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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

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

909 replies

FluffyFrog · 12/04/2010 16:35

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 ?

OP posts:
sungirltan · 18/04/2010 13:36

rusks dipped in philly (v popular indeed!) down here today followed by spoon fed framage frais cos i cant think of how else to feed her that!

mistressploppy · 18/04/2010 14:43

Mine's still throwing everything behind him

It's soo tempting to just feed him....must..try...to butt...out...

He still hasn't actually ingested anything, boo..

picklesrule · 18/04/2010 14:48

He will though mistressploppy hang in there! DD is really varied in whether anything actually goes in or just all over the face and tbh even when bits do go down I'm pretty sure its by accident rather than design but just sometimes she really likes something and goes hell for leather gumming it and then it feels like blw is the best thing!!
we tried strawberries again yesterday, really ripe ones and she LOVED them! unfortunately the white leggings (what was I thinking??!!) and my t shirt will never be the same again but it was fun nonetheless!

RubyBuckleberry · 18/04/2010 19:58

Mistressploppy it IS tempting isn't it! But I agree with picklesrule it is also amazing when they go mad for something and the BLW seems like the best thing ever!

Lunch was average - roast chicken and sweetpotato and couscous salad - not much to report, squished it about a bit...

He really liked an apple core - quite a bit of flesh left for him to scrape at with his two half bottom teeth - sat on a rug in the garden this afternoon. that was great to watch!

Dinner was MUCH better - usually is I think - pitta stuffed with the couscous and philadelphia. And a rice cake with avocado on it. He also chewed on a green bean but I don't think he ate any. Lots of mush left on the tray, but no rogue bits down the side of the chair so some must have gone in !

Sungirltan I have just made some rusks so will be dipping them in philly tomorrow!

RubyBuckleberry · 18/04/2010 20:01

that he is throwing everything mistressploppy - cheeky monkey!

ruddynorah · 18/04/2010 20:39

sungirltan you can blob the fromage frais on fruit and serve it that way. or if you're really bold just give them the pot!

mistressploppy · 18/04/2010 21:46

We did lunch in the garden - much better from a mess point of view, as Lamby says! Tried houmous, avocado and rice cakes.

He's getting a bit better at holding the stuff, still don't think any is going in but baby steps!

Am a bit worried about ds's weight as he is a bit skinny, hope the hv doesn't tell me off at clinic on Tue

Original poster
FluffyFrog · 18/04/2010 22:34

Sounds like everyone has been having a fun weekend chucking food around. Those of you who are worrying about what you are doing don't forget that there is no text book baby, they are all going to do things differently. I think as some of the others have said, hang on in there, as long as they are still getting plenty of milk it really doesn't matter. Just think by Christmas I am sure they will be tucking into proper Christmas Dinners - not jars of mush !

I am really tempted to try DD with the odd thing but will hold back really as she is only 5 months this week and still really happy on milk.

Let's hope the warm weather sticks.

OP posts:
sungirltan · 19/04/2010 08:37

ruddynorah - thanks i'll try that!

mistressploppy · 19/04/2010 10:02

For the ones that have just started - how many times a day are you trying food? Is everyone doing breakfast/lunch/dinner?

RubyBuckleberry · 19/04/2010 10:10

we are doing breakfast lunch dinner and then fruit inbetween if it happens - just gave him another apple core on rug in sitting room and he really liked it - scraping away with his little bottom teeth. didn't last long but improvement on holding it and scraping at it... love it!

saying that, he doesn't necessarily eat at every meal - he must have eaten 2 oats this morning out of a splodge of porridge - he was banging he fork on the table a lot though and listening to the noise it was making!

i am going with the idea that we eat together - so lunch is not at 11 as is often suggested, but after his second nap of the day. don' know if this will stay like this but it works for now as otherwise he is too tired to concentrate on the task of eating!

ButtoNosedSausage · 19/04/2010 11:00

Ds is 6 months in 4 weeks. He is currently ebf.

Just to test the waters I've been giving him food to hold as he'll watch me while I eat and mimic chewing.
Though I've been giving him food to hold I haven't as yet allowed him to eat it This is because I'm allergy prone and wish to wait until ds is truly ready (he can sit unsupported only for seconds)

So far I have given him a rice cake, a piece of melon and a chip - guess which one he put in his mouth
I never should have given him the chip but it was to prove a point to my sister (sister 1 point) Ds didn't swallow.

I'm going to wait a little longer.

picklesrule · 19/04/2010 11:02

At the moment we are doing meals sort of as and when it works around her nap/activities etc.. so she is usually having breakfast and lunch/afternoon meal depending on whats on and then sometimes tea as well sometimes just a snack.

I don't want to set her with a really rigid eating timetable as tbh I'm barely organised enough to get us both dressed and to whatever activity we are doing on time so factoring in specific mealtimes would be a nightmare for us

I think this is another benefit of the blw - as long as I make sure she has enough bf's I think the food really can just be for fun for the time being so I don't have to force her if she is clearly tired/not in the mood (of course that might be the same with purees I don't know!)

crikeybadger · 19/04/2010 13:46

We're trying to do three meals too, but we're back on the school run tomorrow so trying to get three boys out of the house by 8.20am (and all having had breakfast) could be a challenge. But, you're right pickles, things can be flexible because you know they've had the milk.

