For those who did BLW and trad weaning...

[Pootles2010]

How did it work? What did typical day look like? We've started blw with our ds, he's 6 months on Sunday. All going well, apart from he's still starving. He's waking every hour in the night for a breastfeed, which isn't ideal.
So I was thinking maybe we need to introduce purees, what should we give him? Preferably something to fill him up a bit.

Any advice would be great, thanks!

TBH sleep tends to deteriorate at the start of weaning whatever method yu choose. It'll get better on it's own, so if you're both enjoying BLW, stick with it.

AFAIK a slow increase in the amount eaten (as occurs with BLW) causes the least disturbance.

I do a mix of both. We started with purees till about 7 months. Then started introducing fingers of bread, pieces of banana instead of mashed, small biscuits, etc. He now has toast or cereal for breakfast (spoon or fingers depending on what he has), puree for lunch (he's in creche so they don't BLW), fruit in the afternoon (in pieces if he's at home, puree if he's at creche), and usually finger food like cheese on toast or something for tea. I don't think it's necessary to exclusively do BLW or purees. I think it's nice to use a mix. DS (10 months) is now learning/trying to use a spoon by himself...

Regarding what to try - DS always liked carrot, butternut squash, parsnip, courgette, sweet potato. I used to mix them with a bit of potato to pad them out a bit. As he's over 6 months you can also try him on a small amount of meat/fish (only 20g per day). Essentially, you can pretty much give him what you're eating but without the salt/too much spice, etc.

I recommend the mix of both method, esp if your son enjoys the food on the spoon like my DD did.

We both spoon fed her a bit (yoghurt, pureed carrot etc) and let her munch and chomp on finger foods too.

She is a brilliant eater now. Be guided by your son - if he likes nibbling things off a spoon that is more pureed as well as gnawing on some broccoli or chicken or biscuit or piece of apple, then why not?

Think it is good not to do just puree, but that doesn't mean that there isnt a place for a bit of smoother stuff too.

If he is 6 months you could just whizz up your spag bol, your stew etc. You could even puree a bit and also give him a non-pureed bowlful and he can do both. I'm sure we did this with DD.

I weaned DD at 5.5 months and gave purees for 2 weeks then moved on to mashed and after another couple of weeks she was getting a mixture of mashed/ chopped up foods and finger foods.
If your ds managing To eat finger foods, you could try spoon feeding him whatever you are having as well as offering him the finger foods.
Also, I don't think it's true that a full tummy makes them sleep better, it certainly hasn't been the case for us!

Generally at lunch time ds feeds himself with veg, bread etc. At tea time about 5.30pm he has a bowl of porridge and a banana - sometimes he'll let me spoon feed him but mostly I load the spoon and he does it himself! I think he is sleeping a little better in the earlier part of the night for it.

But - I think most sleep problems/night waking is a behavioural or developmental issue rather than hunger. So purees probably won't be the fix you're looking for.

Thanks for all advice. I'm sure its hunger waking him - when i go through to him, he's half asleep but crying, i put him on, he feeds for exactly 10 minutes, then comes off and is straight back to sleep. He was getting to be able to sleep through at 3 months, and has gotten progressively worse since.

I guess I also struggle to think of different things for his breakfast/lunch - i always just have toast for breakfast, then something like crackers or sandwich for lunch, which obviously isn't enough variety for him!

Thanks for all advice. I'm sure its hunger waking him - when i go through to him, he's half asleep but crying, i put him on, he feeds for exactly 10 minutes, then comes off and is straight back to sleep. He was getting to be able to sleep through at 3 months, and has gotten progressively worse since.

I guess I also struggle to think of different things for his breakfast/lunch - i always just have toast for breakfast, then something like crackers or sandwich for lunch, which obviously isn't enough variety for him!

If you're not veggie, I'd recommend roast lamb -- he can suck lots of nutrients out of it, and will almost certainly enjoy the flavour. If you provide hummus to dip it in, he'll enjoy that too!

I did purees with dd1(12) and dd2(10) as I'd never heard of BLW. dd3(5) was totally BLWed and loved it.

We started BLW with ds(3) but he got really frustrated with it as he couldn't get the food in fast enough! we ended up doing both, so he'd have pureed/squished up food with finger foods as well. I often used the finger foods to keep him occupied while I cooked the proper meal :)

We went for straight BLW.

DD likes mini shredded wheat (softened with milk), scotch pancakes, crumpets (cut into strips) as well as toast. Also porridge is good, DD eats it with her hands (same with yoghurt)

Lunch might be a sandwich (one slice of bread, cut into two triangles to make one sandwich, then cut into four) or a rice cake/breadsticks with hummus or cream cheese and some cucumber/tomatoes, or some pasta with broccoli and pesto.

For tea last night she had potato wedges (plain potato microwaved) with steak and tomato. Now she's got a decent pincer grip she can have stuff with peas and/or sweetcorn in. Roasted vegetables are good.

She's still on 6 bottles a day, and doesn't sleep through. I think it's a myth that weaning will make babies sleep through the night. Some (like yours) will wake up every hour, some (like mine) will do five hours and some will sleep through from birth. I wouldn't pin your hopes on puree to solve your sleep issues, that is something that time will sort.

Thanks for suggestions. He does love lamb - had a kofta kebab other night! Absolutely perfect, just right size/shape and texture.

We do a mixture of both and I try to ensure DD has a bowl of porridge for supper. Some may not agree but it definitely helps my wee one make it through the night.

Pootles2010 I had exactly this with my LO at 5.5 months old. I do a mix of puree and mashed foods. For breakfast I do half a weetabix soaked with mild and put in pureed fruit and a little cream (cream on advice of HV).

HV I saw at baby clinic that complex carbohydrates would help with the sleeping and it seems to be.

She is resisting finger foods at present, but loves to feed herself from a spoon - just be prepared for a mess!!! I've never seen anything like it - it gets everywhere