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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

BLW at five months

7 replies

purplewoofer · 30/09/2013 22:04

I am very keen to do BLW with my boy. He is 5 months old.

He can sit up with out support for maybe 30seconds and sits well in a high chair.

Would it be ok to let him play with maybe some steamed vege? Would it do him any harm to have it early? He like to put everything in his mouth I.e toys and other peoples (clean) hands. If he is not ready will he just not eat it?

Thanks for your help

OP posts:

Tash28 · 30/09/2013 22:18

What does blw stand for? Mines just under 5 months, he's sitting for about 15 seconds and is constantly sticking anything he can in his mouth, he's never sated off bottles and has become increasingly tetchy so I tried him on a bit of potato tonight. My heart was in my mouth but he enjoyed it and didn't choke so there's a plus. I'll just have to wait 15 years to see if he gets ibs! On a serious note though there was no gagging and he knew what to do so I defo think he's ready.

A lot of other mums I know have started quite a bit younger around the 3 month mark so I think it just depends on the child.

Original poster

purplewoofer · 30/09/2013 22:23

Thanks tash. BLW is baby lead weaning which is when they feed themselves

OP posts:

BlackberrySeason · 30/09/2013 22:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Thewhitelady · 01/10/2013 21:08

I did let my dd try blw before she was 6 months as she could sit quite well, she just played with it and at some point developed the skills to chew and swallow and she started to eat loads (the nappies will tell you!). If he does not have the skills to eat something, he won't, and the nhs advises that the skills you need to eat something are outward signs that baby's guts are ready. Be patient though, it may well be weeks before he actually eats anything!

IfAtFirstUDontSucceed · 01/10/2013 21:51

DS is a few days short of 6 months and we've been putting some steamed veg on his high hair tray fir the past week. Most of it ends up on the floor, some in his seat, the rest on his face. About 1% makes it to his mouth and even then he doesn't seem to swallow anything. I've had one nappy where I've noticed some bits of veg (lovely).

It's still just playtime for him at the moment, but I can see the improvement everyday - he's learning what to do.

Saying that though, I'd personally wait a little longer just in case your DS is a quick learner and wolfs his food down straight off.

I did feel a pang of guilt handing DS a piece of sweet potato at 5.2 months thinking that I'd destroy his digestive system!

mrsmartin1984 · 02/10/2013 13:21

I started at 5 1/2 months. She could sit up with min support. TBH she didn't eat anything for the first 2/3 weeks. She just played with it.

tiktok · 02/10/2013 14:14

The principles of blw are that the baby who is unable to do anything with the food you put in front of him is not ready, and conversely, if they can pick the food up, handle it and gnaw it and swallow, then they are ready - this is usually around 6 mths but some babies are fine at 5 mths. There is no harm in trying.

Tash - it doesn't really depend on the child. Babies who are on solids at 3 mths are certainly not ready and they would have to be spoonfed for anything to go in. It depends a lot on family expectations!

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