***Just about to start Baby-led Weaning*** Join Me to share experiences !!

[FluffyFrog]

I have a 20 week old and am planning on starting BLW around the end of May ish. Have been reading the Gill Rapley Book but would be great to get some ideas from others and share a few experiences. We will probably start in the next 4-6 weeks. Is there anyone else around starting at the same time that wants to join me on this thread ?

Fruji - 'mad hippies' made me giggle !!!

Eggy Bread - crack an egg and mix white/yolk together in a bowl. I use thick white sliced bread usually and cut it into half. Put in mixture and leave for a minute to let egg soak through, turn over and do the same on the other side (I usually give it a good push around to get it as soaked through as possible). Heat oil or butter in frying pan until quite hot then fry on both sides until golden brown and cooked through. It should sort of be spongy when you push down on it. Leave to cool a bit before serving. I cut it into fingers (like toast soldiers). When I cook it like this I find its more rubbery in texture than soggy.

I've had a few wobbles over blw since starting but at the moment am really, really enjoying it and am glad that I have stuck with it. I think DD is starting to get the hang of swallowing bit now providing the food isn't too big! I am also starting to cook better and am much more aware of what I am eating which is no bad thing as I need to lose tons of weight.

Ahh, thanks Hendo, I put milk in mine which is why it ended up so soggy.

fruji my dad and his wife think I am a raging hippy too . They live miles away though so haven't actually seen DD eating. Going back in a few weeks and am dreading the comments already. Can't offer any help with the dropping things I'm afraid but sure it must be a phase. DD is currently into rocking and banging, esp when she has had enough.

Hi all

So we are still using a mix of puree and finger food (sorry!), but in terms of finger food pear and banana are particularly successful but most other things are much less exciting than looking out of the window...

Perhaps an odd question....Does anyone else have a DC who things that blowing raspberries when food is in their mouth (purees or finger food) is hilarious, so much so that anything that goes in the mouth basically comes straight out again? Is this a hint that DS does not like that food? Sometimes he does this and then refuses to eat anymore. Other times he does it and will eat more but usually really slowly. And it makes one hell of a mess................

Oh yes, raspberry blowing is hilarious here too. I think actually that it is DDs way of getting food out of her mouth. She can now chew very well, but sometimes ends up with too much in her mouth, moves it to the front and then it all comes out. She also demands the sippy cup of water, drinks from it, pushes it away then spits all the water out with a raspberry then grins up at me!

The only thing I think DD hasn't liked so far is avocado - we've tried it twice and both time she put it to her lip then wouldn't let it in her mouth (with the obligatory raspberry obviously!) but this seemed different to her putting it in her mouth, then raspberrying it out. HOpe that makes some kind of sense...

Thanks for porridge pancake recipe jemjabella.

Hopefully the throwing things on the floor is just a phase fruji. Loved the mad hippies comment hehe. My MIL came last week and spent the whole time staring at DS while he ate saying I'm worried he's going to choke. Ended up saying if he does, he does as we all do from time to time. Slight heart stopping moment yesterday when he bit of a big piece of chicken and decided to add more courgette while that was still in his mouth. However he didn't choke and it didn't reappear so must have been swallowed .

Thanks for the eggy bread suggestion hendo - I made it today and it went down very well with both DS and me!

what are you all doing for lunch?

Wow, I was brave and gave my DD some meat - meatballs in an Italian type sauce. She loved them - sucked and gummed them for ages with gusto. She seemed to get a little frustrated at one point - I think she wanted to swallow the whole thing and was frustrated that she couldn't! Not sure if she actually ate any of it, but it was great fun (and made a hideous mess...).

Hi everybody, been on holiday - no internet - up in the highlands of scotland in a campervan . BLW came into its own - finger picnic food for DS as no way to faff about in campervan, but he is loving it!

Loving all the stories about throwing things - i suppose if they get it out of their systems now they won't want to do it later. DS loves chucking things off the side and then looking over and seeing where they are .

Much less mess at SOME mealtimes - he had an egg and baked beans the other day and only dropped two baked beans on the floor! so proud .

DS also went through a phase of blowing raspberrys, with meatballs in particular!

Welcome back ruby, holiday sounds fab .

Wish I could same re. the mess. Tonight mini crikey had stir fried tofu and noodles and it just went everywhere (except in his mouth)... He liked the tofu but couldn't really get the hang of the noodles.

Crikey - what age did you start giving noodles out of interest? I'm a bit worried DD might suck them in, or bite bits off and then not be able to move them around her mouth or something.

