Talk me off the BLW cliff...

Jalee85 · April 2014

So we've been doing BLW since she like 5 months old. It's been very casual. Now that she is 6 months old I want to feed her at least once a day. She loves broccoli and sweet potato, but now all of a sudden she is biting off bigger chunks of food. Sometimes she works her food out of her mouth, but sometimes she has to cough to clear her throat. I have horrible mommy anxiety. So I puréed the sweet potato and let her feed herself with a spoon. She still coughed. This is all still normal right ? After seeing what D looks like after eating purées I'm hesitant to ever do that again!

Teresa1489 · April 2014

She's so cute! we just started BLW on Saturday and did a cough/choking thing on carrots but worked it out herself. She was totally fine but I jumped out of my chair so fast. DH had to tell me to stay back and let her get it out herself, which she did and loves eating so far! Good luck!!! Just do whatever works best for you guys

Jalee85 · April 2014

Thank you, I never imagined the sheer anxiety involved with feeding my child!

Teresa1489 · April 2014

I'm totally with you!! Making sure it's soft enough, the right type, how many times a day lol too many things to think about!

emmylou78 · April 2014

My kid doesn't nibble. She shoves the whole thing in her mouth. Nope octopus for BLW. I'm sticking with Purees until she's more ready.

From what I've read, coughing is supposed to be okay. She is clearing her airway and learning how to move food.

Jalee85 · April 2014

Coughing is good but Also scary!

pandaglitter · April 2014

It can be scary, but they're learning an important skill!! It's so important to learn how to avoid choking and to learn how to get food back to the front of your mouth. At some point, they all have to learn this. It sounds like she did a great job and I would of course watch her all the time while eating, but be proud she is learning that skill herself! It's not something you can really explain to a baby, it's something they learn by doing. And that's about as bad as it should get! I think you're doing awesome. And the mess of purées is terrifying but adorable

bkeane619 · April 2014

This is why I hold the spoon and feed her purées myself lol. Skye will learn those gagging skills on mum mums and puffs.

taylormarie923 · April 2014

There's nothing wrong with purees.

jeneshields · April 2014

It does get better! I had this same concern a few weeks ago. LO has two teeth and likes to bite off large pieces of food. I still have to sometimes help and pull out food from his mouth if he gets too much (he makes a particular face) before he tries swallowing. But the gagging has decreased after two weeks of trying BLW.

Of course gagging does come back a little when we try new textures like broccoli vs carrots or sweet potatoes.

And the pix are adorable!!

Lee81 · April 2014

Heather6789 said:
My kid doesn't nibble. She shoves the whole thing in her mouth. Nope octopus for BLW. I'm sticking with Purees until she's more ready.

Oh, God, this. If I give her something mashable, it's pretty much liquefied before she can even get it to her mouth. I say she's tried bananas and avocados, but she's really just smeared them all over herself. I tried to give her some hard boiled egg, though, and not only did she get it in her mouth, she jammed it in and gummed off big chunks. I couldn't handle it. I took away the whites and just let her have the yolks. I'm a wuss.

bkeane619 · April 2014

quartermisses said:

Yeah, why DOES everyone act like purees are poison around here?? I don't understand this mentality at all.

I concur, ridiculous.

EmJ&B · April 2014

#teamfeedyourkid

Lee81 · April 2014

quartermisses said:
Yeah, why DOES everyone act like purees are poison around here?? I don't understand this mentality at all.

I don't think that being pro-blw automatically makes someone anti-puree. I can want to feed my kid one way without having anything against how someone else wants to feed theirs. I don't think I've ever seen someone post something anti-puree. Unless I missed something (entirely possible!).

PixiesDust · April 2014

If purees are easiest and make you more comfortable than you shouldn't feel guilty about choosing that as your introduction to solids. If you're really committed to BLW, try sticking with smaller pieces or really soft food until she gets more accustomed to chewing

kimbo1216 · April 2014

They are learning how to chew and swallow. It takes time. There will be gagging/coughing. That's why you are there with them to keep an eye on them if they need help. Whichever method you choose takes time and patience. But remember, solids before one are just for practice. They aren't necessary for their health. This gives them plenty of time to get it down.

