Can you BLW and spoon feed?!

[ndavy]

Hi, I'm relly interested in BLW for my 4 month old son (obviously not yet, but when we eventually start to wean him). My husband wanted to know if we could do the usual BLW stuff and give him purees? I don't see the point as one thing that appeals to me about BLW is the not needing to puree! Has anyone done both? Can you do both? Is there a point in doing both?!

Any advice and opinions would be great. Thanks.

I did purees alongside finger foods so that my lo's were getting spoonfood while also getting used to handling food themselves. It doesnt have to be one way or the other as a mix of methods is fine too if that is what works for you.

The thing is, BLW (as I understand it) is about the baby leading the process and exploring at their own pace. If you are spoon feeding them purees...well, that isn't baby led!

I personally don't see the point in doing both. We had an over eager HV who told me to start weaning DS at 5 months, and I got scared and started trying baby rice and pureed carrots. DS hated it, and I hated it. Carrots went everywhere (was actually messier than BLW!) and DS was frustrated with me trying to stick stuff in his mouth. He is so much happier doing it himself.

Why does your husband think purees are necessary?

Yes, I did both because I got a bit impatient with dd flinging bits of broccoli about and putting none in her month.

So we did purees for one meal and blw for the other IIRC. DD was quite eager to grab the spoon so the puree feeding was a bit baby-led, IYSWIM. Wow I'm all about the acronyms today.

Anyway I don't see what's wrong with learning new flavours as well as textures (if not at the same time). You should do what you want, however.

Purees are totally unnecssary.

I think it makes sense to let baby lead the first couple of months. Then again I mostly gave DD finger foods or rather just cut everything in small chunks that she picked and ate. I drew a line at porridge though, so she was spoon fed that. If you're having soup it makes more sense IMO to spoon feed the baby than having to cook separately for her, for example.

I never felt I was forcing food down DD's throat ( you can easily spot the moment when she had enough) and now at 13 m she's been using the spoon herself for 3 months at least.

I think a compromise is fine- it's more about not forcing a huge plate of food into newly weaned baby, as they might not be ready for that. Spoon-feeding semi-liquid breakfast will not damage her (a bit after she's comfortable with fair amount of food).

Purees don't really serve any purpose. Baby will be fine on mushy foods like bananas, avocados, stewed apple chunks, bread, cheese, cooked veggies, pasta, fish etc for a first few months.

*unnecessary

I do both. BLW is all fun and games, but I feel that she uses her mouth and is getting a good idea about food from the smoosh too.

Eating finger foods and eating smoosh from a spoon are completely different things that require different mouth movements.

When I began BLW-ing my DS he was happy to feed himself but would also pull my hand to his mouth in order to get at the chunks of food quicker.

So I spoon feed when the texture of the food is too mushy or bitty (shepards pie) or liquid (soup, yogurt, porridge) for bubs to handle or when bubs wants to get the food in quicker.

The BLW book ignores the fact that some babies like to be fed. And that feeding your baby with a spoon can be a lovely bit of communication and cooperation, which I am sure is very educational too. A 6 month old is also perfectly capable of letting you know when they have had enough.

When I started blw I did spoon feed stuff like baby porridge and yogurt. I think I was a bit paranoid about making sure she had food and was still hung-up from my elder dc's who were spoonfed from 4 months.
Now at 18 months she has started using her own cutlery so I let her try with the yogurts and then step in before she flings it everywhere.
I wouldn't give pureed carrots as well as whole carrots. Once your dh sees her making her own choices and feeding herself he will be hooked and relieved that you are not making all your bowls orange from pureed carrot

The big advantage of doing both ime is your baby can join in a family meal if it is something sloppy and if its something you can hold. If you make too much of something its easy to mush it down and freeze it in portions for the baby to have when nobody else in the famlily is eating.
The puree stage dosn't exist now in the way it did when 16 weeks was the recomended weaning age. People used to give mashed carrot and baby rice for a few weeks before their baby was ready to have family meals at 6 months, but as most babies are weaned at 6 months now anyway I think most people accelerate fairly quickly towards all eating the same food and presenting it in the way that is easiest for the baby.

I'm starting to do both. DS has been on purees for a few weeks, but he liked having some plain bread in his hand yesterday, so I'm going to give him a variety. And I'm not going to call it baby led weaning, either- I'm calling it Bessie Led Weaning

I was much more purist about BLW in the first month or so - I wanted to be sure DD led the weaning process. Now she's on her way, I do spoon her porridge and today when we were out shopping in London, she had her first ever jar of babyfood on the train on the way home. It was handy and kept her occupied. But I won't be doing it that often.