Is it too early to discuss this? BLW?

Biscotto · August 2014

Maybe it's a bit too early, but as a former nanny to a handful of babies I've seen mothers do both baby led weaning and the traditional pureed food approach to weaning. What do you do plan to do? Any mothers here who have done baby led weaning? What was your experience like?

mands1125 · August 2014

I plan to try BLW I think. But I may change my mind later!

drose8721 · August 2014

I fed my son pureed food, but with my daughter, I just threw food on her tray from the start. Whatever we were having for dinner, she would get a little, but cut up into pieces she could grab. I didn't start her on food until about 6 months so she could pick it up off her tray at that age. It was a lot less hassle with my daughter and saved time in that I never had to puree anything. I plan on doing it again this way. Also, I liked being able to eat my own meal (rather than sit there spoon-feeding) while she enjoyed feeding herself.

Biscotto · August 2014

drose8721 said:

I fed my son pureed food, but with my daughter, I just threw food on her tray from the start. Whatever we were having for dinner, she would get a little, but cut up into pieces she could grab. I didn't start her on food until about 6 months so she could pick it up off her tray at that age. It was a lot less hassle with my daughter and saved time in that I never had to puree anything. I plan on doing it again this way. Also, I liked being able to eat my own meal (rather than sit there spoon-feeding) while she enjoyed feeding herself.

This is why I want to do BLW as well. I've read the book, but I'd like advice from moms that have done it. Of the babies I've cared for that were BLW, they seemed to enjoy eating so much more and meal times for everyone were more enjoyable.

Did you notice a difference in what your children ate when they were older? Did your son seem pickier than your daughter who was BLW? I've heard from a lot of moms that BLW babies eat ore variety of foods and are less picky than those who were given purees.

Biscotto · August 2014

2013JEM said:

We started purées at five months and graduated to self feeding at eight months. H let us know when she was ready. Every baby is different--- Lucies List has a great article on this.

Thanks!

Pezi · August 2014

We did blw with DD starting at 6 months. I loved and it will definitely be doing it again. It was way easier just giving her what we had and we could all sit down and eat together vs feeding her first and such. I want to say she is less picky... But she is 2 1/2 and must be in a mood to eat. But she will eat most vegetables, meat and fish if she is in a good cooperative mood. And she will always at least try something.

Fruit we still have problems with but that is more my fault because I have to force fruit myself so she never sees me eating anything but grapes and apples.

amt0312 · August 2014

I'm in the thick of it right now, and to be honest, BLW is good in theory, but it doesn't always necessarily work out. Babies are messy, some resist feeding themselves, and some simply aren't interested. Some actually do choke more frequently with BLW (for example, my neighbor's son has had aspiration issues since birth and he's 8 months and still no finger foods for him). Finger foods has always been a part of traditional weaning with purees, so you are not bound to one philosophy or the other. Just feed your baby what he/she enjoys and go from there.

Around the age of 6 months, you need to remember that babies' iron stores are depleted so its necessary that they get iron from an outside source. Since DD is formula fed, its not so much an issue, but she does need to start receiving extra protein and calories, so we do that through purees that I can guarantee get into her belly. We also do finger foods and all that stuff too, so you don't need to be a purist either way.

To me, purees are easier because I can't guarantee that I actually have dinner or anything healthy prepared every night. But it was super easy to whip up a bunch of different baby purees and freeze them. Take a few cubes, microwave and voila, dinner is served. She also eats from my plate since she is interested in all foods. And? She loves the spoon. She gets so freaking excited when her spoon comes out and mommy starts shoveling food into her mouth.

ETA: For reference, read this blog and all the links that she references throughout her post are excellent and bring up very good points. Don't be fooled, the author is actually likes BLW and its ideas, but does understand that the science behind it isn't necessarily true.

https://breastfeedingwithoutbs.blogspot.com/2011/11/bullshitometer-baby-led-weaninggill.html

And also, the original study that Rapley (the founder of BLW) used as evidence for BLW was an unethical study done back in the 1930's that could never be replicated in this day and age.

https://www.cmaj.ca/content/175/10/1199.full

michelle142 · August 2014

We did BLW starting at about 6 1/2 months with DS. It was fantastic and we fully plan to do it again this time around!

