BLW: Why don't Health Visitors and Dieticians seem to know about or recommend it?

[SydneyB]

I am doing BLW with DS, now nearly 7 months, and he and we are really loving it. Tried it a little with DD but didn't have the confidence at the time to go with it completely. I've read a lot on here, online and also Gill Rapley's book and it all makes total sense to me. Just curious to know whether other people have been told about BLW by their HVs or GPs? I know so many people who are using purees, battling with spoons etc and fretting about how much their LOs are eating. If milk really IS the main source of nutrition until they're one why don't people seem to be told that?

My health visitor recommended I try it. She was really enthusiastic. DS2 is my third and HV said lots of third time mums fall into BLW almost by mistake as they absentmindedly hand their babies sticks of cucumber, cheese, fruit etc as the older siblings have their tea. I love the idea but my 6 month old doesn't seem interested in putting things in his mouth yet. Still, saves me from all that ice-cube tray nonsense!

My GP (who has a 8 month old baby, his first) didn't seem to know about it.

mine recommended it, but she also said bigger babies might need food sooner

my good friend is training to be a dietician. she'd never heard of it. i loaned her the rapley book when her ds turned about 4 months.

I'm thinking particularly of a friend of mine whose DS has always been on the small side. She was advised to wean early and has been battling for months with a spoon (he's 8 mths now) and she's been in a total state about it all as he doesn't really eat. I've tried to mention BLW and that not to worry because milk is the thing but she's been told by HV to increase fatty food rather than milk.

The HVs I know seem pretty clueless to be honest.

A HV I knew was horrified that I gave DS toast at 6mths. She then gave me literature which specified that you could gve finger foods at 6mths.

agree with riven - it's got a 'name' and is being made THE thing to do when feeding your babies, but it's nothing new

I talked to HV about BLW and she told me I was putting my DD's life at risk due to the choking hazard!!
She also told me that shellfish is out until at least one yr, but then gave me DoH leaflet that suggested trying shellfish from 6 months.
DD is now 7.5m and is loving her food and has really taken to BLW.
Oh, and we have given her prawns too

I agree with Riven. People have fed their children this way for years but just don't call it BLW.

I had no idea what BLW stood for and I hadn't read any of the threads because my DD is now 16 months, so past the weaning stage. I onlt started to read them properly a couple of weeks ago and YNCT is correct; I BLW my DD completely through laziness accident. Passing food to her when we were all eating around the table and generally letting her muck about with food.

Normally I wouldn't post on a subject like this, mainly because it usually ends up in some sort of argument between people with differing views; however I'm a great believer in seeing that different methods work for different mothers and babies.

But in this instance I would say my DD eats a much wider variety of food, except fruit which she won't touch (so the method is not perfect in my case)than my DS who I would say I weaned in a more 'traditional' way.

I think the fear of a baby choking is what stops most mothers giving solid finger food to babies sooner. A mother that I know is still giving slop to her 10 month old as she completely refuses to take even small lumps (IMO because she has been on purees for too long).

Like I say, I'm no expert; but it all makes sense to me.

I agree with Riven, BLW has been around for ages but has never actually been give a specific name before.

I also agree with Riven.

I did it in part, certainly from 6mths on and it was just called giving them finger foods. There was no name for it and no books written on the subject, unless you include Annabelle Carmel who suggests finger foods from 6 mths.

I was certainly advised to give a mix of textures - the only rules were about not introducing certain foods too early for babies who started weaning at 4mths as was the norm 9 yrs ago.

I guess what I'm wondering most is whether there's enough emphasis on milk being the most important thing.

I agree with Riven. Also don't like to call it Baby Led Weaning as it sounds a bit modish, a fad.

It was how weaning was done years ago before food companies had a vested interest in persuading you there were special stages to follow and, special food and equipment to buy (Hi Annabel). And that you should buy enter the market as soon as possible.

My local authority's new weaning leaflet in conjunction with the Dept of Health and NHS now is basically BLW - finger foods, family foods, self-feeding, exclusively FF/BF until 6 months - they just don't call it that.
That coupled with the fact Gill Rapley works for UNICEF certainly legitimate it in my mind. Sorry if that's sounds odd but I've encountered opposition to BLW from family/friends and I do like to remind myself that it's not an oddball, fringe activity.

