Government guidelines on weaning

[chatname]

DS is 7.5 months and just started settling sessions at nursery.

They tell me now that giving him finger foods for a main meal would be "against government guidelines" though they think it would be ok for him to have the occasional snack of a stem of broccoli or a bit of banana or indeed a biscotti/biscotto.

As we have been doing blw at home,
-either he is going to have completely different food and modes of feeding at home and at nursery, which would be confusing
-or we give up the blw and buy a blender and some Annabel Karmel books
-or I find another nursery. Except this one is in the village where we live and there isn't another one there, we were on the waiting list 3 months before he was born, it is supposed otherwise to be rather good, it's also the creche for my husband's work and I don't know how I will get an alternative before I go back to work next week.

They are talking rubbish.
Go to Gill Rapley's website here and print off her guidelines for them to read. They are prob afraid of blw.

government definitely advocating finger foods from around 6 months
also, at 7.5 months, he should still be getting his main nourishment from milk

Ask to see the guidelines. Cos I bet they don't exist. (finger foods from 6 months iirc)

they are wrong but i would not worry too much about him being fed in two different ways at home and at nursery. so many things are different at nursery and most babies cope fine. my dd was blw but was spoon fed at nursery and she did not bat an eyelid.

if you like the nursery i would not let this issue be a deal breaker.

I did ask to see the guidelines. I also googled them and got [ www.eatwell.gov.uk/agesandstages/baby/weaning/ this] . It doesn't seem to support finger foods as an initial weaning strategy all that well. I thought there had been some government move to support blw in a more mainstream way, but I might have been wrong.

I think they are scared of choking. Thinking about it, DH and I do watch DS like a hawk when he is gumming stuff. And, though they have ratios of at least 1:3, they can't give our level of attention. And neither they nor we would want a choking accident. I hadn't really thought that one out before today.

x post with artichokes. Aha. That's what DH is saying, thanks.

Oh, and Isaidno, I lent DS's keyworker the Rapley book. She said "We can't do thst, it doesn't follow our/government guidelines". When I asked (gently) if I could see or look up the guidelines, they couldn't find them. They will try to have them for Friday.

Then another nurse said that I should ask the health visitor who would understand this better than them. The HVs were telling me to wean from 4 months (I asked our GP practice to sort that one out).

So, you see, it seems hopeless. DS will have to learn to like puree, I think.

How about the pre loaded spoon method? They put the mush on the spoon and let him feed himself? He would still have control then?

Oh, I suggested that. In fact, this morning, I brought in some Ella's Kitchen puree and some long-handled spoons DS uses to feed himself if you put the puree on the spoon. DS demonstrated how he will happily suck on the bowl of these spoons .

I think though it is going to be a bit of a work-in-progress. Maybe they will try that out another time? Or maybe it would be too difficult for them if DS is doing his own thing?

chatname - I have the same worries as you about the watching like a hawk thing, especially since the twice I have been in my nursery at lunchtime there has only been one person in the baby room and about 7 babies! I think isaidno has made a good compromise suggestion I know I will be asking them to use the pre-loaded spoon method so at least he gets to feed himself even if it is mush.
Let us know if they manage to produce these guidelines!

My DS1 was helped to eat by his CM. Not so much puree as a bit mushy as he was nearly nine months when he started and he was fine with feeding himself at home. In fact, he never let anyone else put a spoon in his mouth, including the grandmas who all tried it on at least one occasion. So really, nothing to worry about in terms of confusion. They're obviously talking shit, though .

If it's any consolation, my DS is BLW but does have the occasional spoonful of food (weetabix and yoghurt spring to mind - yes he can fist weetabix to his mouth but seems to prefer having it spooned in. He's very adamant about doing everything else himself though). He's not bothered by it and sometimes I think he quite likes to sit there and be served! I think the problem might come if your nursery staff forget that he's used to regulating his intake himself, and 'persuade' him to take more than he wants.

Can't see why they're happy for him to eat biscuits or snacks of brocolli himself but not to eat a meal like that! I presume it's down to staffing issues but it seems absurd.

Surely their staffing levels shouldn't make any difference no matter what the feeding method....if the babies are eating they need to be kept an eye on, period! Just as easy (if not more) for a puree fed baby to choke as a blw one...and if they are spoon feeding then tbh their work will be much more intensive as they need to be loading spoons etc.

I would be very surprised if they have any guidelines that legally prevent them from offering finger foods to babies over 26 weeks...and if they do they should be readily available for both staff and parents to read.

TBH it sounds like they need reminding that you are the child's parent and they should be doing what you want!

some govt guidelines here both saying finger food is fine from 6 months.