Looks like I'll be doing blw/finger foods despite my best attempts at pureeing! Ideas for first finger foods?

[legallyblond]

DD is now 24 weeks. From 20 weeks I tried her on baby rice mixed with my milk (she's ebf until now) and apple puree... I have the Rapley BLW book but didn't quite "trust" it [now slightly embarrassed!].

So anyway, after 4 weeks of trying to spoon feed her, still none of it is going down. She'll let me get the spoon in once, spit it all out and then just close her mouth and tuurn away. I haven't pushed at all as she's still so young - just made it into a game - but was starting to worry....

So today, I went to the weaning group with my local HV today to discuss. HV knows DD quite well and said that it seems like DD just doesn't like to be fed (she always refused a bottle of ebm and now I have just given up on that!). She said "[DD] is trying to tell you something".... She watched DD playing with toys and sitting on my knee and said her fine motor skills and sitting are good so suggested I ditch the baby rice and go straight to finger foods.

So.... despite prefering the idea of purees, DD and I had lunch together today and she (and I) had very soft sticks of sweet potato... AND SHE ATE IT!!!! Most got squished and pushed around her bumbo tray but she just kept putting it (or trying to put it) in her mouth!!!! This is the girl who clamps her mouth shut to all purees despite trying for 4 weeks!! She ate!!

Gosh.

For DD and her character at least, I am a convert!

I am going to try, very gently over the next couple weeks, sweet potato, very soft cooked carrot, cucumber (she already likes to suck on this) and avocado. Sound ok? What else works?

I guess this is true BLW as I really didn't fancy it and was all up for Annabel K!

I used to work for Baby Organix many moons ago. They do really good quality organic finger foods all designed by qualified nutritionists to be right for babies at specific ages... Might be worth giving them a try or looking at their range for inspiration if you want to make them yourself.

loving your dd knowing exactly what she wants . we're trying melon too, and I read that avocado can be slippery, but mashed avocado on toast fingers can work. have you seen this site?

Avocado's great- and so nutritious- keep the skin on, just slice it into wedges, that makes it much easier to grip and little gums are amazingly efficient at extracting the flesh! They have to be pretty ripe, though. Just try anything- I started DS off with pretty much what you describe but you get more and more adventurous as you gain in confidence and the little one gains in manual dexterity. There are loads of ideas in the GR book, too.

DS has been grabbing food for a couple of days, so far seems to like asparagus and tenderstem brocolli. Also he seems quite keen on sucking chunky pieces of ham or turkey, I get them and turkey and ham ends from the deli.

He tried some pitta today, so I'm going to put things on it.

steam broccoli spears, asparagus, banana, blueberries (squish them a bit with your finger), sliced peach, bits of kiwi, fine green beans, cauliflower.

Bagels work really well because they just get gloopy when chewed - they dont break into sharp crumbs / fragments.

Oh, and steamed baby corn- DS loved these! They seem to be easy to hold and pleasant of texture as well as of taste.

Roasted veg always seemed a better texture for us, especially carrots. Have fun!