Err, these porridge pancakes...what should I be aiming at? Are they supposed to be soft/hard/dry/moist? Mine came out very wet. Not at all apetising!

I've had much more success using ready brek rather than porridge oats (never made it work with them!). I just made it as per instructions on box with water then put in a small tupperware container so it was about a cm thick then left in fridge to cool then cut into slices. Still slippery and broke up when DD held them too tight, but she seemed to enjoy them. Going to stir in some blueberries next time I think to add a bit of flavour and maybe add an extra spoon of the ready brek

Your holiday sounds fun Ruby. I was going to ask if they make less mess when they get older. At the moment I am hanging the splash mat on the line and rinsing it down with the hose pipe - don't fancy doing this in the winter though.

I find lunch the hardest Hobnob. Normally I would have just have a ham/cheese sandwich (boring) but obviously I can't give DD this every day so am constantly thinking of new things to have. Things we have tried include:

Mackeral
The polenta Hendo posted from the finger foods book
Sweetcorn fritas
Cornbread muffins
Cheese and ham toasted pitta breads
Quiche
Omlette
Falafels
Sweet potato falafels
And the old favourite - rice cakes with cream cheese, tuna, prune pureee etc

Bobby my LO loves meatballs, they never get chucked on the floor

We had our first proper roll off the nappy poo this morning. DD decided to do it at 2am and it was accompanied by much grunting and crying. It wasn't hard though; just solid (sorry if tmi) so don't think she is constipated, just not just to the sensation. Anyone else found this?

PDog I almost posted earlier as yesterday we had our first 'solid' poos which was very exciting, so exciting in fact I texted my dh who was on a stag day!!! Luckily though they were both during the day and again this morning so not in the night.

We've always had quite a lot of effort when she poos, even when they were really runny ones (sorry tmi!) with going red, eyes watering and grunting. It never seems to get to the point where she is crying in pain though, but then again she hasn't done one in the night either. It might be that the crying was because she was tired and wanted to be asleep rather than the actual pain if that makes sense. I also read that once they realise they can control it, they do so with much unneccessary gusto.

Oh yes, very proud moment. There is nowhere to record it in her baby firsts book though

She has done another one today without us noticing so think it must have been because she was tired.

Oh and my first post should read just not used to the sensation.

It really was PDog - loved it! And Hi Crikey . Its not always tidy - don't worry - just the odd meal - I notice when there is very little on the floor!

I know what you mean about th grunting and general song and dance while pooing - I think it is just a different sensation - must be quite weird after runny milk poos...

I also struggle making lunch interesting - quiches go down well as do sandwiches of various types... avocado on ricecakes... i like your list PDog - might use some of those!

Thanks PDog, I'll go and see what I can dowith your list. I must go an look at recipes - I'm sitting in a weaning haze at the moment and not doing much about it.

dd demolished a roast dinner tonight

I'm getting a bit weary with this mess business too. Especially he way I get a fistful of porridge/other mush in my hair every time I bend over to pick up some food off he floor. When is it meant to improve? I can't wait for the day when I can plonk a dish in font of her adshe tucks in nicely with a spoon. And with drinks, do you let them shake and bang the cup to their heart's content in the hope that they learn to control it earlier? I ususally hold it for dd and she generally refuses to drink moe than 2 sips from it. Apart from tonight when 1.5 roast potatoes with no gravy seemed to make her a tad thirsy!

Great list PDog only a few weeks in but sometimes I'm really lacking in inspiration of what to offer... Until I started BLW I didn't realise how boring my food is and that I'm quite happy eating the same things over an over again

Thanks for the eggy bread recipe hendo DD and DP both loved it Over the last week strawberries, new potatoes and mango have been successful but the absolute favourite was a strip of sirloin steak which was sucked to death - DD has obviously inherited my expensive tastes

I'm getting a bit tired of the mess too. We gave DD a plum for lunch yesterday, which she loved, but even after cleaning up I seemed to spend the rest of the day spotting bits of plum on everyone and everything!

Haven't checked in for ages as I've been away visiting my parents back in UK. It was fun, and they were so proud of DS eating real food. They had borrowed a Mothercare highchair from some friends and boy did it make me appreciate mt Ikea Antilop - I spent hours trying to get crumbs and yogurt out of gaps and creases. Yuk

DS has now been doing BLW for 2 months, and it's still fun to watch him lunge at his food as if I were going to steal it away again! Thinking back over the last couple of weeks, our big hits have been:
cheese on toast
eggy bread
pesto spaghetti
plums (from ILs garden so fresh fresh fresh )
stewed beef
spinach muffins
"red pepper oaty scones" - my own invention, involving red pepper, cheese, porridge oats, oil, flour and an egg. Surprising tasty.

