Baby led weaning

[sophie150]

Hi there. Started weaning this week and have a couple of questions. We've gone down the self feeding route.
Firstly, my dc seems to enjoy everything he is trying but doesn't swallow much. most just gets pushed back out his mouth. How long does it normally take for them to start to swallow properly?
Also he's having 2 meals a day - is this ok? I can't fit any more into our day at the moment! And If we skip a meal is that ok? When do I need to start being consistent about feeding times/ frequency?
Tia

[CultureSucksDownWords]

I was inconsistent with meals for a fair few weeks if things just didn't fit in. I didn't do two meals for a while, and took a while longer to go to 3 meals a day. I don't think there's any huge rush, just follow your child's lead.

The amount of time it takes them to learn how to chew and swallow is really variable. It can take a while so try not to worry about it. Breastmilk (or formula) should still be the main source of nutrition for a good while yet.

[Imeg]

I thought mine wasn't taking much at the beginning but then I'd see bits of whatever I'd given him in his poos, and his poos really changed consistency, so I think sometimes they take more than you think....

[sophie150]

Sorry been away a couple of days! Thanks for the responses. A week on and he's swallowing a bit more I think and seen some evidence in the poo as imeg says!
I'm still trying to work out the right timing (not too hungry or too tired) for his solids. I suppose it's going to be a lot of trial and error!
Luckily he seems to like everything he has tried so far!

[ElleDubloo]

Glad to hear it's going well! We started BLW at 5 months, but only tiny amounts, and basically only when it suited us, and didn't worry if she wasn't swallowing much. We only started proper mealtimes at about 6.5 months, and that was the time she started ingesting more and her poops became proper "adult" poops. Now, at 7 months, we eat lunch and dinner together. She still breastfeeds for breakfast and snacks.

About the timing - I find she eats better if I breastfeed 1-2 hours before a meal, i.e. she's not too full and not too hungry (so she won't get frustrated and cry). This is our very approximate routine:

07:00 Wake and breastfeed.
10:00 Nap 30-45 min.
11:00 Breastfeed.
12:30 Lunch (solids).
14:30 Breastfeed.
16:30 Dinner (solids).
18:30 Breastfeed.
17:15 Bedtime (plus 1-2 breastfeeds during the night).

Hope this helps!