We just followed his lead, he ate softer finger foods from the beginning and it just made life easier when it came to cooking.

Hernsy · August 2014

I'm a FTM, but I really like the concept of BLW. I really want to try to do this with our LO, so I look forward to hearing you all talk about your experiences.

LilTiger15 · August 2014

I read the BLW book and loved the concept. I decided to do it with my son. He was exclusively breastfed and at about 6 months, we slowly started introducing food to him. If it was a veggie, we just steamed it first. Soft fruits were great too. I wasn't concerned about what nutrients he was getting because after he finished eating whatever 'real' food he wanted, I would breastfeed again to make sure he was full. It was about a three month transition, where he was eating more and more real food each week. You easily notice what ends up in their tummy instead of the floor when you change their poopy diapers!

I definitely plan on this method again for the new baby. I don't see the point to pureed foods. If you can easily smash a piece of food between your fingers, you can smash it easily with your gums. You don't need teeth to eat soft foods. My son is now 2 1/2 and does have his favorites and some foods he still refuses to eat, but he is way less picky than the other toddlers we hang around.

I definitely recommend anyone interested in this method to read the book, as it explains all the benefits and helps you know where to start and not be so overwhelmed. I also bought the cookbook. I loved the recipe that taught a way to make oatmeal into a finger food! My son has been eating oatmeal for breakfast almost every day since he was about 8 months old, without the need for a spoon.

drose8721 · August 2014

amt0312. There's no need to be a purist. I also had a friend whose son had a really bad gag reflex and couldn't eat anything but purees for a long time.

In answer to your question about pickiness: I don't know that it made a huge difference overall. At first, she would try everything and would eat everything. But as she became a toddler, she began to get pickier...maybe she saw her brother getting picky about some things. My 3 year old boy can be talked into trying just about anything and frequently likes it, but I can't always get her to try something. So the ficklesness and pickiness changes I think as they go through phases.

I don't think I read the book all the way through. I don't like messes so I didn't encourage my kids to play with their food and make a mess...I probably pushed them to do the opposite. Especially as toddlers, I said that food is for eating, not for playing with. I think you should take what you like from the book and not worry about following it 100% of the time. It's really about preference. Either way you feed your child, it's not going to make a huge difference in the long run. So do whatever method you find most enjoyable or easiest.

CatLadyTX · August 2014

We did a mix of puréed food and blw for DS. He had a lot of purée pouches when we were on the run, or for breakfast and lunch, but we gave him some of our real food at dinner. We started with the real versions of his favorite purées, so sweet potatoes and bananas and gradually just gave him everything we had.

cls78 · August 2014

OMG what is BLW? I have a lot to learn.

MissEm15 · August 2014

I'm lost too.. haha maybe I should start reading some books? LOL

LilTiger15 · August 2014

on a selfish note, I LOVED being able to eat my own food, while my baby was eating his. Every time we went to a restaurant or to a friend's house who also had a young baby starting to eat solid food, I would be so happy to know I was enjoying my hot plate of food instead of being that other mom, who was spoon feeding while their plate sat their getting cold. I liked the early independence my son was learning. I personally didn't care about mess. That is one thing you have to be willing to deal with, as they will be very messy in the beginning. We have laminate floors in our kitchen, so it was a quick clean up.

cls78 · August 2014

@MissEm15‌ lol. I have not picked up one book. I have been meaning to.

WanderingA · August 2014

We did BLW with A and we plan on doing it again. As everyone else has said, the convenience of not having to purée everything was nice, plus it introduces her to a lot of new textures. It also forced us to eat healthier because she was getting whatever we ate. If something was really messy we would feed her with a spoon but just listen to her signals and stop feeding her when she done.

