BLW at 5 months?

[LaMadrilena]

DD's GP has given her the ok to move on to solids in the next week or so when she'll be 5 months old, as I have to go back to work in a couple of weeks and she refuses a bottle (that's a different thread!).

I'd like to do BLW, but I'm not sure if 5 months is too early. Complications:

We're in Spain where all the official advice is geared towards traditional weaning - purées etc.

Most daytime feeding will be up to DH, who thinks that anything he's never heard of (ie everything, because he hasn't bothered getting informed) is just some random idea I've found on the internet.

Has anyone done BLW with a baby younger than 6m? Any tips or warnings?

Thanks!

Thats far too young to be doing BLW tbh. Its fine that you've been advised to wean at that age but id go down the traditional route.

Babies tend to tell us how they want to be weaned. Some take to BLW, some wont have it and want to be spoon fed. In normal circumstances id advocate a flexible approach to understand what your baby wants. However, in these circumstances id stick to purees for safety. Your husband is another issue entirely - he needs to educate himself a little more if hes going to be in charge of it.

I'd wait until 6 months to start baby led weaning.

That's what I thought, tbh. She does watch we eat like a hawk, so I imagine she'd give it a go, but she's just so... small! I'll get on with mashing the avocados then!

Thanks for your replies.

I’d worry less about age, and more about the “readiness signs”

Can she sit unaided? Can she pick up small things and get them to her mouth? Has she lost the tongue thrust reflex?

BLW is for 6months plus. Babies aren’t physiologically developed for it earlier than that. Your baby also needs to be able to support themselves in sitting, and have the coordination to move their hand to their mouth.

I would start the traditional way with purées. You can introduce BLW as soon as your baby is ready for it. It doesn’t need to be all or nothing - a mix is absolutely fine and still gives you the benefit of BLW.

Babies watch everything adults do - watching you eat isnt a sign of readiness for BLW.

Get mashing those avocados!

She can pretty much sit unaided, but not 100% reliably. Her hand/mouth coordination is very good. Not sure about the tongue reflex - she certainly pushes the bottle teat out...

We're going to hold out another week anyway and try a sippy cup with milk as a last resort. Wish I had more maternity leave to carry on EBF, but it's only 5 months-ish here

I would see if you can get hold of Gill Rapley's book. I confess I've not read it myself but I have heard her speak at conferences a couple of times and presume the book covers the theories that she talked about in her lectures.
Interestingly, the cohort of babies that she originally researched started at 4 months (the weaning guidance was 4-6months then) but she identified that none of them was able to self feed significantly before 6 months. The move to wean at 6 months because of gut maturity was gaining widespread acceptance at around the same time so she postulated that the motor skills required for self feeding develop at about the same time as the gut matures sufficiently to manage solid food, which is where tge 6 month guidance came from. Basically before then you are probably wasting your time as baby will just not have the necessary motor development to self feed.
One thing I would say, is that another of the key things about BLW is that it depends on milk feeds on demand continuing. The theory is that the solids are supplementary to, not a replacement for, milk - at least initially. It can take quite a long time for babies to really start to take in significant amounts of solids this way so to ensure sufficient nutrition they need to maaintain milk feeds. If you are unsure about your baby's milk intake when you're back at work, it might not be the ideal choice for your family. Not that I'm saying don't do it (I was a big BLW fan for my kids) but don't see it as a replacement for milk at this stage.
People seem to have started just using the term BLW as synonymous with giving finger foods, but there is more to it than that. (And finger foods are part of traditional weaning anyway.) If you haven't done so already, I'd recommend you read up on the background, theories and get your husband to do so as well. You both need to be in agreement about the approach if he is doing a significant amount of the feeding.

@MrsAvocet That's really useful, thanks, I'll look all that up.

Regarding continuing to BF on demand, that's my main problem - I'm not going to be able to. We've tried everything we can think of to convince DD to take a bottle (formula/expressed), but no luck. I can't WFH, at least initially, and it's too far to pop home during the day. Tbh, I'm terrified that we're not going to make any progress before my return, and she's going to starve

Fingers crossed that she accepts the sippy cup and we don't have to wean yet...

I feel for you. I had one who swapped easily between breast and bottle followed by two complete bottle refusniks. Nothing worked, no matter what we tried but fortunately nursery was literally next door to my workplace so I could dash over to feed at lunchtime at least. And I fed at night - a lot. It was pretty hideous at the time, but now my children are in their teens and 20s and it seems like a tiny amount of time that it was a problem. Not that I am trying to minimise your worry, I remember only too well that it was hugely stressful at the time, but to reassure you that these situations can be overcome, and you can do it. In years to come you will probably be reassuring another mum in the same position. You'll get there I'm sure.

Thank you, that's really kind.

Your GP is over stepping their role. Only a paediatrician or a paediatric dietitian should be suggesting this.

@Fallagain In Spain children have pediatrician GPs. I thought by saying pediatrician in my first post people might think DD was under specialist care for something as I'm not sure how the UK system works!

Babies are incapable of starving themselves, so she will take a bottle when you're not there, if she has to eventually! Try not to stress that too much.

BLW at 5 months sounds terrifying to be honest. My DD didn't get the hang of finger food (other than toast and very soft things) until quite a bit later. Give her some purée and then some mush, but I would try not to try too much too soon or all at once, just go gently and gradually. Good luck

I did a mixture at 5m (started with purees at 4m). She was confidently sitting independently at 4m though, and did a decent job of bringing food to her mouth and eating it.

Every child is different. I'd start with purees and see where your end up.

I weaned at 5 months on the advice of a paediatrician due to reflux. My DD wasn’t really able to do BLW at that age, I done mostly purées but did put a few finger foods on the tray for her. She used to just play with them but by 6.5 months she was much more able to do BLW.

I did purees and super, super soft veg like carrots for the same reasons. He got it so quick and now eats like a champ. Soon as he got to 6 months it was easier to give him other foods to try. I think just go with the professional advice but also use your motherly instinct

There's a FREE BLW summit on right now. You can access videos until the end of the month or just select the ones you want: www.blwsummit.com/summit-registration1

I'd personally follow official guidance on the NHS and the likes. I'm in Spain too and a friend I know who has been training in infant care forward me all her feeding slides- the information they were training on was at least 10 years out of date!!

I can see why you'd want to start earlier, but if you can try to wait til 6m, then I'd try to hold off.

Totally recommend the Gil Rapely book, by the way-a really easy read!

Thanks @Bluedabadeeba, I'll definitely have a look with a view to starting a bit later. I've downloaded Gill Rapely's book too. Yes, the Spanish health system is funny - it's pioneering in some areas eg transplants, and well behind the times in others.

This morning DD is suddenly sitting unaided, so that's one less worry for when we start solids!