BLW support - welcome weaners old and new and mind the lentils on the floor

[JumeirahJane]

Fellow weaners,

Hope you find this, our second thread. Haven't we been chatty! The title was borrowed from the kind words with which I was welcomed onto the thread by KiwiPanda. Hope you like...

On the topic of highchairs, I also have the ubiquitous Antilop from I**A, against my better judgement, damn them. It is awfully practical, even I will admit. Just shove a folded towel under her bum before feeds, saves on cushion washing

Felt brave today and administered both avocado AND blueberry muffins in the same meal. It was worth the mess to see her grinning little face at the end.

greensnail - oops! I can see how it could read as that but no poo photos here. I'm not (quite!) that obsessed!

Day 2 and I didn't really force the issue. A bit more water drunk today but probably not so much actual food going down. I'm not bothered about that to begin with as long as he doesn't get upset and he gets the idea eventually!

I'm thinking of buying some rice cakes & breadsticks. What do you normally put on them? Philadelphia? What else?

Philly and houmous are our usuals, maybe I should branch out a bit.

Greensnail Thanks - we did try eating with her on the first day but all our attention was on her so we didn't get any food down either. We'll give it another go if/when she gets going.

Meant to add she spent about 10 minutes chewing my hair when I'd given up on the parsnips. Tempted to put the food on my head tomorrow

Hello, I haven't posted in ages, I will try and skim back over the thread if I ever find the time!

Just wanted to say, after a rocky few weeks (hence the not posting) DS is finally getting the hang of this self feeding lark! So, anyone else in the early days hang on in there! He has just turned 7 months and we started at 25 weeks. His pincer grip is just beginning to form and today he managed jacket spud and baked beans. He couldn't manage tea times peas though!

The frustration of the early days has eased and he hasn't gagged in a while. DS totally loves plum and pear, but I have to drag the skin out of his mouth after he has finished sucking the flesh off.

Right, I'm off to look out some new meal ideas for us! Hoping to be a more regular poster and catch up with you all soon.

Hello all, hi to the BLW adventurers - good luck to SES, FleeBee, HairyToe, Mrsjuan, Mcdreamy, Vezzie, Missorinoco, Mrsfossil, scotlass, Kezzabell.

FleeBee hope you're not too disheartnened, do come back and tell us how you're getting on. Even after a month, DD hasn't realised that food fills her up, so do carry on feeding milk before a meal, then she may be more interested in exploring the food.

Mrsjuan - your progress sounds so encouraging even if the ILs didn't appreciate it.

Hulla, greensnail, Sospan and Kiwi - I know your LOs are getting older, but don't go anywhere please! We still need you! Loving the applauding babies stage, and looking forward to it.

JumeirahJunior has been up to her eyeballs in aubergine and tomato sauce, nectarine quarters seem to be the fruit du jour, and jacket potatoes are the new (Kallo) rice cakes! She added grass to her menu yesterday in the park - well it does look confusingly like the basil that I give her straight off the plant.

DH finally got the hang of salvaging bits off the (scrupulously clean) floor and from under her knees, again, and again, and again. He also cleans the highchair afterwards - I offer him the choice of cleaning DD, or the chair, saying I can't vouch for the contents of her nappy - haha. He chickens out every time

He also made a lovely batch of red cabbage the other day, and at the last minute remembered he'd put in a spoon of honey - in his enthusiasm he had forgotten, and was very very sorry. We didn't risk her with it in the end.

Something round here smells cloyingly sweet and spicy, though I can't quite pinpoint the source - I suspect DH and his amazing egg custard. Unless it's the baby???

I feel inspired to make fruit bread today - ciao Bon appetit all. See you next week.

Leftangle - I second what greensnail said - keep on making it fun, and make her part of your family meals, and she'll eat when ready. Squishing and singing to food are all part of finding out what food is all about

Mrsj - expect the unexpected poo-wise. It changes day to day, week to week (as it does in an adult I suppose). DD has fibre days, and then stodge days, and it does show :-P

Day 4: tried her with carrot but nothing went in her mouth. Unless she got something from sucking her carrot smeared sleeve between lunchtime and changing. Still I tried some of her cold overcooked carrot and couldn't find much enthusiasm for it either. Hoping Gill Rapleys book will come soon from Amazon. I am worried that she remembers all the gagging from the first day, though she didn't seem too bothered at the time, and is now put off from putting the food in her mouth???
Got to start getting some food into her soon as she is waking up constantly and so hungry at the moment I'm afraid my bfing is not enough any longer.

