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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

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Original poster

I have stopped BLW because DD retched and vomited everwhere.

26 replies

cafebistro · 04/10/2008 13:11

I've been giving my dd finger foods for about a month- she's 7 months and also occasional spoon feeds like porridge etc.
DP is dead against BLW for the usual reasons ie. choking and goes mad on the occasions that she's retched. It has been a battle but he was just starting to come round to the idea until last night. DD was chewing on toast, retched and then threw her milk up everywhere. As you can imagine DD was very distressed. This just reinforces everything my DP has said about how stupid I am giving DD chunks of food. Im beginning to think BLW is more trouble than its worth....

OP posts:

whoisdoingthedishes · 04/10/2008 13:21

if it has been a bit traumatic, then probably give it a break and see how it goes. It may also help you and your DH to relax until she's more ready for it.

My DD went through a similar phase when she would only like to eat smooth foods like yoghurt but now she seems fine and enjoys eating fruit with skin on without bringing it back.

Pheebe · 04/10/2008 13:30

Believe it or not its actually important they go through the gagging and retching process and the vomiting is their natural protection against choking - in this case it shifted whatever bit of toast she had got stuck. DS2 often did this to start with, not usually full vomit but certainly bringing up a bit of whatever preceded it. Most often with toast actually which is perhaps not the best first finger food?... Having said that not every parent has the nerves to follow a pure BLW regimen so don't feel bad if you back off a bit. You certainly won't be doing any harm as she's still quite small.

DS2 wasn't very good with the finger foods til he was about 8.5 months old. With him we're doing a mixture of finger foods and purees (now at 11 months its mainly mash though). Soggy ver (brocolli and califlower) were and still are his favourites and v v little chance of a gag as they turn to mush almost as soon as he picked them up. You could also try some of the organic crisps or biscuits for now, they melt in the mouth and bub can still practice 'eating' and explore different tastes and textures. Rice cakes, bread sticks and rusks are also great for this.

Its also really important that you and DH be supportive and calm when/if she gags. DS2 happily gags away now til he's shifted whatever is annoying him (hardly ever happens these days) but we're always there poised to leap if he looks like he's really struggling. I'd suggest that DH leave the room when she's having finger foods if he finds it difficult (nothing to be ashamed of, its scary) and you both brush up on what to do in case of a real choke (v v rare though).

Hope that helps

CrushWithEyeliner · 04/10/2008 13:34

I would hold off for a while as your DD may start to link eating with retching and vomiting all the time which can be traumatic. Keep things mushy and very soft. I think BLW can be quite misleading tbh.

SheSellsSeashellsByTheSeashore · 04/10/2008 13:38

my DD2 started eating with a spoon v v early on in the weaning process, have you tried your LO to see if she can hold a spoon?

I think toast is a bit hard and crunchy for first finger foods, cheese cubes, banana, buttered bread, boiled veg are all better. My DDs both loved banana and cheese.

meandmyjoe · 04/10/2008 21:02

My ds started to this at around 7-8 months. He threw up and gagged on everything. I got told by hv is was just them learning and the gag reflex will subside in time. I started going back to basics a bit though and just spoonfed him with porridge for breakfast, pureed veges and yogurt for dinners. I gradually introduced toast and things back into his diet after a couple of weeks as I didn't want him to associate meal times with being sick and getting distressed. Strangely, he has never vomited since and has hardly ever gagged since. Don't let your dp say you are beong stupid. BLW is a valid and sensible idea, thousands of us so it and in the end she will have to learn to eat chunks anyway. In my opinion, it's people who leave chunks til too late that end up with fussy eaters and kids of 18 months old who still have stage 1 jarred food!

Original poster

cafebistro · 04/10/2008 21:26

Thanks for the replies. I think I'll leave the finger food for a couple of weeks and just spoon feed. Then introduce it again. Its a shame because she had been doing well with it but the vomiting has just put me off.
She's only 7 months so I suppose it wont matter if she only has purees for a while.

OP posts:

Pheebe · 05/10/2008 08:23

Sounds like a good plan. The most importnat thing is that you're relaxed and happy about what you're doing and yes at 7 months a week or so without finger foods won't do any harm although don't leave it too long

PortAndLemon · 05/10/2008 08:40

Do it however seems best to you. FWIW DS was weaned on purees and all that meant was that we got the gagging and vomiting when we did introduce lumps/finger food.

And your DP really ought to decide on one objection to BLW and stick to it. If he doesn't like the gagging, fair enough, but it's that very sensitive gag reflex that makes them unlikely to choke, so it seems a bit harsh to be paranoid about choking as well...

theSuburbanDryad · 05/10/2008 09:14

My ds was a horrendous gagger, and didn't actually end up eating solids until he was nearly 10 months! Toast is a bit difficult to start with IMO, have you tried fingers of pitta bread or naan?

I wouldn't worry too much about spoon feeding, just let her have milk for a week and if she wants to try a bit of whatever you're having then let her!

We found things like spaghetti bolognaise and chicken noodles were a winner with ds - don't forget, at this stage, blw is more about exploring textures and small tastes than actual nutrition. Don't let anyone pressure you into feeding her solids if you don't want to. Ime it's more hassle than it's worth and will stress you and dd out!

Have you read Aitch's site? Some fantastic tips and food ideas on there.

