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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

Does anyone NOT do BLW these days?

21 replies

pacific407 · 30/08/2011 17:16

I am about 4 weeks into weaning my 5 and a half month old. He's taking purees and baby porridge really well, loving all the different flavours I'm introducing him to.
I have tried him with finger food but because he has two teeth he bit off a huge piece of avocado and then didn't know what to do with it. I had to prise it out of his mouth.
I've been reading all the weaning threads and they all seem to be about BLW. I'm just not sure whether we're (i.e. me and baby) are going to be able to get on board with it. I have no confidence because I am sh*t scared of him choking, and he seems to struggle because he doesn't know how to suck or "gum" (whatever that means).
Or is it maybe just a question of sticking to the purees for now and then starting with finger foods when he's a bit older?

Would hate to think I'm in any way hindering his development but at the same time don't want to force him to do something for the sake of following the latest "trend" (and I don't mean trend as in fad - I know some people swear by BLW, but I mean something that is relatively new advice which may change over time as all advice relating to babies tends to change)

Any thoughts?

OP posts:

cantmakecarrotcake · 30/08/2011 17:25

Don't fret. If purees are working for you stick with it and add finger food when your DC is ready. He's only 5.5 months, which is still young for solids, so in all likelihood he'll figure out finger food when he's 6 months+. Much of it is a development thing and requires manual dexterity and the ability to move food around in the mouth.

Of the 7 in my NCT group, I'm the only one doing BLW, and tbh, only because DD is a spoon refuser. So I'd say BLW is still the minority (although not on MN!).

At 6 months try a bit of toast/pittabread/english muffin which he can suck/chew/whatever. At the beginning it's frustratingly just about playing with the food. Actually eating it comes a few weeks down the line.

redbird79 · 30/08/2011 22:16

Hiya, we started with spoon-fed then added some finger foods gradually. DC1 is now 10 months and still has a mixture depending what mood he's in. Sometimes he likes to just sit there like a baby bird while we shovel in fruity porridge, other times he prefers to feed himself. I think sometimes teeth play a part- he got funny when they were coming through and we realised it was because they were causing him pain so switched to finger foods so he could go at his own pace, then he was back to normal a few days later. Try a mixture and see how they react- maybe the idea of BLW should be that we let baby choose their food delivery method rather than being strictly one way or the other!

MrsTerryPratchett · 31/08/2011 04:13

I do purees and some lumps. I am also wimpy about gagging (which I am informed is not choking). I try DD on baby biscuits, Cheerios, lumps of fruit and veg but she either gags or ignores. All in her own time, I think.

Someone on another thread suggested making chewing faces at her when she has a lump. It really works! It seems to let her know what to do.

madwomanintheattic · 31/08/2011 04:20

me.
the oldest two were born before blw became trendy, and dd2 was born with no suck or gag reflex. to attempt blw with that one really would have been daft.

i'm of a similar opinion to you in that i feel blw is time limited, and the wheel will turn full circle. (and then back again obv)

do whatever you and ds feel happy with. (am lol that he's 5.5mos though, and you're 4 weeks in. am waiting for you to be told he's too young for either. )

hazeyjane · 31/08/2011 05:02

I did blw with dd2 (fussiest eater in the world at 4!)

Ds has low muscle tone and developmental delays, so can't manage lumps and is still on mashed food at 14 months, so like Madwoman's dd it wasn't really an option.

Avacado is a bit of a tricky texture, and things like that and banana can be quite dificult for them at this age (IMO). I would try foods that dissolve a bit easier in the mouth also something harder like toast might be easier to gnaw on.

I think you have to do what suits you and your baby.

cantmakecarrotcake · 31/08/2011 10:03

Interestingly DD isn't interested at all in avocado or banana. Agree about the texture. They're almost impossible to pick up as they get quite slimey.

Oatibix bites very quickly soaked in a tiny bit of milk are DD's current favourite.

AngryGnome · 31/08/2011 12:27

We do a bit of both. I've found strawberries (cut in half) and baby weetabix soaked in a little bit of milk are really good to start with.

thesurgeonsmate · 31/08/2011 12:43

Bananas - the BLW trick for these is a little nature table lesson in plant structures. Don't cut them into slimy strips. Instead take a length of banana and examine the end of it. The banana is in three sections. Pull these apart. You now have non-slimy banana pieces. Can't remember if I read this on Mumsnet or not, certainly on a forum. My baby doesn't like bananas, so I don't marvel at it very often.

MedicalEd · 31/08/2011 13:19

Had no choice as DD won't hold food, play with it or anything.
Will happily wolf down mush on a spoon and lumps of fruit ect that I hold for her.

Original poster

pacific407 · 31/08/2011 14:35

Thanks for all the help - great idea re: the chewy faces!

