Baby Led Weaning... (if you've done it)

Re: Baby Led Weaning... (if you've done it)

• tokenhoser member

  August 2012

  Read the book. It addresses the risk of choking. Essentially, if the baby controls the food and is in a high chair upright, the risk is minimal.

  You can just do solids at home for the first month or two. There is a printable pamphlet you can give daycare.

  Your baby does need iron, but you can also do that with food. Meat, eggs, cheerios, pasta, etc. Or roll BLW foods in cereal powder.
  

   

  
  
  Natural Birth Board FAQs
  Cloth Diaper Review Sheet
  
  

  Report0 Reply
• Loading the player...
• ncbelle member

  August 2012

  The gag reflex protects us from choking.  The younger the child, the further forward it is on the tongue.  So actually giving baby finger foods earlier means you have less likelihood of choking because they will gag well before it gets far enough back to choke.  There will be gagging which can sound scary but is a good thing!

  Also, babies who are spoon fed learn to suck food straight back without chewing - meaning that when they are given solid food they will try to do the same increasing the chances of choking.  While of course any baby can choke, it's actually more likely that a spoon fed baby will choke when starting finger foods than a BLW baby.

  That said, you should never give hard items like raw carrot or raw apple (unless it is shredded) or of course nuts until baby can chew well (babies chew with their gums so teeth aren't the issue).

  As for iron...neither of my kids had iron supplements or iron cereal - their levels were above average when tested at 1 year.  There is still iron in breast milk - less of it, true, but in a form that is more readily absorbed by baby.  If you are worried, you can always do iron drops or focus on iron rich foods (again, more easily absorbed than supplements of any kind).

  No clue on daycare  

  
  

  Master Babywearing Educator with Babywearing International
  Breastfeeding Counselor with Breastfeeding USA
  Babywearing Guide ** Newborn Carriers
  Cloth Diaper Guide
  Safe Bed Sharing Info
  www.becomingmamas.com
  

  
  

  

  Report0 Reply
• jlsimon56 member

  August 2012

  I will help on the daycare front.  My daycare told me it was against policy to give LO such large chunks of food.  :-)  Whatever.  We started with food at home, at dinner, since that was the time we were all together for a meal (we both work).  

  Around 7-8 months, daycare started telling us that LO was lunging for other kids' food and could we PLEASE send in food.  So we sent in a bit.  They cut everything into teeny tiny pieces.  They STILL do.  They do not want to hear anything about BLW.  All of this is fine with me NOW but it took me awhile to deal.  :-)  

  We didn't send food everyday.  Just on the days where our leftovers would be good food to send.  LO still took three 4oz bottles so no one was worried about her starving.  The daycare is actually really good at watching the babies' cues for sleep, hunger, etc.  

  Now LO is in the next classroom and all the kids sit at a big table so there's a lot of sharing.  LO has had goldfish crackers, that Pirates Booty popcorn, among other things that she'll never get at home.  I have to be ok with this.  :-)  

  LMK if you have any other questions. 

  Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml

  Report0 Reply
• lesalia217

  August 2012

  There is also a difference between choking and gagging.  Gagging is normal and to be expecting, where as choking is not.  BLWing babies are so much better about not choking on things as mentioned by a PP. 

   

  Start off with softer foods that can mushed within baby's mouth.  That will be safer.  
  

  Report0 Reply