Blw or purées?

[helloitsme4432]

Hey! What are the advantages of BLW and is it better for my baby than starting with purées then progressing to lumpier foods?
I know you can do both at the same time also, but is one better than the other?
Thank you

I would always start off with BLW as I am quite partial to the theory that their external development in terms of how much they can actually manage to get down and swallow is likely mirrored by their internal development and how much of the gut wall is closed. Do bear in mind this is just a theory and I might be totally wrong in believing it.

Once they are consistently managing to take in an amount of food then I would/did add in offering spoons of mashed foods or sloppier things like yoghurt, porridge, etc. DS2 massively more into this than DS1.

I did not worry or stress over food. I let them go at their own pace which was fairly slowly. With DS2 we were in Germany and here they give you this little chart about which meals and food groups to introduce when, which I mostly ignored (I offered everything except excess salt/sugar, honey and choking hazards, from the start) but what I found quite helpful was the idea they recommend to add one mealtime a month, so just start with one mealtime at first, a month later add a second, a month later add either a small third or 1-2 snacks, then for the final stage you wait 2-3 months, responding to a reduced demand for milk, so that only 5/6 months after starting weaning you add the final mealtime or the snacks in. So they are only on three meals a day by about 9-12 months, rather than the UK approach where they want you to wait until 6 months exactly, but then try and get them onto three meals a day by three weeks in! I always found that a bit too much.

My baby prefers to be fed, we started off with purses but now she’s eating most foods just a little mashed with a fork. Some things she’ll eat by herself like baby snacks, sweet potato wedges but she mainly plays with it, the actual eating she prefers if I feed her. I think she’s just a bit lazy haha

It really doesn't matter. Around the age of 1 they all turn into super fussy toddlers who will only eat 4 foods (even turning their noses up at stuff they used to like before)

This this this. Thank you @Twizbe for so accurately describing my life!

*purees

There's actually zero evidence to show that any method is superior over the other. Contrary to popular belief BLW does not produce children who are less fussy/picky.

Do a bit of both, OP. You might find that your child makes the decision for you!

Choking risks are lower after the first few hairy months - as babies get used to testing their gag reflex.

Also true with purees/spoon feeding. You're supposed to gradually increase the lumpiness/texture of it, not just offer mush all the time. My baby is 'puree' fed, and ive done this. He's gagged a couple of times on lumpiness. Its a tad ridiculous to say that babies only get used to texture and get to use the gag reflex when doing BLW.

Ive no idea why people push BLW so much, when in reality ALL weaning is baby led with some clearly showing a preference for spoon feeding and some solids.

I've come across lots of mums who get very evengelical about BLW. Nearly all of them had wanted a midwife led water birth and/or to breastfeed and that didn't happen for whatever reason.

It's like they feel they have to 'make up' for not being able to do those things.

I got so much judgement for how I weaned my eldest (started at 4 months and used pouches) even though we were weaning under dietician supervision.

I read up on choking hazards and then gave my daughter anything that would be safe. I intended to do BLW but then sometimes we were eating soup or similarly sloppy food so I spooned it into her mouth. So I broke a lot of their "rules".

I basically just gave her whatever I was having, minus cooking hazards. So I don't think that really counts as proper BLW.

Now my DD eats really well and is healthy. I can't really say whether that's because of how we weaned her or if it was just how she was always going to turn out.

*minus the choking hazards

Spoon refuser so did BLW - apart from the mess, it was easy peasy and I've not had a cold dinner or cup of tea since weaning. DD learnt how to use her spoon and fork early too so that helped to reduce the mess (and impress people!)

I think some of the promised benefits are bollocks though - she ate everything till about 16 months and now only eats about 6 foods which are mostly a theme on bread and chips.

@disappointedkoala we had exactly the same ex2re the fussy eating with dd1. Blw definitely didn't guard against fussiness in our case!

I started purée weaning a couple of weeks ago, but as some have mentioned BLW is constantly raved about and I wondered if I was doing the wrong thing or the 'old fashioned' way. He's had a couple of finger foods and really not been interested, but can wolf down a whole ellas pouch and yoghurt! I tried making fresh purées but the faff wasnt worth it when the ellas ones are perfectly healthy and organic

Considering food before 1 is NOT just for fun and babies actually enquire the extra nutrients, I will never understand a totally BLW approach. Most of it ends up on the floor.