MissLauraPants · April 2014

I love the concept of BLW and my kiddo loves eating...with that said I did not get any support from the doctor and the gagging has my bf weary. So we have decided to do mashed up food first like avacado, hummus etc and then go from there. He loves it. I think you should feel comfortable with what you want to do and if it is not working right now maybe wait just a little bit more.

bkeane619 · April 2014

wedding06 said:

Can someone point out the anti purée stuff? I don't see it.

I don't think someone specifically said anything. Just a vibe IMO.

Weljadraak · April 2014

Trust your baby.

RedZee · April 2014

Funny, my UO was going to be that as much as I like the idea of BLW, I just can't tolerate the gagging. With DD1, I ended up doing a combination after having a few scares with apple and other foods that are "BLW book approved". At first I gave her mostly purees but gave sweet potato and banana to play with. After a couple of months I gave her more non-pureed food. The part of BLW that I don't compromise on is that she gets the same/similar food as we are eating. Also, I give green veggies first until they like them and then start fruit. I also get the anti-puree vibe here. I don't think it's intended as puree = poison, but there's a vibe there. And to be fair, there are foods that are eaten in that form even for adults. Yogurt, apple sauce, creamy soups, etc. You do need to learn how to swallow purees too. #importantlifeskillz

sooner1981 · April 2014

I just do purées at first and there is zero choking anxiety. At around six months, I start table food and by around 8 months, my daughter wasn't eating any "baby" food anymore.

Doing the purées definitely helped avoid any choking anxiety. And my husband was not on board at all with blw because he couldn't find any scientific support for the claim that babies won't choke on something they put in their mouths themselves (the people who wrote the blw book are not developmental scientists or doctors).

People have been feeding purées to their babies at least since recorded history began (like, they found little purée pots and evidence of babies being fed mashed up grains in early Egypt scrolls and drawings). So, I am fine with early purées and then transitioning later on, once the gagging stops!!

Feeding your baby shouldn't be stressful! Do what works for your family.

EmJ&B · April 2014

kicius56 said:

And cv style lol at #teamfeedyourkid. Food before 1 is just for fun.

@kicius56

My point is feed your kid . . . WHAT/HOW is not something I'm going to battle about. Formula? GREAT. Breastmilk? GREAT. Purees? GREAT. BLW? GREAT. Combo of all of the above? SPECTACULAR.

Lee81 · April 2014

I guess I shouldn't speak for everyone, but I doubt anyone here is actually anti-puree. I think people just get excited by the idea of blw and might be disappointed when it's not working out as hoped. I know I loved the idea of blw because it seemed so simple but it's turning out to be easier to give DD purees. Since she actually gets the food in her mouth instead of smearing it all over herself or throwing it on the floor, I know she's actually eaten it. I can really say she ate something new and I don't have to give her a bath when we're done. Everyone is happy. But I still think it would have been cool if i could just give her something and let her feed it to herself.

MySunshine213 · April 2014

pandaglitter said:

It can be scary, but they're learning an important skill!! It's so important to learn how to avoid choking and to learn how to get food back to the front of your mouth. At some point, they all have to learn this. It sounds like she did a great job and I would of course watch her all the time while eating, but be proud she is learning that skill herself! It's not something you can really explain to a baby, it's something they learn by doing. And that's about as bad as it should get! I think you're doing awesome. And the mess of purées is terrifying but adorable

What she said!

There's nothing wrong with purees

I think the only reason I am a little hesitant about them is my experience with DD. I fed her (store bought) purees way too long - which I realize is my fault - but when I finally started giving her real food, she rejected the taste and textures of 'real' food, even of foods she loved as purees. She is such a picky eater now. So this time around I am trying to use those very minimally and just focus on giving him the same food I eat, whether it's solid or pureed.

bkeane619 · April 2014

jgslr said:
Kind of off topic, but where does the "food before 1 is just for fun" line come from?

