A question about 'signs of readiness' for weaning

[fluffyanimal]

Hoping this won't kick off another rumpus but...
would genuinely like to know what people think about this question that has been rumbling around in my mind.

If I understand it correctly, Gill Rapley who did the BLW research reckons that when a baby has the motor skills to self-feed, this is a good sign that internally, i.e. in terms of gut maturity, the baby is read for solid food. (BLW experts: please correct me if I'm wrong, it might just make my whole question irrelevant.)

So what do you do if your less than 6mo baby helps itself to some of your food and happily puts it in mouth, chews and swallows? Do you think, OK, must be ready for weaning, or do you hold back just in case?

Also, if you then accept that this external sign of readiness for solids is valid, is it not possible to accept as valid other developmental stages that are frequently referred to as signs of readiness for solids, e.g. night waking after sleeping through, or should grabbing your food and eating it be the only external sign you should trust?

I'm just interested because the thing about external motor skills matching internal development is frequently mentioned in BLW threads, so just wondered how it tallies with the advice to wait until 6 months because you can't tell if their gut is mature enough.
[friendly peaceful happy debating emoticon]

Ah but (since it's still Easterish) was this a chicken and egg scenario - did the toast make him perk up or did he perk up and then feel like toast Looooonngggg looonngggg ago when I used to occasionally overindulge in drink, I knew I was feeling better when I really fancied some toast (ok it's a student thing)

DS didnt stop having bits in his food until after he had got his first molars (about 18months-1 yr) & had learn how to use them....I think a lot of digestion has to do with chewing food well first

dd still has chunks of food in her poo at 2

then she is booked in with a paediatrician for her food problems so probbly not a good referance point!

probably

Terramum - bugger, does that mean purees do have some advantages after all? No (remembers a pp saying that puree goes in and comes out in the same form as well)

Oh no, it's all become unclear again.

I'm fairly sure most puree goes straight through too, you just have no visual aid!

thanks for this thread - just been having one of those days where you have to decide to pretend that you had a perfect nights sleep (Dd, 24 weeks, is teething) or be very quiet about the fact that lo isn't weened yet - "so you haven't started on baby rice yet?". Breathe in, breathe out, sanity restored! ,

isn't it the action of chewing that produces salivary amylase? isn't that that enzyme thaat breaks down food?

does that mean that prechewed (pureed or mashed) food passes through as undigested, more or less? interesting...

You're welcome, MadameP, and sounds like you are in need of a [reverent bow] for dealing with the teething/no sleep business at the moment.

we need a dentist on board, i think. all this chewing stuff is fascinating. comeoveneer, come over 'ere.

Salivary amylase only breaks down carbohydrate. The other enzymes are present in the stomach and intestine I think. I remember doing this experiment in Biology where we had to chew a cream cracker and then spit some out and test it with Iodine for carbohydrate (which turns purple if carbs are present, IIRC).

Did anyone see Anna and the King over Easter? Now that film gave good bow.

oh yes, in fact i think we did the same experiment (followed almost immediately thereafter by the 'eat 3 jacobs' crackers in 30 secs' one).
i wonder if the nature of the acids in their stomachs are different pre-6 months/readiness, though? they're not having to do much to digest milk, one might think...

the stomach environment doesn't get properly acid till about 12mo (hence the no-honey advice) but am not sure whether this is as a consequence of weaning or vice versa...

iirc, it also has to do with bile not being produced by the gallbladder in appreciable quantities till around 6 months. otherwise fats pass through undigested. too much undigested fats = runny poos and stinky nappies (hence why ff nappies honk)

Re; the bile thing, I was talking to a friend with a two week old baby this morning and we were discussing puke (as you do) and we concluded that babies will smile straight after puking because they don't have that horrible biley taste afterwards. It's nice to know that sometimes we reach the right conclusions (only sometimes mind)

oddly dd1 had lumps of identifiable stuff in poo till well over 1, she was the incredible non eating baby.

dd2 has v little identifyable at 7 months and hasn't since she started eating at about 5.5 months (stolen food lol)

my dd is fifteen months and i'd say it's only in the last couple of months that her poo has toughened up and become more human than baby. likewise for the undigested food. i really was surprised at how long it took, tbh.

MrsApron - Maybe that supports my (dubious) theory that if a baby really wants to eat and is really ready for solids, their body is more likely to be ready to digest the food properly. If they're reluctant eaters, maybe it's because their body knows it isn't quite ready to digest the food. And of course since all babies are different, age becomes irrelevant. Oooh will anyone give me a research grant to carry out some surveys pleeeaase? I have got some qualifications honest.

Cripes Aitch, have I got to wait that long?

not necessarily, i remember feeling very when dizzybint was twittering about her baby's poo just fell off the nappy almost immediately. i was up to my elbows in baby poo at the time, as i recall...

hm...not really that much to do with the weaning...but am well into juicing right now, and reading Jason Vale books, like they are going out of fashion...anyway...he advises to "chew" your juices, i.e. to swill them around, as our saliva indeed triggers the whole digestive process off....I know there are also enzymes, etc...in saliva that help digestion itself (hence we should really chew our food well, when we eat)...!

He also does say, that in Juice form all the goodness and vitamins and whatnot reach their destination easier...however, he also says, that that is mainly important for us adults that lived a ong life oiften on rubbish Diets...so, it wouldn't count for Baby's, as their intestions shouldn't be spoiled or abused, as the ones of adults or I suppose older Kids on Junk food diets...!

Like I say, it's not a direct connection, but in a way, it fits in with it, doesn't it!

this is a really interesting thread by the way

Sorry, just had to post, you seemed to be talking to yourself

Just had to look at that LoM thread to find out what the ending meant.

My dd was sitting up unaided at 24 weeks and in the same week made a swipe for a chip (certainly her mothers daughter ) when we were out for lunch.

Whilst I'm a firm believer in BLW I personally don't think there's enough research, and if you're following the thinking of "food is for fun up until one" then there's no NEED to introduce solids any earlier than 26wks surely?

Even if she'd been swiping food at 4mths I'd have waited. I can be sure that waiting wouldn't give any detrimental effects, but I can't be 100% sure that giving her food wouldn't iyswim.