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Babies: 6 - 9 Months
bfstacy
member
Talk to me about BLW
bfstacy
member
Baby Led Weaning...
did you or are you doing BLW? how is it going?
did you just get all your info from online or did you purchase books? (please share your go-to source)
tell me your experiences, pros/cons, or anything you wish you would have done differently or are glad you did a certain way
Our LO is not quite 5mo yet and definitely showing signs of readiness but I think we're going to hold off a little longer and do the BLW. (plus we're waiting for our highchair to arrive lol) I've just had alot of people shocked that we haven't started anything yet and I want to do what's best for our little guy---and he is definitely not starving because he's a little chunk just with the breast milk! lol
Thank you ladies!!
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Re: Talk to me about BLW
We started BLW 10 days before DS hit 6 months. We bought, read, and still refer to Gill Rapley's Baby Led Weaning book.
We are 3 weeks in and I love watching DS learn. He bites, chews, and swallows with purpose. It is amazing!
Only con is the mess. But if you're expecting it, it's no big deal. Oh, there's also a lot of people that naysay or will criticize you, so be confident in your decision. Gill Rapley's book gives a really good background and argument for BLW.
As for what we do, I offer DS food at every meal we eat at home. So we do at least 1 meal a day, often 3. Of course DS doesn't "eat" at every meal, but I like to give him the opportunity and offer a full compliment of food groups throughout the day.
I offer DS whatever I'm eating. Which means a variety of foods at every sitting. No waiting for days between new foods, not just the "typical" baby foods. I just make sure I'm eating safe and appropriate foods throughout the day.
It's really about being confident in your decision to do BLW, and mostly about being confident in and trusting your baby's ability to eat what they need when they need it. It definitely isn't for everyone. A friend of mine won't do it because she doesn't want to give up control, knowing exactly what her baby eats and when, she doesn't have the patience, and she doesn't want to waste food. Yes, there is waste, but it's like a "finger" or toast or meat, hardly anything worth worrying about.
Anyway, DH and I love it and are so happy with our choice. I love watching DS learn!
I LOVE BLW. We did BLW with our older daughter. It was so much fun. We have also started BLW with our younger daughter.
I got most of my info online. I also asked a local IBCLC/public health nurse/babyfeeding expert for suggestions.
I am trying to take things slow this time, primarilly because my 6 1/2 month old doesn't seem to really care about breastfeeding, beyond the bare minimum, and I don't want to let her accidentally wean herself too early. She eats solids once most days, at this point. If she is awake at mealtime, I find something for her. She LOVES eating real food...
It can be really messy. We usually feed her naked and follow mealtime with a bath.
All of this!
5 months is too young though. I'd def wait till closer to 6m. Some need even more time. The younger babies gag a lot more.
We mainly do finger foods and started at 6 months. It has just been within the past few weeks that she is crazy about food. Before it was more playing, but now she associates food as eating and is great about picking things up, chewing, and swallowing.
I mainly offer finger sized sticks if food. At fist I did softer foods but have expanded into pretty much what we eat. My LO still gags a lot and it is really scary but very normal. Most kids will gag regardless of when you start solids so it's not a sign of rediness.
I like the book Baby Led Weaning by Gill Rapley and the wholesome baby food blog. Yes, it is messy but it is actually cheaper than buying baby food since she eats some of what we are already eating and it's not really wasteful because it is food I was making anyways. We do not wait a set time before intoducing new food and often introduce multiple foods at once. Check with your pedi, but mine had no problem intoducing any foods, except honey, before one.
I highly recommend trying it but definitely wait until 6 months. It is so much fun to see her love of food develop!
I wanted to do BLW, but lo had some other plans lol. She loved to eat what we were eating starting at 5 months. I waited until closer to 6 months though and she had sweet potatoes, cooked apples, avacodo, all finger foods and loved it. But she got really frustrated with wanting to eat and not really being able to get food in her mouth correctly or fast enough, so I brokedown and bought some purees after she started getting really fussy at feeding times. Now at 7 months she has learned to grab pick up food and get it to her mouth better. I've been feeding her purees and letting her have finger foods and thats been going well for us. Tonight she had mashed potatoes, butter beans, (and a small peice of deer meat) that she ate all on her own! I did have to help her a little bc she gets frustrated when she isnt getting food fast enough and hasnt developed the pincher grip yet. So all in all I like BLW bc she is eating what we eat and developed the skills to chew etc. But it didn't go exactly as planned bc she wants to eat eat eat but couldnt do it all on her own yet lol.