Is this from a medical perspective? Bc my pedi thinks solids are pretty important along with my bf. When I search this phrase I just get message boards popping up, nothing concrete. It's used on this board lots.

@sooner1981‌ any info on this??

I was wondering this too. I was also wondering if more BF Moms who plan on continuing after age 1 are the target audience for BLW. We wanted our DS to be off formula by age one so making sure his nutrition came from food was key.

sooner1981 · April 2014

jgslr said:
Kind of off topic, but where does the "food before 1 is just for fun" line come from?

Is this from a medical perspective? Bc my pedi thinks solids are pretty important along with my bf. When I search this phrase I just get message boards popping up, nothing concrete. It's used on this board lots.

@sooner1981‌ any info on this??

I am not a doctor, obviously, but both my husband and our pediatrician don't know where the concept of "food before one is just for fun" came from--but know it didn't come from medical literature.

There is a lot of scientific evidence that introducing potentially-allergenic foods while still breastfeeding causes the body to accept those foods as "normal" later on. So, if you don't intend to bf until well past one, you may want to ensure you have introduced a wide range of foods during the period you are breastfeeding, whatever that may be.

Our pediatrician is quick to recommend non-medicinal remedies for problems (I.e., my 26 month old has never been prescribed antibiotics), and told us to start out on fruits and veggies if we wanted to (instead of cereals), but she doesn't agree with BLW and believes it is important for kids to be eating (actually ingesting) at least one meal a day of two different foods by six months and at least two meals a day by nine months. There are all sorts of nutrients and antioxidants in fruits and veggies that are not found in breastmilk. Yes, a baby can continue to gain weight on breastmilk alone, but there is so much microscopic development going on in the first few years that may not be supported as well by a single source food, even milk/formula. We all know how important fruits and veggies are for our own diets, in ways that don't simply show up on the scale or are not "visible."

I know other people have other opinions, and that is great, but that is just the opinion of our pediatrician that my husband agrees with as well.

kimbo1216 · April 2014

jgslr said:
Kind of off topic, but where does the "food before 1 is just for fun" line come from?

Is this from a medical perspective? Bc my pedi thinks solids are pretty important along with my bf. When I search this phrase I just get message boards popping up, nothing concrete. It's used on this board lots.

@sooner1981‌ any info on this??

My DD1 pedi didn't say foods before one are for fun, but he did say they are for practice and getting her used to it. He said the vast majority of calories should still come from BM/form

sleepy33 · April 2014

dh13 said:

Kind of off topic, but where does the "food before 1 is just for fun" line come from? Is this from a medical perspective? Bc my pedi thinks solids are pretty important along with my bf. When I search this phrase I just get message boards popping up, nothing concrete. It's used on this board lots. @sooner1981‌ any info on this??
I was wondering this too. I was also wondering if more BF Moms who plan on continuing after age 1 are the target audience for BLW. We wanted our DS to be off formula by age one so making sure his nutrition came from food was key.
But he'll still get nutrition from wcm after one, but like I mentioned, pedi thinks the nutrients dd gets from solids are important alongside bf or ff. The book is geared to both ff/bf. I know bm will make up the majority of her nutrition but maybe solids are just as important. I'm not even saying the quote is wrong, but I just want to know where it comes from.
Wut is wcm? All I think of is white cervical mucus #dying

Whole cow's milk

Jalee85 · April 2014

bkeane619 said:
This is why I hold the spoon and feed her purées myself lol. Skye will learn those gagging skills on mum mums and puffs.

She wouldn't let me feed her...lol And I had already puréed it. This was the 1st purée I tried aside from peaches and she hates that.

Lee81 · April 2014

dh13 said:

Wut is wcm? All I think of is white cervical mucus #dying

I know this one! It's whole cow's milk. I really hope I don't remember the white cervical mucus reference every time I see wcm now.

Jalee85 · April 2014

She had the same exact reaction to BLW as she did the purée. I promise I will feed my kid. My mind just likes to freak out on me in the middle of the night. I want to start doing some purées so that she ingesting some food. The only time I've seen food in her poop was sweet potatoes.

