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Weaning

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

Original poster

DS 6 months today still undecided on how to start this BLW

77 replies

archiesmummy · 04/07/2006 10:07

Hiya all,
You'd think I would have looked into this a bit better, but I just feel totally confused now. Decided ages ago to go for BLW and have bought in loads of organic veg, pasta, rusks and cheese so got all the ingredients.. But where do I start?
People say he can eat more or less the same as what we eat!?
But I want to know if I should introduce one thing at the time or several things in one go???
Is he more likely to eat it if we eat something similar? Like we eat chicken stir fry and he has steamed veg? Perhaps a small bit of chicken?
Or we eat macaroni n cheese and offer him pasta shapes??
Please help!!!
We also have organic baby yogurts and bananas if you think that would be better to start with??
We don't have any great allergy concerns. DH has excma (? spelling) and I have hayfever. I'm BF and DS used to get a rash on his back and tummy, DR said it was food allergy, something I ate and I stopped eating chocolate (which I must admit I ate in excess ) the rash faded away...
Sorry about this long post. Hope you can help me.
Thanx

OP posts:
CADS · 04/07/2006 10:27

Would definitely start with 1 food at a time for 3+ days even without any food intolerances/allergies.

General advise is to start with things like baby rice, pears, apples, carrots, sweet potato, banana, butternut, etc. Then move on to a combination of the foods, if there hasn't cause any reaction. And avoid foods that do for a few weeks.

IMO 6mnths is too early to start eating what you eat. Also, there are some foods that you should avoid until later, just to be on the safe side.

DD is CMPI and we have tried her on solids 4 times since 4mnths (adviced by paed because of reflux and constipation) and she has reacted each time to things like carrot and baby rice, that most babies don't have a problem with.

She is now 7mnths old and we didn't expect her to react to anything other than dairy as she is a happy thriving baby and not as bad as some milk intolerant infants.

HTH

Original poster
archiesmummy · 04/07/2006 10:45

Hi CADS,
We are doing Baby Led Weaning and therefor skipping the baby rice and pureed stuff and going straight onto fingerfoods. It's just gonna be in addition to the BF so just to offer DS some new tastes..

OP posts:
CADS · 04/07/2006 10:54

Ok, I see what you mean, sorry.

Original poster
archiesmummy · 04/07/2006 11:04

Thank you anyway CADS. I'm sure a lot of things are still the same. Searching the net now for some answers aswell, but would love to hear from someone who has done this already...?

OP posts:
CADS · 04/07/2006 11:06

Haven't a clue about BLW so let me know if you find anything useful.

Original poster
archiesmummy · 04/07/2006 11:15

Been looking on the net for a while now, and mainly seam to find the same documents or information out there, this is why I'm hoping some helpful BLW mother will spot this thread and give me advise. Anyway can hear DS awake now, so best go and get him out of cot before he gets upset.

OP posts:
FrannyandZooey · 04/07/2006 11:15

Harpsichordcarrier is a BLW fan, I will point her in your direction archiesmummy

NotQuiteCockney · 04/07/2006 11:20

I wouldn't wait 3 days on new foods, but I'd be careful when introducing likely allergens (egg, wheat, dairy, kiwi, strawberry, nuts, seafood), just in general.

It's totally fine to just offer your food, at 6 months. I think I gave DS2 a baton of sweet pepper to start with. He also really liked strips of chicken. Essentially, anything chip-shaped is good at this age (steamed batons of carrot?), as they hold onto one end and chew on the other.

Another thing worth knowing: they make take a little while to get the hang of it. I wasn't totally committed to BLW with DS2, so did offer purees, but he wanted nothing to do with them. Nonetheless, he was pretty much 7 months before anything actually went in, I think.

FrannyandZooey · 04/07/2006 11:24

At this age just having tastes is fine - it's having the confidence to feel secure they are getting enough nutrition when the hvs are breathing down your neck. Their main source of calories should be milk until at least 12 months old if not beyond.

hotmama · 04/07/2006 11:25

La Leche League do a leaflet/booklet on BLW costs a £1 - so you could contact them or go along to a local meeting and ask about blw - the group I go to are big advocates of blw. I did the traditional mush weaning with dd1(who was bf until 10 weeks) - thinking about doing blw with dd2 who is 21 weeks and still bf - so must make my mind up soon! HTH

Original poster
archiesmummy · 04/07/2006 11:37

Oh, so many replies, thank you all. I know, everyone just looks at me when I tell them about BLW. I'm glad I'm not very young and inexperienced or I would of probably ended up spoon feeding at 16 weeks like most people seam to be advised by HV..
Yes, I'll be patient and realise DS might not take to it straight away, but I doubt DH will. I prob have to keep him from putting things in DS mouth. So perhaps just steamed carrots ( in chip size) for tonigh and then perhaps something else for tomorrow???

