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 !!

[splendide]

I don't really understand this thread. It started as a question and seems to have descended into a total attack on people that didn't use puree!

When are you allowed to give your baby finger food without it being "cruel" and "sad" then? Presumably it's OK for a 10 year old - where's the cut off ?

[Eminybob]

I know, I posted on this thread early on to give an opinion, advice and share my experience, to now be told it's sad that I decided to use blw for my child. Obviously I am fine with my child potentially choking to death because I'm too lazy to get the blender out. Annoyed now!

[Timetogrowup2016]

What's the issue
Use puree if u want
Use finger foods
Do both

Who cares as long as baby is fed ?
Feed your baby how you like

[splendide]

Exactly Time, exactly!

[Soyouare2faced]

I mean it's sad if that's the only reason I'm not pointing the finger

[SpeakNoWords]

If I told you why I think BLW is a good idea, and not cruel or sad, then I would be told off by anti-BLW posters and I cannot be bothered to get into that argument again. I'll be doing BLW for DS2 not just because I find it easier but because I think it will work best for my baby.

[Soyouare2faced]

Speak but that's what I'd rather be told, why you think it is a good idea that's all

[Timetogrowup2016]

They can choke on purees you know as well.
Blw doesn't equal choking ...

[DownWithThisSortaThing]

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

Oh ffs OP.
If you don't want to do BLW then don't. Simple as that. Many people still wean with purée, I actually don't know anyone in real life who did BLW. In fact I think most people do a combination of purée and finger food. There's no need to sneer at people who do BLW as far as I can see no one is insisting you do it aswell.

IRL I've never commented on how people I know have weaned their children, however I've had plenty of people comment on how I've weaned mine. Some members of my family were mortified that we didn't give him solids until 6 months, and that when we did it wasn't even mushed. I had endless comments of 'he needs solid food now, milk's not enough for him, you can't give him a piece of broccoli, he isn't eating enough, he's eating too much, he will choke if you give him that, how is he supposed to eat that without any teeth, shouldn't you just start with baby rice, he won't be able to swallow that' etc etc etc
If people who BLW are a bit defensive about it it's probably because like me they're beyond bored of having to justify and explain their decisions to people who think they know better and their way is the best.

I'm not saying my way is best, it's just what worked for me and what works for many other parents.
I'm sure your baby will be fine with purée, and mine was fine without it. There's nothing sad about the way I introduced food to him.

[DownWithThisSortaThing]

Speak but that's what I'd rather be told, why you think it is

You've been told, by many posters, why they thought it was a good idea and why they decided to do it. All you're doing is sneering at it - still - and repeating what you think is wrong with it.

You clearly have no interest in doing it - which is fine - accept other people have different opinions to yours and feed your baby however you like.

[SpeakNoWords]

I would suggest reading Gill Rapley's book, and see what you think of the ideas she puts forward. Bear in mind it's her opinion, and not necessarily based on extensive research.

For me, I liked the idea of babies being able to touch and explore food before eating it. I hoped it would be good for fine motor skills as a result. I liked the idea that babies could choose what to eat from what is provided, and that they could eat to their appetite (n.b. I am in no way saying that traditional weaning doesn't do this). Being able to eat with two hands whilst the baby eats is also handy, you're modelling how to eat for your baby at the same time (n.b. I'm not saying that this doesn't happen with traditional weaning). Anyway, that's some of the reasons that I'll be BLWing.

[ObscureThing]

Why is it sad if it's less hassle? There's no inherent benefit to purees and to me, they seem like an unnecessary stage if you are beginning weaning at about six months. Which point, in your opinion, is the optimum time to give your children finger food? Especially given that the NHS advice is to introduce finger food when beginning weaning.

[bakedappleflavour]

Ok so I'm weaning my son atm. We do a mixture of spoon feeding and letting him feed himself, depending on what he prefers that day. Sometimes he won't take a spoon and sometimes he loves it. So I guess I have experienced both.

