Qs for BLWers

KateLouise

So LO is just over 8mths. We started solids at 6mths, doing purees. She got into that straight away and was quickly eating 1/4cup three times a day.

Now she's really reluctant to eat purees and I think perhaps she's bored of the texture, even though I've kept providing chunkier options. 

So the last couple of meals I've been offering her finger foods.

Today at lunchtime I offered her puree, she had a mouthful or two, then I offered her some little sandwiches and some fingers of kiwifruit. She was really into it and I was surprised at how much went down. 

So onto the questions:

a) At what point do you start offering solids before milk. Here in NZ it's suggested to be around 8mths which I was comfortable with the purees when I had a handle of how much she was eating, but now I feel unsure about that.

b) If you give solids before milk, how much do you offer? As much as they'll eat? How long do you give them to eat it before you decide they're playing and no longer eating and it's time for milk? 

c) How many options do you present at one meal. I want her to have access to lots of flavours and textures, but don't want to overwhelm her at any one meal.

d) At the moment I give her her water cup with her solids and let her drink it as she wants. But if I'm giving solids before milk I'd be reluctant for her to fill up on water because she's thirsty, before she gets to the milk. So do you limit her water access? Or do you just trust that they'll work it out?

e) I have a feeling that BLW is meant to be a lot more relaxed than I'm making it, but having come through the traditional approach to solids first, it's hard to switch my thinking around. Are there any hard and fast rules? Or do you just go with the flow?

Thanks for your help :-) 

Mystery2B

KateLouise:

So onto the questions:

a) At what point do you start offering solids before milk. Here in NZ it's suggested to be around 8mths which I was comfortable with the purees when I had a handle of how much she was eating, but now I feel unsure about that.

I offer solids and milk at different times, so she's sort of alternating. Like we have dinner together, then play/bath/read, pj's, milk and bed.  There's maybe 45 minutes between solids dinner and milk dinner.  And I offer milk first in thing in the morning (while I'm still in bed usually) and then 30-45 minutes later I offer some solids for breakfast. 

b) If you give solids before milk, how much do you offer? As much as they'll eat? How long do you give them to eat it before you decide they're playing and no longer eating and it's time for milk? 

I'll give as much as she'll eat/as much as I prepared.  Once she's just dropping all the food over the edge, or now trying to stand up in the highchair, she's done. 

c) How many options do you present at one meal. I want her to have access to lots of flavours and textures, but don't want to overwhelm her at any one meal.

She usually gets 1-2 for breakfast, 2-3 for lunch, and 4ish for dinner. It's more go with the flow/what we're having plus something like sliced apple for her. But if we're having something for dinner that she doesn't like/I don't want her to have she might only have 2 options (like puffed corn and cucumber/fruit/whatevers around).  

If I put too much food on the tray at once she is overwhelmed (too many options) and she'll usually start tossing stuff over the edge. I usually give her 1-2 things at a time and let her pick, when she's done then I rotate to a new food, and so on. Frequently coming back to offer what we started with. 

d) At the moment I give her her water cup with her solids and let her drink it as she wants. But if I'm giving solids before milk I'd be reluctant for her to fill up on water because she's thirsty, before she gets to the milk. So do you limit her water access? Or do you just trust that they'll work it out?

I only started giving C water from a straw THIS WEEK (10 months) and I limit access for sure at dinner when I know she's having milk in less than an hour. She doesn't usually have water at other meals.  I'd probably limit access but moving the cup out of her reach, but if she reaches for it then hand it to her, let her drink, and then move it away again. 

 

e) I have a feeling that BLW is meant to be a lot more relaxed than I'm making it, but having come through the traditional approach to solids first, it's hard to switch my thinking around. Are there any hard and fast rules? Or do you just go with the flow?

My only hard and fast rules are no honey, and limiting nuts and prepared/processed/fast foods (and limiting the salt in things I fix). Besides that if I'll eat it I'll pretty much let her try it.  It's easy - she eats what we eat. I do to have easy stuff on hand for her breakfast and lunch when I'm eating things I'm not feeding her (like coffee and oatmeal, that she doesn't like). 

Give her what you're eating and see how it goes.  

WyoGal

We did things very similar to PP.  I'm pretty certain at 8 months he/we were eating in the middle of two nursing sessions so I wasn't too worried about the before/after problem.  For example, he'd get up at 6:30, nurse, breakfast at 7:30-8ish a then nurse before his AM nap around 9:30.   Some days we'd skip solids altogether.  We didn't really intro water until closer to a year.  Now he has a sippy that sits on the coffee table so he can have it whenever he wants.

Once he'd taken to solids, I'd generally shoot for sharing a carb, a fruit/veggie and a protein/dairy at each meal, or a carb and two veggie/fruits.   I really took a look at what DH and I were eating so our meals were varied like this as well. 

I'd just suggest not to overthink it (which is crazy hard with all the info out there).  "Before one, foods are for fun!"   As long as its healthy there's no reason not to offer it to LO.  You might be surprised what textures/tastes they take on.  M LOVES salmon with a spicy rub and cucumbers w/vinegar.  I would have never known unless I'd offered it.