I know it's silly to be concerned at this stage - I had visions of him being at school and his dinner ladies having to puree his food because I hadn't given him finger food!

OP posts:

raspberryhead · 31/08/2011 14:42

I've started weaning my little one at 5 months too (purees), she loves it!

The blw book says not to start until 6 months +
Also developmentally that would fit with being able to deal more with chewing and moving food to the back of the throat.
We will try blw eventually but quite happy with purees atm!

madwomanintheattic · 31/08/2011 15:54

hazey - quavers are your best friend i thought the slt was crazy but the bite-and-dissolve thing gave dd2 an easy 'in' to solids. lumps, nah. in the end she went straight from thick puree to pretty much solids, it was the different textures on the smae spoon that she couldn't cope with. like meded's though, her fine motor wasn't up to holding anything, so we were holding it for her... can't remember if we've been on a dev delay food thread?| probably. i did pretty much bawl daily about feeding until she was about 18mos though. have you got slt on board?

Original poster

pacific407 · 31/08/2011 16:16

Sorry, madwoman am a bit new to this...slt?

OP posts:

raspberryhead · 31/08/2011 16:21

Speech and language therapist?

Original poster

pacific407 · 31/08/2011 17:09

Oh I see. No, I don't. Should I?!

OP posts:

limetrees · 31/08/2011 17:13

Don't stress about it. I decided against BLW for both my kids - both were born a bit early, couldn't sit up at 6 months, neither had any teeth etc. Both took purees very happily and now they are 5 and 3, there are no developmental probs. Forget about worrying.

hazeyjane · 31/08/2011 20:04

I have seen you on developmental delay threads and generally around the SN boards, if I was a bit overfamiliar, your name always sticks in my head!

yes ds sees a SALT, who has assessed his feeding issues, which are mostly down to low muscle tone, but she also thought he may be aspirating. It made me laugh when she gave me the list of good bite and dissolve foods - Quavers, MonsterMunch, Pombears.......I knew there was a reason why I was addicted to crisps when i was pregnant with him!

That is interesting about different textures on the spoon, ds either likes nearly smooth purees (although he dribbles a lot of them out) or food that he can suck on, he hates food with chunks in (he actually shudders if you try and give them to him). The trouble with things like toast, banana etc is that it all gets stuck in his palate and then he gags/chokes/projectile vomits and gets upset.

I am very sorry to the op to hijack your thread.

madwomanintheattic · 31/08/2011 20:24

i do 'know' you, hazey, just didn't know where from lol - and didn't want to be re-spouting any sage advice i had already dispensed i suspect i repeat myself a lot! ds sounds v similar to dd2. it just takes time... mind you, she was about 4 when we realised she didn't have any lateral movement of the tongue at all. putting stuff into the side of the mouth instead of straight in can help (it's in the right place to be gummed/ chewed if ds is so inclined, without any of that troublesome positioning stuff to do...) i've probably told you that before too... she didn't ever chew, just squashed it on the roof of her mouth. still does i think, but now that she's stopped gagging and choking i'm less concerned!

pacific, apols, was distracted. no, no, you don't need a slt! and more apols for the hijack.

blw is fine. purees are fine. neither are compulsory.

oo, hazey, as an aside - (with another apol for the hijack lol) dd2 had to have 3 titanium caps fitted onto her back teeth last year. it's worth keeping a really close eye on teeth with kids who are having problems moving food around etc and also (obv later on) with teeth cleaning. i think as the movement of food is so difficult, more bits stick to teeth and around the mouth generally which then only get brushed away if you are really thorough. we thought we were doing an ok job, twice a day etc, but it's always been difficult to do teeth because of heightened gag reflex etc - so something to be aware of anyway. dd2 calls them her princess teeth as they are v sparkly lol (you can't see them as they are at the back) but one more thing to think about!

hazeyjane · 31/08/2011 20:45

I think we have discussed best pushchairs for 'slump factor' and drool, amongst many exciting topics! Yes ds has no lateral tongue movements and doesn't move his jaw much. We do oral physio with chewy tubes, which usually involves me trying to prod the chewy tube into ds's mouth whilst he looks at me with horror, then goes back to chew whatever toy he was happily chewing previously.

Good tip about the side of the mouth for food, and the teeth cleaning - thankyou.

madwomanintheattic · 31/08/2011 21:10

facial tapping?
the joys of being an sn parent. such exciting lives we lead...

madwomanintheattic · 31/08/2011 21:12

have i linked you to www.new-vis.com btw? lots of really interesting info on swallowing/ dysarthria/ dysphagia etc. our slt recommended it in when dd2 was v small.

i'm going now, sorry pacific. really this time x

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