We did do purées for pouches that I would freeze so we could have something to give her on the run. We started her on solids at 6 months and she ate a great diversity of food but at 12 months....not as much. However, I think this is just a phase that most kids go through - teething hell tends to interrupt normalcy!

jaztastic · August 2014

@CLS78 and @MissEm15 So glad Im not alone. I think in a year I will ask the board this questions. I cant even figure out feeding myself these days... Too much info too fast. lol

daciadanae · August 2014

We wanted to try blw with DS, but the doc recommended against cutting out pureed food completely. We would give him some soft bits to try himself, but generally that ended up in the highchair or floor. As a preemie, it was essential he get as much food in him as possible to gain weight and it was easiest to track that when I was spoon feeding him purees. As pp said - no need to pick one method or the other, the most important thing is that your baby gets the nutrition they need when they need it.

foxslaw · August 2014

I looked on the acronym page for BLw & couldn't find it. Maybe I'm just a dunce. What does it mean?

tee18 · August 2014

For those asking, Blw is baby led weaning which is a method of introducing solid foods without purees. They self feed from the start (~6 months). Starting with longer strips of food and transitioning to smaller pieces as their pincher grip progresses.

We did blw w ds. He's 14 months now. I had always been interested, but tried purees first. He refused them completely. After 2 weeks, we went to blw. It was great! We followed the book's advice. Mealtimes were much more relaxed and it was fun watching him explore. We are glad we did it and will do it with this one most likely. The jury is out on pickiness since he's only 14 months

As pp said, it's not for every baby or family. Purees with traditional finger foods is ok too!

Also, regarding iron, our ped tests iron levels at 9 months. Our son tested fine. He was breastfed and we didn't give iron fortified foods. This will not be the case for everyone of course. I think birthweight is a factor for iron stores. I believe the Kelly mom website has some good info about that.

That turned into a novel. Sorry!

Eta - we did spoon feed yogurt!

LilTiger15 · August 2014

@foxslaw It means Baby Led Weaning. It is a method of introducing solid foods, suggest at 6 months. You don't feed your child any baby cereal or pureed foods. Basically, you don't spoon feed them anything. You teach them to slowly eat solid foods in a solid form themselves. See this website:

Allie429 · August 2014

We waited to get cues from our DD. When she would watch us eat and seemed interested (grabbing at plate or forks), we started oatmeal at 5 months. We started pureed at 6 months. I made some and bought some. I think at 7, we tried some puffs to see if she could pick food up and feed herself. She tried her hardest and we kept at it. She still did some pureed (easier for my MIL to feed her while I was at work) until I went on summer vacation. She has snacks and eats regular food (just cut in small cubes). She likes to feed herself, even if we are handing her something to try, she will back up to take it from us so she can do it. She eats EVERYTHING we give her so I hope that continues but totally understand if she goes through a phase.

Oem617 · August 2014

I really want to try BLW this time. We started solids at 6 months with DS. It took a long time for him to be okay with actually pieces of food. Not to mention he was and still is very picky with food. He won't eat veggies, so I still give pouches sometimes to get them in him. I want to try BLW so that the baby will eat more types of food. I have heard good things and will probably do a mix of BLW and purees.

easton2131 · August 2014

I did blw at four months and she quickly became a pro at eating, ate anything and everything, and never once chocked (is that spelled right? it looks weird) anyway, I gave her rice cereal mixed with a mushed banana (I tasted it and it was gross w.o it) and I made my own pureed fruits and veggies. it wasn't long until I started to give her soup, mashed potatoes, exc. after that she quickly began to eat what we ate. (maybe around six months)

Beth.1212 · August 2014

We did purees starting at 6 months. I'm glad that we did with DS - he's a great eater now, and people comment on how tidy he is when eating. I know others do BLW and really like it too, though.

LilTiger15 · August 2014

@easton2131 --its not BLW if you fed them purees. BLW is a method that does not include feeding a child rice cereal or any type of pureed food.

Oem617 · August 2014

sarabell52 said:

Oem617 said:

I really want to try BLW this time. We started solids at 6 months with DS. It took a long time for him to be okay with actually pieces of food. Not to mention he was and still is very picky with food. He won't eat veggies, so I still give pouches sometimes to get them in him. I want to try BLW so that the baby will eat more types of food. I have heard good things and will probably do a mix of BLW and purees.

It's not BLW if you're feeding purees. It's just a combination of purees and finger foods.

Well then I plan on starting finger foods earlier than I did before.

krispy83 · August 2014

We did purees and finger foods with DS, then moved to soft-cooked pieces of food, but I might look into incorporating more aspects of BLW this time.

