BLW before 6mths?

[FasterPussyCatGrrrl]

I know about the guidelines regarding weaning the 'traditional' way (purees etc) and DS1 has a cow's milk intolerance, so i am wary with DS2's weaning.

I know he's not ready yet- only 17wks- but he a very solid, hungry boy and is already lunging for our food, so i wondered if BLW was less 'dangerous' shortly before 6mths, since they only get a small amount anyway, and i'm intending to start with only fruit and veg anyway.

(and i'm NOT proposing to start yet, so please don't start shouting at me ) it's a genuine pondering is all.

If lo can pick up th food themself, and put it in their own mouth, then they are blwing. If lo can't even sit up yet then def too early.

And the official guidelines say towards the end of the 6th month, which in my head is not quite 6 months. You CAN feed a hungry fat big baby milk only until 6 months. Good luck. It is so much easier than purees.

it is much easier- DS1 was BLW'd.

i know milk is more filling etc, but i can't imagine him tolerating watching us until he's 6mths! he looks annoyed already!

the babies in the original small piece of research were started at 4 months, it was generally 6 months before they did anything meaningful with the food. tbh it makes sense to me that the internal matures along with the external, so if for example i had a baby who at 5 months or so could sit up confidently and was really lunging for food i might let them have a shot. got to be careful about gluten etc before 6 months, remember. actually, just the fact that i'd have to be careful would probably mean i wouldn't let them go before 6 months, thinking about it. [lazy]

I held off offering food to DS blw-style until he was 29 weeks as he wasn't very stable sitting unaided until then. To keep him happy during meal times until then we gave him some cutlery, bowls etc to play with & it helped a lot.

I started leaving food on DD's tray at about 5 mths (after reading the research). It was fascinating watching what she made of it!

Whilst weaning is definitely a developemental stage (sitting up, hand/eye co-ordination, etc.) it's also a learning process. It took DD a few weeks to learn biting and chewing and a few more to learn to swallow the stuff in her mouth but by 6 mth 2 wks she was doing it all

I also gave her soft spoons to play with and try out, which she liked (also good for teething)