BLW not through choice, any tips please??

[vicky123]

Hi, first time Ive posted on mums net, wish I had found site in those early months when I didnt have a clue, but never mind. Anyway, I started to wean dd at around 5 months, she is now 7mnth, was going well until a few weeks ago when she started to refuse spoon. Will eat a little off my finger but prefers to use her own fingers, never new BLW existed until I spoke to HV. Im ok with her feeding herself, Im just a bit stuck for ideas, I usually give veggies, fruit, bread, crumpets, but she doesnt seem to eat as much as she did when I was feeding her. Does anyone have any tips on other foods, especially breakfast, I did use to give her weetabix but she has stopped wanting this, dont just want to give her toast, would prefer her to eat cereal, what do you give if you are following BLW?

Any advise/tips are welcome, thanks.

My dd wont eat any ceral and is one on sunday. We just give her toast with philadelphia on it or french toast or rice cakes. hth. There is a web site with loads of info on its here

Hi vicky, and welcome to MN.
I started blw at around 7 months for the same reason. Dd is now 2.3 yrs and has almost never let me spoon feed her!
There are loads of great ideas on Aitch's blog.
For breakfast I'd recommend Raisin wheats with a bit of milk on.
Dd didn't start to eat well until around 11 months, but there's no need to panic - just remember the blwer's mantra of 'food is for fun until they are one'!

Have you seen Aitch's blog here and click on recipes.

My dd eats cereal with her fingers! For breakfast she has all sorts:

eggs in all forms
cereal
fruit
pancakes
yoghurt
bread stuff like muffins, crumpets etc
toast

Don't stress about how much goes in. Is she still having plenty of milk?

lol think we all gave the same link

muesli is good (lots of individual bits to pick up)
also don't worry if the volume is less, sqodge will have lots of water as well so may not contain many more calories

Home baked pancakes and muffins are great.
Use a variety of grains such as wholemeal wheat/buckwheat/oats/semolina etc (in any recipe general rule is divide white flour amount in half and add a "better" grain for the other half part).

You can make them sweet or savory and add all sorts of nutritious things in them ( grated or chopped or pureed carrot/courgette/ spinash/sweet potato /grated or stewed fruit/frozen blueberries/mashed banana / cheese etc....
Use you imagination and flavour with spices (cinamon/vanilla etc...) or herbs and sweeten with fruit juice concentrate.

These are great for picky toddlers too.

With crumbly muffins, watch her all the time when she eats (gagging/choking) and do not panic: gagging is to be expected at that age: It's part of the learning process.

Oh and don't forget the infamous porridge pancakes!

Thank you for all the advise, I have been trying few new things over that past couple of days, also Ive been eating at the table with her and that seems to help. She seems to be doing well, eating some off spoon and some BLW. Thanks again.

My son is 10mo, and had never heard of BLW until he refused all spoons at 7mo. There are loads of great finger food ideas on here, and I find it much easier, as we now eat together. He did gag loads, but it never bothered him, and he now eats a really good variety of food. (at the start he would eat toast and eggy bread only!)

Just wanted to give thanks for another person whose child is independent and won't be fed! We also did BLW 'not through choice' and it is slow and messy but otherwise fine

Shreddies with not-too-much milk makes a fine finger food, likewise cheerios and, now that my dd is older, all cereals.

Her favourite (non-breakfast) is pasta twirls in tomato sauce, and she also loves potatoes (mashed, chipped, roast, boiled, baked, she loves them all, which is very handy).

best of luck