BLW ?!?

[Soyouare2faced]

Am I the only parent to wonder what this new age BLW is ?? (Ok maybe not THAT new)
Just seems like one messy choking hazard to me !!

I'm about to start BLW on Monday (on the dot of six months...I'm a rule follower lol)

I'm not sure why people are so scared about chocking with BLW as I thought you were meant to give them finger foods from six months anyway...plus I think most people are sensible and start with something easy and dissolvable (I'm going with overcooked veg)

I've also signed myself up for a baby first aid course next weekend just in case.

Well, come back when you've witnessed it strawberry. But you don't get to tell other parents how they should and shouldn't feel about situations, especially when you have zero experience of them.

And babies can learn their own appetite and you don't need to bother about portion control just as well using trad weaning. And they can learn to feed themselves too - DD firmly took the spoon from my hand when she turned one and has fed herself ever since.

I've done the first aid it's good to have, had DP not have rushed to her aid I would had dealt with it, I think I froze slightly.
I'm suprised that people don't consider choking as a risk with BLW, even without that they can choke on the smallest of things.

Ahh sorry rivertam I just read that back and it sounds terrible! (I've seen DS choke on calpol before and it was horrible) I just meant that people worrying about choking seems specific to BLW but it could happen anyway if you do traditional purees plus finger food (or a stray pebble or too much milk in one go etc.)

Agreed with the choking on anything, I just think it increases the chance of something been lodged. Steamed to a soggy mess or not, a piece of veg could easily go down in an attempt to chew it. Maybe I was an idiot to google the dangers , but it's a no go in this house

Yes, it could. But for me the only time it happened was with BLW. And given that, despite what a lot of people think and what the BLW book implies, BLW is not essential for children to grow into good eaters who can chew well, regulate their own appetites, feed themselves etc etc, it seemed sensible to stop, especially as I was struggling with it anyway.

Yeah DS never gagged or choked.

It isn't "slightly cruel" to give a baby solid food and let them (possibly) gag. Any solid food, including puree, could cause a baby to gag. Their gag reflex is much more sensitive and further forward than an adults, so it's not surprising that they may gag as they're learning how to use their tongue to manipulate food.

If you don't like the idea of BLW then quite simply don't do it. If you don't like the idea of giving any finger foods at all, then don't do so, until you're sure that your baby won't gag.

I did it. Best decision for us. Babies don't need purées if you wait to wean at circa 6 months.
No faff and I got to eat too! She ate what we ate but veg was steamed for longer. Within a fortnight she was on 3 meals a day and had 'adult' poo so it was all going in. Now 16months, she eats a great variety and is starting to manage cutlery well. She has cmpa and soy allergy so most packaged baby food is out.
No choking. 2 or 3 episodes of gagging at the beginning whilst she learned what to do.
Purées are for smaller babies who haven't got the sitting and mouth skills to learn to chew.
Do I care what other people do though? Nope not in the slightest.

I didn't do blw with either of mine- I thought it was a bit.....restrictive. I weaned at 6 months and just started to feed them normal food, some bigger pieces, some mushed up, some off loaded spoons, some I spoon fed. It doesn't have to be either blw or purees.

There is a study coming out at the end of this year which suggests that the choking risk with blw is less that spoon feeding in the long term.

I don't really get the choking risk problem with blw. There will always be a choking risk until they have a full set of teeth surely? unless you feed your baby purees for ages then they will have solid food and there will be a risk. You just have to mitigate it by feeding them suitable food, no whole grapes etc.

gunting do you have any more info about that study?

Speak I heard about it at a Gill Rapley talk about blw. I think this is mentioning the study www.upi.com/Health_News/2016/09/19/Baby-led-weaning-doesnt-raise-choking-risk-Study/2011474296693/

That's interesting. They are saying that the food you introduce for doing BLW has to be soft enough to squish. Well, that's not what I've seen advocated by plenty of BLWers on MN, people are always saying give them raw veg and chewy meat.

But also interestingly, it says that there are no proven benefits to doing BLW, which is certainly not how Gill Rapley has it in her wretched book.

The only raw veg I'd give would be cucumber and not to a 6 month old just starting. Everything I gave was squishy to begin with. Never gave meat as we're vegetarian, so no idea if that's reasonable or not.

I would expect it would take a longer term study to show if there are any advantages. I wonder if anyone is doing any.

If BLW doesn't appeal then don't do it. I hear that Annabel Karmel does some excellent books on traditional weaning.

Generally people say give them what you're having. So that wouldn't normally include raw veg. I do worry people might take that literally and give too much salt (if that's what they're eating).

It was 6 years ago for me, Speak, no need to recommend me snidely anything, thanks.

Ah well, it might be helpful to anyone else about to start weaning. Always good to have some alternative options. I'll be weaning again in about 10 weeks time so I've got to refresh my memory about it all. I'll be doing BLW unless circumstances meaan

... it's not possible.

BLW was just so much easier. He ate what we ate from the word go, we all are together... No gagging and certainly no choking. I cannot be arsed to make special baby food and purée it.

Each to their own I guess

Other methods do not necessarily mean special baby food, jars of food, pureeing everything, families not eating together. I didn't do blw and dc ate normal family food, just sometimes mushed with a fork or spoon fed if it was tricky such as soup.

It's seems the majority say BLW is easier because it's less hassle. Sad really

Less hassle... Would rather spend less time in the kitchen and actually spending the time with my son 🤔

Why is that sad?

It's not easier than, say, pre made pouches or jars, it is easier however than cooking a separate meal of purée just for the baby. It means everyone can eat the same, as a family, and it endorsed by the NHS.

What's sad about that?