Baby-led weaning questions

schick · July 2013

Is anyone trying baby-led weaning? I have read a bunch on it, and would like to try it but not sure how to start? Also not sure if I can introduce it since I already introduced the spoon-feeding of purees about 3 weeks ago.

If you are doing it, what foods are good to begin with? Does baby have to be able to sit upright by themselves? Can you combine it with spoon feeding?

kjsmith9 · July 2013

We do BLW, started about 1 week before DD was 6 months old. When you say "read a bunch" - do you mean websites? Have you read the book?

You could certainly switch to BLW, but you can't *truly* do BLW and spoon feeding together. You can do spoon feeding and just give finger foods on the side if you want.

True BLW doesn't include spoon feeding, because the principles of it are based on LOs *always* feeding themselves. They decide what goes in their mouth. They decide when they want to eat, what they want to eat, and when they want to stop.

We didn't start with anything special - for the most part, she eats what we eat. She's had peanut butter toast, jelly toast, baked ziti, chicken, pork chop, ground turkey, string cheese, sweet potatoes, pea pods, whole grain crackers, raspberries, blackberries, pineapple, slices of apple, nectarine, peaches, and oranges... Whatever I have that is healthy (and no salt added), I'll let her try! The only no-no's (from my understanding) are honey and tree nuts (due to choking hazard).

schick · July 2013

Yes - read a bunch on websites (kellymom.com for example). I have ordered the book.

I would definitely like to try it and maybe will stop doing the purees now and start giving him big chunks of food to see how it goes.

I know that softer things like avocado, banana, etc... are good to start with. Do you cook harder foods (apples, cucumber, green beans, etc...)? Do you take the skin off veggies and fruits (potaoes and peaches for example)?

linzeek44 · July 2013

schick:
Yes - read a bunch on websites (kellymom.com for example). I have ordered the book.

I would definitely like to try it and maybe will stop doing the purees now and start giving him big chunks of food to see how it goes.

I know that softer things like avocado, banana, etc... are good to start with. Do you cook harder foods (apples, cucumber, green beans, etc...)? Do you take the skin off veggies and fruits (potaoes and peaches for example)?

We've been doing BLW more or less as outlined in the book (no spoon feeding, no purees, he always feeds himself) since we started solids at 6m.

We started with banana and asparagus and sweet potato "sticks." We mostly gave "stick" shapes of foods since he could hold it, as well as steel cut oats that he would just sorta shovel in. We didn't take the sin off, as it helped him to grip it.

pb_bride · July 2013

I read the book but decided I wanted to introduce foods to DS prior to 6 months (some new studies suggest introducing allergenic foods between 4-6 m may decrease future risk of food allergies). So I ended up spoon-feeding DS purees at the beginning.

Around 6.5 m he started refusing the spoon, so we switched to mostly BLW. It took a while for him to be able to grasp the foods and aim them towards his mouth. We started with roasted sweet potatoes, and lots of ripe fruits (mango strips, peach slices are his favorites).

We do BLW-style foods for b'fast and dinner. For lunch, if we're home, I spoon-feed him yogurt mixed with oatmeal and fruits. DS is unable to manage the spoon himself, and I really, really want him to eat yogurt (for health benefits). DS loves this yogurt/oatmeal mix that he doesn't fight the spoon for this.

vettymama · July 2013

kjsmith9:
We do BLW, started about 1 week before DD was 6 months old. nbsp;When you say "read a bunch" do you mean websites? nbsp;Have you read the book?You could certainly switch to BLW, but you can't truly do BLW and spoon feeding together. nbsp;You can do spoon feeding and just give finger foods on the side if you want.True BLW doesn't include spoon feeding, because the principles of it are based on LOs always feeding themselves. nbsp;They decide what goes in their mouth. nbsp;They decide when they want to eat, what they want to eat, and when they want to stop.We didn't start with anything special for the most part, she eats what we eat. nbsp;She's had peanut butter toast, jelly toast, baked ziti, chicken, pork chop, ground turkey, string cheese, sweet potatoes, pea pods, whole grain crackers, raspberries, blackberries, pineapple, slices of apple, nectarine, peaches, and oranges... Whatever I have that is healthy and no salt added, I'll let her try! nbsp;The only nono's from my understanding are honey and tree nuts due to choking hazard.

All this. For yogurt and things like that we put a glob on his tray, give him his spoon, and let him eat. Sometimes he tries to use the spoon other times he just puts his hands in it and gets some to his mouth that way. It is really messy but he loves it!

tevagirl · July 2013

We do a combo of self feeding and spoon feeding. LO much prefers to feed herself, so she primarily gets finger foods that she can handle. We do spoon feed her some things, like yogurt. She likes to try to feed herself, so I load the spoon and offer it, she can take it with her hand and get it into her mouth. If I put a loaded spoon on her tray, she just scoops the food off the spoon with her fingers.

With oatmeal, I make a little on the stiff side so she can scoop it up with her fingers. I want to get some re-usable pouches so she can self feed the yogurt too.

JodiAriel · July 2013

Here's a great article series about it: https://www.motherflock.com/baby-led-weaning-part-1-your-baby-ate-what/

I do it with my 8 mo old twins. There really isn't anything we dont give them except honey and chocolate.

BBhopes15 · July 2013

I do a little of both. I love the wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com website. The have lots of info on different subjects, like BLW, how to make your own baby food, storing it etc

schick · July 2013

OK - I tried a banana "stick" and he promptly mushed it between his hands and then shoved the whole thing in his mouth.... then gagged so badly that it completely terrified me! Is that normal?? How long do they gag for??

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