Had another nice picnic lunch in the garden today. Squished some brie around (how did it get in my hair?), sucked on a tomato, ditto for a ricecake and philly and even had a go at an olive! Finished it off with a good suck on a mango .

Lentil dal for supper tonight so will see how that goes.

Anyone tried meat yet? I'm actually a veggie but happy to give DS meat. Thought I might try some lamb burgers at some point, but not really very sure what else to try as I obviously don't cook it very often. Could I pan fry some sliced up chicken breast?

RubyBuckleberry · 19/04/2010 14:55

i tried chicken crikeybadger but it just came out again - it won't 'melt' like alot of foods and it doesn't slide down easily... he sucked on it a bit .

sungirltan · 19/04/2010 18:59

picklesw i am same re routine.

currently not managing 3 meals a day. tbh its the rut i have got into to manage a baby and everything else. i am on ml and currently i wait until dd's morning nap (8.45) to have breakfast/shower/catch up on mn! and i put her to bed before dh and i have our evening meal. eating together at lunchtime is going well though and i am taking finger foods out and about with me if i eat with friends etc.

butto - don't be disheartened by the chip incident. i broke off a shred of sil's pizza today for dd - just to see what would happen. she dropped it instantly and went back to her steamed parsnip! also might have just been that the chip was easier to hold or something

snugglejunkie · 19/04/2010 19:10

Gave a floret of broccoli to play with on Sunday...
Just discovered quite a bit of it went down

Had cottage cheese and slices of avocado on toast for my lunch and he made a v successful lunge, so gave him one of the avocado slices to suck on - he's starting by stealth! He'll be 6mths on 8th May, that's alright isn't it? I mean I'm not starting properly, just giving him the odd veg/something simple? Don't have Rapley's book - left it at my mums at Easter visit.

sungirltan · 19/04/2010 19:21

ha ha snuggle - i know what you mean! dd by the looks of her nappy is ingesting CONSIDERABLY more than i thought!

picklesrule · 19/04/2010 19:46

The nappies are interesting aren't they! Kiwi fruit was amazing, bright green and full of the little black seeds...mmmm lovely
snuggle - if he is grabbing at things and happily sucking on them I would say that is fine..the book says to wait till 6 months so they are developmentally ready (ie pretty much sitting up, lost the tounge thrust reflex etc) but I imagine some babies are ready before 6 months and it sounds like yours is keen to get stuck in!
We started a bit before 6 months with veg and simple things that she grabbed at and it doesn't seem to have done her any harm...

fruji · 19/04/2010 19:54

Hope it's not too late to join? DS2 now 6mths. DS1 took purees happily with minimal fuss. No. 2 just politely doesn't open his mouth - no histrionics, just not interested. Give him a rice cake or a piece of carrot though and he's well in there. Think he has decided for us! (he's also EBF, which no. 1 wasn't - is that something to do with it?)

Lots of gagging but it seems to be going in. Will try the wierd noises and see what effect that has.

Anyway, good to read how you're all getting on and will go try that lentil fritter recipe. Have also belatedly ordered the GR book off Amazon for a bit of guidance.

crikeybadger · 19/04/2010 20:19

Nice to have you along for the btw ride fruji!

I think being EBF does play a part,-can't quite remember why off the top of my brain dead head! GR definitely mentions it though.

snugglejunkie · 19/04/2010 21:06

I remember that bit from the book: Basically if they are EBF they have already had more control over the feeding process (they bring their own head to breast, break off more easily when done) and also that breast milk changes in flavour so they are more open to flavour-experimentation, or something.

Cheers Pickles - I've asked my mum to post book back tonight so I can refer to it a bit more, seeing how DS has decided he's setting the pace. I'm sure my instincts are OK, but I do like to have a bit of print to back up what I was kinda going to do anyway...

JaneyTroll · 19/04/2010 21:50

Courgette proved popular today. Also we had our first nappy-full since starting BLW. DS is one of those bf chaps who only poos once every 10 days or so, so imagine my excitement when he pulled that Special Face only 7 days after the last seismic event. Unfortunately we were on the Lympstone to Exmouth footpath about a mile from civilsation in any direction so we had to perform a change on the grass verge, and all that public nudity and dried grass clipping (it was a recently mown verge) quite put me off looking for sneaky bits of veg that might have Made It All The Way Through. Curses! Now I'll have to wait til next week!!

picklesrule · 19/04/2010 22:09

haha janeytroll you sound like me...I get very excited about examining DD's nappies to see what has gone in...keep trying to show dh...he thinks I am really gross!

RubyBuckleberry · 20/04/2010 08:20

morning!

Great to hear stories - noone i know is doing this and i get a few s and interested questions 'so what does he eat then?' from people. And the older generation all say, 'so are you pureeing what you have and giving it to him', 'well, no, we're doing BLW'. 'Oh .' So it is great to hear what others are up to!

DS is more interested in sucking his fork and gagging on that than the food. I managed to preload some scrambled egg onto it this morning and he happily ate that, although just because the fork went in, not because he was trying to get the egg I think! I cooked fishcakes last night and he looked at them like he squished it about and decided against actually eating it!

Loving fruit cores though! Pear yesterday and really scraping with his teeth .

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