Re-emerging and a BLW Q

kayteebayb · June 2013

Hi Ladies! It has been a while since I've been around, so I'm re-introing. I was around from conception until about March. Then, my little family went through a lot of drama and I took a break. I've been lurking a little bit lately and realized I missed being part of TB. Hope all of you and your LOs are doing great!

For those of you doing BLW....OMG help. I'm reading the book, but I'm still unsure of how to handle meal time.

1. I can't handle when she gags. It stresses me out to the point of a panic attack, and then I end up just giving her the mesh feeder because I know she can't choke on that. I never thought I would be such a maniac, but I'm insane.

2. I know that she is supposed to eat what we eat...but that doesn't always translate. If it's taco night, I'm not handing the 7 month old a taco, so she usually winds up with avocado in the mesh since they are part of our meal. Aside from some roasted asparagus sticks and some mashed potatoes, I have no idea WTH to offer her. I'm afraid a lot of fruits and veggies are too small or slippery, or stringy. In other words....I'm insane.

If you a successful BLWer, what foods did you start with? What was successful/safe for your LO?

Sorry this is so long.

Oh, PS I should mention that V and I don't eat meat.

apegg23 · June 2013

Ah, we're in the same boat! We eat plant based. I also feel weird giving her chunks of food. She seems interested in what I'm eating but I'd feel strange giving her something that's not just a piece mashed up. I was eating some potatoes yesterday with some pasta sauce on it and she wanted some but I'd feel weird giving her the pasta sauce.. not sure why. lol.

kayteebayb · June 2013

apegg23:
Ah, we're in the same boat! We eat plant based. I also feel weird giving her chunks of food. She seems interested in what I'm eating but I'd feel strange giving her something that's not just a piece mashed up. I was eating some potatoes yesterday with some pasta sauce on it and she wanted some but I'd feel weird giving her the pasta sauce.. not sure why. lol.

This is why I needed to come back here! You guys make me feel less crazy. I even get weird about purees. My husband will sometimes turn the highchair away from me so I can't watch her eat. If I don't get over this soon, I swear, my kid will be breastfed until she is 21! haha

apegg23 · June 2013

Haha same here! I felt really weird when my pedi was talking about giving the baby meat. Not only because we're vegan but because she barely eats purees that are a little chunky!

LuckyMissus · June 2013

Hello, lady!! Good to see you. =0)

We are doing what I would call "modified BLW." If I'm being honest, I esentially give him his own food. It's not super often he truly eats what we eat. I'm just not super comfortable giving him things that I'm paranoid he might choke on. Like yesterday, it was blueberries. I gave him a few and he played with them, and then he popped a whole one in his mouth and gagged, and I panicked and scooped it out.

I also give him purees and baby oatmeal from time to time. I mostly let him give himself a pre-loaded spoon.

Also, I think the mesh feeder is totally fine. F loves his. And my friend who's a feeding specialist told me that it's wonderful to use.

I just know that he's not totally ready to chomp and chew yet, so we're taking it slowly.

brie_and_almonds · June 2013

We're just at the beginning of BLW, and I'm still very nervous whenever I feed L, but we've had great success with sweet potato "fries" aka roasted sweet potato sticks. She's able to gum off chunks and then mash them up before swallowing, and her gagging has gone WAY down.

LovinLife0710 · June 2013

Hello!

Thanks for posting your frustration. I am the same way! DH scolds me because I freak the fluck out when A gags, but now thanks to this thread I feel better! We have been introducing more solid foods, but not necessarity BLW-ing. Just taking it slow. Thanks ladies!

And Welcome back!! Big Smile

kayteebayb · June 2013

LuckyMissus:

Hello, lady!! Good to see you. =0)

We are doing what I would call "modified BLW." If I'm being honest, I esentially give him his own food. It's not super often he truly eats what we eat. I'm just not super comfortable giving him things that I'm paranoid he might choke on. Like yesterday, it was blueberries. I gave him a few and he played with them, and then he popped a whole one in his mouth and gagged, and I panicked and scooped it out.

I also give him purees and baby oatmeal from time to time. I mostly let him give himself a pre-loaded spoon.

