BLW- can I give my 5mo bread?

[CoralRose]

He's had some steamed fruit and veg over the past couple of weeks and getting on brilliantly, he just sometimes gets a bit frustrated that he can't fit more in his mouth

Just wondering if I can give some toast, or if there is anything I should avoid? At what point can I put a dollop of whatever we're having in front of him?

Also I've wondered about egg and cheese?

In fact, if you could just give me a shopping list, as I'm off to fill my cupboards for him

I did BLW (dd now nearly 3 years) but waited to start till 6 months (current guidelines say no solids till 6 months). At this stage you can put anything in front of them and let them help themselves including bread cheese etc. not sure at 5 months??

This is why I'm asking... Perhaps I should stick with fruit/veg until 6mo?

He is more than ready, was trying to grab my food! He sits unsupported and demolished a broccoli floret on the first attempt, with no gagging!

Yes maybe just do the fuit and veg for another few weeks. i'd say check with your health visitor but if she's not into the whole BLW (lots prefer the puree thing) she may try to tell you to puree rather than stick with BLW. I would def recomend BLW it worked great for us and I have another little one npw (only 3 weeks) but will certainly be doing BLW again. Good luck.

I think they say to avoid it until 6m due to the theory about causing allergies - same with dairy, cereal, meat etc. It's just fruit, veg and rice until 6m, in fact if you are being really strict there is a list of non-allergenic fruit and veg which are recommended as safe before 6m, things like carrot, pear, avocado, banana.

Having said that I know there is conflicting research on the whole allergies theory anyway so who knows!!!!

Ok, thank you.... Just wanted something a bit easier on standby for when we haven't much time. Perhaps rice cakes?

My HV suggested baby rice before he reached 4mo

We're loving it at the moment, fascinating to watch, he's my third, I did purees with the other 2

Avoid gluten before 6m, so no bread/roast/wheat based cereal. Just fruit/veg really before then. If you wait til 6m you can basically give anything - just no nuts, no honey, no stuff likely to choke like pieces of raw apple/grapes.

We have 3 weeks exactly to go'

Rice cakes definitely safe (though make sure they're not salted and don't let him fill his tummy with them as they're nutritionally weak).

Lovely! Will spread with avocado and banana

There are two schools of thought on this. One says not to introduce dairy, meat, eggs, wheat & gluten until 6 months (since that's what the research says)

The other says that since the research is based on "All babies will be ready by 6 months" and some babies will be ready before the magic 6 months, if they are feeding themselves totally with no help (ie true BLW) then that is a sign they are ready to process anything, and in fact, it's better to go for iron, protein and nutrient rich foods over more bland things like fruit, veg and rice. This is an interesting blog piece.

You need to avoid honey until 12 months because it can contain botulism spores - even if it's cooked. And then common sense things like no whole nuts, no whole grapes or anything else small and round. When he's 5 months as well it's best to avoid sticks/chunky slices of hard foods like apple or carrot because they can easily break off a chunk which is perfect choking size. Just steam them or offer grated, thin slivers, or a whole apple which they will usually scrape at if they have teeth.

(There's no concrete research for the second theory, BTW.)

In Europe they give gluten before 6 months, because research (I think mostly in Sweden?) shows that the best way to avoid a gluten allergy is to introduce gluten slowly alongside continued breast feeding. Given that as adults we eat gluten at pretty much every meal in some form or other, if you give babies just what you are eating it then it follows you could be giving them too much.

I don't know what I think about it all really. I think we will start giving ds a little bit of bread or pasta next week (24 weeks) and build up gradually as that makes sense in my head. I think you just have to do what makes sense to you. The complete contradiction in both BLW and NHS (that you should wean your baby when they are ready and show the signs... but then not say WHAT you should wean them with as actually you shouldn't do it before 6 months) is ridiculous and confusing.

This may be a dumb question, but do oats have gluten in them?

Want to know if I can give him ready break with cows milk?

No ready brek has gluten and cows milk has dairy. It's recommended to wait till 6mo. Maybe try a baby cereal with ebm or formula?