to ask for your best bit of BLW advice?

[moxon]

Yip, pretty much that. There are too many websites on the topic and too little time. The latter of which is heavily invested in MN anyway, so I thought I might as well see what's on offer from the wise.

I really recommend these for self feeding from very young

www.babybjorn.co.uk/kitchen/baby-plate-and-spoon/

They are expensive but better than wasting ££ on bowls and cutlery that isn't well designed. The shape of the plate hrlps them to pick up or scoop up peas, mash, stew, porridge etc

Also these cups m.tommeetippee.co.uk/product/first-cup/ for water and milk

They can also be used with the lid off and a bit of yoghurt etc in - with the baby Bjorn spoon the baby can do it themselves quite early on

Eat with your child. They don't know what things are actually good - instinctively they will want up see you eating things to show it is safe, especially things that look unfamiliar.

Don't avoid sauces. They are messy messy but if you give into temptation to serve pasta spirals son, for eg, it will hard to introduce pasta sauce or pesto

Bread can be a bit difficult for them to manage - big soft lumps get stuck to the bottom of their mouths. Toasted pitta bread or mini wraps, toast and breadsticks are easier to manage at first

What things are actually food, I meant

Everyone I have ever known, as far back as my hippy aunts in the 70s, fed babies a laissez-faire combination of bottled or homemade mush, and bits and bobs of what everyone else ate. Sometimes finger foods specifically prepped for the baby if the rest of the family was eating, for example, my dad's extra super spicy chili. It wasnt a plan, or a system, just a natural transition. The earliest solids were not uncommonly a chewy bread crust that was gummed as a teether. Bananas because naturally mushy. Oyster crackers or bits of unsweetened cereal (cheerios, particularly, but you cant buy that kind in UK.). Or whatever they swiped from the plate of whoever was holding them on their lap. Being spoon fed is a useful skill to have taught them, for those times you cant let them at it to the same degree as at home.

Just feed the baby, pretty much from the selection of foods on the table. Don't turn it into something that stresses you, or them.

never mind a tiny plastic-covered cloth under their high chair, spread a poundland shower curtain out (then despair as the little dear throws things further anyway sigh)

Don't worry about how much they are eating.

Just give the baby whatever you are having, unless it's really salty.

Get a splash mat or two from poundland.

Ikea antelop keeps babies nice and upright unlike some of the more reclined types of highchair.

Always take bag / wipes and a baby plate with you when you eat out.

Doidy cups are good for soups. In the early days, thick, slow moving soups until they get the hang of it.

Given the 'just give them what you're eating' advice, how precious are you all about salt? With my oldest i didn't use regular stock cubes or season food at all, obviously keen not to make bland food for the family for 6 months.

I've got a question about the gagging choking thing

I'm 3 weeks in to weaning and my ds is a firm spoon refuser so am trying to offer him what I'm having but am feeling irrationally worried about choking.
He often gags and I'm doing my best to keep cool but feel very anxious about it.

So when people say do a first aid course is it so you feel confident IF choking occurred but it's pretty rare or because choking will probably occur at some point?
Have many of you had to whack your dcs on the back at some point?

Neither of mine have actually choked.

rocketscience

I hardly ever add salt to food. Even if I'd so it's on the table rather than for cooking. I'm not a proper foodie though so other people who season more might find this difficult.

Neither of mine ever choked. I would encourage them 'good coughing, that's it, well done' etc to give myself something to do that wasn't sitting looking worried, and I never reached in to their mouths as the BLW book says that often just makes a gag into a choke.

It is just food honestly thats all its no great mystery mine were eating food at 6 months because we weaned early back then they will gag be careful of grapes and spoons and helping them to eat is not failing do your own way and you and your baby will be fine

I work with children have done on and off for 20 years had my own I have had to whack a back once and was a toddler at work it was a grape im paranoid about them they concern me

We had no intention of BLW but baby had other ideas and went mad for spaghetti. Amazingly managed to feed himself it! Quite happy to be spoon fed a yogurt but now at 18 months has mastered spoon feeding (and fork feeding) himself. Don't fret over it, it just happens.

Ask in the right section is my tip. Aibu, really?

Don't be alarmed if your baby eats tons one day and very little the next. DS always did this, but steadily put on weight and thrived. Oh, and if very little appears to be going in (and staying in) the mouth, remind yourself that the calorific value of (e.g.) a rice cake smothered in avocado/mascarpone cheese is probably worth a whole bowlful of pureed carrot. Agree with MrsJayy re grapes - we got that one wrong and it was quite frightening.

Get a Labrador. They eat all the bits that get thrown about.

'Food is for fun until they're one'. I saw it as an opportunity for messy play really. He was getting plenty of nutrition from milk, so mealtimes were about him sitting at the table and feeling part of what was going on, and experimenting with different tastes and textures.

And then even after they are one, think about their nutrition over the course of a week rather than getting hung up on whether they'd eaten enough protein/carbs/veggies during that particular meal. I found it amazing how, as long as I was offering a good range of food, what he chose did add up to a pretty balanced diet over the course of a week, even if it didn't look like it meal to meal.

Go and have a look at Anna saccones blogs-sheis found baby led weaning with her youngest Eduardo

What everyone else said but be firm with grandparents who just want to shovel food in as quickly as possible.

I hate when you see mums out for lunch and they feed the baby in the pushchair quickly with a spoon and a purée and then leave the baby out whilst they eat. Then they wonder why their kids are funny about food!!!

my five peneth worth:

I did both - this way you model spoon holding behavour and eventually they grab it.

Get you LO good and hungry put the food in front of them and watch then go - soft fruits that are nice and ripe from M&S - i know they are expensive but it is worth it.

Oh YES YES YES eat with them meal times preferably at table pull the high chair up. Let them see the behviours (manners, actual eating, sitting still) you want them to have.

them

I second Andsmile about eating together, seeing you eat what they are eating encourages them because they learn by imitation.

I've done a mix, while most around me ( my nct group) seemed to do a lot of pureeing. My LO was a spoon refuser for a while, so I just relaxed and gave her a bit of everything. She only has two teeth but at 10 months has great motor skills and pincer grip because she enjoys playing with, picking up and smooshing all sorts of food. She eats meat fine, and at 6 months was sucking on pieces of steak from Daddy's plate (we were on holiday)

Try soft chicken from the thigh rather than breast to begin with, it's easier for them to tackle because it's less dry. It's lovely to see her make lots of slurp slurp noises when she enjoys the taste/texture of something!

She now eats three meals a day and an enormous amount at dinner time. I only mash stuff and spoon feed when she's tired or poorly, she seems to want it that way.

KnackeredMuchly Why Anchor Spreadable over butter? It's full of nasty vegetable oil! What's the benefit?

The BLW book is great but don't cook up loads of extravagant recipes at the start, most of it will end up on the floor so it makes much more sense to share what you're eating.

Only now, at about eleven months can I be fairly sure that if I cook something some (or on a good day, most) of it will actually get eaten.

Another vouch for the dog, and laminate floors! And Ikea highchair. £16 is a bargain and you'll find the majority of restaurants will have them too which means they are happy to sit in them as they are used to them! My DD LOVES her highchair!

Don't panic is my biggest tip. DP is the worlds biggest panicker when it comes to feeding whereas I'm really laid back. DD gets fed yoghurts at 8m when she's left with daddy, when she will tuck into basically anything with me/at nursery. Useless!!