koycarp sorry to hear you had a poor experience with BLW and your son lost weight, that must have been concerning? Could you give us some more information on what age he started loosing weight, what foods he started on/ate and who advised that BLW was the cause of weight loss?
I have read the BLW book by Gill Rapely and she does explain that babies and children do decide when they've had enough and choose the right foods for them. So they will be slower to gain weight whilst they "learn" to eat between 6-12 months, but normally this catches up with spoon fed babies by 12 months.
The book also explains how as a western culture, we've become accustomed to not realising when we are full, hence why BLW is a good route as we let the child decide this on their own.
With any weaning route, if you wean on to foods and milk feeds drop, then the food which has been substituted isn't as calorific and so some weight loss can happen.
Weight loss (under one) could be for a number of reasons such as more movement and activity as they learn to crawl and walk, eating healthy foods such as vegetables and filling up on those (eat half a carrot and a glass of milk- which is more filling?!), dropping milk feeds too early within 6-12 month mark, not being offered enough 'fatty' foods and using low fat alternative foods such as yoghurt or margarines (easily done)
I do not spoon feed my dd and have no intention of trying to give her half of her dinner by spoon as to me, it does defeat the idea of BLW.
BLW and spoon feeding don't necessary go hand in hand (loaded spoons are different) especially if they are pushing the spoon away when it goes near their mouth; that normally implies they've had enough food.
I've tried to feed a spoon refuser (a family members baby not my own) and it's near dam impossible. I've also offered food to my other half on a spoon and it isn't an easy way to be fed when you don't know whats on the spoon - that is only my opinion based on my experience. I know spoon fed babies who have a fabulous relationship with food. I also know a lot more that were spoon fed and have terrible relationship with food and its these experiences that have made me choose not to feed that way and let my dd decide what she wants to eat.
All I can do to ensure 'healthy' weight gain is offer her good fatty foods with protein and consult a HCP if she stops being happy and content. She has recently lost 2oz in one month and I'm not at all concerned that this is down BLW but the fact shes crawling and trying to walk and generally doesn't stop from when she gets up to going to bed! BUT of course I will keep an eye on it.
abitwobblynow I agree wheat isn't great for babies. I tend to limit it too. It's something to do with the enzymes in their bodies that break it down but don't quote me on that!