I think "blw" will be of increasing interest to health professionals because obesity-related illness is a massive issue. I can't think of a better way to create over-eating habits than spoon-feeding processed food from a very early age ('come on, just one more, here comes the aeroplane'). I have seen some really adverse effects of parents (with unimpeachably good intentions - I am not blaming anyone) trying to 'control' a child's food intake or going to war over food. Or aligning eating with 'good' and 'bad' behaviour.

Sorry this is a very ranty post. I am also going to do it because I am too tight to buy Hipp and hate both butternut squash and washing up blender attachments.

Having said all that I haven't actually started yet - who knows, I may be running for the stewed apple and baby rice...

SydneyB - yes, I know some HVs who think the solution to slow weight gain is baby rice. Never more milk. Or indeed if slow weight gain over a short period is an issue at all.

Riven

The HV I had with dd 3 years ago recommended that as soon as dd was 6 months she could eat anything as long as it didn't have too much salt or sugar.
A HV I had with DS a few months ago recommended I give him baby rice at 4 months as he wasn't gaining much weight..
I only did finger foods with both of them. Great for DD who now eats a range of foods, but DS at 12 months still refuses to eat solid food
The OP struck a chord with me as I had a conversation with an acquaintance today...she had just started her 3 month-old on purees as her HV said he was showing all the signs of needing solids, which were: kicking his feet (??), weight levelling out and watching his parents eat! I didn't say anything, none of my business, but how the HV could go so forcefully against all the current guidelines is beyond me. This mum even mentioned the guidelines to the HV, who responded that they were mostly for 'third world countries'!

My DS2 is 27 wks and we've just started BLW. I went to clinic yesterday and spoke to my HV, who was very supportive but admitted she didn't know anyone who had done it. She felt that anything that kept mealtimes relaxed and stopped parents obsessing over every spoonful, had to be a good thing.

She's asked me to report back to her at intervals to tell her how we're doing and even suggeested that at a later date I mihgt want to come and speak to other mums about it at their weaning talks.

So the impression I got was, supportive and open minded but not a lot of experience yet. She didn't metion the milk thing though.

Ha! WindUpBird. My MIL said that the reason that the guidelines say 6 months is because 'they' have to have one standard across all nations and 6 months is just for people who live in 3rd world countries who can't afford to buy baby food.

Most people I know do a mixture of AK and BLW without consciously deciding. I wouldn't rigidly follow any kind of programme in terms of weaning - started off with AK as it was easy to follow and the recipes went down well and were nutritious.

Once I got comfortable with the gagging thing I started to be more adventurous. I would bet that 90% of people do something similar.

My method doesn't have a name - and as far as I know is not recommended by HVs. The reality of these things is always so much more complicated than it at first appears. One of the reasons that talking to other mothers and finding out their experiences is better than talking to a HV for five minutes every couple of weeks.

fizzpops I think your method of weaning - purees accompanied by finger food from 6 months, is just what the Department of Health recommends, and therefore should be exactly what HV's do recommend.

Jojay - I just meant that if I tried to explain exactly what I did I would find it a bit long winded and wouldn't be surprised if someone stopped listening after a while.

I find it strange that there is such an 'anti-puree' feeling with some people. Adults eat purees too and surely it is another texture, babies don't need to be constantly chewing on steak surely? I sometimes think BLW is taken to extremes (if that is the right word). Obviously all pureed food all the time would be bad but why the need to bang on all the time about how their baby grabbed a pork chop off the plate and chewed on it thereby demonstrating that feeding your baby purees is being overly cautious?

Can't help thinking these are the people that are making something which is common sense into a fad.

I suppose what I'm getting at is that food doesn't have to be a real stress. I really am not 'anti-puree' or anything. Whatever works for parent and child is obviously the best. BLW or finger food or whatever you choose to call it just takes away the stress of worrying about quantities and keeps the emphasis on milk which I think some of the 'puree' advice doesn't quite do. Together with the bad advice about bigger babies needing weaning early, they'll sleep better once they're on food etc. Interesting to hear that other people and generally professional advice in general sometimes points people in that direction.