Also, I think the mesh feeder is totally fine. F loves his. And my friend who's a feeding specialist told me that it's wonderful to use.

I just know that he's not totally ready to chomp and chew yet, so we're taking it slowly.

We've been doing a 'modified version' too. For a little while I was pre-loading a spoon and she would eat the purees off of the spoon. Now, she's not into it.

We did blueberries in the mesh and she loved it. I, of course, freaked out when she sucked the skin through. Oy!

I think we might have to take it slowly too....for my sake.

kayteebayb · June 2013

MandJS:

1) You need to just trust her. Gagging is not a problem. If you hear noise, then air is getting through and she can breathe. PROMISE!

2) Taco night. Don't give her the taco whole, but throw some of the meat on her tray. Or the beans. Or whatever is in your taco. Avocado slices are great. The mesh feeder is NOT necessary.

Also, here. Read this series of blog posts I wrote. I'm linking you to the 3rd/final installment. It has links to part 1 and 2 in it.

https://www.motherflock.com/baby-led-weaning-part-3-faqs/

I was hoping that you would respond! I remember you being a big BLW advocate.

I love the blog posts. I feel like you were speaking more to my fears, whereas the book mentions it once and then keeps referencing page 46 when gagging is mentioned.

You mentioned that as long as I hear noise when she gags, she is fine. She's often a silent 'gagger'. She makes the gag face and does the forward tongue thrust, but doesn't really cough or anything. Should I be concerned?

kayteebayb · June 2013

Can you all just come to my house with your babies and we can do this together? Strength in numbers, no?

kayteebayb · June 2013

MandJS:
kayteebayb:
MandJS:

1) You need to just trust her. Gagging is not a problem. If you hear noise, then air is getting through and she can breathe. PROMISE!

2) Taco night. Don't give her the taco whole, but throw some of the meat on her tray. Or the beans. Or whatever is in your taco. Avocado slices are great. The mesh feeder is NOT necessary.

Also, here. Read this series of blog posts I wrote. I'm linking you to the 3rd/final installment. It has links to part 1 and 2 in it.

https://www.motherflock.com/baby-led-weaning-part-3-faqs/

I was hoping that you would respond! I remember you being a big BLW advocate.

I love the blog posts. I feel like you were speaking more to my fears, whereas the book mentions it once and then keeps referencing page 46 when gagging is mentioned.

You mentioned that as long as I hear noise when she gags, she is fine. She's often a silent 'gagger'. She makes the gag face and does the forward tongue thrust, but doesn't really cough or anything. Should I be concerned?

That's usually an actual sign of choking, so yes. Silent gagging is a concern. Noisy gagging is not, though. I actually find LARGER pieces of food or things like avocado or mango slices/wedges to be better if you're nervous. They're SO soft that they really won't be a problem, even in whole form. And smaller pieces can lodge in a throat, whereas bigger pieces really can't. That make sense?

Definitely makes sense. I can wrap my mind around that. She usually will give one little tongue thrust/puke face and then keep on chewing. It's a quick little "hweh" face. (For lack of better words.) She's only truly coughed once and being the crazy psycho I am, I picked her up and grabbed the food.

fusionbride · June 2013

you might be a candidate for the BLW cookbook.

laxkal23 · June 2013

A month ago this was so me! I was terrified and jumpy the first few times we tried BLW but the good news is it passes. You will get used to how lo works things out and lo will get better at eating and gag less and less. It took cj about 2 weeks before we started to see some improvement in his gumming, he has no teeth, and swallowing. He however loves it! My advice is to start with foods that are the least likely to make you scared about choking try banana, boiled frozen perogies, toast, crackers, avocado, scrambled eggs and really any boiled veggies. Also i would preload a spoon with yogurt or mashed veggies and hold it up for cj to take into his hand then he would feed himself. now he can do a preloaded spoon all on his own. Take it one meal at a time until you get more comfortable.

As for meals think breaking down into components. If you have tacos maybe a preloaded spoon with refried beans, a slice of tomato, and finger of cheese. Don't expect lo to eat much at first and keep reminding yourself that its not about what he consumes it is about lo exploring foods.

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