is BLW really natural?

[kels666]

Our ancestors would have been mashing food for their babies for thousands of years. If not mashing then chewing food for them. Of course it's natural to give finger foods (nothing new there) So why some trendy American term? Why do people thing they're doing something different to what the rest of us do? My first lo had every finger food going at 6 mths. Most of the time she ate from my plate. Oh and guess what, she also had mashed food - seems like the natural way of feeding a baby to me.

The thing is, it's unnatural to just have various shades and colour of the same old mush being spooned in , in a "just one more spoonful- finish the jar" sort of way. DS has mashed potato things like that, but eats the amount he wants and feeds himself at his own speed

i don't think it is a 'trendy american term' it's just what it is. weaning with your baby leading the way. you can call it finger foods if you like but there's more to it than that, as quootie has said.

how do you know our ancestors were mashing food anyway? maybe they gave the baby a hunk of meat and let them get on with it.

does it really matter?

As it happens, I agree that offering pre-chewed food to babies is probably more 'natural'. It is what happens in animals and in non-industrialised societies. Some anthropologists even think it is the origin of kissing. I think BLW has been invented and is modern, but I don't think that necessarily makes it wicked. I personally think it makes sense to help small children eat, but also let them feed themselves.

I didn't choose BLW because it is 'natural'. In fact, I didn't choose it at all, it was my only option if I wanted my baby to eat anything. To my baby it was the natural choice as she never took to having a spoon put into her mouth.

If you feed your baby some of your own food, as you do in BLW, won't they have too much salt in their diet?

not if your food doesn't have a lot of salt in.

My diet has become healthier since my children have started eating what I eat.

BLW is no more or less "baby led" than spoon feeding. There is no way to force feed a baby unless you are cruel.

It's a shite name

I think the name does matter actually because the implication is that any other way is parent led and it's simply not the case. If a baby doesn't want to take one more spoonful, believe me, they won't.

DS2 doesn't want to take the first spoonful though, SD!

Yep, it's about the baby deciding when it wants food, like it decides when it can walk.

We don't say "I'm going to start my baby walking tomorrow", do we?

No, because it would be bonkers.

We provide them with the opportunity to walk, and eventually they do.

Hmmmm... it's not quite the same because they won't starve if they don't walk. BabyDragon started to actually lose weight because she wouldn't eat.

It's really no more baby led than spoonfeeding. If a spoonfed baby doesn't want ot eat, they won't. If they want to eat, they will.

Is it more baby led to shove a plate of stuff in front of your baby and expect them to eat it when what they actually want is for someone to spoon feed them?

DD does a bit of both. She'll have some finger foods from the famiy meal plus be spoonfed a mashed version if it. Because that appears to be what she wants.

I'm really into blw! DD ate a whole cheese string of her own accord today, and wolfed down the pop tart off my plate yesterday. I've made some lovely nutritionally balanced mashes and purees but she's having none of it.

But both my boys reached for adult food before they could sit independently, at around 4 months - you know, sitting on my lap at the table while I ate. So interest in food isn't necessarily a sign of readiness, is it? By the way, had never heard of baby led weaning before and not sure it was talked of when mine (8 and 5) were little. Though it makes sense in lots of ways.

Both DS1 and DS2 wanted the first spoon, and the second - DS2 grabbed the spoon and put it in his mouth at 5 months (this was before the advice on weaning ages changed).

all i know is that DS is flourishing, and eating foods i never expected a 7mth old to be eating. It may not be what our ancient ancestors did, but would we do most of what they did with their kids? And i certainly think it's more natural than processed foods in jars, or worse still, powdered. (and i don't mean that as an attack on anyone who gives those to their children- it's just my opinion and preference)

Plus, i can eat while he eats! Yay!

I have a question ...
Do people who do BLW also do Baby/Toddler Led Toilet Training ...
I don't think there is such a specific term (TLTT) but I ask because I have a friend who did BLW and waxed lyrical about it, how it was more natural and the baby was doing it all herself etc .... but then decided when her toddler was 18 months that it was "Time for Toilet Training" - and ended up having about a year of accidents, changing clothes a zillion times a day, poo on the floor etc etc ... they finally got it sorted when her DD was 2 and a half.

The two situations didn't quite match IMO ... so would be interested in any opinions
Ta x

i have no intention of trying to potty train mine until he is aware of when he needs to go and what is happening to him. Just make a big mess and upset the child otherwise i think.

with regard to the OP... define 'natural'.

also, and i ask the question because i don't know, how long on average were babies breastfed for historically-speaking? i was speaking to a woman whose husband was brought up in west africa ans nursed til 18months, apparently that's the norm where he's from. (she was complaining about the fact that he was pushing her to keep bfing!) and babies tend to be fed with finger food from the start, she was saying. although that start can be as late as a year...
to my shame, because it was a toddler group-type convo, i didn't actually catch where in w africa, but maybe i'll find out next week...

really interesting, so i'd be inclined to say that you wouldn't need to pre-chew food for an 18-month-old? or even for a one-year-old, surely? can't imagine dd needing me to do any mashing for her at this stage.

Kels666 why do you mind what other people do with their babies? I think feed your child in the way you think best and call it whatever term you like. I choose to puree but find the discussions on here about BLW fascinating and have given me loads of ideas for finger foods.