OK - so what's the difference between BLW and finger foods

[paolosgirl]

Maybe I'm showing my age here, but I'm not that far off 40 and with DS2 aged 7 mths, I'm not sure why there's this big fuss about BLW - up until a short time ago we just introduced finger foods gradually, which is what I'm doing this time. Somebody enlighten me please...

and of course now i know who you are. please go back and add the bit about lumps to the post, will ya? it's really important...

tell me - what if a baby wants to eat the food, can just about pick it up - but then "loses" it out the back of their fist/drops it...but if you help them get it in their mouth they then happily chew and swallow.......does that count as BLW - or is that akin to spoon feeding puree??

well it's not akin to spoon feeding puree if they're feeding themselves. for about two days we held the food and dd ate it, in retrospect i think that had more to do with our fear of her choking on a bit of apricot skin than her capabilities. when they're 6 months they can only really open and close their fists and maybe pass stuff hand to hand so they do drop things a lot. you just pick it up and let them go at it again, if they want to. if they want food and are hungry you'd offer them milk, iykwim? food's really play for the first wee while, so there's no particular stress on getting it in.

oh I know if they're hungry milk is what they need- and that's what DS3 is getting, but he's had a few nibbles of banana and other veg which he's happily chewed and swallowed - he just can't quite pick up the little bits and get it in his mouth yet properly on his own. Although once he's got something in his hand he's able to shove it in (apart from the banana which just wouldn't stay in his fist - it was like soap - he'd hold it, it would fly out the end of his fingers, repeat ad naesuem. I eventually held it for him and he nibble on it with a look of sheer ectasy

Mind you DS1 was still struggling with finger foods at 10 months and beyond as he was really slow to develop his manual dexterity with regards to getting things into his mouth. Things like peas and bits of carrots were too hard for him until he was over 1yr old!

bananas were a pita for dd as well, qoq. i used to cut them in half and make two mini bananas, you know, leaving half the peel on. in fact, i think in a fit of extreme pfbness i used to snip off the excess skin with kitchen scissors.
i suppose there's the thinking that if they don't get a good chance to do it, they don't get the practise to get better, but presumably developmental capability comes into it too. and like you say, if it took his big brother a while longer maybe he'll be the same too?

so in short - me holding the stuff for him to grab hold of, and shove in his mouth himself, is "ok" in terms of BLW until he gets more manual dexterity (DS2 was the complete opposite - he was picking up bits of anything from really early and shoving in his mouth).

DS1 and DS2 were both puree fed from 4 months. Was hoping to make it to 6 months with DS3 - and do BLW. DH (despite showing him the evidence - men hey) still wanted to do puree from 17 weeks.

Well eventually we compromised. I said we can start offering him little nibbles of things now (he's nearly 21 weeks) BUT it's got to be BLW and I'm NOT pureeing anything.

I think he's come round to the idea quite quickly though - in a moment of sheer blondness yesterday I told him "yes if he wants to nibble your cheese let him" (they shouldn't have it until they're older should they???? or is that another blonde moment). Anyhow, DS3 apparently held a little slice of cheese, nibbled a few bits off and chewed and swallowed.

Today DH turns round and says (as he was making his lunch) "oooo he could have boiled egg couldn't he" (now obviously boiled eggs aren't very "pureeable" LOL). - I told him that he would have to wait to share his eggs LOL.

oh he's only 21 weeks? well, i'd probably be more inclined to be stricter to the guidelines if he's younger, iykwim, but that's just me. and of course i didn't ahve any difficulties sticking to the 6 mos guideline cos dd wasn't that hungry so it's easy for me to say.

if you're just giving him teh pieces and he's eating them himself, you know, gripping them and getting them to his mouth and whatnot, then i certainly wouldn't see any problem in that.

yes we haven't made it to 6 months, and in all honestly I don't think we were ever going to - he's such a hungry boy (constantly - he doesn't do "growth spurts" - he just eats - well drinks - loads all the time).

Had him weighed today (bear in mind he was a delicate 7lb 6oz when he was born)......18lb 11 1/2oz ! I don't seem to make nice "average" babies who want food whenever you can be ar*ed to get round to offering it LOL.

I'm certainly not going to be shoving food in his mouth, if he grabs something and puts it in his mouth and it goes down - great!, if not "who cares" .

Can you just remind what food they shouldn't (really...) be having before 6 months (or others they shouldn't have until older) - apart from peanuts......

oh god no i'm rubbish at that. there are some Totally Hardcore lists on the blogbut as far as i can remember it's gluten, eggs and could it be dairy until 6 months? i'm not exactly sure.

I'm rubbish at it too - I know we bent the recommendations quite a bit with the ohter DS's -but I can't remember how far we took it (we have no allergies of any description on either side of our family - if we did then I'd be a lot more cautious). But obviously do't want to go totally OTT - I've been looking at your (fabulous) website - but I can't find the Hardcore lists LOL.

right hand side, in the bottom section. i think it's 'excellent allergy something or other'

oh look, someone's posted this on the other thread, from the NHS.
If you choose to introduce solid foods before your baby reaches 6 months of age, you should not give them the following:
any cereals containing gluten, such as wheat flour, bread, rusks, rye or barley-based foods;nuts and seeds;fish and shellfish;eggs;citrus fruits, including citrus juices; and soft and unpasteurised cheeses.

thanks for that - so I didn't commit an even bigger faux pas (than giving solids before 6 months) by letting him nibble cheddar cheese then