8 mo BLW baby with no teeth...

[MeeWhoo]

Hello there,
I wanted to ask about other toothless BLW babies as my son is 8mo and still no teeth although the little blighters seem to have been bothering for ages

He is still not taking much food at all, although he was starting to until a couple weeks ago when his teeth started bothering him, but what I am "worried" about is the fact that he now seems to put very large chunks of food right to the back of his mouth (probably because of teething) and this is making him throw up his milk quite regularly.

Do you think this is connected to him having no teeth or is it a normal phase?

I think I am going to start to spoon feed him alongside the "normal" food as a couple of days ago my mum gave him some porridge style cereal with a spoon and today I gave him quite a few spoonfuls of my yoghurt and he seemed to enjoy it. I am wondering whether maybe he is starting to be more hungry and the lack of teeth is hindering him somewhat.

some babies are late teethers. dd didnt have any until 15 months (thats when I started to get anxious) while the others were all 6 months. I dont think its anything to do with how they are fed.

I agree with the above poster.
My ds was about 14 months when he got his teeth.
Hes got 7 now and he's 21 months. Slowly but surely they will come out. I would probably give smaller foods until they can chew. I know it's hard but they know what they want lol.

Thanks Kal (please don't tell me I have to wait until 15 months for the first one, I already thought he was teething at 4 months!)

I think I didn't explain myself very well. I don't think that his lack of teeth has anything to do with him not having teeth, I didn't get any till 9 months myself.

I was wondering whether his lack of teeth is making it more difficult for him as far as BLW is concerned, since he seems to want more food in his mouth but can't chew it as efficiently as other babies with teeth (or maybe it is just a phase and I am misreading the whole thing). What is annoying me is this gagging which makes him throw up his milk, as this seems like a waste to me IYSWIM, as well as not being to nice to clear up...

sorry too nice to clear up

Mine didn get teeth until around 10mo and she is a very good self feeder. Basically scoffing down anything we put in frot of her. I don't think teeth matters much. But we don't eat red meat as a family so there aren't steak to deal with. Chicken and fish are both very soft

But if he's happy to be spoon fed I don't see why you shouldnt do it.

My Dd is 9mo and blw and has no teeth either, she manages to eat everything so I don't think lack of teeth should be a problem.

Sorry I've no advice but just thought I'd come on and say I don't think it's the teeth.

Thanks everyone for your replies. I guess he is just not very delicate and is putting too much in in one go (shouldn't be surprised as he is not very delicate in general).

I think I will start feeding him with a spoon more often and continue to do finger foods as well. I have nothing against spoon feeding but would like him to be able to feed himself and I also like the eating the same as everyone else aspect. We'll see how it goes.

Thanks again for your help.

I started with BLW but now do both. DD has weetabix and yoghurt on spoon. She'll have something like a cheese sandwich or squash and lentils (spoon fed) and then fish pie, pasta and sauce, shep. pie (spoon fed) but with veg sticks. She has fruit and veg and things like breadsticks, rice cakes etc as finger food but I wanted her to EAT some meat and fish not just suck the juices. Working really well doing both. She is having some meat as strips but I put most in her bowl and spoon feed.

Hi Button, may I ask how old is your DD now? Your meal plan sounds good to me.

She's just coming up to 8mo (next wk). I am still BF so my day goes like:
6:00 wake
6:30 BF
7:30 1/2 weetabix with 1/2 carton of formula (using no. 1 as the 2 and 3 seemed to be making her constipated and HV said no diff in numbers accept iron levels really and it's ok to use 1 if they are eating good nutritious meals)
8:30 nap (1 1/2 hours)
10:30 little yoghurt or small banana and water
12:30 cheese sandwich, mashed avocado and breadsticks or toast and hummus or something similar and piece of fruit e.g pear, watermelon
1:30 nap (1/2 hour)
3:30 BF
4:00 nap (1 hour)
5:30 fish pie, mashed potato, leeks and cheese, pasta and sauce, spag bol, chicken and sweetcorn quizzed with a dollop of cream cheese etc or similar and finger veg e.g sweet potato wedges, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, mangetout, baby corn, baby courgettes etc
7::00 bath
7:15 BF
7:30 bed
10:30 BF (dream feed)

Water in cup around all day if she wants it. I offer the other half of the formula carton with lunch usually. No feeding during the night. Water if she's thirsty.

I put my naps down just so it makes sense of why I feed at certain times.

I am sure others do things differently but it just works for us, esp with trying to drop BFs. The 3:30 BF is going next. Might keep the half formula carton to offer then and bring dinner forward by half an hour. I think my afternoon is a bit bunched up!!!

Even if he did have teeth he would only have front teeth not molars at that age so still wouldn't be able to chew.

I don't know why everyone keep saying meat is a problem without teeth. As libreeze says without molars you cant chew tough meat anyway. I think the BLW book recommends slow cooked meat as they are softer. Also meatballs and burgers are basically mince so doesn't require chewing. Chicken is also very soft. Fish flakes. Non of these should present problems to a baby who has no teeth.

Btw this is useful to know even if you spoonfeed. DD is now 14mo and still on have 6 teeth. Lots of her peer are getting molars! I don't think anyone would really still be pureeing at over 1yo. And if you rely on molars you might be pureeing that meat till 2!

You should be able to tear the slow cooked beef or lamb, roast chicken, or flake the fish to spoon feed. I do it with my knife and fork at the table for my DD. Basically anything that requires chewing with molars. It's easy to do even when eating out.

Oh and it stops her doing the really disgusting spit out, put back into mouth routine with large lumps of food. ! Imagine a lump of chewed saliva covered cheddar.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

Actually meat (generally chicken) is not too much of a problem, he either doesn't want it or he does tear little bits out, but lately I think he has been pushing things to the back of the mouth and it makes him throw up. Last examples have been pear and spaghetti, so not exactly chewy either.

I think I might try some spoonable things and also smaller chunks of things as even though they are more difficult for his hands they might not make him throw up so much.

Thanks everyone for your help. I am looking forward to having some longer time between feeds as at this point it is mostly boob day and night which means I always have to be nearby.