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Weaning

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

Original poster

Baby led weaning?

39 replies

Mymble · 30/12/2005 20:26

Hi. Have dd who is 25 weeks. I keep seeing baby led weaning mentioned and want to know a bit more. Dd is exclusively bf.

Any tips/advice/links?

TIA

OP posts:
QueSerahSerah · 30/12/2005 20:48

the very basic premis

My son kind of decided for himself that he was going to lead his weaning (I also took his cues). He had a few purees (just threw bags of them out from the freezer!), but has really well and truly just taken off now he has learned to feed himself and barely takes any milk during the day. He is 12.5 months old.

He has to try anything I have - loves chilli bolognese pasta, likes the noodles out of miso soup and has just tried some japanesy thing DP has just rustled up.

The more I think about it, the more I think that weaning is related to babies desire to be sociable - and I wonder if it teaches them their first lesson in sharing (since he has helped himself to my food, he now likes to share with me and offers me bits from his bowl - that didn't happen before)

suzi2 · 30/12/2005 20:55

I'm very interested too. From what I can gather, you put finger foods in front of baby and see what happens?

QueSerahSerah · 30/12/2005 21:01

All foods (except purees) are finger foods - you just have to be prepared for the mess to start with!

There are loads and loads of people on Mumsnet who have done this... C'mon guys - where are you???

I didn't do it deliberately btw, as my DS is bottle fed so the impetus was greater for me to get foods into him (or perhaps so I thought!). I just noticed a drastic change when he started picking stuff up himself

Original poster
Mymble · 30/12/2005 21:03

Have read the link serah, thanks! Really helpful.

This is what we wanted to do with ds but the hv told me to wean at 4 m. Still annoyed about this.

Do I basically just let her help myself from my plate then? Or give her her own portion of whatever we're having? We always did this with ds and he eats everything. However we did modify our meals eg no salt, lots of soups when he was first weaned, etc.

What about foods they're not meant to have yet? Eg egg whites, cows milk, peanut butter? Does that mean no salt and chocolate for us? .

OP posts:
lockets · 30/12/2005 21:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

hunkermunker · 30/12/2005 21:08

I did this (largely) with DS - and would definitely second that everything is a finger food... An ideal finger buffet for DS would includ porridge and yoghurt!

Be prepared for mess. But also be prepared for being able to eat your own meal while your child eats theirs rather than having to shovel food into them and minding that yours is getting cold!

Ideal first foods - steamed carrot batons (chip-shaped foods work best because they can keep it in their fist and eat the bit sticking out initially) and broccoli florets work well. When they have the pincer grasp mastered you can give them peas, etc. DS was happily scoffing sandwiches when he was 8mo.

Original poster
Mymble · 30/12/2005 21:12

Ok, is is basically self feeding?

I like self feeding. Means more time for mummy.

OP posts:
QueSerahSerah · 30/12/2005 21:16

HV's often seem to advise weaning at 4 months - lots of people have and no harm seems to come of it IMO, but at that age it tends to be rice and pear purees. There was a relatively recent case where a baby was weaned on instant gravy and did not fare so well, as you might imagine.

Just put some steamed vegetable bits in front of her and see what she does. You don't have to give tham everything you have - especially miss out the peanut butter things! Just pick and choose what you give her and let her experiment. The stuff DS gets sometimes has a bit of salt added in the cooking, but not much as we don't like it much - it doesn't hurt him as part of a balanced diet, but he is a bit older.

The best thing to think is that whilst your DD is being breastfed, at 25 weeks she won't need food and is just experimenting - to the extent she may not be in the slightest bit interested after you have got yourself all geared up!

QueSerahSerah · 30/12/2005 21:17

Excellent - here's the cavalry

hunkermunker · 30/12/2005 21:21

Oh, yes, please don't fall into the trap of thinking that your baby has to be on three square meals complete with pudding the minute they start eating. MUCH easier, MUCH less stressful to just hand the food over, let the baby play/eat it and top up with milk afterwards. Milk should still form the major part of their diet until they're one - weaning is about tasting food and widening their palate, not wedging them so full of puree they look like a carrot or a tub of petit filous.

NewYearsRacerLution · 30/12/2005 21:29

Found the bit in the link about babies comparing and choosing foods interesting. I've done a mixture of spoon feeding and finger foods for a few weeks now (she's 28wks) and DD has shown a definate preference for self feeding (at the very least guiding the spoon in, though sometimes is willing me to spoon it in for her, must be when she is hungry or especially likes the taste). Anyway I have tended to offer one thing at a time but I'll now try putting a little selection of previously tried things out.

I find it very satisfying to see her feed herself (nearly had a fit of joy when she munched on brocolli today!) but do be prepared for not a lot to actually go in! As it's been said before, and I'm sure you know, a lot of it is about learning how to handle food, taste flavours etc.

