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Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

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Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Weaning

BLW: 2 questions

43 replies

TheCornishPickle · 07/10/2011 11:10

If you did/are doing BLW what was your babies first taste?
2)How many weeks old were they?

My boy is 23 weeks - he sits up with little support and has good accuracy getting things from hand to mouth. I know it's early days but would there be any harm in letting him have a play with some fruit/veg? If this is silly or dangerous then we'll wait - just thought it would be fun and I feel we're ready for a new challenge!

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FetchezLaVache · 07/10/2011 11:17

I'd give it a go, I think DS was about 24 or 25 weeks when we started him (on steamed baby sweetcorn IIRC). I don't see how it could be dangerous, if he's not ready he won't eat it! And I bet he'll enjoy it.

BikeRunSki · 07/10/2011 11:20

1 - Tuna mayo, he grabbed it out of my sandwhich (but was planning on BLW anyway). Next meal I gave him some blueberries.
2 - 26 weeks

shuckleberryfinn · 07/10/2011 11:24

1 Like pp but a peanut butter Jan sarnie.
2 22 Weeks ish.

feelingratheroverwhelmed · 07/10/2011 11:27

25 weeks. Steamed carrots, parsnips and brussels (so cruel!)
I actually felt guilty for not waiting another week! In hindsight this was ridiculous as the guidelines are around six months, and of course the thing with BLW is they chose what to do with the food in front of them.

lilham · 07/10/2011 11:31

Mine started at 24wk, with a banana. It slide around the high chair tray so I did give her a helping hand . Then I gave her a rice cake and she's ace with it.

If he has all three of the ready signs from the NHS website, then it's not dangerous to start at all. It's never a strict 26 weeks, but around that time. Put him in a high chair and see how straight he can hold his head and back up first. If he's a bit slumped, then wait for another week. Good first food, imho, are something easy like a broccoli or cauliflower to try.

TheCornishPickle · 07/10/2011 14:34

Going to try 'the highchair test' just now but think we might hang on anyway - feel like I'd worry that we hadn't stuck to 6 months exactly! So people seem to have either offered veg or whatever baby got their hands into first!!

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HarrietJones · 07/10/2011 14:48

Dd3

Sweet potato & salmon.
24 weeks

Was my tea & she pinched it

TheCornishPickle · 07/10/2011 15:12

love it. Maybe I should just make my (suitable) food more 'available' and see what happens?!

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thefurryone · 07/10/2011 21:54

We started earlier this week, DS is 23 weeks today, he sits quite well and seemed keen so I gave him a bit of cucumber to see what he'd do, he put it in his mouth. He's since had carrot, baby corn, roast parsnip, apple, pear and banana.

Of what he can bite off most of it ends up coming out, but yesterday there was some pear in his nappy.

I'm a bit nervous about letting him have some of my food, but mainly because I'm having a bad week and I don't think weaning onto cream donuts is appropriate

mummynoseynora · 07/10/2011 21:59

I have been told in the past (but not read the research myself so not quoting as fact) but the lady who 'invented' BLW actually did a study with babies of varying ages... starting at 17 weeks.... the only reason the advice was eventually set to 16 weeks was because it was the point at which 'most' babies were capable of eating food. Some were able to at 17 weeks without being able to sit unaided.

I was told this by a breastfeeding councillor who had been on a course with the person who did the research and she told me to make me feel better after my 17/ 18 week old ds swiped a piece of mango from my plate (sat on my lap) at a bbq and ate it - no problems! mostly gumming, but he swallowed juice and a fair bit of the fruit too... oh and no choking!

MamaMaiasaura · 07/10/2011 22:02

About 24 weeks and watermelon.

TheCornishPickle · 08/10/2011 08:36

That's lovely - I can just imagine him getting stuck into a big juicy piece of melon! I think I might offer him some fruit/veg pieces this weekend and see what he makes of it.

I'm with you though, furryone, in that I'm going to have to look at my diet at the moment - have been on the takeaway and chocolate cake this week!

I'm reassured to hear that a gradual start is flexible with BLW - after all I'm sure nothing magical happens suddenly at 26 weeks that makes it ok. I'm sure I'll still feel all guilty till then as I'm a bit of a stickler for the guidelines [goody-two-shoes-emoticon]!

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TheCornishPickle · 08/10/2011 11:33

Ok, so tried him with a choice of plum or banana pieces this morning - plum got a sour face (sorry but we laughed) and he couldn't catch the banana in his hand but didn't seem overly keen either though did suck his fingers quite enthusiastically afterwards.