Hello all, just watching DD tuck in some apple slices - a joy to watch

Can I ask what you give your babies for breakfast apart from toast?

Also any fantastic finger food recipes or books you could recommend - I'm feeling creative

McDreamy. I a beginner at all this but so far I have given DD fruit, ready brek and shredded wheat bite size for breakfast.

With the ready brek I loaded the spoon and she put it in her mouth (and ear and hair!). With the shredded wheat I put them in some warm milk for about 30 secs then onto her tray so she could pick them up.

Mcdreamy - I'm only on day 4 and haven't attempted breakfast yet. However I'm thinking of cooking myself a bowl of porridge some mornings and giving DS some (before I add the lashings of golden syrup!)
mrsjuan - I also like your bite size shredded wheat idea.

Leftangle - we're both very early on with all this aren't we? I'm trying not to get too hung up on how much DS actually ingests but it's hard not to focus on that. Today I tried to have the attitude more of "this is fun!" Nd he did immediately shove some carrot in his mouth and give me a big smile. That was as good as it got though really!

leftangle I very much doubt she's worried by the gagging. Gagging is a good thing as it protects them against choking and babies honestly don't seem worried by it. You possibly don't want to hear this, but the food is going to make very little difference to her hunger for a while - a bit of carrot is nothing compared to all the wonderful milk you're giving her. Milk is honestly still the best thing for her hunger.
I know you said you tried eating with her on day 1, but I would suggest trying that again - just pop a bit of whatever you're having that's appropriate in front of her and try to leave her to get on with it while you eat yours. My DD has always eaten best when there isn't too much attention on her, and her first tastes (brocolli) happenned at a busy family meal when everyone was so deep in conversation we didn't initially notice what she was doing.

McDreamy DD's breakfast is usually whatever cereal i'm having and some fruit. Have never really worried about finger food recipes, DD just has whatever we're eating - but have you tried Hulla's pancakes?

Hello all. DS turned 6 months at the weekend so have rolled out the finger food this week. My lordy, I am so twitchy that he is going to choke. He had steamed carrot sticks, baby corn, baby asparagus spears and sliced red pepper and he rammed them boldly into his mouth, two sticks at a time, only to repeatedly give himself the headstaggers from gaggging which did nothing for my nerves although it didn't seem to bother him too much.

I think he managed to actually eat a little bit but he was getting quite frustrated with it and having a bit of a moan while grabbing at the grub. Gave him some homemade yoghurt with steamed apple afters (with a spoon I confess). I let him have the loaded spoon anytime he made a grab for it which went straight in the mouth but he let me just spoon about half of it in and snarfed the lot.

Am so nervous when he gets a big lump of veg in his mouth - please say it gets a bit easier.

Day 5 and banana again. Took your advice and left some skin on for a handle. She picked it up ok and got a tiny bit in her mouth then gagged and threw up again - milk not just banana. Oh well - send me good vibes please for tomorrows attempt.

Pretty much a failed attempt here today Leftangle too. Think I'd left it too late and he was just tired. He did put some in his mouth but I'd be suprised if any actually went down.
Tomorrow I have a KIT day with work ( don't particularly want to go ) so it'll be down to DH who is WFH. Could be fun!

eager yes, it gets easier very quickly. By about 7.5 months they really have the hang of it (mine did anyway!)
I'd recommend Hulla pancakes as breakfast too. Made them with banana this morning and they were great, very sweet. Plum was OK too.

Hi everyone, have been away for a while as rl took over from MN!
DS was doing great with his BLW but over the last 2 weeks has had a succession of coughs and cold and has totally lost interest. Am really hoping it's just because he is off colour, am still offering him food but he's only interested in Organix carrot sticks
Have been inspired to try Hulla's pancakes, will have to trawl back through the thread to find the recipe!

Well, tried the banana this morning with a bit of skin left on as suggested on here and this was a major success - he loved in and actually ate quite a big piece of it.

However I also had a BLW accident. I picked up DS to go and hose him down give him as wash as he was coated in the Papaya that he also had for brekkie (it liquified in his hand which left him both well narked off and coated in orange gloop) and a lump of Papaya fell off him which I promply trod and skidded on. I did a scoobie style scamble on the spot trying to avoid falling down/dropping Babybeagle. Babybeagle meanwhile nearly flipped backwards out of my arms (he's clearly a flexible kid) and now one of my toes has gone a horrid purple colour where it crunched into the floor.