I do a mix. I usually feed/help baby feed themselves some sort of home cooked purée/and give him other things to grasp and eat himself. An example is today’s lunch - I fed him a lentil bolognese (where he grabbed the spoon from me and fed himself a bit) and made some potato and courgette fritters for him to feed himself!

I've come across lots of mums who get very evengelical about BLW. Nearly all of them had wanted a midwife led water birth and/or to breastfeed and that didn't happen for whatever reason.

It's like they feel they have to 'make up' for not being able to do those things.

Oh god, this is me! I did BLW and felt it was really important to follow it strictly and never spoon-feed. Looking back I wish I’d been a bit more laid-back about it all, especially since DS took blooming ages to get the hang of actually eating anything. It was definitely an attempt at control/making up for what I perceived as having failed disastrously at the giving birth part.

Anyway, now he’s 5 and thinks I’m murdering him when I serve anything more adventurous than fish fingers or plain pasta...

Lots of good advice here. I’d agree, do what you feel comfortable with and see how your baby gets on with solids.

I was terrified of BLW and just did not want to go down that route. We managed one month on purées then my DD decided she absolutely did not want to be spoon fed!! So we ended up doing BLW and honestly DD has absolutely thrived.

I BLW, but she has fruit purées sometimes as she likes sucking them out of the pouch and fruit is fruit so I let her enjoy it that way! She loves feeding herself and I liked that we were able to go straight in with regular food rather than progress to lumpier food. BLW is convenient as they can have whatever you have and although we don't usually eat until 7ish, I just save baby a portion to give the next day when she has her dinner at around 5, we breakfast and lunch together though when I'm not at work, so no extra cooking either way!

@doireallyneedaname

Considering food before 1 is NOT just for fun and babies actually enquire the extra nutrients, I will never understand a totally BLW approach. Most of it ends up on the floor.

I do a mix. I usually feed/help baby feed themselves some sort of home cooked purée/and give him other things to grasp and eat himself. An example is today’s lunch - I fed him a lentil bolognese (where he grabbed the spoon from me and fed himself a bit) and made some potato and courgette fritters for him to feed himself!

I don’t understand why potages, porridges and thick wet foods aren’t given with blw. I gave DS various forms of these (not purees or mashed but soft) and he used to manage them with minimal mess as he’d just stick his hand in and lick it off. Finger foods were on the side.

Both. There is nothing wrong with spoon feeding and purées, BLW and solids. All are good. There is no adult out there unable to eat due to being spoon fed. Do what you like when you like (as long as baby is of an age where they can eat food of course)

Can i ask everyone, how quickly did you move to 2 meals and then 3, and how did you know when to do it?
Youve all been very helpful so thank you for every single reply

@helloitsme4432

Can i ask everyone, how quickly did you move to 2 meals and then 3, and how did you know when to do it? Youve all been very helpful so thank you for every single reply

DS moved from 1 meal to 2 in a week and then from 2 to 3 a week later. It was really fast because like me he loves to eat. As he started cruising at 7-8 months he also went on two snacks as we were concerned about his weight.

I did BLW but for me that really involved giving finger foods and what we were having but also putting bits of it in his mouth for him. Otherwise very little would have actually gone in! We never did purees on purpose but he does love soup.

Same really - my son REALLY likes his solids and went to 3 meals a day in a month or so

We started weaning at 5 months and she was on 3 meals a day by 6 months, but eating very small amounts. It was just about getting into a routine and we always ate together so she had bits of what we ate along with mashed veg.

I found that at 9 months something just clicked and she started eating really well. That's when she started dropping bottles.

As far as I remember DD went to 3 meals a day almost right away, like within a week or two.

I think I have a bf supply problem as she's shot from 30th percentile for weight to 84th between her 6 and 9 month checkups... poor hungry baby 😳

I’d do a mix of both. It’s what NHS guidelines suggests anyway.

With DS1 I did BLW, and yes, some people get very fanatical about it all, never ever placing food in their babies mouth etc, all becomes a bit of an Instagram completion without pretty bamboo plates 🙄 It was fine, but the mess drove me crackers. Between 12-18 months, DS1 became the fussiest eater EVER and this lasted until he started to slowly try new foods at 2.5 yrs, so BLW doesn’t automatically avoid fussy eating.

With DS2, I think I’ll take a more laid back approach and just feed him. I do think it’s important to try an encourage finger foods early though and not get stuck on smooth purées for too long, move on to lumps and chopped sooner rather than later.