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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

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Original poster

What's wrong with spoon feeding?

21 replies

Nancy54 · 05/04/2013 19:10

hey all,

i started weaning a couple of weeks ago and have been reading some of the threads on here to get ideas for meals etc.

i'm not doing blw, for the moment they've (twins) just been having fruit and veg purees. i'm happy with what i'm doing, the babies are trying lots of different things, but having read the threads about blw, it seems that it is 'wrong' to spoon feed. i really don't know anything about blw so am not at all criticising this point of view, i'm just interested to know why it is thought to be better not to spoon feed? i get that giving baby rice is v bland etc, but why is it not good to offer a variety of different foods on a spoon, without forcing baby to eat them? just curious and you never know, it might make me rethink things.....

OP posts:

FadBook · 05/04/2013 19:16

There's nothing wrong with spoon feeding, just like there is nothing wrong with BLW, it is just another choice for parents - deciding how to feed their child.

I'm a big BLW fan - I liked it because I don't have to worry about mashing things up, making separate food or sorting DD out whilst we have dinner. She can eat herself. I also like the fact that the method helped her coordination, dexterity and made me watch and read her feeding cues (just like I had done whilst ebf'ing)

If you want to read up on BLW, the book by Gill Rapely is a good place to start. It provides evidence of the benefits of BLW in comparison to 'traditional' weaning. But like I say, I don't think there is anything wrong with puree, I just personally prefer BLW and the benefits it offered / offers my DD and our family.

exoticfruits · 05/04/2013 19:18

There is nothing wrong- the aim is to get them eating the same as you- how you get there is unimportant. I think the idea comes from the fact that people think you can overfeed babies- I have never got anything down a baby who doesn't want it!
Just do a mix - what suits you. It is all mother led- the mother decides what to feed the baby and when to feed the baby - whether it is on a spoon or not.

DoodleAlley · 05/04/2013 19:26

I'd agree with what's been said. I've known blw babies who I'm in awe of and others who just get fed bread and organic snacks when they really need much more variety.

For us we had to do more of the purée route because of DS reflux.

I think the main thing is you and baby being relaxed on this journey and the baby getting a good variety of tastes and flavour.

There will be more militant people on either side of the fence I'm sure. Most people muddle along somewhere in the middle doing what works best for them and their family.

Good luck!

Original poster

Nancy54 · 05/04/2013 20:03

Ok thanks for your replies! I get the whole dexterity, co ordination, baby discovering things etc but I still don't see why a 'purist' blwer would never offer anything on a spoon.....I suppose I should rad that book but don't think I can be bothered....

OP posts:

olivertheoctopus · 05/04/2013 20:07

There's nothing 'wrong' with it, some people just prefer BLW. I'm too much of a 'can't cope with the mess' freak for BLW and generally just whizz up bits of whatever we're having for the baby and spoon feed. That said, I have no aversion to BLW, it's just not for me.

exoticfruits · 05/04/2013 20:17

Adults eats things off spoons- I can't see the point in having things like soup and yoghurt and saying the baby can't have it.

wannabedomesticgoddess · 05/04/2013 20:24

I have to start weaning DD2 in the next few weeks and I am baffled.

With DD1 I followed the stages on baby food jars. I made my own food but followed the age guide and level of lumpyness from an occassional bought jar.

DD1 is a good eater and we never had any issues. But the thought of all the pureeing again, I really cba. Yet full BLW scares me a bit.

Dont think anything about either way is wrong though. If spoon feedimg is wrong then by rights DD1 should be a shit eater, but shes not.

GingerDoodle · 05/04/2013 20:44

There is bugger all wrong with spoon feeding as far as I am concerned. Like everything else with babies is just a choice.

My DD is 6 1/2 months.

We choose to mix feed for early on as BF wasn't working; my milk never came in and she wasn't getting what she needed (didn't poo for 4 days!). I actually enjoyed BF but it was making me miserable and mix feeding turned out to work really well.

We choose to start giving her little tastes at 4 1/2 months, and she really started to take to eating around 5 1/2. She has a mixture of BLW finger foods, mashed up food we eat and jars/ pouches.

I am not a fan of anything purist as it just seems too restrictive.

As long as she's happy and healthy I am.

CornishYarg · 06/04/2013 09:14

I agree, there's nothing wrong with spoonfeeding. There's a wide spectrum of ways to approach weaning and it's just a case of finding an approach that works for you.

