Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Weaning

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

Original poster

If you chose NOT to do BLW, what were your reasons?

218 replies

mrsb26 · 06/01/2016 19:56

Looking to start weaning dd soon and have been reading up on various approaches.

I understand that baby led weaning seems to be the 'thing' for many mums at the moment. I see its benefits in many ways, but also air on the side of caution with it for other reasons.

If you chose to wean traditionally (eg puréed food first), what were your trains for not doing BLW?

Am I right in saying that the NHS recommends a combination of purées and finger foods from around six months?

OP posts:
SirChenjin · 13/01/2016 15:24

I agree that meal times shouldn't be about messy play (imo) - the rest of Oogle's post, not so much Grin

It's odd, isn't it, that feeding babies can stir up so much heated debate. First world problems...when millions of parents haven't enough food to keep their children alive.

SirChenjin · 13/01/2016 15:25

Oh Oogle - please don't be upset Flowers.

Dibaba · 13/01/2016 15:29

I didn't do BLW although it was a THING when dd3 was born. I didn't do it because she needed to eat the same things as her siblings and shepherd's pie is easier given off a spoon. Also I didn't like the emphasis on 'avoiding children over eating when older' (although emphasis may have changed) it was a bit eating disordery and controlling for my liking. Surely as long as children are eating plenty of veg, very little processed food then how it gets to the stomach doesn't matter? It was quite militant then might be more relaxed now.

foxessocks · 13/01/2016 15:31

I don't really know the name for what I did. It wasn't true blw but it wasn't purees. I basically just made it up as I went along. I gave my dd whatever we were having for dinner but I'd mash some bits up like potato and maybe spoon a bit in every now and again! And I spoon fed her breakfast and Yoghurts. But I'd also give her toast or chicken etc to just tackle herself by gumming it.

TheEagle · 13/01/2016 15:36

It's odd, isn't it, that feeding babies can stir up so much heated debate

It always happens! That's why I thought this thread was refreshing because it was quite polite.

Dibaba · 13/01/2016 15:36

Yes that's what I did. Think that's what most parents with more than one does.

Oogle · 13/01/2016 15:46

I'm sorry if I came across rude eagle, I genuinely didn't mean to. I'm tired, I'm feeling a bit low and I wanted to get involved with a topic that interests me, I honestly didn't mean to ruin the thread.

My DS is no way a perfect eater - we have a lot of food thrown on the floor and he won't eat things at home which I know he eats at nursery - ham being one of them. He's low down the centiles, which is another reason why I went down the route of spoon-feeding. We've been in hospital before because of his weight loss and I desperately don't want to do that again - a year on and it still haunts me.

I want to be the best mum that I can, but I probably worry about what other people think too much. I constantly hear "tut, such badly behaved children" in restaurants/pubs and I never want to hear that about my own son. I'm quite an anxious person and I'm finding it's coming out in my parenting, I don't know how to stop it.

MrsJayy · 13/01/2016 15:48

Do people still use baby rice thats how i weaned dd1 god that stuff was like wallpaper I paste I weaned dd2 with purees

UmbongoUnchained · 13/01/2016 15:53

I don't think baby rice is advised anymore.

TheCatsMeow · 13/01/2016 15:54

I use baby rice. Lots of people do

MrsJayy · 13/01/2016 15:54

No wonder it was rank

Naty1 · 13/01/2016 16:04

maybe they are only feeding them when out, due to staining etc.
its interesting though there are less milestone charts with when a child should be feeding themselves, dressing etc.
you just fall into keep doing things for them.
dd1 couldnt use a sippy cup at 14m, as had been bf so no bottles to tip and she refused to tip it.

comeagainforbigfudge · 13/01/2016 16:11

I really dont understand how Oogle came across as smug?

I think she raises an interesting point about children running around restaurants. But perhaps thats a whole other thread in itself?

Ive two nephews who think food is playtime. Constantly up and down, they are allowed to graze all day (which doesnt help im sure) and have to be practically coralled when out. Does not make for a happy experience for anyone!

One was traditional, the other baby led.

Anyway Flowers Oogle that must have been awful for you with DS being in hospital Sad

TheEagle · 13/01/2016 16:13

Flowers oogle, I wasn't referring to your post as rude.

Sorry your DS was unwell, these sort of things really knock our self - belief.

comeagainforbigfudge · 13/01/2016 16:13

Oh and baby rice is completely rank, but deffo still advised to use it. I gave my dd one meal then threw it out as it reminded me of the thin wafers you get at communion 😂

TheEagle · 13/01/2016 16:15

Yep, baby rice is still pushed here in Ireland in our HV's weaning booklets.

UmbongoUnchained · 13/01/2016 16:16

Aaah ok. My health visitor told me not to bother with it.

Lweji · 13/01/2016 16:21

I thought Oogle's post was fine, actually.

Not so much the one calling it smug, oddly enough. Wink

CottonSock · 13/01/2016 16:25

I found baby rice a useful thickener when something too runny, it is rank though

waitingforsomething · 13/01/2016 17:32

Never been able to get either of mine to eat baby rice so gone straight to root veg.
My 6mo DS loves his solids- will eat all sorts. He's still fairly badly co- ordinated with his finger food therefore gets hungry and frustrated that it's not going in. so I spoon feed him. He stops when he's had enough by turning away or crying. He's still learning to pick up food as I let him try every day

hownottofuckup · 13/01/2016 17:42

Oogle your post was fine!

Definitely not smug Smile

Jw35 · 13/01/2016 18:16

I didn't because it doesn't seem sensible to leave a 6 month old baby to choke her way through food she wasn't ready for. I also wanted her to actually eat something and not just play with it and fill up on milk. I think it's got faddy. It's all very well giving a baby a few Cooked carrot sticks but literally letting them eat mushy foods with their hands and giving them pre loaded spoons is a step too far imo.

CultureSucksDownWords · 13/01/2016 18:32

It's great that everyone has different opinions on this, it's interesting to hear.

Jw35 the good news is that they don't choke, no more than any other weaning method. They do gag, very much depending on the individual baby, and gagging is the protective mechanism that prevents choking. I think all parents would only give their baby food they're ready for as well. I wouldn't have given a wedge of raw apple to a 6 month old, I gave grated apple.

I totally get that many people don't want their baby to self feed things like spaghetti bolognaise or veg curry and rice - it's a personal choice. I've never followed fads, and don't do faddy - I find BLW to be the opposite of a fad. There's nothing complicated to it and my DS has been successfully weaned. I hope no one could object to that.

Jw35 · 13/01/2016 18:49

Gagging then

I wouldn't object to your ds being successfully weaned, or to you for going along with an ever increasing popular trend. I just don't agree with the theory it's better than traditional weaning.

Jw35 · 13/01/2016 18:53

Also I think 'baby led' is misleading. It's a fancy title that doesn't mean anything. Some health visitor coined that phrase to give an out the box idea status. It also implies traditional weaning isn't baby led and that pisses me off!

Swipe left for the next trending thread