Is bread a big no-no before exactly 6months? Dh gave him a chew on his toast crust and he seemed really keen until I realised and thought he shouldn't have it.

Think maybe just best now to wait another couple of weeks.

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FetchezLaVache · 08/10/2011 18:19

A great trick with a banana is to cut it in half with the peel still on, then artistically cut the peel away from around the banana about an inch from the bottom, so it's like an ice-cream cone IYSWIM- he'll be able to grip the peel bit and gum the banana quite happily!

thefurryone · 08/10/2011 22:00

Sounds like a great start cornish, at this stage I don't think it matters if you don't do it every day, I've been fairly inconsistent with it so far but DS is getting so much better at getting hold of things and adjusting his grip in an effort to get things in his mouth even just after a week, although the banana is definitely still quite tricky. I've been splitting it length ways into three along it's natural split (something I saw mentioned on here) which makes it a little easier than just having it in a big chunk. Although leaving a bit of peel on probably makes slightly more sense, although in my case it would probably be scruffily cut rather than artistic

I'm really not sure about bread, DS had a little crust today as we were having bread with our soup at lunch, but like you I was a bit 'should I be doing this'!

TheCornishPickle · 09/10/2011 19:25

Going to try the trick with the banana tomorrow especially after seeing Little Pickle's response to some sweet potato tonight. Mind you I was a wuss and put the wedge into one of those feeding nets. He sucked the life out of it and screamed when he dropped it and again when it was all gone!

What do people reckon to those feeding nets - I feel that although ds enjoyed it A LOT it was still like him having a puree as he was just sucking mushiness. But then again he was holding it and figuring out how to manoeuvre the right bit into his mouth. Are they a help or a hindrance to BLW?

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TheCornishPickle · 09/10/2011 19:29

Another thing while I'm on...if we're thinking this is starting BLW at around 6 months then do we apply the guidelines for weaning at 6mo or the older ones for what's suitable pre 6 months - I'm thinking of things like no dairy, gluten, sterilising implements etc?

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smackapacca · 09/10/2011 19:30

Ds was around 6 months.

first tried some corn on the cob iirc

Feeding nets just irritated me and never looked clean. He never choked/gagged on anything ever (nearly 2 now)

mummynoseynora · 09/10/2011 19:33

just a quick bit of info for you - if you are going for it before 6 months I would steer clear of the dairy / gluten for now - just because there is a slight increased risk of allergies / tum problems if done prior to that... as to the sterilising, if you are BLW you probably aren't using spoons etc so I wouldn't worry!

RitaMorgan · 09/10/2011 19:35

We started at 23 weeks, just stuck to fruit, veg and rice til 26 weeks.

First thing he had was banana (too slippery til I read about the half-peel thing on here!), brocolli, roast veg, cucumber.

I don't see the point in those feeding nets really, can't be very nice to try to eat through it? The idea with BLW is you give them normal food.

TheCornishPickle · 09/10/2011 19:37

No, I know, smackapacca, I feel the same about the net thing - as I said, I was being a wuss! I don't know anyone I rl who has done, or even supports BLW so haven't seen it in action and even though I've read the book and understand the physiology behind the no choking thing I'm still really nervous!! Can't bring myself to spoon generic slop into his mouth either though so giving him the net was an attempt at a half way measure.

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TheCornishPickle · 09/10/2011 19:40

Cross posted Rita, I also agree that I wouldn't want to eat out of the net any more than I'd want to be spoon fed puree instead of the tasty food everyone else is having! What happens if he's gumming on something like a bit of banana and I big chunk comes off in his mouth? What if he can't manipulate it to get it back out?

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smackapacca · 09/10/2011 20:05

The gag reflex is very sensitive so any big chunk should just fall/fly back out.

I'm sure you wouldn't do this, but the biggest hazard are things like discs of carrots and grapes. They're windpipe shaped but non-maliable. A carrot batton or sliced grape would be safer.

TheCornishPickle · 09/10/2011 20:09

Ooh no, the thought horrifies me! Big chewable/suckable sticks and wedges only. How hard should they be though - too soft is just mush but too hard and a piece flying down the throat worries me. While I wouldn't give a 'disc' deliberately I'm afraid that a bitten off chunk would do the same.

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smackapacca · 09/10/2011 20:16

If you offer a baton of brocolli/carrot/potato wedge it just can't make itself disc shaped. It's only if it starts out disc shaped that there'd be a problem.

I think I just did mine the same as you or I would eat. So steamed/boiled to take away the crunch but not mushy.

The beauty of BLW is that babies get the hang of it quickly.

I had one child puree fed, and one BLW. Both were great experiences, and both right for the child at the time. No rush with either.

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