OP posts:
NotQuiteCockney · 04/07/2006 11:42

That sounds reasonable. Or whatever bits from your food that he's after.

Why is your DH in a hurry?

BLW is so so so much easier than purees, anyway. DS1 had purees, and still (when very tired and/or lazy) likes to be fed. At 4! DS2 had no purees, and eats very well with a spoon, at 21 months!

It also means you don't need to carry sodding pots of mush everywhere, you can eat out and just give your kids tablescraps.

Original poster
archiesmummy · 04/07/2006 11:46

i know NotQuiteCockney, it sounds almost too good to be true. think dh impatient because og mil, but thats another story.

OP posts:
NotQuiteCockney · 04/07/2006 11:48

MIL will keep hassling you about not doing things the way she did them, forever. Best to be firm now.

My MIL was all over me to do things her way with DS1, and has now mellowed. Making things much easier for SIL who is also doing things in a modern sort of way ...

CADS · 04/07/2006 11:49

Oh, fantastic sounds so much easier.

Actually, started to give dd cooked carrot sticks yesterday along with her carrot puree because I noticed she likes finger foods.

Might just skip the whole puree thing then. Especially, as ds (2.4years) now wants me to feed him too.

The only thing that worries me is that dd is on soya formula and I'm worried she might not be getting enough of the right nutrients and that by 12mnths she might be lacking some important vits and minerals. Please someone tell me this is not the case!

KristinaM · 04/07/2006 11:50

as you have a family history of allergies, you might want to avoid wheat for a while ( bread, pasta, rusks)

but I'm no expert, you might want to read up on it

I DO knwo that choclate is one of teh commonest things to be intolerant to ( sorry for bad grammar )

NotQuiteCockney · 04/07/2006 11:51

CADS, I think the formula gives them everything they need. And it should continue to be their main source of calories and nutrients to 12 months. The issue now with food is just about getting them used to textures and flavours.

Please do skip the puree stage, it's a complete waste of time. Just offer bits of finger food and let your DD eat what she wants.

What's CMPI? And is your DD allergic to anything other than dairy, now?

Original poster
archiesmummy · 04/07/2006 11:52

my mil managed to convert sil on some issues (like feeding) and the ones where sil stood her ground mil is now telling me i have to do them that way. constantly telling me sil did it this way, sil would let him have dummy, sil has a strict routine...!!! so annoying sil also smoked pot through pregnancy, but mil never mentions that.

OP posts:
NotQuiteCockney · 04/07/2006 11:55

Ah, I'm a better SIL than yours then, I stood up to my MIL on everything! (Well, she now does give my kids treats at her house ... but they're homemade biscuits, and organic mango ice cream, not scary scary things.)

Seriously, MILs have to understand, you'll do the things that work for you and your baby. Everyone is different ...

Original poster
archiesmummy · 04/07/2006 11:55

sorry KristinaM was that for me? ill look into avoiding wheat. thanx

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 04/07/2006 11:57

There's a Yahoo group you can join - email B-LW-subscribe at yahoogroups.com to subscribe. I get the emails but don't post myself - but it's very informative and when you join you can have access to the whole archive of messages.

Look for Gill Rapley's name on this - she's teh deputy director of UNICEF and has a special interest in BLW.

I'm thinking about how to start with DS2 too - he's 24wo tomorrow. Will probably wait another month or so - am in no hurry to start and nor's he!

KristinaM · 04/07/2006 11:58

yes - you said you have a family history of hayfever and eczema?

Original poster
archiesmummy · 04/07/2006 11:58

im worried about letting him be at mil when he gets bigger, as she gives sil ds lollies, once 4 in one morning becuase she was given them by some woman in a sweetshop and she couldnt bring them home for sil to see!!!!! Crazy or what???

OP posts:
NotQuiteCockney · 04/07/2006 12:00

How old is your SIL's DS? Would your MIL listen to you about food and do what you want? (Presumably not, if she's hiding things from SIL.)

I wouldn't leave my kids with anyone who I felt would hide things from me. We're just thinking about leaving DS1 with MIL at some point. Maybe. He's nearly 5.

Original poster
archiesmummy · 04/07/2006 12:04

i know, dh and i have already argued about this. if she doesnt respect my opinion then she is not gonna follow my rules, is she?? also the other day i heard her say to ds"i think your mummy is horrible not giving you a dummy when you are teething" firstly, he was fine just a bit cranky and tired, secondly if she says things like that now, will she styop whern he is old enough to understasnd??? sorry slow reply, typing with one hand holding ds with other.
kristinam, yes we do have allergy histoty, so i suppose no pasta then.. gutten, just bought special expensive organic pasta..

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