I never planned to do blw but DS got very upset at the sight of a spoon so blw it was! It worked very well for us but spoonfeeding may well have been equally successful.

Btw there is a study that indicates obesity is more prevelant amongst spoonfed babies but the study is extremely limited so a long way from being hard evidence. Analytical Armadillo did a good blog post discussing its shortcomings but also considering some possible reasons why there may be a link, which is worth reading.

Original poster

Nancy54 · 06/04/2013 10:30

Ok thanks Cornish will have a look. I agree with all Thad been said here really but there is def a bit of no spoon snobbery

OP posts:

Original poster

Nancy54 · 06/04/2013 10:31

Oops posted too soon....

Wanted to say there is def a bit of no spoon snobbery on soon of the wean

OP posts:

Original poster

Nancy54 · 06/04/2013 10:32

Bloody phone..

On some of the weaning threads!! That's what I wanted to say....!

OP posts:

Original poster

Nancy54 · 06/04/2013 10:34

And just to be clear, all the replies here have been really interesting and open minded!!!

OP posts:

whatsoever · 06/04/2013 12:27

I'm doing BLW but I don't think there's anything wrong with spoon feeding. I just had a hunch my DS wouldn't take to it & I was right. I still try & spoon feed him porridge or yogurt but he has none of it and wants to hold the spoon. I just get lots of spoons, pre-load & hand them over to him. Other runny stuff, I use a bit of fruit or veg to load them on.

One day he'll hit his mouth AND swallow the food!

Weaning needs to suit baby & their their primary carer. As far as I can see, research favours neither route so it's a genuine choice.

NuzzleandScratch · 06/04/2013 18:17

The problem comes when they refuse the spoon! All was going well weaning my dd2, then a couple of weeks ago, she just started clamping her mouth shut at the sight of a spoon (except for breakfast or yoghurt!). I now have to hold pieces of food for her to bite, as she can't seem to manage this yet (at 8 months).

pansyflimflam · 06/04/2013 18:26

There is nothing wrong with using a spoon. Most people in the real world use a combination of spoon and letting the baby feed themselves. BLW is just a new way to flog an old idea to us. It is just marketing and a crock of shit (the fascism about it anyway is bloody bonkers).

Clamping their mouths down on spoons too is normal and it passes like everything else. I am five children in and they are all fine even though I spoonfed them!!!!

JollyPurpleGiant · 06/04/2013 18:31

I couldn't be arsed pureeing. I don't mind other people feeding their babies how they want, but I do think it is a bit strange that some people have two year olds who mainly eat purees.

DS just ate what we ate and DC2 will do the same, hopefully.

I BLW because I'm lazy

ballroomblitz · 06/04/2013 22:07

Nothing wrong with either method. I started with spoonfeeding ds and after three short weeks he refused to take a spoon so I switched to BLW. He was taking fairly lumpy and thick spoonfeeds by then so I was confident enough he wouldn't choke. I'm pretty sure that BLW him has something to do with his continued reluctance to use cutlery. He's five and still prefers to use his fingers, even with much cajoling from me.

I've just started weaning dd and going down the puree route for the minute, although from the get go I've always set her a finger food something on her tray while we are eating dinner. She plays with it more than anything but it keeps her quiet.

Startail · 06/04/2013 22:32

Like most things it is totally unimportant in the long run

DD1 was a impossible baby to feed, wouldn't eat anything, unless you mixed it with yoghurt.

Then suddenly about two she would eat anything.

DD2 is the absolute opposite, she fell of the graph aged 5 months and took to real food like a dream. By one she reached the 50 % line.

From then on she got fussier and fussier, aged 12 she'll still refuse to eat things she munched happily as a baby.

exoticfruits · 07/04/2013 07:13

I agree with startail- it seems important at the time, but it really doesn't matter and has no bearing at all on what they eat later on. Just do what suits you and the baby.

ENSMUM · 07/04/2013 07:22

We used as spoon for things that need it like yogurt (although I do remember DD having a good go at eating yoghurt with her fingers! However, we just put food onto the spoon and let DD put it into her mouth herself.

As far as I am aware, the not spoon feeding is to do with letting them decide for themselves what goes in their mouth. However I don't think there's anything wrong with spoon feeding as long as you watch baby's cues, don't try forcing anything in. DD was able to get spoon into her mouth at 6 months when we started weaning.

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