Gill Rapley blw - is it worth buying?

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Ds is still only 4 months but I'm trying to decide how to wean for when the time comes. I like the idea of blw but know very little about the how to go about doing it. Also dh is very sceptical as he's worried about ds choking. Is the Gill Rapley book worth buying and will it help give dh more confidence or should I not bother?

I used it with my youngest two. It's really good they are both brilliant eaters now.

My oldest, 10, was weaned on purées, and is much fussier, and eats less fruit.

Go for it, I say.

The recipe book is quite good. I still use it now a year on

Yes, it is. Get a copy from the library and then you can decide if you think it is good.

I have the book and, to be honest, you can find all the same information and similar recipes on mumsnet or other sites and blogs on the internet. Agree with getting it from the library before buying it!

Have a look at www.babyledweaning.com

If you're on Facebook check out the 'Baby Led Weaning .com' group

I preferred the River Cottage Baby and Toddler Cookbook. There is quite a long intro in this book about weaning, BLW etc.

Also, there are lots of videos on YouTube of babies doing BLW, some with info about gagging, choking etc.

I had intended to only do BLW, but ended up doing a mixture of purée and finger food. Just do what you feel most comfortable with, I believe the end result i.e. the baby being weaned, is the same!

Thanks for your replies. I would normally check out the library first but I live abroad so that option is no longer available, sadly. Not that there are no libraries, but ykwim.

I think really I want some kudos to my argument for doing it this way rather than the puree stuff, especially as someone bought me the Annabel Carmel book when ds was born and swears by it.

Another vote for River Cottage here, as I felt it was more adaptable for the whole family imho. Ds2 (8months) is showing early signs of being an adventurous and keen eater.

I'd get the BLW Cookbook rather than the original. It has a summarised version of her original book, plus lots of good recipes to try. I've also got the River Cottage one, it's good, however I prefer the recipes from the BLW cookbook!

Yes, you can get all the info you need from other sources. But I have found the BLW book (I don't have the recipe book, so can't comment on that) useful for giving to other people - it makes it 'official' if there's a book and not some randoms on the internet.

My mum will be looking after DD some of the time when I go back to work. She was very sceptical about BLW but read the Gill Rapley book and now is convinced.

I found it a really interesting read and it helps you understand the developmental stages that lead up to weaning, would definitely recommend it.

The only thing i found with her book, although 80% useful, it was quite preachy. So I personally took the overall message but not 100% of the details.

Yes I agree trilby, her ideal of the family all eating together is lovely in theory but my DP doesnt get home until 6.30pm, my 8 month old isn't going to wait that long for her dinner!

The BLW Cookbook is great, and I also love the River Cottage book too. The BLW book is pretty much redundant if you have those, but it's quite interesting as it explains the theory .

Another vote for the cookbook having got both books from the library. Recipes are for two adults plus baby. I made the sugar free carrot cake last weekend and it was great

I thought it was brilliant and it was only about three pounds from amazon. the website has some good ideas but so does the Annabel k toddler section (but she sometimes adds quite a bit of salt I found)