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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Original poster

This BLW thing is FUN!

28 replies

lisianthus · 01/02/2010 10:25

I was a little nervous about starting, but we just started with a first try of banana sticks, a few blackberries and some fig quarters. DD loved it! It was hilariously fun and messy, and DD and I will be off to the shops shortly to stock up on things like broccoli, carrots, hummous and the makings for meatballs.

No doubt you will see me back on here when we have hiccups along the way, but thanks everyone for all the ideas for food and the encouragement to try this. To anyone hesitating as I was - give it a go, just for the fun factor. It gave DD a great new way to play.

Btw, sorry if the spacing here is odd, DD likes to have a go at typing and I think the settings have changed somehow.

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babber · 01/02/2010 11:59

I agree! I have been meaning to start a similar thread actually as I am a complete advocate for BLW now! I had actually never heard of it until I found MN so am forever grateful for that ? it appealed to my lazy side as I didn?t know how I was ever going to find time and enthusiasm to make purees? also, the thought of DS? first food being baby rice made me sad as it looks so unappetising?
So anyway, DS is 12 months now and has an amazing appetite and repertoire of foods he has tried? I have yet to find something he doesn?t like although his faves are cheesy mash, omelettes, lentil curry and peas. Yes, its messy, and it takes a little while to get going? but it certainly is fun watching him discover food for himself and the fact that we all sit down together to eat so he really joins in with meal times?

Comewhinewithme · 01/02/2010 12:02

I know I love it too I did the norma weaning thing with my other dc but decided to give BLW a go with dd.
We have lots of fun and her favourites atm are grated cheese ,crumpets and watermelon.

Original poster
lisianthus · 01/02/2010 14:04

ooh! I am going to pinch your food ideas too! I particularly like the crumpet idea as I love crumpets myself. Thanks!

Second go with lunch just then - apple (DD approved) and some of the sweet potato and chicken stew thing I was eating. DD strongly disapproved of that, gave me an "I can't believe you are making me eat this stuff" look, spat it all over her front and then wiped the rest off her mouth and tongue with both hands. heh. will have to keep trying.

Are you bothering with bibs? I have been given a bunch of them, but haven't used them as DD gets food all over her outfit and down her neck anyway, so a bib would just be an extra thing to wash.

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Comewhinewithme · 01/02/2010 14:07

I have been using muslins rather than bibs they cover more and she is very very messy.

The crumpets are great although she just lovingly wiped one covered in tomato soup down my arm .

Comewhinewithme · 01/02/2010 14:11

I haven't tried dd with apple yet she likes plums and bananas.
The watermelon is so funny though she goes crazy when she sees it.
I love the WTF face when you give them something they are not too sure of at first .

hobbgoblin10 · 01/02/2010 14:13

I love it too!

I am a littlw worried that DD only likes naughty stuff as she turned up her nose at broccoli florets but is very up for trifle, baguettes, salmon mousse, chilli con carne, parma ham and machego cheese...ANY cheese actually.

Banana successful, along with grapes and cranberries but I have to hold those for her to take bites otherwise she'd munch the whole thing and possibly choke (??)

Is that allowed? I think probably not if strictly going by the 'if they can feed it to themselves' thing but we are a bit limited by that as she can't have anything sloppy otherwise.

Comewhinewithme · 01/02/2010 14:15

I hold some stuff for her too Hobgoblin.
I also spoonfeed her at breakfast and gave her some soup aswell as fingerfood for lunch I think you just go along with what works for you.

hobbgoblin10 · 01/02/2010 14:26

Ahh, that's good to hear cwwm.

I made porridge for all 4 DC the other day and felt bad for feeding DD2 hers from a spoon.

I was never a rice cakes, carrot batons mother to the other DC so thought I'd make more effort with new baby. So, we gave her a rice cake and she looked at us as though we were asking her to eat polystyrene.

I think my DC are hard wired to like puddings, just as their mother. Sadly, it's only me that becomes fat as result.

HerMomminess · 01/02/2010 20:13

Howdy, You ladies have made me lol! We are having loads of fun here too. Couscous got the 'WTF' (in baby terms) look. However-yoghurt biiig thumbs up. She holds the spoo& I load it up. Hilarious.

She also discovered rice pudding when over at a friends' for lunch. Her face told a million tales..of delight.

As for bibs: the long sleeved ones are great; got some from Tescos/SAinsb.Otherwise Silly Billys
like these

I have felt 'guilty' bout holding slippy food for her, then realised it is ridiculous- she gets frustrated when unable to pick something up when too mucky. (However I got told off by a BLW purist friend

HaveToWearHeels · 01/02/2010 21:43

oh this thread has got me all excited about BLW, DD is 20 weeks this week and I have just started researching. This has inspired me, I am imagining the excitement on discovering all those new flavours.

