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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

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Original poster

BLW convert and the puree debate

19 replies

SharkSkinThing · 09/02/2011 19:13

Hi everyone - hoping for some advice. Sorry it's a but long but hopefully someone has had a similar situation.

Have read Gill Ripley's book but am still a bit unclear on this issue.

DS is just over 6 months old. EBF. For the last two weeks he has been on 3 meals a day, all spoon fed, porridge and fruit puree for breakfast, then 2 jars of Hipp split between lunch and tea, one savoury, one sweet. He'll also have 5 - 6 BF's over 24 hours (4 in the day, 2 at night).

Spoke to a fab NCT breast feeding woman yesterday who suggested we try BWL, seeing as DS was feeding so well.

So we started today - and DS took to it like a natural, really loved shoving stuff in. I then just BF on demand and I would say he actually fed longer and better today.I'm a real convert!

My question is - should I still be spooning in some puree on the side as he's got used to this? I know he doesn't 'need' the calories, he'll get them from my milk, but is he used to them?

I'm asking because he's suddenly started sleeping much better at night - is it because he's full of puree? Should I spoon feed some puree for a day or two and wean him off, or just cut it out completely?

Help! And thank you!

OP posts:

BertieBotts · 09/02/2011 19:23

I don't think it matters either way - if you want to, you can do. If you don't want to, I'm sure he'll catch up to his previous intake level, especially as you said he has taken to it so well already.

Original poster

SharkSkinThing · 09/02/2011 19:37

Thanks, Bertie - my confusion comes from the fact that the book says babies aren't capable of swallowing the food yet (though he's managed the purees, I guess as they're so smooth), but he'll work it out, right?

OP posts:

babybouncer · 09/02/2011 19:43

Lots of parents mix purees and finger foods, lots of BLWers 'cheat' a little with spoonfeeding a bit of yoghurt or porridge or soup, lots of BLWers wean without any purees or spoonfeeding. So I'm afraid there isn't a right answer to this as such.

Personally (and I speak as a 'cheating' BLWer), I found some of the assertions in Gill Ripley's book a bit inflexible and they didn't sit right with my experiences of feeding my son. What one child is capable of doing at a particular age is different to what another child is capable of at the same age. I think you just need to go with your gut and do what seems right for you and have confidence that you can change it if it doesn't work for you.

Hope that helps

Original poster

SharkSkinThing · 09/02/2011 19:50

It does help, babybouncer, thank you.

I'll think I'll do a bit of both, especially as he loves his readybrek so much, he can have that and help himself to fruit on the side. Lunch and tea we can mix and match.

Thanks again.

OP posts:

PlasticLentilWeaver · 09/02/2011 19:55

I'm doing both. BLW purists would say it isn't BLW, but as 9mo DS is now at nursery part time, I wanted to know I could give them things they could confidently get into him. So he has mashed stuff, finger foods, fruit purees, chunks of fruit, whatever, so he gets used to all sorts.

At 6mo he would not accept purees at all, would only take things he could self feed, and judging by the nappies, he was definitely swallowing some of it.

mousesma · 09/02/2011 20:05

What you describe isn't BLW because in BLW the baby alone decides what to eat and how much (sorry, not a purist though honest!). If you are spoon feeding you are taking control away from the baby.

However from 6 months old I have fed DD exactly as you describe and give her a mix of purees and finger food at every meal. The puree fills her up and the finger food gets her used to chewing, different textures etc.

I like some of the ideas in the BLW book but it seems a bit daft that you can never help you baby to eat or praise them when they manage to eat someting new. Also I started weaning at 5 months and DD could definitely swallow purees from then.

MoonUnitAlpha · 09/02/2011 21:29

I started doing BLW at 5 months and ds was definitely swallowing then! I saw the evidence in his nappies

I now do a mix of spoonfeeding and finger foods rather than BLW - agree with mousema that you can't really "mix" BLW with anything else as it's an approach or philosophy rather than spoon vs. fingers.

hardlyworthit · 09/02/2011 21:33

I did a mixture of both. Finger foods but also yoghurt, porridge, fruit purée.

There's no need to be purist about it IMO

MoonUnitAlpha · 09/02/2011 21:37

A mixture of spoonfeeding and finger foods is just normal weaning though Why call it BLW?

Original poster

SharkSkinThing · 10/02/2011 09:19

Moon - totally agree - so makes more sense to do a bit of both. But such is the nature of modern parenting, these days..sigh

What I did like about the book was it gave me the confidence to just shove food under DS's nose and see how it he gets on. DP came home last night to witness DS happily chewing on a chicken strip, which seems to have weirdly pleased him, in a macho kind of way! And I've never liked the idea of a separate meal time for him, we always east brekkie and lunch together, and at his time time I'll have a snack with him.

DP wants to buy him the Stage 2 food, but I really don;t see the point, though I guess it won't do any harm to throw the odd bit in if I'm short of time. One can not lovingly steam broccoli florets every day, no? .

Plastic, Mouse - yep. My DS is most definitely swallowing food too. Why do these books sometimes insist otherwise?

Thanks everyone for your advice.

