Anyone just started, or about to start, BLW? Care to join me?

[Jojay]

DS2 is 27 weeks and from last week, is now joining us a mealtimes.

I tried spoonfeeding for a few days but he didn't seem keen, so I tried him with some roasted veg and he was well away. So BLW it is for us.

But I did purees for DS1 2 years ago, so BLW is new to me.

So far he's had roasted sweet potato, carrot, aubergine, courgette, sweet pepper, some lightly steamed apple and pear, banana, mango, and a chip.

When I say 'had' I mean I've offered it to him. Some probably went straight on the floor, but I've found some lumps in his nappy, so some is definitely going in.

The mango was the biggest hit - he loved it!

So tell me what you're doing and how it's going...........

Meal times here are usually limited to about half and hour - although sometimes I do stay at the table with DD2 and DP and we let DD1 'get down' and go and watch TV if DD2 seems to still be fully involved in whatever we are eating.

Lunch times have been in the living room recently - sitting on the floor having a picnic according to DD1. DD2 sits in her Bumbo or baby chair and gobbles away.

Went out for lunch with my parents over the weekend and she was working her way through a roast dinner. DP still seems wary of handing her meat - but I just give her a chunk of whatever I am eating and she sucks away.

Pooh seems to have gone quite solid over the past few days...

I have the opposite problem - DD gets very grumbly usually after about 10 minutes and if I don't take her out of the chair starts crying. I'm not sure why - boredom? Frustration? She's still not really "eating" that much, mainly just chomping and having it fall out again. The other day we ate out in an Italian restaurant with a really comfy high chair and she was happy as anything eating gnocchi for the entire meal. So maybe the high chair isn't that comfy? (we have the cheap Ikea one). Or maybe she just has a short attention span!

Anyone else find similar problem at the start of BLW (DD's been doing it for note quite 4 weeks now - should she be "eating" more by now?)

how well can she sit KiwiPanda? dd used to get grumbly after a short time in her high chair, but since she's been able to sit up unsupported she'll happily sit in there all day! On the other hand, whenever we've eaten out she gets a bit grumpy and tends to end up sitting on my lap or in the buggy, so maybe it is to do with the comfort of the high chair - we have a Svan which looks great (it was given to us as a present - otherwise we would probably have got the ikea one too)

greensnail she's still rubbish at sitting so that might well be it! She can only sit up by herself for a few seconds before keeling over... DH and I are become quite mean about her sitting up practice, we make her do it loads of times a day! Not much sign of progress though....

I know what you mean - I'm being really mean with DD as I keep lying her down to try and make her roll - she only wants to sit and stand all the time! I'm sure they'll do it when they're ready though.

Ah greensnail our little ones should teach each other, DD loves rolling and is very efficient at getting to toys/me etc - so much so that I reckon she will have absolutely no incentive to learn to crawl... we met up with my NCT pals/babies today and she is the oldest, and almost the only one who can't yet sit

Ah, they'll get there when they're ready I'm sure. I should probably make the most of her just wanting to sit on her bum - I'm sure I'll wish she'd sit still a bit more once she learns to move about!

greensnail I would LOVE DD to sit still for a few minutes! She's a wriggly, hyperactive little thing. Clearly takes after DH as he has the attention span of a gnat and constantly wants to be running or moving. Rolling is overrated. DD is constantly having to be retrieved from under the sofa/bed/tv/comforted because she whacked her head...

Hmm, now i reread that I realise my DH has clearly not changed since he was a toddler.

haha, DH would sit on his bum all day if I let him too!

Sorry off topic. Had a revelation this morning - rice crispies mixed with greek yoghurt. I bet you're all doing it already but it was new for me...

ooh, that's a good one. Might try that in the morning

Do you think it would be safe for DD to have a little bit of brie, or should i wait a bit? Really wanted brie and something sandwich when we were out the other day but didn't want to risk it as my food is always stolen by shared with DD.

I think a lot of brie is pasteruised anyway..? You could always have it toasted?

Oh, is it ok if its been toasted then even if its not pasteurised?

Not completely sure tbh, I've just done a bit of a search and it seems to be on the avoid until they are 12m lists. Shame.

You could make a baked brie / camembert (put the cheese in its wooden box in the oven at 200) for 20 mins then dip bread etc into it. If you buy a pasteurised brie and then cook it that has got to kill the bugs?..

Oh I really fancy some brie now

Hello all. Hope the BLW's going well.