Does anyone think the bf jaw action prepares them for chewing or am I talking out of my backside? Well done for exc. bf, I hope you are proud, it's brilliant.

QueSerahSerah · 30/12/2005 21:33

I get this often HM - he should be on 3 square meals followed by a pudding, and why don't you give him tea in his bottle, followed by he should be on cows milk now he's 1, like I'm some kind of freak for not doing so.

Today, DS has eaten a whole banana (the greedy sod) a spring onion and cheese omlette (cut into strips) a packet of raisins and a smoked mackerel and broccoli fishcake, with a smattering of japenesey chilli stuff just before bedtime (if I really wanted to disturb his sleep I should have just given him a block of cheese )

You just slowly work up to that kind of thing usually. Banana is a great food to play with too and most babies seem to love it - you just have to be careful not to overdo it as it can cause a bit of constipation I understand

hunkermunker · 30/12/2005 21:35

Yes, banana can cause constipation and it can be allergenic for some babies (as can strawberries, kiwi, tomatoes and potatoes). DS used to bite enormous chunks from a banana I was holding, then look surprised as he tried to chew and swallow them (always did - I have a champion snarfer here!).

QueSerahSerah · 30/12/2005 21:38

Breastfeeding (chomping) is a completely different action to bottlefeeding (sucking) so I think this does influence a babies ability to chew food and that you are not talking out of your backside Racers! Lol

I try not to laugh too much when DS bites on a new bit of food and then hands it to me with a disgusted look (broccoli being one of these - I have to hide it in other food!)

One of the reasons I wanted to breastfeed is so that DS would have a taste for the spicy and unusual foods we tend to eat. That plan didn't quite work out, but he loves chilli and trying all our unusual foods. This is what makes me think that the social thing is important (either that or he got the full load via the placenta and ebm )

foundintransleightion · 30/12/2005 22:27

s**t, didn't realise potato was a potential allergen - started 7.5mo ds (BLW) on it yesterday. If he hasn't reacted is it OK for him?

foundintransleightion · 30/12/2005 22:28

we have allergies, albeit not food ones, in the family so am being particularly careful.

hunkermunker · 30/12/2005 22:28

It's unlikely to cause a reaction - I think most food-related allergies show up pretty quick, so I'd not worry.

foundintransleightion · 30/12/2005 22:29

thanks hunker.

Original poster
Mymble · 30/12/2005 22:30

Potato is an allergen? Thats worrying.

Mind you my kids live on peanut butter from an early age. I think the risk of allery is small and peanuts are very nutritious, esp for veggie babies.

OP posts:
suzi2 · 30/12/2005 22:31

ooooh half of me is dreading weaning but half of me is really looking forward to finding out what my wee man likes! The baby led thing sounds really sensible and easy to me. I think I'll give it a shot but might try some purees as well.

Original poster
Mymble · 30/12/2005 22:31

An "early age" being 18 months, I hasten to add! Wouldn't wean on it!

OP posts:
Original poster
Mymble · 30/12/2005 22:32

I know what you mean, Suzi. Its exciting...but...I quite fancy keeping her on milk for another few months.

Its soooo convenient too!

OP posts:
hoxtonchick · 30/12/2005 22:34

i seem to be doing this with dd who is just 6 months. i started her on the dreaded baby rice a week ago, & yesterday she tucked into exactly the same as her 4 year old brother - rice, chicken & carrots (albeit in tiny bits). feeding her from my plate really appeals, & i'm sure that's why ds has relatively wide-ranging tastes as it's what we unconsciously did with him.

Original poster
Mymble · 31/12/2005 00:22

bump?

OP posts:
sazhig · 31/12/2005 01:11

There is a yahoo group for blw which has a document in its files section by Gill Rapley - guidelines for baby-led weaning - worth joining just for that (although reading thru all the previous messages is a big help as well!)

link

We started ds (now 17 months) on solids at just before his 7th month - steamed carrots sticks, parsnip sticks pear & apple wedges & rice cakes (plain). We went very slowly as I didn't want to affect his intake of bm and because I was worried about allergies (one new food per week). He picked up the food & ate it straight away & soon I started to vary the shapes & sizes of things he had as his dexterity improved. I mostly just gave him suitable bits from our meals & only made stuff specially when we had pasta as he had a bit of a reaction to gluten at first so kept him on rice pasta for a while. No extra work & he has made us eat a lot healthier as well - loads of fruit & veg (we all get our 5 portions a day!) plus I no longer add salt to anything. He eats pretty much the same as us now & everyone remarks on how 'good' he is with his eating - all healthy & very big appetite, alongside still bf.

This link might also be useful for you. I have pretty much stuck to it as we were worried about allergies, but even if there is no history in your family then you can simply use it to give you ideas for new foods for your LO. I always took a copy to the supermarket with me for ideas!
link