Baby-Led Weaning Support Thread #1

[Cornish smiler]

I did warn you I'll have questions!!!!

I'm feeding Sam roughly 2 hours after he finishes his bottle (7oz) otherwise it will impact on his napping routine which I have worked very hard to build.  However, he doesn't seem desperately hungry for his solids - should I go down to 6oz formula or just leave it as it is til he gets the message?

At lunchtime I did sweet potato with cream cheese then pear chips.  One of us (not naming names!) thought it was great fun just to squish it all around, smear it over everything and then throw it onto the floor.  Is this what they do to start with?  He did try both foods but gagged a couple of times but he did get a tiny bit down him.  He sort of shivers when he has the different foods; fair enough as all he's ever had is milk isn't it apart from a few odd purees before I found out about this.  I'm not doing purees (he just doesn't like them) so is it OK he is taking so little food (apart from milk).

TIA

Ali

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

We're still doing some mush too - I think any combination is a good exposure to different textures and tastes!  Well done with the sausages Aleesa and Sharon!!

And Ali - you definitely still want to emphasize the milk - really for most of the first year, solids are more for practice and exposure than to expect they'll fill him up so much.  Most of his calories should still come from milk/formula, so don't stress it if he has very little solids at first. 

[Cornish smiler]

OK thanks, just wanted to check - I thought that was the case!  Off to wash off the highchair now!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ali

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

UH!  Washing the highchair!    I'm starting to think pic-nics should be a daily event....then the ants can clean up! 

[Cornish smiler]

Absolutely!!  Can I ask you Erin, from what I've said he's done today, is that normal for starting off on BLW?  Sorry if it's a daft ? but I just don't know what to expect.

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

I'm no expert, but it sounds great to me - a lot like what Samantha's been doing! 

[Cornish smiler]

Thanks!!!!!

[Freya'sMum]

Ali,

Well, Eryn is a year on Monday (doesn't time fly?!) and she's been self-feeding from about 6 months - she flatly refused anything pureed, so after reading about this approach in our local NCT magazine, and checking out Gill Rapley's website, I decided to give it a go! To reassure you, they don't 'eat' much at all for a while, and actually that's a good thing, because you don't really want them to, you just want them to be introduced to a range of foods and to learn what to do with them - the important food is milk! Eryn has always regulated her solid food intake, no risk of over-feeding her, she's confident, sociable at mealtimes, her fine motor skills are comparitively excellent - I've got nothing but positive experiences of the approach!

Unfortunately I wouldn't have been able to do BLW with Freya because she was born at 27 weeks so had to start having solid foods at 4 months (1 month adjusted - how young!?!) because of needing the extra iron and fats (I added unsalted butter to all her purees ) and at 1 month developmentally she wouldn't have had the necessary gross and fine motor skills to self-feed! Fortunately she just loves her food, so taking her thru the various puree stages wasn't an issue, and she had finger foods as soon as she was able to manipulate them!

If I had more children (which I'm not going to btw ) I'd do it this way every time!

Ax

[Freya'sMum]

Ooh... have just mentioned the idea of BLW to Kristaree23, a new mum thinking about starting solid foods with her lo who has posted on the main forum, so if she decides to give it a go we'll have to make sure we give her lots of encouragement and support!

Ax

[Sharondp]

Alison - just wanted to say a big thank you for all your help with this thread! Wow - 27 weeks - that's early - must have been quite a roller coaster for you!

My nanny told me she gave Leo another sausage at lunchtime today and he wolfed it down, quite expertly with no gagging! 

I'm wondering what my parents and grandparents will think about this when we visit at the weekend!

[Freya'sMum]

Go Leo!

I'm sure his grandparents and great-grandparents will be amazed at just how independent his is - we should give these babies more credit!

Eryn's health visitor today discussed how BLW is becoming more and more popular, and she cited research that it was this method that our ancient ancestors used, but also that there is another bit of research which investigated why we take so much pleasure from kissing (bear with me here...!), and hypothesised that as cave people, mothers used to chew food for their babies and pass it to them mouth to mouth (a bit like birds do but without the regurgitation!)!

Fascinating!

Off to bed now, will catch up tomorrow,

Ax

[Aly Mac]

Alison I must say you are great on this thread - thank you so much!!  I'm still doing a combo of both only cause I started and am worried that I've upped the calories, no reduced them. Do you think that is OK?  I am giving finger foods first and then puress after.

I have a great dog that is more than happy to clean up what lilly throws on the floor!!!!  It is messy but you know so is the mush - she gets it everywhere - and sneezing with brocolli is the pits!!!!!

Sharon - I'm sure they will be impressed too.  I'm going to try the sausage a week or two away after she has managed some chunky fruit - too scared to try again - or, will make a new batch and try to puree better esp the onion...

[Sharondp]

I'll let you know what the oldies say when I get back next week! 

[Cornish smiler]

Alison, thanks for passing on that information to me - much appreciated!

Sharon, sounds like your little man sure does love those sausages!!  When we're a bit more advanced I think I'll give Sam a go with one and see how it goes.  Bet the oldies will be surprised!

Aleesa, we don't have a dog but I remember when my sisters were being weaned (I'm a lot older than them) our dog Ben used to sit by the highchair drooling and licking his chops as they would always throw food to him - not daft are they!  We haven't experienced a broccoli sneeze yet - something to look forward to 

As for us, I think we've done well today and for tea he had a little chew on a piece of fishfinger, carrot, broccoli and pear.  OK, only tiny bits and he does gag a bit (although already not as much as he was) but I think that's progress.  John was unsure about the pear, but as I said he'd eaten the savoury stuff fine so I thought it would be OK.  He's a lazy little piggy though and wants me to hold the food to his mouth.  I don't - I'm happy to pass it to him but then it's over to him.  Aren't I a meanie!!!

[Bryony]

Hello again everyone!  I am reallly enjoying reading how you are all getting on - and looking forward to starting Katie on BLW when we come back from my parents' in 10 days time!    We had some carrots left over today so rather than leave them to go limp while I was away (DH doesn't "do" vegetables - they are a waste of stomach space apparently) I steamed them and froze them, ready and waiting...

Quick question: did you start with ANY mush?  eg baby rice?  Or did you go straight into the finger food stuff?

Thanks 

Bryony