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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: 2 questions

43 replies

TheCornishPickle · 07/10/2011 11:10

If you did/are doing BLW what was your babies first taste? 2)How many weeks old were they?

My boy is 23 weeks - he sits up with little support and has good accuracy getting things from hand to mouth. I know it's early days but would there be any harm in letting him have a play with some fruit/veg? If this is silly or dangerous then we'll wait - just thought it would be fun and I feel we're ready for a new challenge!

OP posts:

FetchezLaVache · 09/10/2011 20:18

Try and get hold of a copy of the Gill Rapelely book from your library or second-hand off the net, it has loads of information and good advice and it'll really boost your confidence!

Smackapacca talks sense about the gag reflex- in babies it's much further towards the front of the mouth and gradually moves backwards, and in any case it's a very good thing for them to gag on food as this is what teaches them how not to choke. But definitely never give grapes whole, obviously.

Thefurryone- I was always a bit rubbish at cutting the banana peel to make the ice-cream cone, so I usually did it with scissors or I just ended up chopping right through the banana!

RitaMorgan · 09/10/2011 20:19

Oh, my ds used to gag loads! A friend's dd was worse though and she would vomit up her whole meal when she gagged on something (not that it bothered her - she'd want to carry on eating ).

Bananas were the worst for gagging because ds loves them so much - he'd try to shove the whole thing in his mouth at once.

They gag much more readily than adults though, and a couple of coughs always got it out. The only time it was actually a bit scary was when he gagged on a rice cake and couldn't cough it out because he was in a car seat attached to the pram. Really stupid of me - that's why it is important that they are sitting upright to eat and not reclined or slumping over.

I didn't give ds things like raw apple or carrot, grapes etc until he was quite old, nearly a year. Anything solid enough to hold but soft enough that it will mush in their mouths is good - roast veg, soft fruits, well boiled/steamed stuff. Toast is easier than bread at first, rice cakes/baby crisps that turn to mush. Strips of meat to suck and gum but too big to get the whole piece in the mouth when they're little, mince/meatballs etc is good when they're 9 months plus. Pasta shapes, filled pasta, sticks of cheese and babybels, raisins all popular here too.

smackapacca · 09/10/2011 20:25

Yes to Gill Rapley book. I think she's about the only person who seems to have written on the subject hastn't she??

Oh and doesn't Aitch have a blog?

Squigglywiggly · 09/10/2011 20:28

We started at 22 weeks when she grabbed my husbands banana and ate it all

I would recommend the river cottage baby and toddler cook book. It is mainly blw ( but gives ideas for purees etc) and inspired me to make meals for the whole family. It was encouraging and put my mind at ease re gagging!

JeelyPiece · 09/10/2011 20:31

Just out of interest Rita why do you say 9 months plus for meatballs?

We've been doing BLW for about three weeks now (DS is 27 weeks) and it's going fairly well (though only tiny amounts actually ingested) but I keep having crises of confidence and thinking I'm going to give him something that everyone else can see is an obvious choking hazard!

smackapacca · 09/10/2011 20:33

Depends who you hang out with Jeely

My MIL was desperate to make vegetable juices for DS when we did BLW. My own mum was terrified he'd choke on anything and everything.

I never sterilised anything either. T'was a wonder SS didn't remove their grandchildren from me post haste!

RitaMorgan · 09/10/2011 20:36

Just because most babies don't develop the pincer grip (finger and thumb) before then Jeely, so struggle with picking up anything fiddly and getting at things held in their fists.

JeelyPiece · 09/10/2011 20:40

Ah ok thanks Rita that's what I thought. Was just a bit worried we had risked life and limb giving DS a Quorn 'meatball' last week! He did not bad getting it to his mouth but it was quite big. The accompanying spaghetti was pretty entertaining for all.

lilham · 10/10/2011 07:35

TheCornishPickle, I find the easiest fruit are the mushy ones with a peel. They are easy to eat and stays in shape for picking up. Like pears, plums, microwaved apples. My DD has no teeth and can't bite off hard fruit. And like you say, mushy things like bananas are hard to pick up.

Original poster

TheCornishPickle · 10/10/2011 09:17

Right well I was brave just now - gave an 'ice cream cone' of banana straight into his hand. V stressful - a bit went into his mouth and he just sort of silently retched...none of the coughing I expected. Tempted now to just go the Annabel Karmel route!

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Original poster

TheCornishPickle · 10/10/2011 09:49

I have to say though that there was lots of enthusiastic finger licking and I err put some in the net thing which he thoroughly enjoyed

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RitaMorgan · 10/10/2011 14:59

Did he retch and bring it back up? At least you know his gag reflex works!

The thing is, you have to introduce lumps at some point. Plenty of older babies gag when they move from smooth to lumpy purees. With purees you are teaching them to swallow first (they just suck/drink the purees) and chew later. With BLW they learn to chew their food before swallowing.

Original poster

TheCornishPickle · 10/10/2011 18:04

A bit came out on his tongue but I wasn't sure if that was all of it or whether some of it was stuck because he was doing this retching face but no noise or coughing and I was worried he was choking because I'd read that choking is silent. There's cooked carrot on offer from our meal tonight...

Thanks for all the reassurance!

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lilham · 10/10/2011 19:01

If you are worried find yourself a baby first aid course. Some sure start centres do them. Then you will know what to do if your DS chokes. I think more likely here is that he ate some and cough back up some?

Like Rita says, you will have to introduce lumpy foods at 6-7mo if you go down the puree route.

thefurryone · 10/10/2011 21:54

DS has done the silent retch thing it is a bit disconcerting. He does pull some very odd faces whislt he's eating and tends to look a bit disturbed whislt he's swallowing, but as he carries on I have to assume that he isn't actually disturbed IYSWIM.

Original poster

TheCornishPickle · 10/10/2011 22:01

The faces would be hilarious if I wasn't so on edge - he looks incredulous and disgusted at the same time yet carries on sucking and gumming away. Am going to (wo)man-up tomorrow and offer some veg tomorrow without the soggy net thingy.

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Original poster

TheCornishPickle · 10/10/2011 22:03

Furryone - does he swallow on purpose iykwim? Or does a bit kind of just go down if its own accord?

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thefurryone · 10/10/2011 22:12

'incredulous and disgusted' is such a good description that is pretty much what DS looks like. The nicest moment was when he was basically sick, and then just stuck another bit of cucumber in his mouth

I'm pretty sure the swallowing is on purpose, his gag reflex is so good I just don't see how anything could get past by accident. If he were to choke [touches wood whilst typing] I would assume this would be the result of trying to swallow something that was too big.

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