BLW - the first few weeks

[baffledmummy]

DD is 5.5 mo and am keen to following the BLW approach in the next couple of weeks. Have been looking at meal plans and food ideas but wanted to know practically how to start off...ie do you start off with one meal a day and work your way up to 2 then 3? If so, over how long a period? I initially planned to offer food at breakfast lunch and dinner but then read somewhere it is better to start on one meal a day so as not to overwhelm them. Am I over-thinking this?! What worked best for you?

My dd is the same age. We started a few days ago (dd satisfies the nhs weaning guidance other than age before anyone says anything ). We were planning one 'meal' a day per week. We have started with lunch. Interested in hearing what others do.

We just started at all meals giving them a bit

But it was literally a bit of what we had and gradually working up

For example week 1(6 months): sitting on my lap a few small licks/ taste of porridge off my spoon as I was eating it at breakfast. 1/2 of my banana to gum at lunchtime ( mainly gummed most left), and a few small bits of my fork at dinner of rice/ salmon

By say week 4 (7 ish months) it would be more like: sit them in highchair. Own plate and small spoon. Give them a few small spoons equivalent of what we had. They would eat most either with fingers, or from spoon we loaded

My DD2 was 5.5months when we started solids. She's not impressed with cutlery so we do BLW. I just offered her something every meal from the start...my toddler and I were eating so I needed to park the baby. She just threw food around at the start and had a whale of a time, so I don't think it was overwhelming.

I started 1 week shy of 6 months with both of mine. We opted for them to join us for all meals they were awake for from day 1 of BLW. We all eat the same things (it's a great incentive to eat Healthier & try new food yourself) but initially you do need to keep their pieces larger. So if I was cooking Bolognese I'd chop up most of my peppers small as usual but keep a few longer pieces for the baby.
However there is on set way to start BLW & if you feel more comfortable offering 1 meal & building up to 3 then do that. For me I saw the beginning as more of an exploration & obviously the more opportunities they have to practice with a variety of food the quicker they will master that skill. I also thought it was unfair not to share meal times once they started. Good luck & have fun

Forgot to mention the basics. I would put pieces of our meals on their tray & let them explore. Adding more of 1 food type if they mushed it up. So, for example, if we were eating a roast dinner (my son's 1st meal) then he'd have 1 of each of the veg we were eating (potato, Swede, carrot, parsnip, broccoli etc) & 1 long strip of roast chicken. No need for plates initially. Hope that makes sense!