InvisiblePsychomum · 05/10/2008 09:23

I can see that this has clearly scared and worried you, but this is a normal thing for pretty much all babies to do while weaning.......whether they be 7mths or even 18mths.

ALL my five did the retch/vomit while weaning, and more than once too, and it should not put you off.......it is a completely normal process for them to go thro while learning how to eat solid food.

Please don;t let it put you off BLW, BLW is actually a far more natural process than puree's (IMHO anyway).

Original poster

cafebistro · 05/10/2008 09:28

The reason I was keen to do BLW was because I still have awful problems getting DS who's now 3 to eat anything much. I feel that this is a result of having purreed and then mashed foods for far too long ( I did try finger foods but he refused them and then I never persevered!). If he had his way he would still be on pureed baby food. He has a real problem with textures and wont eat any food that isnt soft and 'safe'. He is a constant worry. I just give him what he wants now as I dont want food to become an issue and hope he will grow out of it. I wanted to avoid this with DD by giving her what we eat from the start. Its difficult to know what to do. I thought I was doing the best for DS by making all his meals from scratch, freezing batches ( all pureed or mashed though) and it turns out I'd probably have been better off giving him what we were having and letting him get on with it.

OP posts:

Pheebe · 05/10/2008 09:38

Weaning is a minefield. What suits one baby (and parents) won't necessarily suit another. BLW is far from a 'natural' process. In fact anthropomorphically speaking weaning on purees is the favoured approach in more primitive cultures so that argument for BLW is utter blox I'm afraid - with the greatest respect of course psychomum .

As DD is struggling with finger foods for now, follow YOUR instinct about YOUR daughter and back off with the finger foods for now and gradually reintroduce in a week or 2.

beansprout · 05/10/2008 09:40

I view choking and the odd vomit as similar to them falling over when they are learning how to walk. It's all new and a bit inevitable really as they are learning a new skill.

Pheebe · 05/10/2008 09:47

I hasten to add i have nothing against BLW at all, I think its a great way of weaning if it works. Just that there are other, just as good methods and that there's nothing inherently wrong with following the puree/finger food route

As for you DS, please don't beat yourself up, its just as likely he would have been the same even if you had tried BLW with him. You say he refused finger foods initially so what else could you have done. There are lots of things you can do to help him explore textures by making a game out of food - have colour days, get him to help you cook, get him to feed you, have guessing games (plate of diff foods and he has to close his eyes lick/taste/touch a food and guess what it is), anything to get him to explore more. I'm sure there are people about with loads more ideas, why don't you start up another thread and see

theSuburbanDryad · 05/10/2008 11:16

Hmm - depends (as always) how you define natural, really. If you watch chimpanzees, the baby chimp will just be grubbing around at its mother's feet and will eventually just pick up bits of what falls down from what she's eating - no pureeing there!

In fact - AFAIK - the only animals that "puree" food for their young are birds, and as they're not mammals it's not really applicable.

theSuburbanDryad · 05/10/2008 11:19

Also - IME - if you have a child with a strong gag reflex they will gag regardless of whether you BLW or puree and gradually add lumps. The gagging/vomiting will be a lot more scary with BLW but with a strong gag reflex it is inevitable.

The trap I fell into was thinking that ds had to be eating solids by 6 months, whereas nutritionally it's not really necessary for them to be on anything but milk until they're 1!

Natt82 · 05/10/2008 11:36

I would also suggest if you are going back to spoon feeding at 7m, dont go to puree go to mashed. At 6/7m babies dont need puree and will quickly learn to eat lumps and mashed food instead. Then you could do finger foods alongside - we do a mix of both here with my 30w old. x

InTheDollshouse · 05/10/2008 16:52

Pheebe - "primitive" cultures?

hathor26 · 24/02/2010 10:53

Listen, dont let this BLW get to u its just a damn trend which i hate now and moms should say u should not BLW if u dont want to.
I am totally against BLW, i think its stupid and moms shouldnt do it cuz other moms do it.

hathor26 · 24/02/2010 10:56

omg @ thesuburbandryad ru effin kidding me?!holding off solids til 1yr old??
i think this is a trend and also money problems cuz of the reccession break down.
like seriously? 0_o

Comewhinewithme · 24/02/2010 11:03

Longtalljosie · 24/02/2010 11:51

No, Hathor, that's not what suburbandryad said.

What are your objections to BLW? Other than it being "stupid", of course.

smallorange · 24/02/2010 12:06

I don't know anything about blw but a bit if choking and gagging was normal fir my three, even on mush.

If you want to avoid fussiness then just mush up what you usually eat and serve that. You can providebdome other stuff to chew on- I used steamed veg, cheese, apple etc

BTW don't worry about making your child fussy - some are, some aren't, I think it's to do with personality as much as anything. I have two great eaters and one fussy madam who gags on many things.

Nothing but milk til 1? Can that be true? Why do we wean at 4-6 months then? I could have gone straight to chip butties at 1!

witchwithallthetrimmings · 24/02/2010 12:14

you can also do blw with soft food does not have to be finger food. They can scoop up weetabix, anything like fish pie or rice with their hands. It is really really messy but they enjoy it

MrsBadger · 24/02/2010 12:16

Hathor, just to reassure you, this thread is 18m old, so the child in question is probably fine and SuburbanDryad is unlikely to be up for a fight.
oh, and MN generally appreciates the use of English over textspeak

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