BLW - when is too soon?

[EverybodyWalkTheDinosaur]

This has probably been done to death so apologies for that!

DD is 21 weeks and very interested in our food. She's tried to grab biscuits and cakes out of our hands, has tried to get stuck in to a bowl of custard and crumble, she's reaching for the food not us; probably to play with or lick. Our hands are well and truly gnawed by her, she chews my thumb like a chicken drumstick! Everything has to be licked and chewed, if possible, to see what it is. She can sit up, with very good head control, on our laps.

To me these seem like signs to start letting her play with food, but I'm not sure if I'm being too pushy and think she's ready before she is, and if she's too young in terms of her gag reflex etc.

Is it too soon?

Personally I think it is a little too young, just from a disgestive point of view. Also, under 6 months there is little you can give them apart from fruit and veg.

Have every sympathy though as my DD was like this and it ended up with her grabbing a sandwich at 23 weeks and scoffing it.

I'd use the time to sort out your diet if need be, so that once you do start weaning you can just give her what you have.

If she is grabbing, perhaps giving her a spoon and empty bowl to play with while you eat will placate her?

and if you think she is hungry, could you just up her milk?

No harm in letting her try imo. Her tongue thrust reflex will sort out if she's ready to actually ingest solids. You aren't being pushy, just responding to her curiosity. Don't forget the guidance the UK guidance is based on, is 'around the middle of the first year'.

She's a very enthusiastic breastfeeder! She doesn't seem hungry, if she's on our laps she'll try to grab food out of our hands or off the plate!

I've just started giving DS 21wks some babyrice at lunchtime feed and he has taken to it very well. He persists to stare us out though the minute we put a morsel of food in our mouths.

My 10 month old still does all that and he is weaned. Waiting to 6 months means you can blw properly, before 6 months restricts food so much. I waited despite all these so called signs and he is progressing very well now. Following a lovely growth curve.

If you want to offer baby rice as suggested by Sharond google booby whisperer baby rice 9 reasons.

I don't really want to feed baby rice. Yesterday I had to wrestle a go ahead cake bar as she'd grabbed it and was just about to start chewing it! My hv is rubbish and really rude, unhelpful and dismissive so I don't really want to get in touch with her. My DM keeps saying 6 months to me, but I'm not sure if I can fend DD off for that long!
Has anyone started BLW at under 6 months?

BLW is baby led weaning. That means that baby makes the decision when they are ready to start eating. Some babies are early eaters, mine was BLW at 19 weeks, others are later starters.

If you haven't got allergies in the family then just let your child pick up the food and do what they want with it. Most of it doesn't get swallowed for the first week anyway.

The real sign of BLW is when your child has the coordination to sit up, grab food and carry it to their mouth without any help from you. The tongue-thrust reflex previously mentioned will kick-in if she's not ready.

Remember to cut up anything that is a choking hazard, such as cherry tomatoes or grapes. Read up on the difference between genuine choking and gagging too, so that you can feel more confident when gagging occurs.

I started at 24wo. Like your DD, my DS had been grabbing at everything I ate for weeks (since about 17wo I think) and was sitting up. I felt v mean for denying him for as long as I did but I do feel glad I waited. Although we're doing 'blw' insofar as he's self-feeding chunks of food, I'm only giving him fruit and veg to start with and would have done that for the first month or so even if I'd waited til 26w.

We started at 21 weeks after a couple of weeks trying to fob her off with a bowl/spoon. She was sitting up and able to grab food and fling it a the walls bring it to her mouth. We just gave fruit and veg for the first few weeks, though (just a bit of whatever we had or steamed some carrots or gave her a bit of banana if we were having something more tricky). There is no rush, but I fully sympathise with the feeling of just wanting to eat your meal in peace!