Jalee85 · April 2014

Pretty much anything she eats including BLW style, purée, and from a sippy cup. She spits it all out. Does anyone else's kid do this?

sooner1981 · April 2014

@kicius56‌ our pediatrician doesn't think it is important to be sitting unassisted to eat purées, only that a baby has good head control. Remember, a lot of pediatricians recommend starting purées at four months if there is any history of food allergies in the family, as some recent studies have shown that introduction of foods from four to six months may have a protective effect.

So, clearly four month olds are not sitting by themselves! But I don't introduce solid, non-puréed food until baby is sitting independently.

Gatorsgirl731 · April 2014

Jalee85 said:
Pretty much anything she eats including BLW style, purée, and from a sippy cup. She spits it all out. Does anyone else's kid do this?

Yes! Up until about a week ago. Now she wants all the food! It didn't matter how I have it to her she wasn't really into it. I did have a little more luck with purées. So I just let her have her way. I'd only do a solid every few days. Then one day last week I couldn't feed her fast enough. Now she is eating everything. We are still doing purées I gave her some green bean strings and pear spears yesterday and she just dropped them for the dog. When I puréed them she went to town.

Amjoy25 · April 2014

I feel like we've regressed back to BFing vs FF and which is superior.

Also, SOONERED!

Jalee85 · April 2014

I'm not sure how this post brought up BLW vs Purée debate. I said she coughed on both....lol I don't mind either one, but photo as evidence above BLW is much cleaner...lol

Jalee85 · April 2014

Snowboarderbritt said:

Jalee85 said:
I'm not sure how this post brought up BLW vs Purée debate. I said she coughed on both....lol I don't mind either one, but photo as evidence above BLW is much cleaner...lol
Probably because of the post title

Asking some one to talk me out of jumping off the proverbial BLW cliff is not making purées a bad thing. I have a pic of her eating purées. It's just scared the hell out of me BLW or Purée.

Jalee85 · April 2014

Snowboarderbritt said:

Jalee85 said:

Snowboarderbritt said:

Jalee85 said:
I'm not sure how this post brought up BLW vs Purée debate. I said she coughed on both....lol I don't mind either one, but photo as evidence above BLW is much cleaner...lol
Probably because of the post title
Asking some one to talk me out of jumping off the proverbial BLW cliff is not making purées a bad thing. I have a pic of her eating purées. It's just scared the hell out of me BLW or Purée.
Oh I know, I'm just saying if they didn't read the post or see the pic they might have thought that.

I should of just picked a different title... Lol I just really didn't know how to start it off.

blondolphn · April 2014

Some days your lo will do better than others. And they will do better with some food than others. But keep an eye on them. Jo loves trying new foods. She is always watching when I eat because she wants some. I've got a foodie in the making.

Also, does your lo use a sippy cup? Sometimes I have to make Jo take a sip of water and that helps.

Jalee85 · April 2014

crunchymama11 said:
the "food before 1 is just for fun" comes from the fact that babies still need formula/bm until they turn 1. they need the fat/calories that formula/bm have that purees don't. until 1yo, the majority if their calories should still come from formula/bm. before 1, since they are getting most of what they need through milk, food is complementary and exposes them to tastes and textures.

to op- it took dd1 about a month after starting blw to actually eat. once she started she hasn't stopped! the coughing/gagging thing is scary but normal. it took dd1 a few weeks to figure it out. i gave dd2 some of dd1's oatmeal this morning and she gagged on it. but she didn't gag on broccoli- go figure. dd2 promptly spits most things out and makes very disgusted faces with food.

some kids get the hang of blw quickly and #eatallthethings from day 1, though. it's all normal.

if you want to go the blw route- just keep offering food and follow her lead. blw is very hands-off- you just provide nutritious food and let her go!

D doesn't gag on broccoli spears either. She loves them! But gagged on sweet potato go figure...lol

Jalee85 · April 2014

@blondolphn‌ yep she used a sippy, and that what I let her drink a sip whenever she looks like she is trying to clear her throat.

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