When do BLWerns actually swallow anything?? Reassurance please x

[SquidgersMummy]

My dd is just 26 weeks - she wakes a lot in the night, though briefly, due to itchy eczema and growth spurts. I tried a bit a baby rice as everyone at diff baby groups said this would help with sleep...which of course it hasn't. She likes holding food - gumming it but then it's all spat out. I've tried some baby rice and a jar of rice pudding stuff (it was so sweet it's shocking) and I just don't think she likes being spoon fed. My instincts say she's not ready and she doesn't like spoon feeding. I guess I want some reassurance so I can block out all the crap I hear at baby groups about how everyone's 4 month old is wolfing stuff down and loving it. So BLWers when did you start and how long did it take for anything to actually go down?? Many thanks. Bit of hand holding needed I think today. X

I'm not best qualified to answer having just started weaning a couple of weeks ago but my DD is the same age and we're doing a mixture of mashed up stuff and finger food. If I were you I'd try something other than baby rice at 26 weeks. What about some mushed up banana and if they won't take a spoon just gumming on a piece?

my DS is almost 29 weeks and have been doing BLW for about 3/4 weeks. Most days he ignores everything I put in front of him. Sometimes he picks it up, studies it intently, starts to bring it toward his mouth, then at the last moment decides against it and throws it on the floor. Other times he might have a gnaw on one or two things for a few moments. He's had a couple of gagging episodes and I've definitely seen him making chewing movements. A lot of the time though if something comes off in his mouth he tongues it back out again. He's definitely swallowed something though as I've found tell tale signs of banana (black threads) and broccoli (tiny bits of the 'bushy' bit) in his poo. I have occasionally given him a bit of mashed avocado or banana on my finger or a spoon when I panic and think he's not eating anything and everyone else I know is feeding their babies three meals a day.... But mostly I try to fight it and just relax. He'll get it, and in the meantime milk seems to be enough. He loves it when we eat out though, and his most successful 'eating' has been on my lap in a restaurant. He particularly likes sucking hummus off a strip of pitta bread at our local Turkish cafe. Sitting on his own in his high chair in the kitchen while I hover over him isn't so successful...

I think patience is the key, and to just keep giving them the opportunity to play/gum food. Before then I think that if the baby is hungry you just increase their milk feeds.

As for them needing the extra nutrients etc, this is true but its a long process over the next several months. It's not a cliff edge that they come to at 6 months. Babies are excellent communicators - they'll tell you if they're not happy with something and ready for something. You know your baby best.

The NHS and Dept of Health recommend vitamin supplements from 6 months, and my GP said I should do this. I bought some of Boots own brand and when i remember I squirt some into his mouth, most of which comes straight back out again... I guess it can't do any harm, the body just rejects what it doesn't need anyway.

Hope this helps..!

We did blw with my 17 month old - we started at 6 months, although she showed interest in food earlier and could sit well in her highchair from about 5 months so she would join us at the table and I'd give her some broccoli to play with. We noticed that at about 6 months food was actually going in (we could see the evidence in her nappies!), but she wasn't really eating lots until she was about 8 months. I found it much easier than purées, which I had done with my older 2, and it meant I could cook them all the same with no extra prep, and we could all eat together as a family.

Thank you for the thread. DS is 7 months and has been offered food for a month with v little result. Nappies show vv small amounts going in, quite a bit of gathering but not much enthusiasm yet!

My DD is 11 months and we've done blw. I remember we when we started, I cooked some finger shaped bits of veg for her one night. I'd made macaroni cheese for the rest of us. She sat in her high hair complaining so I thought, ok, she's not hungry and took her out to sit on my knee. She was hungry alright, just not for veg. She grabbed some macaroni off my plate and must have eaten about 10 pieces (just small macaroni). That was one of her first meals and she's been the same ever since.

Keep with it. Food will go in eventually. It's about playing and exploring at this stage and milk should still be the main food source until they are one. I think it's definitely worth it. I wish I'd done it with DS, but I followed the purée nonsense from the HV instead. IME they want to eat what's on your plate so we tend to all have the same dinner rather than cooking something different for the DC. And they seem to like strong flavours like humous, curry (even a tiny bit spicy), strong cheese etc. Don't worry about how much mush other babies are putting away. It's not a race!

Have you tried the blw website? It's very good and worth a look for some handholding and advice. Good luck!

Thanks all - really helpful to read about your experiences. We'll try more bits from my plate and some of the blw recipes. X