BLW support thread anyone?

[MrsNPattz]

Just wondered if anyone wanted to join me on our BLW adventure, I could do with it (see my earlier thread)! We went to my uncles today, luckily my cousin did BLW with her two little ones so they were very accommodating and he tried carrot, sprout, broccoli, turkey and potato! It was very successful and it was lovely having my cousin to talk to! Unfortunately she doesn't live near us, but is at the end of the phone! What did your babies eat today?

[Kyzordz]

Not been on for a while but have just caught up. Lovely to read of the success some of you have had :)

I did a first aid course to help with my confidence. Ds is 28w and has been having both finger foods and purees. I usually have to give him a loaded spoon as thats how he likes to eat puree. He likes to feed anything to himself and rarely lets me feed him. This did stress me but I have just given up. Am trying to think of the positive side of things - he will learn to feed himself eventually lol.

we have tried various purees, yoghurt, ready brek, and blw wise have tried toast, broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, butternut, sweet potato, green beans, oranges, banana and mango. Oh and cucumber. I think I've missed some but we have tried a few things. Today he had chicken and loved it.

why oh why does he ferociously bite off chunks and scare the crap out of me?

have been offering food three times a day and trying to ignore how much he eats. Broccoli carrot and banana were evident in nappies though! I struggle to know what to give at lunch or a meal where what we are having isn't suitable. For the past few days he hasn't had much and had nothing offered one day as my baby sister has been in hospital but all is well and she is home now so I will try to get back into it with gusto tomorrow

[sharond101]

My DS is 1yr old tomorrow and still hasn't mastered the picking up of slimy fruit. He hates bananas too, any suggestions welcome.

[leedy]

Today's BLW hits: large piece of grilled pork chop to gum, wedges of mango. He's getting pretty good at figuring out how to pick up pieces of squashy fruit, as long as they're firm/large enough. He is also covered with mango....

[Gurke]

Yes I also love the look of total concentration when he tries to pick up something he likes

I have a question for those of you with serial gaggers/pukers. So DS is now very good at picking up foods and gumming the hell out of them. But in the last few days he has started to 'bite' off (no teeth yet though) smallish pieces of whatever he is holding (e.g. apple slices, oat cookies, etc), but then inevitably gags and vomits as they move down his throat. He has now been throwing up at every meal of solids - sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. Is this something he will learn to sort out on his own, or should I be worried and do something about it? He is a refluxy baby anyway.

Any ideas would be great, thanks!

[Jellylorum]

On the slippery fruit front we've had success with ripe kiwi cut length-ways into quarters - gums off all the flesh and spits out the skin

[HabitualLurker]

Thanks leedy and slightlysoupstained fusilli it is then. We actually have wholewheat in at the moment, but I'm assuming I shouldn't give that to him? All the literature seems to stress not giving wholegrain food at first - are you lot following that recommendation?

As it happens rigatoni is my very favourite pasta shape (yes, I admit, it is odd to have a favourite pasta shape..), so I'll be stocking up.

As someone has already said, try giving fruit with skins on. I was worried at first that it would be too difficult in terms of gagging (and I have got a prolific gagger/puker) but actually after just a few weeks of practice he got pretty good at eating the flesh and then just spitting out the skin.

[kaffkooks]

I've been reading this thread on and off for a while. My ds is 6 months and I'm doing a mixture of BLW and purées with him. Just wanted to share the fact that he ate a lot of broccoli this evening and now his bedroom stinks. I've opened a window but I think I'll be doing any night feeds in my room! Leedy, I agree that there is nothing funnier than a baby chasing food round the table.

[leedy]

Just here to report that there is nothing funnier than the ferocious concentration of a baby trying to capture and eat a strawberry. The cross-eyed sweeping and gathering! The little legs kicking with excitement! The baby almost covered from head to toe in squashed fruit!

