Mumsnet Talk

DS has been EBF until now (he's 6 months) and the thought of weaning is kind of exciting but also daunting at the same time.

I know he's meant to eat what we eat, but I'm not starting him off on quiche and baked potato .

Was thinking of starting with offering a steamed carrot stick or two, a broccoli floret and a bit of chicken. Does that sound ok?

Hi nappymaestro
We too are preparing to start solids at 6 months within the week. I know BLW encourages you to go straight to giving baby food to handle, but we're going to ease into it gently with puree veg and fruit to start perhaps for a couple of weeks, then aim to introduce meat by 7 months and finger foods. Will also give porridge and concoctions of baby rice plus whatever initially. Have read lots about it and this is what feels right for us and our little one - whatever you decide must be right for you and your little one.
Exciting times but yes daunting!
CC

that sounds lovely, nappymaestro. there really is no need whatsoever to start with puree, in a way it might even be confusing as puree teaches babies to swallow before they can chew, whereas solid food teaches them to chew before they can swallow. the first few times they eat they tend to gum bits off and stick them right out again with their tongues as their gag reflex is triggered, it's all part of the learning experience. try www.babyledweaning.com for recipes, if you like, but basically you can start with your own food pretty early. my children loved chewing on baked potato skins, but can't speak for quiche as i loathe it.

NappyMaestro, DD is 9mo and BLWed. Broccoli and chicken sounds great. It's DD favourite first foods. As was roast potatoes. She is a curious monkey so anything that's easy to put into her mouth was a favourite . Meat other than chicken and fish are quite chewy and I think the BLW book suggests slow cooking them. We never made stews so I made burger patties into finger shapes for her. (And burgers for us).

CoconutCath there is no need to ease them from puree veg. But if it's what feels right for you go for it. But it's not BLW, but traditional weaning. They do go from purees to lumps and finger foods! The 7mo jars already have lumps and you get rice cakes for 7+mo in the supermarket too.

Aitch thank you that's really good advice. For some reason we are in a quiche rut Planning to improve our diet big style so DS can eat what we do.

Cath good luck! I was wondering about mixing too, but my DH has persuaded me to go the BLW way and now I've read the book I'm sold! Let me know how you go!

One thank you for your advice too! Can I ask a dim beginner question. I was going to casserole the chicken with veg. What size pieces do you think woud be best when I let DS swipe it? He's been trying to grab from my plate for a while so I just plan not to stop him

I didn't mean to imply that our planned route was BLW - I realise it's not.
Good luck nappymaestro - I LOVE my homemade quiche but am on a pastry ban as part of my new year 'lose that last half a stone of baby weight' diet. :-)
CC

NappyMaestro you'll know what your LO can handle quickly after you start. Generally, they need something big enough so they can hold it with their whole hand and still has bits sticking out from their palms. That's why strips of chicken is very good. At least with my DD she learns so quickly through all the food play. Every week I'm seeing her being able to pick up things she couldn't just a week ago.

my kids both loved bits of chicken thigh, or that teardrop shaped bit at the tops of legs. they found (as i do) breast a leetle dry. casseroles are awesome for weaning purposes, i reckon.

I started BLW Christmas week and my DS has loved it and gets more coordinated and eats more each time. He's had broccoli, roast parsnip, all kinds of potato, cheese, sausage (low salt), chicken, turkey, toast, avocado, pear, bananna, nectarine, tomato, green beans, rice cakes, bread sticks, stew, and I'm sure there's more. He's only ever not eaten carrot, twice he's cried when he's put it in his mouth. Good luck. I was a little apprehensive but seeing him learn and enjoy it is so great and everyone is amazed.

Nelly that's very good to hear

Right - have decided to start on Tuesday and see if he swipes the food! Fingers crossed!!

I started this week, carrot on the first day, then cucumber and avocado. Today he was chewing on a piece of pepper, but he kept gagging and was then very sick, so I wonder if it was too large?

I was amused to see that the bits of carrot came out in his nappy.

I am hoping that BLW will make me eat better too!

Did you remove the skin of the pepper? Some babies aren't very good at spitting stuff back out. I assume it's cooked pepper right? 9mo DD still cant eat salads because she has no teeth. She gnaws them to mush and then spit them up. So I stick with veg you cook.

