handed it is also fine...

Eryn has suddenly become interested in cutlery so she attempts to scoop up her cornflakes and milk with a spoon, and when she gets cross because she hasn't got the motor skills yet, she hands it to me and says 'more', so I load up the spoon, give it back and she puts it in her mouth - true baby-led weaning I reckon!

Yesterday she was stabbing bits of chicken/apple sausage with a fork and popping them in her mouth too, mum said she got fed up biting bits off and was pointing at Freya's fork, so she gave her one of her own and off she went!

Clever thing! This approach certainly seems to have made her confident with eating!

Ax

PS - love the newspaper link - can't imagine why the baby-food manufacturers are questioning the validity of the evidence

[Aly Mac]

How cool Alison!!  I'm making the chicken sausages in a few moments. Can't wait.  Beef wasnt' a big hit - she liked it, but hard to digest I think.  Hopefully chiken will be easier.

Ali - it is exciting isn't it.  Didn't htink I would get this excited about her eating.  They just seem so much more engaged and enjoy it.  Great Activity for them!

Thanks for the article too - an Aussie paper at that.

[Aly Mac]

Ok - she managed to pick up the sausage, get it in her mouth, but swallowing the bits were a bit hard.  She gagged alot. but seemed ok.  Then she vomited  .  Maybe I didn't mince it up enough.  Will try again another time...  they were yummy though!

[Cornish smiler]

You are good Aleesa making your own sausages (by the way, do you prefer Aleesa or Aly?)  I'm sorry to hear she was sick; not nice is it.  Glad you enjoyed them though!!!

Alison, your Eryn sounds like such a clever little girl!!  How long have you been doing BLW and did you do it with Freya too?

Had great fun this morning as decided to give Sam some of his sunrise banana baby cereal and let him eat it himself  !!!  In for a penny in for a pound I say!!  I gave him a couple of spoonfuls first but then handed the spoon over.  He had a lovely time and the good thing is he did actually manage to eat some.  Of course, hands went in very quickly but that was fine, and it's rude if you don't wipe it all over the highchair tray isn't it!!  It went everywhere but the main thing is he was enjoying it.  I was eating some Weetabix so I have him a few tiny little bits of that off my spoon and he ate them up.

When you start up, how often do you offer them solids - is it every time you eat and just leave them to help themselves so they'll eat if they're hungry?  Also, I currently DF Sam at 10.45 with his formula so I imagine I wait until this is all pretty well established before I start weaning him off of it don't I.  Incidentally, he only took 2oz last night so maybe he did get some proper food into him yesterday!!

Sorry for the questions; you'll get tired of me I'm sure!  Off to get some baby rice cakes later on (thought maybe I could mush some avocado onto them) and buy a joblot of facecloths!!!!!!

Ali

[Sharondp]

Hi all - and welcome Ali!
I made the chicken sausages too - although I had to make burger shapes for Toby 
Leo seemed to enjoy them - gagged a couple of times but recovered fine!
Great article!
Leo's favourite food is definitely toast! Carrot sticks are good too - going to try broccoli tonight. I'm still giving puree as well - anyone else? Mainly because I made a load and froze it all so we're working through it!
I've decided I need a new food processor - my Kitchen Aid blender just doesn't really work for those sausages!

[Aly Mac]

We do mush too - just till she eats more finger food.

She loves vitabrix and we have lots of facecloths!

[Sharondp]

We now have a dedicated drawer in the kitchen for bibs and facecloths! 

[Cornish smiler]

Yep, I can see me heading that way too!!!! 

[Aly Mac]

The highchair has a bag underneath, apparently for toys - ours is for bibs and facecloths...