Hi everyone. I'm a BLW newbie.

I fed mush to DD as a baby and watched her turn into the nightmare food refusenik she is today, aged 4. Baby DS is nearly 6 months old, and I'm determined not to make the same mistakes with him so willing to try BLW.

Could someone tell me when would be a good time to start BLW and which foods are best to start with?

Am a v intermittent visitor to this thread but just need to have a small rant to people who will understand. DD has been blw from 6.5 months, hardly ever 'fed' anything except where we help her with porridge or yogurt. Now 11.5 months [where did my baby go?]

Had her first half day at nursery today, the point being that she would experience lunch in a group setting. To cut a long story short, they forgot to make any lunch for her , and then what they did provide was a bowl of gloopy stuff and a spoon . Which she looked at and wailed, having been sat hungrily waiting while the other kids were being fed.

What was the point of me filling in the form that says "I feed myself, I eat finger foods, I do not have puree"...? Fortunately we had some leftovers from yesterday that we had on getting home, she picked things up very neatly and ate quite happily. But honestly, a bowl of stuff that wasn't even mashed so much as blitzed. Grrrr.

Hello CoteDAzur. NOW is the best time to start BLW (unless he was a premmie, in which case your paediatrician should advise), as he should now be capable of sitting upright in a highchair by himself, and reaches and grasps for things and explores them with his mouth. A baby's gut is also well enough developed by now to cope with many types of food.

You could start with anything that can easily be held by tiny hands (fist grasp, the pincer grip comes later) - quarters of soft fruit skin on eg pear, peach, plum, or for a bit of texture, rice cakes/breadsticks dipped in yogurt/hummus/veg dip. Don't be afraid of the spice. The more experienced mums have given us some fab ideas - see below - including Hulla's famous easy pancakes. Remember - no salt, no honey, no whole nuts and you're good to go.

If you're not already bored of us saying it, the Gill Rapley book is a handy for reference/reassurance. The main thing I found keep me on track is to remember that it's all about giving baby control over his food and appetite, and early involvement in family mealtimes.

Bon appetit BabyAzur. We look forward to reading about your first adventures in food .

jumpjockey oh that's so . How could they forget a child? Give them what for and hopefully they'll remember tomorrow and help her to settle in. Hope DD wasn't upset by this herself?

Today, DD reached over and snaffled a piece of my peanut butter toast and eek, some definitely went in. But nothing went wrong, so I guess that's that out of the way - phew Another milestone, tonight she went to sleep in her own room for the first time, and I'm a nervous wreck.

Eagerbeagle that sounds nasty, hope your toe is okay!
DS still not interested in food but is really chesty if not improved by the weekend shall take him to the Dr but was told last time I was a worrywart

Got excited about trying Hulla's pancakes and then realised I don't have a food processor, do I really need one to make them?

Hi Everyone!

I hope you don't mind if I join in too. I'm Canadian but BLW doesn't seem to be very common here. I had read a little about it before my DS was ready to start solids, and had decided to let him play with his puree and chunks of solid food, but still started with puree because that's what everyone here seems to do. Anyway, after 4 weeks of trying my son still would hardly take anything off a spoon, (despite trying many different things) and spit out almost everything that he did accept. I started to hate having to wean him and was wishing that I could just keep EBF him. I started to realize that the only things he did enjoy eating were the solids that he could feed himself, 1/2 a rice cake, chunk of banana, cheerios. The kicker finally came when I gave him 1/2 a cold burger and he chomped down on it. He is now 7 months and we've been doing BLW for about 1.5 weeks. He still doesn't swallow too much, but it's been a great change for both of us, even taking him out to a restaurant was heaven because he was so interested in feeding himself.

ceb I use a hand whisk to make the Hulla pancakes. If you grated the apple first and beat the egg, I reckon you could mix it all with a fork. I add a splash of milk too to make it wetter.

maple welcome. I had a similar start to you, with my mum 'showing' me how to do purees when poor BB was only 4.5 months - a disaster - and then I found BLW when he was nearly 6 months. BB is now 11 months and it is great. The only downside is I still get to be a total gannet as he is so happy feeding himself, and can eat for ages! But I am still BFing, so that's how I justify it....hmmm, half a pack of choccie brownies today?!?!

Does anyone know what to do with pomegranate? I have two in my veg box. I thought they were swedes to start with - now that would be an interesting Sunday dinner.