OP posts:

mousesma · 10/02/2011 09:32

Yep no harm in a couple of stage 2 jars or packets. I lovingly microwave frozen broccoli florets for my DD, much quicker :)

What I liked best about BLW is how it has changed my expectations about how much DD should be eating. Before I would always try to get her to eat all her dinner and we would sometimes have tears, now if she has days when she doesn't want to eat then she doesn't eat!

MoonUnitAlpha · 10/02/2011 10:16

Definitely, I got a lot from the BLW book even though I haven't completely followed the principles.

theborrower · 10/02/2011 11:13

The whole BLW thing has confused me, I admit, because I thought "Well, isn't it just finger foods and self-feeding with a fancy name?". I give DD mashed foods on a spoon (she feeds herself, we just keep swapping spoon as I load them up until she doesn't want any more or loses interest) and a mixture of finger foods (toast and cream cheese for breakfast this morning - what a mess ) I'm just feeding her the way that feels natural and right to me (besides, see if I tried to spoon feed her she would be having NONE of it :) And she's definitely swallowing, whether mashed or finger foods - yeugh

Have had a quick look at the BLW website though, will have another look for ideas for good finger foods and recipes etc

Original poster

SharkSkinThing · 10/02/2011 12:45

Tell you what's really interesting - DS didn't east 'much' yesterday in the sense that I hadn't spoon fed him his usual amounts, and it made not a jot a difference to his sleeping/waking last night.

So that business about the HV telling me to 'stuff him full of food in the day to help him sleep and then you can drop a feed' was, as I had suspected, a load of balls. If anything he's bf'ing better because we're totally on demand rather than trying to slot it in inbetween the meals. And because he bf's on demand (which we always used to do before weaning),so like you, mouse, I've stopped worrying about conventional quantities.

Instincts rule, I'm just too tired sometimes to trust them!

OP posts:

jandmmum · 11/02/2011 01:43

I'm not a purist and think loaded spoons is still blw, but spoon feeding plus finger foods is just that it's not blw unless the baby chooses what to put in their mouth. You have to go with what you're happy with and what works for you and your baby. With DS I liked the idea of blw (and frankly was a bit lazy about purée ) but I did get worried about how much he was eating and never really progresses beyond sticks of veg for a few weeks before I took to shovelling food in. It was before the GR book and I didn't know what I was doing. His meals soon became limited to favourites I knew he'd eat and as at the time we were eating a lot of unsuitable meals (quorn, curries etc) he rarely had same as us and rarely had plain veg (only hidden in shepherd's pie etc). My anxieties about how much he ate were obviously picked up by him and he became a rubbish fussy eater. He is getting better as my attitude has relaxes but he is still reluctant to try mew things (he's 3). This time round I've read the book, I'm more relaxed and more accepting that DD won't be dropping milk feeds any time soon (was desperate with DS as had ebf as had cmpi and couldn't take normal formula). DD has taken to blw like a pro is definitely swallowing and has tried more things in the few weeks we've been doing it than DS ever did. A big difference is our diet has changed to be more variable and to include more veg that isn't hidden. Also DH is home early enough to eat with us more frequently, but even if he isn't the 3 of us eat together not just one child alone as was the case with DS.
I guess what I'm trying to say by sharing my experience is if you are going to stress about quantities eaten that really goes against the philosophy of blw and it's best to just do the traditional route with purées to lumpy foods to cut up pieces and give as much variety as possible. I would avoid using jars except for the odd time when you're out for convenience, since most jars taste very similar and it can be difficult to get babies off them onto home cooked food. Also most of the nutrients from the ingredients are lost in
the process that allows them to be kept on a shelf for months. Much better to blend your own dinner. If you don't eat together keep some of yours for the following day.
hth

jandmmum · 11/02/2011 01:46

ps sorry about typos damn s being next to the d!

Original poster

SharkSkinThing · 11/02/2011 08:25

Thanks jandmmum - it does!

I've side-stepped the jars really, and just spoon feed anything that's a bit messy - porridge and yogurt. As DS is a great bfeeder I'm not fussed about quantities, and what he is picking and gnawing on he's certainly swallowing! I just give him what I have at lunch and then do his tea for him along the same lines. We always all eat together.

I do use the odd stage 2 Ella's Kitchen things as I don't eat meat, so they're good for him as he'll get a bit of protein, though he's pretty happy with a strip of grilled chicken. I thought I'd get him on homemade fish pie at the weekend!

Weirdly, the whole food/weaning thing is the first thing I'm not at all stressed about!

Now, if he could just sleep a bit longer...

OP posts:

Woodlands · 11/02/2011 09:00

I was slightly the other way round from you as I had planned to do BLW but DS had other ideas - he got really cross if he couldn't pick something up or figure out what to do with it. So we started mashing the odd bit and also putting things in his hands, and 6 weeks in this has graduated to spoonfeeding and offering finger foods at each meal. He's getting way better at finger foods now. I wouldn't call any of what I do BLW though, as i read the book and was prepared to be all purist about it! You have to be pragmatic.

jandmmum · 11/02/2011 18:20

Sharkskin ditto I'm not stressed at all this time, although this has been helped by DD being so enthusiastic. And also ditto on the sleep :(

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