23 wks DD starting blw do i need book?

[eyebrowqueen]

That is it really. Has anyone got any tips? Is it as easy though messy as they say it is? Is the book necessary? How did you find it in general?

I wouldn't bother with a book.

Just put some veg from your own plate onto hers and see what happens. It is great.

No book necessary. Mess depends on child.

Cook yourself any healthy food you fancy, and chuck some in front of your baby when you are eating. They may or may not eat any, but thats cool. They'll eat more in their own time.

It is very messy and thou have to be happy sitting at the table for a while, but sooooo much better than spoon feeding( as I did with dd). Ds gets very cross if we try to feed him but will eat loads by himself (10months). I did get a book, more for my own confidence and to explain to dh, but have already passed it on. Broccoli florets was our best to start with!

ok thank you for that- I thought as much.

what age did you start and did you use any puree at all ( baby rice etc)?

No puree at all, and we started at 26 weeks.

Started at 6 months. Tried some mashed food on a spoon, but he just winged, so just put food on his tray. He eats anything you put in front of him, with his fingers. Mince and rice are fun on the floor, but a lot does go in him!!!

I started dd BLW at 23 weeks - she started to grab my food from me and eat it so I figured she was ready.

Now she eats

sorry...pressed post by mistake.

Now she eats all sorts, a month later. I did read the book, it is worth reading, there's some really helpful info in there.

No book required, although the Gill Rapley book is quite handy. Get it out of the library though, you won't need a copy to hand.

We found that small stuff (rice, peas etc) was no good until about 8 months because DD didn't have the pincer grip needed to pick it up. Chunkier foods are better to begin with, or things like yoghurt which seems to be nice to stick fingers in and lick off!

We stick an old curtain or some newspaper under her highchair to make cleaning up easier. Other than finding random baked beans that have rolled off, it's been great. I childmind, and am spoonfeeding a mindee. Much more faff compared to BLW.

I found a shower curtain in the pound shop, that also goes in the washing machine. Chopped into 4 pieces and makes a great floor mat.

Some of the most successful early food was roast vegsticks, ie sweet potato, carrot, squash etc. Not too slippery and squidgy on the outside, but soft to chew on and suck. Sticks are a better shape to grip on than chunks as more sticks up out of their hand.

I liked using the book. Have a look in second hand shops, I bought mine fort £2.00

Avoid sugar and salt, Maximum salt per day is 1 gram, flannels are good for cleaning up baby. There will be mess!

oh and they to be able to sit up so if they gag they can spit it out, and they need to have lost their tongue thrusting