Baby Led Weaning & Introduction

Re: Baby Led Weaning & Introduction

• khill86 member

  December 2012

  We're doing BLW. We started 10 days before 6 months because DS was showing all of the signs of readiness as suggested in the BLW book.
  
  It is a slow process, but that's kind of the point! I have DS sit at the table for at least 2 meals a day and always offer him a variety of foods. There is no history of food allergies for myself or DH so I'm comfortable offering a variety of foods at a time. Anyway, sometimes DS just plays and hardly brings anything to his mouth for more than a taste. Sometimes he really works on something and is more interested. I just follow his lead.
  
  The fact is that breastmilk and formula are more nutrient rich and calorie dense than any solid food you can offer your baby and should still be the main source of nutrition for the first year.
  
  I'd suggest reading the BLW book to see if it's an approach that's really right for you.

  

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• anonsouthernbell member

  December 2012

  We do BLW and sorry to disappoint but most food has less calories than bm/formula.  Just let your LO go at his pace.

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• khill86 member

  December 2012

  Okay I just saw what you added. I give DS what I eat. I make sure that I offer each food group throughout the day, but not at every meal. So for example, if I'm doing lunch and dinner, I might do a sandwich with whole wheat toast, cheese, an egg, and tomato. I give DS half cut into two "fingers." He had a good time with that, obviously he didn't eat the "fingers" like a sandwich, it all fell apart immediately and he tasted everything separately and gave the egg and toast a good effort. Then for dinner I'd do a steak stirfry or chicken and veggies or something. On a day like that, I'd offer fruit like a wedge of mango or apple or half a banana with half the peel still on mid afternoon. I figure out what I'll eat for the entire day so I know that all my bases are covered. 

  
  

  Honestly, of all the thing I've offered, steak has by far been DS's favourite. He sucks on it forever! I honestly just give DS whatever I'm eating. He usually at least tastes everything, and some things he really goes for. Sometimes when he just wants to play I'll hold a piece out for him to grab. He'll usually take a taste and if he doesn't want it, he just keeps playing.

  
  

  As for naysayers, I avoid them by not telling anyone haha! I explained what we were going to do to MIL because she is who we see for meals most often and she was totally on board and thinks it's awesome. She took pictures of DS with his piece of steak. Otherwise, if anyone asks I just mention a couple of foods we tried but don't mention BLW. If I know we'll be out for a meal, I make sure we do the other two at home. If I'm home for all 3 meals I offer DS something every time.

  
  

  This is getting long, but try searching BLW on youtube. Lots of people have videos posted. You might get some ideas for foods from there. There's usually the baby's age or how long they've been doing BLW so you might get an idea of time frames for skill development or how much they're doing with the food by a certain point.

  

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• henrytviii member

  December 2012

  Thanks! That's perfect.  I think I need to be more free with what I am offering.  I feel like I am sticking with traditional foods like steamed carrots, avocado, roasted potatoes and if I just offer the foods I am eating more confidently things will fall in place. He would love to work on a breakfast sandwich like that and my husband as been giving him meat at lunch with good success, just sucking but I hear that's good for iron.

  Good advice on the naysayers.  If only I wasn't visiting my mom and sister for the holidays. They are going to freak out if he makes the slightest cough.  Maybe I'll pretend I'm still not doing solids and eat meals with him in hiding.  He's liking it too much to take a break for week.

  

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• AliciaS1411 member

  December 2012

  I was glad to see this posted and looked forward to reading the replies. BLW is interesting to me, but I never had the time to really learn about it. LO is on pures now, but part of me is thinking about looking into to a hybrid of the two. Think that's possible?

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• henrytviii member

  December 2012

  I thought about doing it this way too but since we ended up waiting we are going to stick with the full approach and see what happens.  I'd say go for it.  In the few days since I asked the first questions I am already learning to trust my kid more and let him explore at his own pace without worrying so much about he can handle or how long the process will take.  It been very cool to watch him figure it and I do believe he'll actually eat solids some day. Phew!

   No first hand experience on the hydrid issue but the book mentions that you just have to continue the spoon feeding along side the BLW because they are used to ingesting a certain amount of food and they won't get much down with finger foods for quite a while.  I wonder if he'll try to swallow quicker since he's used to the solids already, this could mean more gagging perhaps. We've seen a lot of gagging but realized that he's working it out on his own and a week in its a lot better already.  He is definitely swallowing small amounts and he chews more and more and it getting towards a mushy enough mess to swallow.  He ate a whole sweet potato pancake this morning, he fully chewed and spit every bit of it down his pj's!  He thought he really ate it and he looked pretty proud.

  The book is really basic which is why I wanted to hear more about others experiences and what they have actually feed.  But it is a really quick read, just an hour or two cover to cover.

  

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• emberlee3 member

  December 2012

  I started tonight with DD.  I gave her half a banana.  She just played with it and touched it to her lips.  I need to go very slowly with solids because she has multiple food protein intolerance and is on elemental formula.  I like the BLW method because it gives her the control.  My sister did it with her 2nd DD, and even though it was slow-going at first, by a year she was eating anything and everything (except purees!).
  

  DS born 8/8/09 and DD born 6/12/12.
  

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• MarianneMurphy78

  January 2013

  I am currently going with a hybrid of both, mostly because I had already started purees before I became aware of BLW. I think it's a little easier for my sitter to do the jars for now since she has other children there too. So far we have been successful and I adore watchine her eat dinner with me!

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