Month into BLW and having doubts ...

[sheeplikessleep]

How long was it until your LOs actually started eating a range of different foods?

DS2 is fine with pears, kiwis, brocolli, toast, sweet potato, salmon, bread sticks, courgettes, butternut squash, white fish, roast chicken, yoghurts. Also, he eats sandwich fingers fine.

Some food he just bites chunks off and then spits out ... carrots, parsnips, green beans, steamed apple, roasted pepper. Doesn't feel like much is 'getting down' here.

Other foods he really struggles with - meats in particular, also mashed potato, pasta bolognese, shepherds pie. These 'softer' foods he seems to ignore pretty much. Is this normal at this stage? Feels a bit like we're not progressing beyond finger foods onto 'proper' meals, if that makes sense?

I know foods are for fun until they are 1, but thought we'd be a bit further along here. Are my expectations too high?

A month in, so presumably he's around 7 months old?

This seems like a really good range of food that he's already managing for his age! Meats are really difficult I think because they are so fibrous. Just keep offering he'll get it sooner or later. Honestly though it sounds like he's doing great.

I think the range of stuff he's eating is pretty good considering he is only about 7 months !

I only did true BLW with my third, but iirc he hated mushy foods for ages and still, at almost 2, has issues with things like mashed potato. I just kept sticking things in front of him, and he got the hang of it all eventually; he was certainly joining in with family meals by the time he was around 10 months old.

I also do remember having several crises of confidence, especially seeing what his peers were eating, but I just kept reminding myself they weren't eating as such, rather they were being fed.

Yeah he's just turned 7 months old.
Do you think he is doing OK? Meats are tough. I need to do more casserole / slow cooked meats I think. See how he manages with those.
I guess I bought into the whole 'eat the same thing as family', but aside from salmon and roasts, I can't give him what we are having, as he can't eat it (i.e. spaghetti bolognese, stir fries, grilled chicken, risottos, sausages - too salty more than not being able to eat).

I know some is getting down as his poos have changed. I'm not the most patient mummy Just want to be sure he is getting the nutrients he needs. He is BFing loads still, as he should be. Just having bit of a wobbly day.

Thanks for posting, very reassuring.
TBH not sure what alternative there is as he doesn't allow me to spoon feed him anyway .

oh, and I should add that at almost 2 there are still some foods, namely anything green , that he bites a bit off and then spits out, usually followed by a resounding "bleargh"

After two DC who hoover up most things without a fuss (one spoon fed and one a mix of finger foods and spoon feeding), it has come as a bit of a revelation and has changed my once held perception that kids who won't/don't eat veg are just pandered to by their parents!!

Also, when does it start being less messy? Blimey i sound like a right whingy mummy today!

Never

My DS1 is 8 and I still need to sweep under his chair on meal-ly basis!

could just be boys though

Try and stick with it because it is so worth it.

We did it with DD who is 12 months and she will now eat absolutly anything!

Thanks all for posting. We will stick with it. I've just been talking with DH, who says DS2 is eating food and it will come with time and that he's a healthy weight. Just having a wobbly day about it.

It sounds like he's doing really well for his age, remember it's about learning skills, tastes, textures etc rather than what actually "goes down". Meat is good to suck on, quite a bit of nutrition is absorbed in this way. I'd do spag Bol with fusili and the sauce and meat will stick between the swirls of pasta better. Stick with it, I know how it feels to be a bit impatient as at 9months DS1 still didn't eat much but he is such a good eater now, and tries new foods with gusto!

sheep exactly the same here - 7 months and not so much going down, fairly messy and no spoon feeding allowed! I was thinking about it today - dd has no teeth yet and is doing really well 'biting' and chewing and has even developed the beginnings of a pincer grip early. I love watching her explore what I'm giving her because she seems to treat it as a science lesson - whats squishy, what drops with a nice noise.. I'm hoping one day she'll just 'get it' and understand that it fills her up like milk. FYI I think she is drinking more milk now than ever (bf) when some if her peers are dropping feeds..
Her weight is stable though on her curve.
I have given her sausage - I figured the amount she would eat would go nowhere near the daily max for salt.

Yep feel the same, ds is 7 months and having a bit of a wobble about blw ( waves to Siamese)
He's eaten basically three mouthfuls of yogurt and two mini rice cakes all day, rest has gone on floor (pasta, cauliflour, mango, bread) won't take water either which is really worrying me as his poo is really quite solid ( thick paste, sorry if tmi!!)
I am trying to be patient but agree it's so hard when his peers are on 3 meals a day and reducing milk feeds.

So sorry not much, correction nothing, in way of advice just wanted to show solidarity!

siamese - your post made me giggle with the realisation that thinking about it, ds2 wouldn't have eaten much, if any of the sausage. i should have given him a bit of sausage really. me worrying about salt when he doesn't eat much

angfirsttimer - ds2 poos today have been really hard too and he won't take water. i guess some food must be getting down or his poos wouldn't have changed.

oh well, i'm sure they'll all get there in the end. it is reassuring to hear others further down the line being so positive about BLW, thanks.

Ds loves sausage, one of few things he has eaten, I avoid salt related guilt by buying farmers Market rare breed sausages! Not sure if less salt but as they don't come with nutritional info I figure what I don't know won't hurt him!! He gums a small bit for ages!!

Totally agree with all those who say that it sounds like your DS is enjoying a great range of foods.

If it's at all reassuring, my DD didn't cope well with minced meat dishes at all until quite recently (she's 8.5 months now)... We tried meatballs and spaghetti bolognese fairly early on and while she tried enthusiastically to eat the mince she seemed to find it hard to move it round her mouth to gum and prepare to swallow. Thinking about it, it would have gone in in nice 'solid' chunks but then sort of crumbled apart in her mouth and she just wasn't skilled enough yet to deal with it. She coped well with chicken which has a much firmer texture of course.

Apart from parsnips (which she loves, roasted), the foods you mention your DS not enjoying aren't popular here either so you aren't alone. Odd isn't it? Perhaps it's just those foods - acquired tastes perhaps?

Do perservere, it's very rewarding now and DD will try anything...

Even now we have meals which we get to the end of and I wonder if anything went in! But we just put it behind us and crack on with the next one

He eats more variety than my Ds and he is 18 months!

Oh, and I meant to add that I usually pop a bit of cheese onto mashed potato (melted, nice cheesy potato topping for shepherd's pie/ fish pie etc.) and she's definitely happier about eating it then.

HTH