Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Those of you who did / are doing baby led weaning...? Help!

11 replies

mummy2benji · 29/05/2013 09:07

I am struggling with weaning dd2 (7m 1w). She started off well with purees and tried lots of different things, but this has been tailing off and although she would happily eat a ton of fromage frais she isn't interested in all the fruits and veggies and homecooked meals that I have lovingly prepared for her. It is really hard to find the right time to offer her solid meals at, as between her milk feeds she is often tired and wanting a nap and therefore doesn't want to eat.

She likes to put foods in her mouth and chomp on them so I have been giving her banana, watermelon, rusks, strawberries and toast fingers. She has a good go at these so I am wondering about just doing BLW. But how / when do they actually start eating enough with BLW? She will annihilate a banana but most of it is spat out so she is really eating very little of it. I can't see how she will eat any significant amount if I just feed her this way. Also, dh works very long hours and ds1 has had feeding difficulties and has a very limited diet, so I am currently preparing 3 different meals as it is and I would have to separately steam veg etc for her dinner as dh and I eat late. How have you all done it?

Any advice much appreciated! It was a nightmare with ds1's feeding problems and he didn't even start weaning till 15 months, so I have been desperate for things to go more smoothly with dd2 Sad I know that appearing stressed will put them off so I have also tried my hardest to make mealtimes fun and relaxed and not pressure her to eat. But I am starting to get quite depressed about it all now. Thanks for reading.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Tommy · 29/05/2013 09:13

what I used to do with DS3 was give him his usual milk feeds and then sit him up at the table with the others (and me at lunchtime) and give him bits of what they were having. If DS3 was having a nap or whatever at the time, then so be it - he missed out on that mealtime.
I think me being more relaxed helped a lot.
I have one extremely fussy, bordering on the phobic eater, one ok eater and and DS3 is still my best eater - will try anything - he's 6 now.
Good luck - try to relax about it! Smile

worldgonecrazy · 29/05/2013 09:19

Why are you preparing three different meals? Can't you just prepare two, one for you, DH and our daughter (reheat when DH arrives home), and then whatever your son needs?

One of the things I loved about BLW is that we didn't have to do separate meals. DD just ate with us at the table whenever we were eating, with snacks in between, such as fruit or yoghurt.

Food is "just for fun, until they're one" so don't worry if she's still spitting a lot out. She should still be getting her nutrition from milk.

mummy2benji · 29/05/2013 09:19

Thanks very much. Smile I guess I am putting pressure on myself to have her eating 3 solid meals a day - unfortunately my friends with babies the same age have had them eating like that since 6mo. Hmm I should know from ds1's problems that he survived solely off milk until 15mo, and although he was a skinnymalinks he developed okay. I do definitely need to relax and just let her go at her own pace. Although I don't know whether to keep offering purees as well as sometimes she surprises me and eats it. And limit her fromage frais so she doesn't assume she can have that for every meal? I wish I could pay someone to teach my baby to eat and return her to me fully weaned and eating! Blush

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

QTPie · 29/05/2013 09:23

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

redbunnyfruitcake · 30/05/2013 09:58

With DD I just cooked up some veg for our dinner and gave her some of that with some chunks of cheese or whatever I had to hand. Try not to think of BLW in terms of adult eating. Babies will happily eat carrot dipped in yoghurt or cheese alongside banana. Just put the food out on the table and let you DD play with it. You will see what goes in by what come out in her nappy. Surprisingly more goes in than you think. Try not to stress as the second children sense tension with regards to food they seem to put up resistance. She will be getting plenty of nutrients from milk at this stage and will gradually take more of an interest in food as time goes by.
I'm so glad I did BLW as my DD is a happy little eater now and even begs me for raw veggies out of the fridge. I just wish I had been more relaxed about her sleeping habits but there you go we live and learn.

upsydaisy33 · 31/05/2013 09:40

I agree with other posters, focus on food as fun and play and sharing what you are doing, and in time - and I mean time, loads of it - it will all come together.