Original poster
lisianthus · 02/02/2010 17:13

I've held up things as well, to kick off her getting the idea of what to do with it IYSWIM. Also the blackberries at the start. However, DD has now realised that the correct way to eat a blackberry is to squash it in one's fist and then smear it all over one's face and chest, so that's OK then.

I'll have to try rice pudding. I have some left over in the fridge as I have been checking out that Fast Easy Desserts book of Nigel Slater's. I'd forgotten that it was so easy to make!

Can anyone remember what fish is OK? I can't find anything about it in the book, but I think oily fish like mackerel you have to be careful of due to mercury (or something). I have salmon and cod in the freezer, and am assuming that they will be OK (particularly given that most of it will wind up on the floor anyway) but can anyone remind me?

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Original poster
lisianthus · 02/02/2010 17:15

Just saw the fish thread below, so salmon/cod seems OK. Phew!

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TaurielTest · 02/02/2010 17:25

Love it too! I was so happy the other day when my lovely but quite judgey aunt said "it's brilliant how sociable and adventurous DS is about food and meals together, I suppose it's this 'self-weaning' thing, I must say when you announced you were going to do that I thought 'hmmph we'll see how long that lasts', but now I tell everyone that they should try it".

hobgoblin grapes should be fine but I still halve them and cherry tomatoes just in case they get inhaled. delighted to hear mine is not the only BLW broccoli refusenik.

mamaduckbone · 02/02/2010 20:59

I vote for bibs with sleeves as well...really big 12month+ ones so the front kind of folds up inside the high chair and catches bits!

We're having fun too. Ds2's favourite food at the moment is sweet potato - he had his face on the high chair tray tonight trying to get it in! I roasted a load of veg with chicken and it was great seeing him choose which bits he wanted (sweet potato and parsnip yeay, chicken bleurgh)

Cream cheese on toast - in fact anything involving toast - gets a big thumbs up too, and if I peel the top half of a pear and let him hold the fat, unpeeled part he goes at it like a machine!!!

I can't believe I was spending my life pureeing recipes that I'd made especially for ds1 at this age.

Don't be too sorry about broccoli refusal - the bits get everywhere and look particularly vile when they come out the other end (sorry TMI)

mamaduckbone · 02/02/2010 21:00

lisianthus - ds enjoyed some of the cod from our fish and chips the other Saturday - in big flakes and minus the batter of course!

mamaduckbone · 02/02/2010 21:02

Hi HerMomminess - how goes it with you?

Comewhinewithme · 02/02/2010 23:04

DD discovered tomatoes today cut into quarters she really loved them.

Her main meal tonight was homemade chicken kebabs and it was the first time we had a clean dish.

babber · 03/02/2010 10:35

About the broccoli refusal... my DS wasn't sure about it at all to begin with but now he absolutely loves it! I recommend trying again with stuff they don't seem to like to begin with as there were a few things he didn't go for then but eats now...

Original poster
lisianthus · 03/02/2010 18:30

Thanks mamaduckbone- I shall definitely give it a try then!

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HerMomminess · 04/02/2010 11:06

Goes ok here! This weaning lark is entertaining, eh. Dare I ask how sleep is at your end??

Just an/ idea/ warning: stewed some frozen berries and added it to plain yoghurt the other day. Went down a treat. HOWEVER: I nearly collapsed when I change her nappy the enxt day. A glorious shade of purple/grey. OMG.

As for going out: look at http://www.kiddopotamus.co.uk/index1.html these. Great invention when they don' t want to sit in high chair.

HerMomminess · 04/02/2010 11:08

Sorry- stuffed up the link. Also- you can get them cheaper on ebay etc.

here it is!

Original poster
lisianthus · 06/02/2010 17:23

I've lost a kilo by doing BLW! (Have been sharing DD's food for breakfast and lunch, but eating later with DH for dinner) No idea why, I don't think I've cut down on the amount I'm eating at all. Perhaps it's all the extra fruit.

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mamaduckbone · 06/02/2010 21:14

I'm sure I'm going t'other way lisianthus - making yummy porridge, cauliflower cheese etc. with full fat milk for ds and wolfing it myself too .

HerMomminess · 06/02/2010 22:22

Yip...I think I' m with mama. All my good intentions out the window with full fat milk. Suddenly realise how dangerous 'kidies leftovers' are.

Original poster
lisianthus · 07/02/2010 10:47

Well, this week I start the harder stuff to eat like porridge and cauliflower cheese- yum! So the kilo has probably just gone off to find some friends to bring home with it ...

Kicked off with scrambled egg last night.

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