BLW- skin/peel and spitting up

flummadiddle85

Do you take the skin or peel off for your LO when giving fruits and veggies? I haven't since it seems to make it easier for DS to hold on to, and I figured he would learn to either spit it out if he couldn't handle it, or eat around it. Both of which he seems to do. Except everyone else is soooo concerned he's going to choke. I feel so outnumbered. My mom even told me I was "wrong" for giving him a bit of pear with the peel on still. Also, DS has always been a happy spitter. But there have been a couple times he is eating in his high chair and suddenly spits EVERYTHING up it seems like. But never seems bothered by it. No big deal and maybe gagged too much?

nanabanana06

I don't peel most things. The only ones I do normally is peaches, but the fuzz would bother my mouth with that. People get their panties in a bunch about a lot of things. Don't worry about it.

MrsG071809

We just started BLW and I was taking the peels off until I just read last night in the BLW book that they suggest leaving them on to help them hold onto things, so I will be doing that from now on.  A lot of people don't understand BLW, and the reasons for it, so they assume it is crazy.  Don't listen to them.  As for the spitting up, if it's not bothering him I wouldn't worry about it!  My guess is that those few times his gag reflex just got hit more than he's used to and it caused everything to come up.  Their bodies take a while to figure out what to do with food, so it's all a learning process.  

amykins1283

The only thing we have done so far that has had a peel is some steamed zucchinni. LO did fine and it really helped him hold onto it. I think it's fine.

CougFan

What everyone else said!  I've also peeled zucchini because the skin is sorta tough and bitter, but everything else has been skin on.

And I agree that it is probably that gag reflex.

Rosebean

I give DS pear all the time with skin on... Avocado, peaches, plums, potato, melon. If it has a peel, I leave it on, exactly for the same reason you do (let's be honest, a kiwi or pineapple would be peeled). And there is no right or wrong of it. It's all about preference and instinct. My son is starting to learn how to thoroughly chew his food and my mother couldn't even look at him the other day when he was chipmunking a chunk of pork. Some people just can't handle it and that's okay. It drives me nuts when my mom nitpicks too, but I remind her he has been eating like this for 2 months and he knows what he is doing.

flummadiddle85

Thanks all. I think I was just letting my mom get to me because at lunch, DH was getting all worried again about the choking. But I think he might be relaxing a little bit. And that's what I figured with the spitting up, but he hadn't really done that when we first started. But I know he's still learning.

MrsG071809

So I have a question about the peel thing...I tried this last night with avocado, but she seemed to be breaking off pieces of the peel and trying to eat them.  It made me nervous so I went back to taking the peels off...is this just something she has to learn, that she isn't supposed to eat that part?  It seemed like a choking hazard to me?  I would have been fine with her putting the whole slice of peel in her mouth, but it was breaking into small pieces and she was eating them along with the flesh of the avocado so it didn't seem right to me. 

am I over thinking this?

amykins1283

MrsG071809 said:

So I have a question about the peel thing...I tried this last night with avocado, but she seemed to be breaking off pieces of the peel and trying to eat them.  It made me nervous so I went back to taking the peels off...is this just something she has to learn, that she isn't supposed to eat that part?  It seemed like a choking hazard to me?  I would have been fine with her putting the whole slice of peel in her mouth, but it was breaking into small pieces and she was eating them along with the flesh of the avocado so it didn't seem right to me. 

am I over thinking this?

Avocado peel is inedible. Same with kiwi, banana, pineapple. If the peel is something you can eat then leave it. If it is something you would not want to eat, then take it off.