BLW - should I just go along with this?

[IlanaK]

My ds is now almost 8 months old. We started BLW at around 6 months. He took to it well, shoved food in his mouth, his poos changed within a week.

For the last few weeks though, he does not want to feed himself. We used a spoon a few times a starting a few weeks ago for really difficult to eat things like soup and bolognaise. Anyway, now he wants to be spoon fed. He drops anything I give him to hold and will stare at the bowl and spoon and make unhappy noises until I feed him. He opens his mouth and waits for me to put the spoon in!

He will hold some things. He loves lebanese cucumbers and holds sticks of these and devours them. He will also hold and eat some fruit like mango. But he used to hold and eat roast veg, suck on meat, toast sticks, etc. He will do none of this now. However, if I put a piece in his mouth (so same food just a bit broken off and popped into his mouth) he is happy.

I have been going along with this thinking it is ust one of the phases of weaning (he is ds3 but the other two were spoon fed). But there is no sign of it ending. I have tried just putting the food on the table and leaving him to get on with it, but he gets very unhappy.

Any thoughts?

Go with it, but only give him half what you would normally and put the rest on his tray. If he picks it up he gets extra, if not he gets hungry. He'll soon learn this isn't the best game. Most of all, pay absolutely no attention to him if he makes a big fuss, just wait till he's calm and then feed him. Don't be loud and exciting (they like that) DS is 8 months and regularly hurls cups of water on the floor because he knows it made Granny scream when he did it last week .

I would go with it to, however I am not a BLW "purist" .
DSs1 and 2 were spoonfed and with DS3 I have been doing a combination of BLW (great fun!) and purees (I love pureeing ) and he seems to have phases were he prefers one or the other.
He is now almost 1 year and currently prefers to feed himself, except for yoghurt - just as well really!
He had a loooong phase at around 9 month were everything HAD to be spoonfed incl pieces of banana; a bit silly, but it did not last.
BTW, the other two now aged 5 and 6 yrs are good eaters who will eat almost everything (yucky muchrooms easy to avoid), so IMO the most important thing is to offer a variety of tastes and textures and not necessarily HOW food is delivered, IYKWIM.
Like I said, I am not a purist .
I am sure your DS will soon rediscover the joys of independence .

My DS is the same when we have yoghurt, he could eat one in about 5 seconds flat as he just opens his mouth almost as soon as I take the spoon out. If I load the spoon for him and give it to him he gets frustrated but put his toast on the tray and he swipes it up and feeds himself. I haven't seen the harm so far in the two methods.

how about a baby that doesn't like getting their hands messy? I was a purée-er with DS1 and with DS2 the same at first. He loves finger foods that are not messy but as soon as it is something in a sauce he hates it, freaks and flings.

I am the same so I know it is a character trait and DS1 was the same.

How do I get around this? DS1 is a happy adventurous eater now but I don't recall how he got through this stage.

I don't think its a mess thing. He doesn't mind getting messy. I think he just wants the food fast and is not good enough at it yet.

I disagree. He shows a face that is repulsed if something sticks to his hand and frantically tries to get it off.

I am the same about any food on my hands (yes, weaning is a nightmare here) but I managed it in the end with a DS1 with the same issue.

Such a pain though!

Sorry, I was refering to my baby not yours! My baby does not mind mess - I am sure of that.