My dd is now 2.2 and we did blw. Mostly she tried things off my plate, or easy things that I could do her alongside, like a grilled mushroom, or some yoghurt, or bits of whatever was at hand in the fridge, mostly fruit. (I still remember the joy for her and us when she suddenly at about 9 months developed the ability to pick up a pea!)

Between 6 months and now she has gone through phases of eating loads, eating everything, eating nothing, and being really picky, and not being picky at all. Each of these phases has passed. They aren't phases that last a mealtime, they can last weeks (the worst one was three months between 9 and 12 months, when she wasn't particularly well either). I have tried to keep it relaxed and have a few rules for me.

I NEVER tell her that food is delicious or tasty - I always ask her what she thinks, or tell her that I like it (or I don't like it - like when she tried pickled onion with yoghurt last week). I figure I can't experience her tastes for her and she needs to know that I respect her opinion.

I repeat endlessly that she doesn't have to try it, and doesn't have to swallow or have more if she doesn't like it. She can spit it back out and put it on my or her plate.

She can try anything she likes off my plate (this can be a shame when you have your favourite cake nicked but....) which means she has also tried spicy and hot things.

Until recently I never mentioned mess, she could make as much of it as she liked with food (and sometimes that was all she did). Since about 18 months old I've intervened a little if she makes deliberate mess, but I still let her touch and feel and squeeze things, which I think is an important part of not being afraid of mouth texture and feel.

We have regular mealtimes (ish, we aren't very routine based, but certainly three a day, though it was more like 2 for her when she was little as she was often asleep during one) and she is always offered food. No food is banned either, we have chocolate and chips and so on as part of our diet - just in moderation like everything else.

Over time I think this has really worked, but there have been weeks where I have despaired. Generally now she eats well and a very varied diet, and above all, is willing to give things a try. We don't have any 'child' food in the house - adult yoghurt, biscuits, meals, etc.

Do stick with it and keep it relaxed, food is such an emotional minefield for all of us these days I think it's worth trying to give it a go at keeping it stress free. I've been motivated to do this because I have my own food issues which I'm convinced started with my parents having very rigid rules around a lot of food. Good luck!

mummy2benji · 31/05/2013 21:02

Thanks guys, all helpful advice!

OP posts:
henrysmama2012 · 01/06/2013 09:54

Blimey you sound like you are doing great! Our LO has what I think might be a sensitive gag reflex as we literally couldnt get him to eat anything more than purees and milk (and sometimes bits of biscuit) until about 4 weeks ago! (he is now 14 months). Now he is trying everything and happily experimenting and the food is staying down fine. Apparently I was exactly the same when I was a baby so it must be natural for him...

...he is super happy, big and strong, hitting many targets early so I think it is fine for your baby to find their own rhythm. Dont worry what other mummies or babies are doing - every baby is different.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 01/06/2013 10:18

Agree with all the other posters, eat with your DC and DH can have his warmed up, otherwise it seems much to much like hard work.

Agree too, milk should be her main source of nutrition until she's one. Just keep on with the milk. if you are bfing offer as normal, if you are ff it's a minimum of 20 floz of first stage formula a day until she's one.

Thought you might like How Do We Start with Solids and ifvdc1 is a pain have you read my child won't eat by Carlos Gonzalez?

thegirliesmam · 01/06/2013 11:38

the thing to remember is at your dc's age they are still getting alot of milk. little and often wont make them go hungry. mine were fed at 4/5 hour intervals at that stage. about an hour/half hour before i offered puree with a scoop of milk in, then a bottle as the 'drink' after with water every so often. i never really had any problems im afraid, so dont know if that simple response is of any use. but letting them eat with their hands always seemed like a sensible thing to do, then i discovered it was called blw lol. however this was after a few tries with a spoon. maybe start with that ensuring they are being fed and used to the tastes, then let them crack on. but dont panic aslong as bottles are still well recieved :)

Lion5711 · 02/06/2013 23:34

I did it with my now 23 month old and it worked well I think you can worry too much about the quantities so maybe try and relax and trust they will get the majority from milk for now anyway. I just put whatever we were having on a plate, veggies were good and noodles:spaghetti were fun! My older relatives were in absolute horror with me not blending it all but he really did well with it and now eats such a variety( I know this may change!) good luck!

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread