to think there isn't a difference between BLW and finger foods?

[putthekettleon]

Ok I'm preparing to be flamed, and I have no problem with baby led weaning, but it's been bugging me for a while now...

When talking about weaning, so many people I know in real life/people I see on here say they are doing 'a combination of purees and BLW'. Or they say 'we're doing BLW... but I spoon-feed him if we're having yoghurt/mashed potato/soup etc..'. Surely that is just weaning?? Do they think that other people only ever give purees and never give lumpy or finger food? That if you give any kind of finger food it is BLW?

With both DC I started off on purees for a week or 2, quickly moved up to mashed food and introduced finger foods as well, like steamed carrots, rice cakes, broccoli, toast etc, when they seemed ready for it. DD2 is 7 months and eats all sorts. I just call it food.

Whenever I hear someone talking about BLW I have to fight the urge to say 'in my day (only 2 years ago!) we just called it finger food...'

Ok, as you were, just needed to get that off my chest!

lol maisie, who are you talking to now, me or narky?

Exactly so, Putthekettleon. It's the rather smug attitude that says (to me) BLW is all about the child, whereas spooning purees (actually, on a previous post about BLW one poster talked about force feeding with purees) is more to do with the parents' wishes, as they blithely ignore the fact that the baby isn't interested.

well regarding the book... i don't think one should assume that everyone who did blw thinks it's a great read.

Narky again Aitch! In her post she said that (apparently) you can't wean with BLW at 17 weeks.

My eldest had bad reflux as a baby and at that time weaning was at 4 months. He was more than ready for mashed up banana spooned in. A black and white puree bad finger food good makes it sound more religion than sensible eating strategy. A bit of both was fine for my kids.

well it's not for me to guess at what she meant but in general that bell curve peaks at 6 mos, so while some babies can self-feed at that age, there will be those who can't. and if one follows the line of thinking that feeding is/should be treated as a developmental thing then over-riding the development of those who can't by giving them purees might not be a good thing, although how not good and in what way... who knows?

but i am going to watch nurse jackie on iplayer in bed, so i will bid you goodnight. i'm glad scottishmummy has found someone to play with at least.

itch,glad you too can converse with words on a screen

As I've said, spoon feeding a child is possible at 17 weeks, BLW is (thank you Aitch) fairly unlikely. I'm not saying all or most parents who don't do BLW are weaning very early. I'm saying it's hard to wean very early if you do BLW because most babies can't feed themselves the equivalent volume of food at a young age.

This is the second time I've posted this.

Perhaps I should post it a little more clearly as you're obviously finding it hard to understand.

SOME SPOON FEEDERS WEAN EARLY.
NOT ALL, SOME
IT'S HARD TO WEAN EARLY IF YOU DO BLW AS VERY SMALL BABIES STRUGGLE TO SELF FEED

Was that clear enough.

Perhaps I need some little pictures to help you get it.

reflux advice is still to wean 'early' though, in some cases earlier than 17 weeks, i believe, so while unbelievably important to the individual, it's not strictly relevant. a medical condition like reflux supercedes a lot of other considerations, quite rightly.

blimey, you are narky aren't you?

If that's what you actually meant then you didn't word it very well in your original post.

Yes.
I could cheerfully disembowel a little fluffy bunny ATM.
Probably not.

Sorry for being a bitch Maisie

Crikey, you weren't half - glad I didn't see that last night. Apology accepted with thanks.

lol maryz hadn't thought about my choice of name at all. Only chosen as it's been a nickname my DH gave me years ago LONG before I'd ever become overzealous about heard of BLW! Real irony too as DS hasn't had any Petit Filou yet! Although he'd prob just lick it off his fingers and give me a gummy smile if he did!

Read Gill Rapely's book or look at the website or listen to the interviews before damning with faint praise?
It's about self regulation & physiological readiness hence the baby putting all the food into it's mouth. That's why the finger foods have to be longer than the baby's fist so it can mouth the bits sticking out of it's grip. The idea is that it will be more open to different tastes. We did it with my son & it is hellish messy but it's worth all the cleaning to try & avoid eating disorders or obesity in the future. It also improved our diet no end when we had to consider giving him what we eat from the get go.
It's just a choice of approach but I must admit to feeling relieved as I watched other babies in cafes being forced to eat purees when they were squirming to avoid the spoons.

Does it still count as blw if you don't let the baby grab your brandy sauce or salt and vinegar crisps off your plate? If you don't let baby decide it's not baby led, is it?

Haha, you have control of what but not how so yes it still counts. Oh that the little darl.s would opt for veg & fruit over trash, sadly not, that would be a miracle, major junk producers would have squashed it if that were the case!
I wish she'd called it something else but I don't know what. The name makes it sound like something it's not.

www.rapleyweaning.com/assets/blw_guidelines.pdf

www.babyledweaning.com/some-tips-to-get-you-started/

I agree with cory-it is a load of nonsense. It is mother led weaning-she decides exactly what the baby will eat and when-there would be hell to pay if baby grabbed MIL's chocolate gateaux, but at least it would be baby led!

Blimey, you'll hate me...I exclusively breast fed (in other words bo other milk), blw, co-slept and babywear still. Although I don't call it that, I just call it carrying her.

BINGO!

Oh, and I believe in sleep regressions, not always time to wean.

I wear a jumper-my baby isn't an accessory.

In my day with DS1 (25 yrs ago) we just "weaned". In his case, he sat there while I spooned various purees into him. These then gradually got lumpier as we went on. He would still do that today given half a chance . He was (and is) lazy and a "good doer". He's tall and powerful today, was tall and powerful as a child. He was BF to 9 months then solids and a cup.

DS2 (18) was definitely a BLW. He would not stand for any type of feeding and insisted on doing it all himself. He was BF to 2.5yrs and is today a fussy eater who likes little and often. He's skinny.

My theory is that what is today called BLW does lead to a regulated appetite.

YANBU. What a load of shite.

No, I agree, I think the term was just coined because some carry all day, as if they really were 'wearing' them if you see what I mean?