BLW - not to start a food fight, but...

[bohemianbint]

...have been reading Gill Rapley's book, and studied BLW when I was doing my BF counselling and here's the thing;

DS is 23.5 weeks, can sit up without help, can take food off my plate and get it to his mouth. I was determined to get to 26wks, but the other day I thought, sod it, let's see if he really can get something in his mouth, and he can. So in theory, does that mean he's ready? He hasn't eaten anything, but has had a suck on a bit of apple and carrot and seemed to really enjoy it. According to the signs he's ready - and I was wondering, come midnight on the eve of week 26 can't be an absolute for all babies, can it? I know it's a guideline and an ideal, but if he can get food into his mouth, should I really be stopping him because it isn't February the 21st?

I actually agree with you - sort of. DS was early. He started having solid food when he nicked some at five and a half months, but that means he was really five months adjusted for prematurity. So I guess it does depend. Also DS couldn't sit up without help for more than a minute at six months old - he's only just got it now (a month later).

That was Gill Rapleys research premise - that if babies were left to get on with it, when would they self feed. As it turns out, that was around the 6 months mark, and gut maturity happens somewhere between 17 and 26 weeks - but no one knows when for a particular baby.

I don't think there's any harm in chucking some fruit or veg on his tray and seeing what he does with it, but it's probable that he won't chew and move it to the back of his mouth for a bit longer - thats the last link in the eating chain, and the hardest to determine without offering

it's just that somewhere in the book, Gill Rapley says that parents wouldn't stop a child from walking if they were trying to, and I thought, well, is this any different? Why put an arbitary date on it if the emphasis is letting the baby take the lead? I totally understand the reasons behind not weaning early, but surely all babies are different, and a couple of weeks probably don't make that much difference if he's showing signs of being ready, do they? Just pondering...

I think I might just put a few things in front of him and see if he wants to do anything with them - he's teething chronically and I think celery has some compund in it which works as an anaesthetic, if nothing else...

I am BLWing DS and he decided he wanted some toast at 24 weeks when he took it out of my hand. I too wanted to wait until 26 weeks, but he had other ideas and I kind of thought well like everything else he hasn't read the same books as me so he knows when he is ready. He is now 7.5 months and eats whatever you put in front of him

I reckon if they have the manual dexterity to nick my dinner, they can probably cope with chewing and swallowing .

I'd go for it, the biggest thing I'd wait for is sitting unaided, if they can feed themselves, then just provide the safe opportunities for self-feeding. I'd just start with vegetables gently cooked (steamed or roasted).

it's fine. they won't eat a huge amount anyway. different to spooning it in.

I don't think she says you must wait until the stroke of midnight on the eve of their 6 month birthday, does she? Correct me if I'm wrong. Doesn't she say around six months with the other signs (sitting up, able to pick up food and put it in their mouth, head control).

GR actually says you could start BLW from birth - i.e. only when they are developmentally able to eat food, they will - this tends to be around the age of 6 months, i.e. some a bit before, some after.

My DS was 20 weeks (although he was born at almost 43 weeks gestation, so maybe slightly more mature?) when he started taking bits of food from my plate and sucking on them. Very gradually introduced a bit of puree (he wasn't BLW - I did my own version of weaning, on purees and finger foods from day one). I know I was supposed to wait until 26 weeks, but honestly, I couldn't see how a bit of banana stolen from my plate was going to harm him, really. He never ate that much until around 7-8 mths, to be honest, and was still a complete milk monster. I think he just found the tastes and textures interesting.

macaco - in the Q&A bit there's a question along the lines of; "my child is 5 months, is it too soon" and the answer was (paraphrased) "almost certainly."

There's certain things that if I give him now they'll just be to explore, rather than eat, so am just going to let him lead and see what he does!

DD is exactly the same age 23.5 weeks and doing exactly the same thing. I was hoping not to have to wean til later (have a 2.7 mo and a dog to deal with as it is!) but it looks like she has other ideas. She stole cucumber slices a week ago and since then has stolen banana, rice and lettuce.
Going to BLW slowly..doubt much'll go down anyway.

kateecass, you might not have to worry so much about the dog if you do BLW!

kateecass - my dd was doing that as well - trying to steal food - I had to make a concerted effort for her not to eat anything before 6 months which seems ridiculous when looked at like that but I'm pleased I did it.

Am not in any hurry for this (last) one to grow up.

BB - funnily enough my ds started stealing food at around that time, so I offered him sticks of melon, carrot, sweet potato and banana at around 23 weeks. TBH he was mostly playing with it, nibbling and tasting it, he didn't really start ingesting until around 27 weeks.

HTH