BLW is all very well if....

[babybore]

1. Your baby has very good gross motor skills
2. You are not concerned about their weight gain
3. You have the time and money to prepare a wide variety of foods, most of which end up on the floor.

My dd is 7 months, weaned at 6. I was looking forward to weaning her as she was under her growth curve and I thought it might help her get back on it (it has). I have been trying finger foods but have mainly relied on home-cooked mashed or pureed food as she does not yet have the dexterity or the brain development to understand that the stick of brocolli put in front of her is her lunch, no matter how long I leave her with it.

If I had done BLW, my baby would be unhappy and underweight (she loves her solids) and I would be miserable and worried. So while it works for some babies I really think a degree of caution needs to be exercised in believing that all babies can eat finger foods from 6 months.

quite hunker......

boil, mash, puree, freeze in trays, decant contents into bags, remove in time to defrost for lunch....or microwave and let cool...

repeat

glad i am beyond that and they just , well, eat !!

It doesn't have to be one way. The "evangelical" bit comes in because mums are so pleased with the BLW thing and want to spread the word. But if you want to puree, puree! No-one's going to be looking at our DCs in the playground in 5 years time and going "ooh, definitely a BLW baby" (same as you won;t hear "ooh a breast fed baby" or "ooh, a baby who wore washable nappies" )

Of course babies will eat finger food in their own good time. The debate is whether you need to bother giving them purees in the meantime!

Hunker was that last post being sarcastic? Because BLW was the standard way to wean until someone started sieving and mashing. And then they invented blenders.

Its a bit like disposable nappies. Cloth was the norm, someone invented disposables and everyone said how wonderful. And then we started to realise they weren't so wonderful after all. Same with purees I think.

Perhaps I'll run away now.

Babybore, we're not having a go at you. But if I was to start a thread "Pureeing: it's a crap idea, isn't it?", I reckon I might get some heated responses.

Shall I try?!

pleased with themselves, more like.
I gave my children mushed or whole bits of food, ffs, never heard of blw or any such trendy thing

Ok, so my 6.5 month old DS is sat on my lap playing with some pear slices, as he is a spoon refuser. Isn't solid food supposed to be about tasting and exploring at this age?

maewest, in my world, nothing is forbidden and there are no trendy eating plans

I'm very grateful to those 'evangelical' mums who have 'spread the word' regarding BLW - it was certainly a relief to find a method of weaning that worked for my baby.

Fruitful, semi-sarcastic, yes (it's all I know ).

Mae, yes, if you remember "food's for fun till they're one" you won't go far wrong, IMO.

(am not getting involved in the debate, but a big thank you to Kiskidee for coining the counterpart to the Yummy Mummy - the Faddy Daddy!)

Bundle, how is "bung a bit of food in front of your baby and get on with your own lunch" a trendy eating plan?

Was I the only one that loved making ickle tubs of baby food?

I needed a project goddamit on my maternity leave

exactly hunker, it doesn't need an effin name. it's called eating

thunk

mine threw spoons
refused food
ate mashed up food
ate chunks
vommed
smeared

it's only food

and then you clean up

So am I, Belgo, as an anxious first time mum I'd have been pureeing like mad as it is/was the received wisdom; it was very reassuring to find another way. And maybe "BLW" is a trendy label for something loads of mums already do, but that doesn't stop it being informative for those of us that weren't as clued up as bundle.

no olive I loved it too. But think that the BLWers have a point really. Although I did start DD on rice cakes to keep her quiet really so we could eat. Then went on to the purees. But because she was older than DS I raced through that stage.

anxious first time mum

reassuring

says it all

I bought some books and followed them keenly with a furrowed brow

and loved it

begone with your 'easy' methods

Obviously DD who is 2 has never been older than DS who is nearly 6. I meant that I started offering her solids when she was older than the age at which I offered them to DS.

Says what all, bundle? Don't be gnomic, spit it out.

Christ, if anyone is pleased with themselves, it's you.

bolleaux
bolleaux
and thrice
bolleaux

BLW takes less time and money. you just stick food in front of them, the same food you are eating.

If you dont' want to do it, then don't. but no need to rubbish the whole idea because it hasn't worked for you.

harpsichordcarrier, I can't wait to be able to use that on someone

would they eat Mini Eggs?

Bozza, I used to be very worried my younger brother would get older than me when we were grown up. After all, he was going to be taller, so he told me (he is).

my children have always had the same food as us.

"It" didn't not work for me, it wasn't even on the map.

we just had food and prepared it. no plans just food