BLW: why do I feel guilty for using a spoon at dinner tonight?

[IlanaK]

My six and half month old has been going the BLW route for a few weeks now. Tonight we had spaghettie bolognaise. Now I know that technically, I could have just plopped some on the table and let him try, but I knew he would not manage it. He only manages stuff that is chip shaped. So I cut some up small and spoon fed him. He looked really suprised at first, but not unhappy and he opened his mouth for the spoon.

So why do I feel so guilty???

Oh the shame!

Only joking - you'd have to be a real purist never to use a spoon. I spoon feed dd yoghurt and porridge. You can load the spoon and let them put it to their own mouths.

Oh the shame!

Only joking - you'd have to be a real purist never to use a spoon. I spoon feed dd yoghurt and porridge. You can load the spoon and let them put it to their own mouths.

I dunno about the guilty feeling but you'd be surprised about spaghetti. DS could grab a massive fist full and so long as he could get an end in his mouth he'd suck a nice long bit in.

In all honesty I love and totally agree with BLW and do it mostly with DD.
However, spag bol and even beans on toast has been done with a spoon now and then cos sometimes they just can't handle it.

I'm sure if you'd have left him to it then he would have managed somehow but dont feel guilty that you wanted to help him just so long as you didn't force it down his throat when he didn't want it.

I don't knwo much about blw detail but I wouldn't feel too guilty - I know its against principle of blw but you're getting him used to idea of eating with cutlery as well as by himself.
and am in awe of fact you got him eating spag bol..

He loved it actually. And when I compare to my other two at the same age (one weaned on purees from 4 month and the other weaned on purees from 6 months), there is no way they would have managed cut up spagetti and meat at that age.

The downside of BLW is that a year later, even if they're relatively competent at using a spoon themselves, they do like to pick up Each. Individual. Bean. with their fingers. Beans on toast takes hours round our house

Don't feel bad about the spoon - I felt bad for avoiding any foodstuffs that needed one!

am totally intrigued -only heard re blw since dd started and will defo look into it if I hopefully have anotehr.

Don't feel guilty - I weaned ds the blw way, after doing purees with my dds, and I would highly recommend it. However I also spoon fed him yoghurt and porridge, most other stuff he picked up and ate himself,

And don't worry about as they get older, ds is 21 months now and brilliant with fork and spoon, and hands, he uses whatever he needs, and is by far the best eater out of my three.I would definitely do it again if I had any more !

spicemonster - my DD gets a fist full of beans and sort of gets his mouth to the bottom of his hand and slowly opens it, sort of scraping the beans off into his mouth. He's been known to have another handful of beans ready while shoving the first in!.

And of course there's the pig method. Fish in one hand, chip in the other, but he wants some peas... so he just puts his head down and hoovers them off the tray! (Fish, chips and peas - failsafe pub food )

don;t worry! I did BLW but I wasn't a purist and did use spoons for certain foods. I just never shoveled it in. I think that is the key thing - that he is still in control of his intake.

Have to say, DD always shoveled spagetti in with her hands. It was a sight to beyhold

don't worry, i am trying to follow BLW but for yogurt I load the spoon and then give it to him to put in his mouth. I think feeding him once in a blue moon is not going to impede his progress too much!

Yes, I got told I wasn't truly 'baby led' because I sometimes used a spoon as ds3's appetite was much greater than his proficiency at getting food into his mouth! Once he got the hang of solid food I had a period of a couple of months where I had to spoon feed him the first part of each meal or he'd get furious with frustration at how long it took to satisfy his hunger. As his coordination and speed improved, he started doing it all by himself again. I really don't think it matters at all in the big scheme of things.

It's not the tidiest way of eating is it?

With some things, like rice, as she can't yet manage to eat it with her hands, lately I've ended up scooping some up with my fingers and showing it to her and if she opens her mouth I pop it in. So fingers instead of spoon! If I did use a spoon she'd yank it off me and the rice would fly off far far away only to be found months later under the sofa... Same principle, whatever works I say!

The only thing I'd worry about if I spoonfed a lot would be that she might decide she can't be arsed feeding herself and likes me doing it for her.. No idea if that would really happen though, and seems unlikely, given her fiercely independent "I can do it myself mummy" streak.

Oh and BTW fab your lo's eating spag bol, at 9.5 months my dd eats well but not "mixed" things like sauces, soups, stews, grr! Still on sticks of things. Shouldn't complain though as today she was picking up leaves of cooked spinach and eating them with gusto, also had loads of broccoli, but didn't want bread, cheese or banana...?? Strange child...

Nah, I wouldn't feel guilty either! DS is 11 months and we give him yoghurt and sloshy weetabix on a spoon. Also cottage cheese if he's feeling tired. I don't think any 'system' is worth adhering to 100% - you have to have flexibility.

FWIW, when I'm giving DS yoghurt on a spoon, I hold the spoon out and ask him if he wants more, rather than just plopping it in. He makes it clear that he wants more by lunging for the spoon, or turns his head away/bats the spoon away when he's had enough.