[Jellylorum]

I've been reading all the helpful tips on here and thought I'd join! My DS is 6.5 months and we've started with BLW. So far we're both really enjoying finding our mouths feet and seeing what works. Look forward to sharing hints and tips

[Dorisday13]

I'm off to buy peaches now

[Dorisday13]

Yes so it doesn't all fall apart! I have to retrieve the skins eventually though as my dd eventually shoves the whole lot in!!

[leedy]

Thanks! Do you leave the skin on?

[Dorisday13]

Hi, with the fruit I cut into segments then score the flesh with a fork, it's easier to grab/hold/manipulate and she sort of gums/sucks off the flesh very efficiently! Plums are a massive winner xx

[leedy]

Total hit dinner this evening - we were having steak, steamed green beans, and bread, DS2 had a piece of steak to gum, some beans, a rice cake, and some peach. Steak was sucked to oblivion, beans and rice cake were gummed, only the peach seemed to be a problem - I gave him some peeled slices and he just didn't seem to be able to hold them. The one time he got a bit to his mouth he seemed fairly enthusiastic about it but otherwise he seemed to just find it frustrating. Tips for managing soft, slippy fruit, other than just "give him time"?

Oh, and another gagging incident (with a bean), but again managed to just spit the offending bit out.

[slightlysoupstained]

Fusilli was good for DS too, also that stuff that looks like really big penne (rigatoni I think).

Spaghetti/linguine are also easy to pick up, but are such huge fun to wave around, rub all over your face, beat against the side of your highchair etc that you might find them a bit messier.

[leedy]

I remember fusilli being easy to hold for DS1

[HabitualLurker]

Those Apple and ginger cakes look good Quak I may give them a go too.

Has anyone got recommendations for easy pasta shapes for baby hands to hold? We had conchiglie (shells) tonight and littlelurker hardly ate any. Except when I picked one up and put it under his mouth, and then he gave a good go. So I'm thinking he just had problems with the shape being difficult to hold rather than not wanting to eat it.

[esmelovessqualor]

Brighton that's good to know. Thanks again

Hi Leedy sounds like your DS is loving it! Look forward to hearing how he progresses

Esme currently smashing fistfuls of sweet potato into high chair and laughing. And chewing the inflatable insert to her Antilop.

[leedy]

Hi, can I join in? Just started BLW with DS2 (6 months). So far he has been unconvinced by fruit but chewed enthusiastically on sweet potato wedges, cucumber, bagel, rice cakes, and, er, chips from my takeaway. One gagging incident resulting in spat-out chip, and I'm not sure how much is going in, but he seems quite interested and happy to be participating in what all the big people are doing. Oh, and quite a lot of farting after the sweet potato....

[ExBrightonBell]

Oh gosh, I guess it depends! My ds has had reactions like this that lasted for 4 or 5 days. Usually when I try the food again a while later he's ok.

[esmelovessqualor]

Hi Brighton, thanks for replying.

I used formula so that might be the culprit, she's only been breast fed prior to weaning. How long would you expect it would take her system to settle down? She's not had any formula for a week now.

[ExBrightonBell]

Hi Esme. The diarrhoea might just be a coincidence, but I was wondering what milk you used on the baby muesli? Maybe your dd had a slight reaction to cows milk?

Btw, I'm loving doing BLW with my DS, so I, at least, think you have made a good choice! Don't let anyone put you off :-)

[esmelovessqualor]

Wow really should have split that into paragraphs sorry!

[esmelovessqualor]

Hi everyone, hoping I can join the thread please, in need of some support! My DD is 28 weeks today and I started with BLW 10 days ago. Her first foods were banana, steamed sweet potato, broccoli and carrot. She didn't seem to take much in, a few bits here and there in her nappy but was having fun exploring all the different tastes and textures. I introduced baby muesli a couple of days later and since then she has had diarrhoea. I stopped the muesli as I thought it might be the culprit but she is still going through loads of nappies. Metanium is keeping the nappy rash under control and she doesn't seem unwell, dehydrated or unhappy. The doctor saw her last week and said to give her puréed veg one at a time but I really want to stick with BLW. Do you have any advice or wisdom to impart as I feel like everyone in RL thinks I'm making a bad choice. Thanks in advance!