BLW ?'s (re: age & daycare)

StefandTodd

I'm only 1/2 through the book, but have a couple questions.

My LO will be 5 months on Thursday.  He's EBF and I am in NO rush to start solids.  And the book seems to very plainly point to 6+ months anyway, so that's fine.  But (and I know, I know...everyone says this, right?), he really seems like he's ready sometimes to at least be able to play with and taste stuff.  Yesterday, I was eating a Greek yogurt and he grabbed the spoon in my hand, brought it to his mouth and got a taste of yogurt.  He didn't want to let go of the spoon, so I got most of the yogurt off and got myself another spoon.  He held onto the spoon and continued to put it (empty at this point) into his mouth again and again.

So I guess I'm wondering...

Is it too early to sit him in his high chair during meals and just put food on the tray and let him do with it what he will?  On the one hand, if he's ready he'll eat and if he's not, he won't right?  But would you wait until 6 months to even offer?  Thoughts?

Also, he'll be starting daycare just 20 hour/week next week and they will not do BLWing, and honestly I'd rather be the only one to do it with him for awhile anyway until he's a more confident eater.  Is there any harm in only doing solids when I'm home with him?  I know DC would do purees but I think (for now at least) I'd rather just not do purees at all.  If he's getting only breast milk at DC and we're doing BLWing at home, that's enough right?  Does anyone else do this?

TIA for any thoughts  

StefandTodd

FWIW, I know weight isn't necessarily a good indicator re: solids, but he weighed 19 lb 2 oz at his 4 month appt (born 7 lb 12 oz), so he's kind of a chunk for his age....in case that means that maaaaaybe there's a chance he could be ready a little earlier than 6 months?  And he can sit up with very little help.

tokenhoser

I did cheat and offered food about a week before he turned 6 months... but he didn't really eat anything for a couple weeks, and he's only really started eating meals since 8 months. I would just put baby in the high chair for meals and offer things to play with (like spoons and water in a sippy cup) for another couple weeks.

Nutritionally, it's fine to just do BLW at home for a few months. I would say by about 7 or 8 months, you want to be offering food more than once a day, though. When will daycare "allow" finger foods? I don't have to do daycare until a year, and by then I'm hoping it will be unremarkable that he doesn't do purees.

StefandTodd

Okay, I just needed a gentle nudge...he has the rest of his life to eat food and only one more month not to.  We're gonna wait another month.  Spoons and sippy cup only to play with for now.  Thanks for the responses

StefandTodd

MandJS:

And since no one really touched your DCP question. Just tell them no solids yet. You're the parent. Give them bottles and be done with it. When my DCP FINALLY "demanded" I send food, S was already 8 or 9 months old and had been eating "real" foods with us at home for a few months. I sent them peach slices, apples (which they apparently steamed even though I wasn't doing that at home), cheese, avocado slices, and at one point, chili. Etc. They asked for food, they got food. I never "discussed" BLW with them. I just told them I didn't do purees when they questioned me. EVERYTHING I sent to DCP was something S had eaten without issue numerous times at home. And I told them that. They went with it.

Thank you

C-Charm

StefandTodd:

 

... Also, he'll be starting daycare just 20 hour/week next week and they will not do BLWing, and honestly I'd rather be the only one to do it with him for awhile anyway until he's a more confident eater.  Is there any harm in only doing solids when I'm home with him?  I know DC would do purees but I think (for now at least) I'd rather just not do purees at all.  If he's getting only breast milk at DC and we're doing BLWing at home, that's enough right?  Does anyone else do this?

TIA for any thoughts  

That's exactly what we did.  DC would not offer her long fry-shaped food that we wanted to bring it (baked sweet potato fries, wedges of avocado) for licensing reasons.  So she ate momma milk at daycare (and solids at home) until she developed a pincer grasp which allowed her to eat smaller pieces of food.  I think that happened around 9 months or so.

cyprissa

My daycare will give small pieces of food for self feeding. We started that at 7 months. Things like puffs, cheerios, cooked frozen peas, mandarin orange segments (canned in pear juice), cheese, etc. He developed a pincer grasp really early. We started food at 5 months because he showed multiple signs of being ready (he was also 2 weeks late and seemed to come out a little more mature in some things). He could pick up a puff by 6 months and feed it to himself. I just give them the food I want him to eat labeled and don't discuss it.

StefandTodd

C-Charm:

StefandTodd:

 

... Also, he'll be starting daycare just 20 hour/week next week and they will not do BLWing, and honestly I'd rather be the only one to do it with him for awhile anyway until he's a more confident eater.  Is there any harm in only doing solids when I'm home with him?  I know DC would do purees but I think (for now at least) I'd rather just not do purees at all.  If he's getting only breast milk at DC and we're doing BLWing at home, that's enough right?  Does anyone else do this?

TIA for any thoughts  

That's exactly what we did.  DC would not offer her long fry-shaped food that we wanted to bring it (baked sweet potato fries, wedges of avocado) for licensing reasons.  So she ate momma milk at daycare (and solids at home) until she developed a pincer grasp which allowed her to eat smaller pieces of food.  I think that happened around 9 months or so.

Thank you, I think this is what we'll try and hope for