Talking of things to avoid/not avoid, what's the latest on eggs? Lots of people seem to have mentioned them but DH says he thought he read somewhere to avoid them till a year? Any ideas why - allergies?

Also, does anyone have any ideas for something healthy and filling for breakfast that's got iron in it? Would porridge have iron in it?

More generally, DD's definitely getting the hang of eating now. Lots still falls out her mouth but she's chuffing down an amazing about of DH's cooking - he's got really into it and makes lovely lentil / bean / quinoa things. He made us/her baba ganoush and she loved it, which is more than I did. Clearly my 7 month old daughter is more cosmopolitan than me...

Hello! Can I join?

My dd is 6 months on Monday so we are getting reading to do blw. High chair ready, long sleeve bibs ready, floor mat ready.

Ok, I'm off to have a read back over this thread to get some tips.

Welcome Hulla, hope you and DD have fun

Thanks for searching ijustwant8hours - I should have been less lazy and done that myself I reckon cooked, pasteurised brie should be ok as you say, I really fancy that now so maybe we'll do that for lunch tomorrow.

KiwiPanda, I'm sure i've read eggs are fine at 6 months - I think it says so in Birth to Five - so long as they're well cooked. Saying that DD has had soft boiled egg and soldiers and seems to have survived so far!

A lot of breakfast cereals have iron in them, I know weetabix does, but lots of others are fortified with iron too. Not sure about porridge. Eggs are a good source of iron too.

KiwiPanda Eggs are fine from 6 months as long as they are cooked through. Its very cute watching DS pick up teeny pieces of scrambled egg from his highchair. Another good way of cooking eggs (and easier to pick up before they have the pincer grip) is eggy bread, and its yummy too!

Good morning! Thanks for the welcome .

Can I ask how old your dcs are? Just so I can get an idea of what they're doing at what age? DD, for example, wouldn't be able to pick up scrambled egg - well she'd probably get it in her palm but not be able to get at it.

Oh good idea ChocOrange - dumb question but how you make eggy bread? Is it bread dipped in beaten egg then fried?

Hulla my DD is just over 7 months. Can sometimes by trial and error pick up small bits but I do tend to give her stuff on dippers eg hummus on rice cakes. Also she'll eat off a loaded spoon. I can see the beginnings of a pincer grip but nowhere near yet.

DD is 7 months tomorrow (can't believe it!) She sometimes manages to pick up small pieces and get them into her mouth but more often if its something she can't easily do that with, will just lean forward and stick her face in it!
KiwiPanda yes that's how I make eggy bread, someone else might have a fancy way of doing it though! Egg mayo sandwiches are popular with my DD too.

Hi
DS is 6 months on Friday and would love to do BLW. My mum, husband, in laws and even health visitor are all sceptics.
Am going to give it a try tho, was just wondering how long it took everyones LO to start eating and not just playing with food. Also how you countered the "How will he know what to do with it?" line .....

Well my dd puts everything in her mouth so it food has gone the same way. She looked a little shocked that it tasted of something tbh.

I was surprised that she knew what to do with it. I think biting pieces off was a fluke but she can chew and swallows bits (again- more surprise!).

She is chomping a piece of steamed courgette at the moment!

I do seemed to be giving her lots of things on bread - hence the courgette. I'm finding it harder than I expected to know what to give her.

hi mumtowilliam

it took DD about 2 weeks to go from playing with food to manage to actually swallow some pieces, and then probably another 2 weeks before she was consistently eating decent amounts.

We're having great fun winning the sceptics round here, my MIL is now recommending BLW to everyone . DH was always supportive though, so that was a big help. I would probably say "why shouldn't he know what to do with it...?" Babies manage to work out how to walk and talk of their own accord without anyone forcing them to - so why shouldn't they be able to work out how to eat too.

Have you offered him anything yet, or are you waiting until friday?

Hi mumtowilliam I'd also say 3 to 4 weeks before DD started eating decent amounts (and we moved to solid poo, lovely....)

And if someone asks how they know what to do, I'd point out that for thousands of years of human history babies have managed to cope without purees, food processors and Annabel bloody Karmel...!

DD's favourite foods are hummus on toast or pitta bread, avocado, banana - all things that i guess are easy to taste, "chew" etc. Scrambled eggs - or top tip from ChocOrange, eggy bread, also go down a treat.

Enjoy it - it's really fun! I love eating out with her, always seem to gather a crowd of waiters looking on (probably in horror of all the mess they'll have to clear up haha)