BLW advice...7 month old has lost interest.

[TheJen]

Hi was wanting some experienced BLW advice. Initially started DS weaning with mush at 5 months but it was such a battle that we stopped in favour of BLW approach. It's been quite fun so far (tried not to stress but nobody I know is doing it so it's tricky to work out if we're doing it right). Initially he was occasionally having some mush alongside finger foods- mainly yoghurts or fruity porridge but he's refusing that now and for two days he's pretty much refused to eat anything (except a scone with jam and butter on Sunday- swiped off DH plate and eaten in one!!!) What do I do? Just keep offering stuff and add extra breast feeds when he doesn't eat anything? Am worried because he eat sooo little compared to peers and he's over 7 months now... off to a La Leche meeting at 10 so hopefully get some advice there but hoped for some MN help too... Have so many little anxieties about it all... I want to follow his lead but have to go back to work (very part time) in 4 months and want some reassurance that by then he may not be so attached to the boob

My dd is 8 months. We started weaning at 5.5months. For a month, she ate huge amounts, both spoon-fed things like cottage pie, and finger foods. Then about 4 weeks ago, it seemed that the novelty wore off. She's cut down on the amounts she eats (both finger foods and spooned foods) by about half. We offer lots of milk, but she hasn't increased her intake. I just assumed that she was eating for the fun of it to begin with, as it was new and exiting. Now she's just taking what she needs.

It could also be teeth, or a bug, as both of these have put my dd off her food recently. Any signs of either?

He has a cold... could that be putting him off?

Definitely My dd1 and dd2 (5 yrs old and 11 months) have always gone off food when they have a cold. Especially starches.

Try just the fruit and protien, no dairy and minimal starch. No need to worry, milk is providing all he needs, food is just an extra.

Yes, definately! If you have a cold you probably don't want to eat much either. Try to put yourself in his shoes all the time, we forget that babies feel the same as we do.

dd is 22 months, has a cold right now and very little is passing her lips, the poor thing...

Maybe that's it then... its just such early days on the BLW for us that I'm finding it hard to keep my nerve! Is that Aitch the leader herself?! Spend many hours cruising your site.... my DH thinks I am obsessed!!! Actually went to a LLLeague meeting yesterday (different problem... DS biting me all the time when feeding ) and they recommended the book 'my child wont eat' as it has some BLW stuff in. I hope it may help me chill out and also provide me with a bit of info to fend off all the critising mush pushers who ring regularly to ask if 'that boy is eating yet?' ... what's the verdict on the book? Is it any good? If not... anything else I could read?

i've got that book, it's great. (and yes i am that aitch... )
the book's kind of got bog all to do with BLW, in a way, except insofar as it reminds you that it's not really up to you so there's not much poiint getting miserable or anxious about it. it's a very interesting read, even if it's perfectly clear that you're not actually in possession of a child who 'won't' eat... your baby sounds perfectly normal to me.
good story from the book, though, about trying to chill out about amounts, basically he points out that a lot of growth has to do with genetics rather than food intake. if you feed up a poodle, he points out, you get a fat poodle. not the alsatian you might have been hoping for. also, he's very clear on the fact that babies eat to fuel a growth spurt, they don't have a growth spurt because they've been eating loads, iykwim?

That growth spurt thing makes a lot of sense. It's tricky to keep perspective when all the other babes are having mush shovelled in by the bucket load and my DS is sucking on a broccoli spear... only which I knew someone else in the flesh who was doing it to for moral support . Although today I made DH and me some fish cakes and LO tucked in. Feel like I'm giving him bread quite a lot though... what other things could I offer for breakfast- I eat toast and porridge and not sure how he's supposed to manage porridge iyswim?

let me help

Thank you! Am off to experiment

Mmmmm looks tasty! Thanks for that link- hadn't found the blog site before and there's some really good tips and lots of people with the same worries so that's great. From what I've read so far, LO seems very normal for a BLW-ed babe and that's reassuring. Huge thanks xxx

tis my blog, jen, that's my dd with the banana. and the porridge pancake. she doesn't look like that any more, though...

She's gorgeous. Think am going to have to log off now as my eyes are hurting from reading too many BLW Blogs...there's always tomorrow! Can't believe I've been bumbling along and there's all those tips and stories... really am ridiculously blonde! Night x

thanks, i think she is indeed pretty gorgeous. loads of other BLWers on the forum as well, some post here as well.

TheJen, where do you live? There is a BLW meet on Saturday at Marylebone if you want to meet some other BLWers - there are also Scotland, Midland and South Coast meets. Feel free to look it up on the site and join the groups meeting up.

Well the porridge pancakes were a HUGE success! Thanks Aitch. He thought they were great fun- not sure how much went in but he enjoyed himself! Flushed with success we went to Pizza Express for lunch where DS ate a bit of pizza (licked rather than ate TBH) and 2 olives and a bit of rocket. Think he's feeling better and I'm feeling much more relaxed having cruised the BLW site for hours last night. Thanks Tink for tips about meetings- I'm in Oxford so not sure whether any near here but will have a look .

hurrah!