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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

Baby Led Weaning Cookbook

61 replies

AlCrowley · 07/06/2010 21:17

Here

I'm halfway through reading a copy of 'Baby-led weaning' by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett but the owner wants it back so I was checking on Amazon for how much a new copy would be when I saw this cook book.

In the book she keeps repeating how you don't need a special cook book for BLW, you just cook healthy meals without salt and then let baby share. So what's with the book? Cashing in?

Wondering if it's worth getting rather than the original book though. It says it gives ideas on how to get started (DD is 10 days off 6 months old) as well as the recipies. I like recipies. I weaned DS on purees and follwed Annabel Karmel to the letter...

OP posts:
Aitch · 08/06/2010 11:49

oooooh lookit this, i have a bidding war. i genuinely have no money for this, though, you understand, the site costs me money to run. tbh i toy with closing it what with credit crunch etc, but then where would my nice ladies hang out?

Original poster
AlCrowley · 08/06/2010 12:33

Isn't Mumsnet great

If Jem is a web developer then she is probably better for the job than DH who is a systems programmer but does a website or two in his spare time.

Not that this means I won't ask him to help if you want Aitch...

CAT is Contact A ?? something beginning with T jem Costs a fiver a year but means you can contact other MNetters without giving your e-mail address away on a google-able site. You have to have it if you want to sell something I believe.

OP posts:
Original poster
AlCrowley · 08/06/2010 12:36

I looked it up on the actronyms page - it's contact another talker.

Have you thought of maybe doing a subscription to keep the website going Aitch? Might be nicer than adverts. Although I suppose it could put first timers off. Maybe a trial period then a subscription? Limited access for non members?

OP posts:
Tillyscoutsmum · 08/06/2010 12:38

Just wanted to say to Aitch that I have just started BLW with DS and your website is fantastic. Thank you

TheBoyWithaSORNedMX5 · 08/06/2010 12:45

If you need a book, I'd go for Nigella's How to Eat. Seriously. The timetable might be out of date (as in we started at 4 months back then) but then my copy is 10 years old now, but she talks sense imo.

BertieBotts · 08/06/2010 12:48

I'd rather have adverts than subscription charges, I think. It would have put me off.

Some sites have a "Donate to help keep this site running" button - maybe that could work? I think a lot of people just don't realise that a website costs money to run, if you mention it and just say if you found it helpful, please donate to help keep it running.

I have a load of photos I was going to send ages ago but you seemed to have loads on there already so I didn't in the end. I will see what I can do about taking the backgrounds out in photoshop too.

kveta · 08/06/2010 13:06

adverts would be good if you got nicely targeted ones! IKEA, amazon (for the BLW bible and doidy cups!), camera manufacturers (capture your baby's first adventures with food so you too can bore people silly on facebook!) etc etc

Aitch · 08/06/2010 13:36

that's the thing, i fear it woudl be loads of annabel karmel stuff.

Aitch · 08/06/2010 13:37

but worry about donation thing as it's kinda grabby

kveta · 08/06/2010 13:41

can you not specify adverts which would offend your users so as to not have them on the site? not sure how advertising works AT ALL, but I've never seen e.g. SWMNBN books advertised on MN, so guess you can prevent certain adverts getting through?

Aitch · 08/06/2010 13:51

if you're a big site then yes, but i'm not.

skidoodly · 08/06/2010 13:57

" think the biggest blw lesson is less about the recipes and more about the headspace of the parent, that it mustn't be a battle, iywkim?"

yes, that's what spoke to me about BLW, which I largely consider I did even though I started with baby rice and purees and let DD use a spoon from very early on.

I don't think a donation looks grabby. Hosting and maintaining a website costs money. You're providing a great service that is very helpful to people. I'm sure they'd be happy to contribute to the running costs, especially if you made it easy for them.

Aitch · 08/06/2010 14:25

EXACTLy,skidoodly, i'm bsolutely sure that the most imoportant thing is to be led by child, but also being open to the fact that you might end up somewhere you dind't anticipate. but how to write that as a book?

skidoodly · 08/06/2010 15:00

Maybe it's not a book. Maybe it's a series of articles.

That way you could cover different topics and perspectives and make use of your expertise and experience without having to come up with a book-justifying thesis. Then you could collect the articles into a book later.

Aitch · 08/06/2010 15:12

once i'm the queen of wean, you mean?

Original poster
AlCrowley · 08/06/2010 15:58

I thought you were already the queen of wean Aitch

OP posts:
picklesrule · 08/06/2010 16:03

I think a book with that kind of message would be spot on aitch.
So many of our friends (DD 8 mths)are so stressed out about weaning and really hating it which just seems such a shame. A book which talks sense and encourages people to relax would be good for them I think!

And fwiw I would pay a sub for your blog, it is ace

Aitch · 08/06/2010 22:03

you are veh veh kind...

MrsPurr · 09/06/2010 10:31

I am surprised no one has asked you to do a book Aitch, seriously. Your site is great -- my DS is nearly 7 months and we are having lots of fun with weaning and your site does a great job of reminding me not to panic when he doesn't appear that bothered. When he was about 5 months I read Annabel Karmel and nearly had a meltdown it was so complicated (and sort of twee). I thought there must be another way, surely? Thank God, there was.

I think there would be a place for recipes for simple things like meatballs (I stress a bit about how to get meat into him), and things suited to their ages and dexterity. It needn't come across as rules. I know all such recipes could be found in a normal adult cookery book (that's the whole point of BLW really innit), but I still think today's urban professional mum (bleee!) would like to have it all in one place along with your wisdom and humour and personal experience. In the vein of India and Nerys's Idiot-Proof Diet. BLW is getting more and more popular, I think it would sell.

I used to be a book agent but am five or so years out of the loop so not tons of use to you now, but I think you could get a decent proposal together and do a book, I really do. I would DEFINITELY have bought it and worn it out! Even though Gill Rapley's doing one. I would have bought both!

Aitch · 09/06/2010 11:37

really? i think it's just that i couldn't in all conscience say to people you have to do it this way... because i see that on my site a surprising amount of women beat themselves up about things that it wouldn't cross my mind to bother about. i worry about accidentally feeding any neurosis...

MrsPurr · 09/06/2010 13:17

I know what you mean I think that's something you worry about when you give anyone you know who has a baby a bit of well-meaning advice you think actually maybe I should just shut up or they'll get stressed out. But honestly, I would have loved a book! You could keep telling people NOT TO WORRY in bold throughout... that alone would be worth the cover price IMHO...

MrsJamin · 09/06/2010 13:18

I think you have a book in you, too, Aitch, but I'm not sure how you could fill a book with just "don't worry!" as the overriding message. You could do just a book of random hints, like a dictionary style with different foods in alphabetical format? Sometimes it's a bit tricky to know how best to present a particular food to heighten the possibility of success iyswim.

I'm looking forward to blwing DS2 in a few weeks, I just love that he will do it when he's ready to eat, as he was a month early it takes away the ambiguity of when to start. it's going to be messy fun weaning another one!

Lionstar · 09/06/2010 13:25

AITCH - don't you dare close your site, it's too lovely and it has some bloody lovely people on it. I'd pay, or donate, or click an advertisers link now and again, or whatever.

Original poster
AlCrowley · 09/06/2010 13:26

People will have the neurosis anyway Aitch. A book would reassure...

OP posts:
MrsJamin · 09/06/2010 13:28

Re paying for the site, surely you could at least be an amazon affiliate so you'd get money back from click-thrus? Eg to the blw book / high chairs etc?