I've tried to give him more fish, but am struggling with any presentation that isn't a fish cake. One day I had some hake and after checking it for bones it was all pretty mushed up so I just squished it into balls and put it on his tray. But the balls disintegrated too quickly I think. I'm going to give battered fish a try this week, but I do worry about bones. Any other ideas?

It's great to read other people's experiences and steal ideas. Today I made up a load of banana pancakes after reading about them on the list.

Hobnob we alternate between a doidy and a tt cup. I did let her play with the tt but now she thinks it is a toy so I have gone back to holding. She holds the handles and I tip and guide. I usually have a bit of a struggle trying to get it back off her . There is no way I would let her play with the doidy - she loves it and starts jumping up and down in her chair when I offer it. Again, she holds the handles but even this way it gets everywhere.

Had a hilarious incident this morning - well at least I thought so, DH was not amused. DD has taken to banging her spoons before she puts them in her mouth, meaning stuff ends up everywhere but she doesn't actually eat anything. We have taken to keeping hold of the other end and guiding to her mouth so some goes in before the banging starts. DH was helping her this morning but she was more interested in playing, grabbed the other end of the spoon and released, firing pruney yoghurt all over the kitchen ceiling

Cies not good with fish, sorry. All I've done is fishcakes.

hendo, I think minicrikey had noodles around about the 7 month mark. I don't think he really can do much with them- but it's quite fun watching him try!

Right, I've gone back through this thread from the start and thought it might be useful to list all the foods/ideas that people have shared so far in once place...

Toppings for toast/breat/rice cakes etc...

• cashew nut butter
• dahl
• tuna mayo
• tuna/tinned mackeral mixed with philly
• cheese (as in cheese on toast!)
• philly

Things to give on loaded spoons...

• thick porridge
• fish pie
• weetabix made soggy with milk/formula/yoghurt
• yoghurt mixed with fruit
• yoghurt with weetabix crumbled into it

Breakfast ideas... (using yoghurt instead of milk with cereals may allow easier handling for babies)

• eggy bread
• hard boiled eggs
• scrambled eggs
• omlette cut into slices
• mini shredded wheat
• porridge pancakes
• toast with or without toppings
• yoghurt

Meal ideas...

• cheesy brocoli
• lentil fritters (Crikey has recipe in thread)
• pastry crust
• haddock fingers (frozen fish done in microwave according to instructions then breaks into fingers easily)
• meatballs
• burgers (can use all different ingredients eg turkey and apricot)
• quiche
• cheesy sauce to hold together other foods (crikey again has good recipe earlier on thread)
• crumpets
• cheesy crumpets
• bolognase sauce (v messy!) with or without large pasta shapes
• banana bread
• spinach and mushroom lasagne
• spinach and mushroom polenta
• spaghetti and pesto sauce
• noodles
• cheesy mash
• cassroles

Not to mention all the fruit and vegetables on their own!

Also picklesrule suggested chopping spinach finely to add to various recipes to introduce extra iron if necessary.

Finally all the recipes on here to inspire, especially all the breads and muffins on the snacks section and this book here have been mentioned by quite a few people.

Hope this post isn't too long, but helps!!!

Wow hendo you have been busy - that's an excellent list, especially for newbies like myself - thanks a lot

I've found the mumsnet recipes for baby and weaning useful too.

Sorry I seem to be only able to get a workable link to recipes rather than the actual baby and weaning section

We had the cheesy bacon pasta for tea the other night and DD loved sucking the sauce off the pasta..DP and I rather enjoyed it too...

Thanks hendo - that list is brilliant.

hobnob -we use a sippy cup. We help DS with it as although he can hold it he can't tip it up very well. He only takes a couple of sips and we let him play with it as well. Very messy but also in the hope he'll get the hang of it eventually.

We tried drop scones for breakfast the other day. Were a bit floppy but DS still managed to stuff some into his mouth

Cies not tried much fish either. Have tried fish fingers (DS liked the breadcrumb covering but spat out the fish inside hehe). Have also given chunks of steamed bream. Someone else suggested chunks of cooked salmon. Not tried it myself. If its a meatier fish it might hold together better.

Pdog - hope you got the yoghurt off the ceiling ok