BLW Help!

[Smijil6]

Hi, I am looking to start baby led weaning but just want a bit of advice.
I am looking for a guide for the following:
First foods to try?
How often do you try/give to baby throughout the day?
How much?
At what point do you move into things like pasta, chicken etc...?

Thanks x

I started when dd was six months old. She got a few picky bits on her tray at lunchtime, about an hour after her milk: a steamed brocoli floret, a yorkshire pud and a strip of chickenbreast. Also did a sippy cup of water. She just sucked and gummed at most of it but enjoyed it.

We did a week or so of bits like that at lunchtime, then added in a couple of fingers of toast after her morning bottle.

By about seven months I started doing loaded spoons of porridge or bolognaise - pre loaded and left alongside a bowl of whatever was on the spoon. Sometimes she would pick up the spoon and suck the food off, othertimes she would mush her hands in and lick them clean. Added this in at teatime (did it about 4.30/5) and swapped lunches to omelettes/quesedillas etc.

I did BLW with DD1 (she was a spoon refuser so i learned quickly!) but it was 4 years ago and I can't really remember how we started - need to think about it myself soon as DD2 will also be BLW'd, although she's only 7w old at the moment!

This website is fab for support though and there is a great chat forum on there too. There is also an open facebook group you can join here which is useful too.

Hope that helps and good luck! I really enjoyed weaning DD1 and hope it's the same 2nd time around.

From about 6 months, I offer food every time I'm having something to eat and offer whatever we are having. I cut things slightly differently and initially think a little bit more about what we are having, so more roast veg in strips as that is easy to grip, strips of chicken/beef/veg in casseroles rather than chunks etc, before moving swiftly on to having normal shaped food!

The BLW Cookbook is pretty good for inspiration and advice, as I find it difficult to think of lunches that aren't always sandwiches! I still use it for some recipes! (I LOVE the smoked mackerel pasta.)

Thanks, I'm just so nervous about giving her things like toast so early on. Guess its getting my head round it.
Going to try carrot and broccoli tomorrow.
Thanks guys.

Another BLW newb here. If baby is ebf, when and how am I offering water? Is this introduced gradually with meals just a few sips at a time? Sorry to hijack the thread!

For giving water, just offer a free flow sippy cup of water with each meal. Don't worry too much about whether or not any/much gets drunk. Eventually your baby will get the hang of it and drink water along with meals.

For drinks, I'd plan (as much as you are ever able to!) to offer a BF about an hour before a meal, so that they wouldn't be starving (and too hungry to think about food) but might want something to eat.

I've used a Doidy cup for the start and just offered it. As little babies, they were able to make their desires for more water known very quickly!

How long after milk do you offer food? X

I used to aim for an hour after, depending on naps.