I do have to disagree with the idea of kids having a more limited palate with purees - my kid seriously eats EVERYTHING. Literally the only thing we have found that he doesn't like is lettuce (like a bite of salad - he'll eat it if it's in a sandwich or something - I think he just doesn't like the texture of it on its own). He eats everything else - eggplant, mushrooms, broccoli, fish, quinoa, tofu, etc.

MrsTucker2011 · August 2014

Right in the middle of it. I've been doing purées, and little man is pretty picky about textures. Like touching new (food) things makes him cry. Very sensitive to warm, cold, crunchy, mushy, etc. He's good at trying new flavors, which I'm glad about.

This is the face I got when he tried touching pancakes for the first time... Apparently not a fan of blueberry.

easton2131 · August 2014

LilTiger15 said:
@easton2131 --its not BLW if you fed them purees. BLW is a method that does not include feeding a child rice cereal or any type of pureed food.

touché, liltiger, touché

RedGiant · August 2014

I tried BLW when my son turned 6 months. But he had a very sensitive stomach (super gassy since birth, lots of spit up for the first few months, but no reflux) and couldn't handle the cooked down but not pureed foods. He couldn't really handle much more than a few teaspoons of oatmeal mixed with breast milk until closer to 8-9 months when his system could digest purees without causing him to wake up screaming with gas all night long.

So, I plan to introduce oatmeal around 6 months to next baby, and see how their digestion is compared to DS. Then go from there. As long as they are eating and growing, it's all good.

wintersong139 · August 2014

drose8721 said:

I fed my son pureed food, but with my daughter, I just threw food on her tray from the start. Whatever we were having for dinner, she would get a little, but cut up into pieces she could grab. I didn't start her on food until about 6 months so she could pick it up off her tray at that age. It was a lot less hassle with my daughter and saved time in that I never had to puree anything. I plan on doing it again this way. Also, I liked being able to eat my own meal (rather than sit there spoon-feeding) while she enjoyed feeding herself.

Plus, I have no experience with this myself, but I have read studies that say feeding babies a variety of textures and shapes of food helps with language development, as you talk to your baby about what he/she is eating and they get kinesthetic and tactile experience with it.

wintersong139 · August 2014

amt0312 said:

I'm in the thick of it right now, and to be honest, BLW is good in theory, but it doesn't always necessarily work out. Babies are messy, some resist feeding themselves, and some simply aren't interested. Some actually do choke more frequently with BLW (for example, my neighbor's son has had aspiration issues since birth and he's 8 months and still no finger foods for him). Finger foods has always been a part of traditional weaning with purees, so you are not bound to one philosophy or the other. Just feed your baby what he/she enjoys and go from there.

Around the age of 6 months, you need to remember that babies' iron stores are depleted so its necessary that they get iron from an outside source. Since DD is formula fed, its not so much an issue, but she does need to start receiving extra protein and calories, so we do that through purees that I can guarantee get into her belly. We also do finger foods and all that stuff too, so you don't need to be a purist either way.

To me, purees are easier because I can't guarantee that I actually have dinner or anything healthy prepared every night. But it was super easy to whip up a bunch of different baby purees and freeze them. Take a few cubes, microwave and voila, dinner is served. She also eats from my plate since she is interested in all foods. And? She loves the spoon. She gets so freaking excited when her spoon comes out and mommy starts shoveling food into her mouth.

ETA: For reference, read this blog and all the links that she references throughout her post are excellent and bring up very good points. Don't be fooled, the author is actually likes BLW and its ideas, but does understand that the science behind it isn't necessarily true.
https://breastfeedingwithoutbs.blogspot.com/2011/11/bullshitometer-baby-led-weaninggill.html

And also, the original study that Rapley (the founder of BLW) used as evidence for BLW was an unethical study done back in the 1930's that could never be replicated in this day and age.
https://www.cmaj.ca/content/175/10/1199.full

To add another comment (sorry about the double posting) I am planning to do BLW, but I really like your comment, @amt0312 - I feel like it is really straightforward and to the point without being judgmental, and you even included more to read. :-)

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