I really, genuinely don't understand why anyone says blw is "easier". It's messy as fuck, for a start. For another thing, no baby doesn't "just eat the same as you" given I like actual salt and stock in my food. Yes ok many things I can add salt to after but things like meatballs and patties I can't.

Secondly, my baby goes to bed at 6 so unless I want dinner at 5 without my partner I can't share his meals. And even at lunchtime when I can I spend most of it watching him, picking up bits of food he's dropped etc. I prefer to wait til he's napping and have my lunch in peace!

I love watching him feed himself, don't get me wrong, but I don't understand all this stuff about it being less faff.

[bakedappleflavour]

I also don't understand people who say blw allows babies to only eat what they want. So does spoon feeding. If my baby doesn't want what's on the spoon, he doesn't eat it

[bakedappleflavour]

Yy time

[Notso]

I think you sound pretty clueless about weaning in general Soyouare2faced
If your baby is six months or over they should be having finger food regardless of your preferred weaning method.
There is no need for puréed food at this age, spoon fed food should be roughly mashed or chopped unless it's naturally smooth like yoghurt. Finger foods should be 'fat fingers' bigger than the babies fist.

It seems the majority say BLW is easier because it's less hassle. Sad really.
Not as sad as saying you don't want to try because mess.

[Notso]

WRT choking/gagging a baby eating finger food is not spending the whole time trying not to gag or choke. Gagging can happen however you wean and choking can happen at any age. It is not a reason to not give them the appropriate food for development.

[gunting]

Well I've tried to be helpful and explain blw because the OP asked... I think blw is awesome and it's made my diet healthier due to less salt consumption and more home cooked meals.

If you feed purees then there isn't anything wrong with that. I have my reasons for picking blw and you have your reasons for not. My son is happy, healthy, loves his food and eats a variety of different things - isn't that what we all what regardless of how we get there?! There is no reason to be so snide.

[Soyouare2faced]

Sorry I think my comment was taken out of context, which is easily done on here. My apologies to anyone I offended.

What about different tastes? So say purée can have flavours combined as the weaning progresses how do you work that into BLW?

Notso don't be ridiculous I am
Not clueless on weaning I'm asking about BLW as since the choking incident I haven't dared to try any other method.

[Soyouare2faced]

Also when I say purée I have moved onto more textured consistency

[UmbongoUnchainedInAPearTreeeee]

With tastes you just give them both things! A bit of broccoli and a bit of carrot. Come on.

Clearly just a bashing thread anyway.

[Highlove]

I've been following this thread. I BLW'd my first and it was great, for all the reasons set out above. Some minor gagging, nothing you wouldn't get with puree. She choked on one occasion at about ten months old, on some sweet potato skin. Scary stuff but by ten months she's have been having that sort of stuff anyway, regardless of whether is started with puree or not. And because I was doing BLW, I'd really looked into what to do in the event of choking so I knew what to do.

The only thing I didn't like about BLW was that you sometimes come across other BLW parents who ram it down your throat and seemed to think they were somehow superior parents because of it. Which is clearly not the case. However on this thread, I can only see non-BLWers being judgemental. 'Cruel' and 'sad'?!

OP, you asked a question, you got straightforward non-judgmental answers. Nobody said you have to do it or that puree makes you any less of a good parent. As with all things parenting, it's about deciding what works for you, your baby and your family. So feed your baby however the fuck you like but don't be obnoxious about other people's equally valid choices.

[Soyouare2faced]

Highlove I apologised that was not my intention.

Umbongo yes but surely then just eating both seperatly ? Would you wait till they can spoon feed them self and make something?

[splendide]

So are you saying that when you said it was cruel to give babies finger food that you were wrong?

And yes they are eating both separately. Some things are eaten in the same mouthful (if that's crucial - I don't know) such as when mine ate fishcakes or meatballs or falafel or anything else that's a mix. Or a curry sauce on chicken.

[hollinhurst84]

Well if they had say a stew then they're tasting things together? Or they're likely to still have maybe carrot in their mouth at the same time as broccoli?
Mixing things doesn't matter that much, I mean I don't eat say peach and pear together like in a purée, I would eat one or the other