So the veg has to be cooked until they have teeth, then? Wasn't sure about that, so thanks One

scrivette no idea about how large pieces should be as a maximum - I would have thought large better than smaller?

I'm going to cook the veg I give on Tues and will be watching the nappies!

nappy now I think about it DD struggles with all green leafy veg cooked or not. She can't chew through cooked cabbage for example. Out of the salad veg, she can eat tomatoes and avocados from very young, and now also cucumber. I think there aren't any hard and fast rules. Just give anything you are eating and see!

She's very good with skin btw. We started with tomatoes, pears, plums with skin on. But I know friends babies (not blw tho) who gags with skins very badly.

DD took some time with skins and other similar things (edges to roast spuds) that would get stuck to the top of the mouth and get her very annoyed and scream, however she learnt in a couple of weeks at most that she could just stuff her other hand in and remove it when she couldn't manage it with her tongue.

Leavy veg and salad leaves are quite entertaining to watch her try and eat as she struggles to bite through them - but seems to enjoy sucking them anyway.

The pepper was raw, I gave it for him to chew on more than eat really as his teeth were hurting him.

I had given raw cucumber, but that's much softer but I steamed the carrots so they were easier to break off.

I am kind of starting v slowly with DS2 who is 5 and a half months. Just giving him bits of food to play with while we are eating as he can sit up well and pick up things and put them to his mouth which seem to be the indicators of readiness according to BLW book. All the same absolutely not expecting him to eat anything for a long time yet but he is interested in playing with the food so why not! He actually enjoyed sucking/ chewing on some red pepper yesterday. He has already eaten some sweet potato which he stole from DS1's plate a month ago, and the other day when I wasn't looking he stole some spicy noodles from DS1 - not sure if they went in his mouth but he had certainly smeared them around his face!

Ooo - hello - can I join? DD (DC2) is 25 weeks and I've just realised I probably ought to be thinking about weaning PDQ. (I've been distracted by Christmas and DS.) We did the whole puree thing with DS, though not for very long as he liked self-feeding. I love the idea of NOT washing out ice cube trays and the blender if I can avoid it <slacker emoticon> . Was thinking I'd go for some broccoli/carrot/roast sweet potato wedges to start (though not necessarily all at the same time)? And obviously banana/cucumber.

With avocado is it better to leave a bit of skin on for the 'handle'? And any ideas on good cheeses to offer and how big to make them? Sorry - I feel like a bit of a novice...

Thanks to all experienced BLWs - all good info and I'm storing it away for future ref - hadn't even thought about skin yet.

Womb welcome on board - there is definitely room on the broom here. Yes Yes Yes! We have the song book for that btw and DS seems to love it. I'm watching out for the answers to your questions - I was going to give avocado later this week cut into sort of sticks, but now you mention it I suppose it will squish like mad in his hands

bad sounds like your DS2 is a model BLW baby

Doing the shop tonight and have ditched the quiche! We are going to start with chicken, carrot and broccoli on day 1, avocado and baked potato day 2, a kind of beef stew with sticks of new potatoes day 3 and maybe leftovers day 4 and for day 5 so far I only have banana!! Maybe scrambled egg??? We have put down pears as well.

Doing this has made me realise how we tend to eat the same stuff all the time Will hopefully encourage us to eat better/more varied, if I can stick with it!!

I gave cucumber again today but it kept slipping out of his hands, so I cut a big chunk and kept the skin on the bottom bit and made the top thinner so he had a sort of handle to use! I suppose that the same could be done with avocado.

Yesterday I made a mumsnet recipe of beef stifado (really yummy), kept a couple of the pieces of beef for DS lunch today. He had it with some steam broccoli and new potato. He LOVED it. I mean he was covered and he needed a good clean but I think he ate most of it as there was little to clean up. He's 27 weeks. I'm so pleased we chose BLW, meal times are a pleasure. I sat and ate my lunch with him.

Nelly have just had a look at that recipe - it looks really nice! Maybe a stupid question but what kind of beef did you use - stewing steak? Am thinking of copying you for my stew in a few days time.

It was stewing steak, I think it was on 3 packs for £10 in Sainsburys.

Also you probably already have a mess mat for under the high chair, if not I gopt mine from Poundland, along with come bibs with sleves that you can just wipe clean. BLW is easy if everything you can wipe down. While it takes a little time to clear up, I'm sure less time than making purees.