About to give BLW a go - your advice please!

[neolara]

DD2 is a week off 6 months and I'm going to give BLW a go.

Do I just stick my food on to her tray and see what happens? Or do I need to be a bit more careful about giving her foods one by one?

And will she really not gag on that banana?

Hi neolara, She may gag but she won't choke, that's the trick of it. Her gag reflex will push back any big lumps of food which slide down by accident, while you smile (fakely, obviously) and say well done! Give her big stuff initially, so she can pick it up and slobber on it/ suck it etc. When she can pick up a pea with her fingers is the time she is ready to eat a pea IYSWIM. Apart from that, just avoid the usual- salt, honey etc.

Good luck, have fun, prepare for mess and enjoy watching your babe eat real food. I loved every minute of BLW

she might actually gag on banana, mine both did, but it's no big deal. i started mine with rice cakes, steamed carrot, broccoli etc. (tbh with dd2 i just let her loose on family food from the off as i couldn't be bothered even steaming carrot for more than a couple of days).
don't put too much food on the tray, and don't hover.

neolara, I'm in exactly the same situation with DS (he's 6 months in a few days). Just got the Gill Rapley book from the library and been reading Aitch's BLW blog for ideas.

The rice cakes are the best so far (well as much as I can say after a few things). Also realising I've got to check salt content on basic stuff like bread and probably swap to another brand. Going to try him on avocado today as I'm making guacamole for us.

The salt really is the biggest issue as far as DS having what we eat. Am going to have to retrain myself with my cooking, as I can see steaming everything separately will get old very quickly.

Yes, you just put the food on the tray. With banana, try chopping it into sticks rather than little circles.

Great stuff, just be relaxed (but quietly vigilant). She may gag, if she is making a noise it is usually ok. DD would often gag, go quite red in the face, spit whatever it was out then just shove it back in again

I would try and go for just giving her a bit of what you are having (this may mean you have to adapt your diet slightly). It can be depressing when they don't touch food you have lovingly prepared especially. In fact I would say there is an inverted correlation between the amount of time you spend making something and the likelihood of them eating it

Oh and remember 'food is fun until they are one'. You kind of have to prepare yourself not to worry about how much/little they eat.

oh and get bibs with sleeves - Silybillyz thus aren't the cheapest but are the best by a long chalk

and put an old shower curtain or something down if you have carpet

Even if you don't have carpet! - If you're a slattern like me you won't want to wash the kitchen floor every 2 minutes like you'll need to otherwise .

It also means that when your LO flings some food in the floor in disgust play then you can just hand it back up again.

Thanks all. We've got stuck in.

Carrot sticks, courgette and mashed potato yesterday.

Chocolate croissant today! (She leaned over and grabbed mine so I thought I'd see what would happen.... she loved it.)