Should I keep going with this non-puree weaning (or blw). What was it like for you?

[MarshaBrady]

Ds2 is six months, a week and a half he hasn't eaten much at all.

What was it like when you did blw?

bump

should I get out the old blender?

Don't worry - My DS didn't seem to eat anything until suddenly at about 8 months he put some cheese in his mouth and it didn't come out again. He didn't 'seriously' eat until about 10 months. Until then he just played and maybe sucked a bit at food.

I didn't have a choice about switching to purees as DS simply refused them, but having now seen him end up at 11 months properly eating, I'd be much less concerned about doing BLW with another baby. I found it very stressful at times that I couldn't just feed him.

I think the BLW shared experiences thread might be of interest to you.

Week and a half is very early days, normal for them to just be licking/playing with it I think.

DS was BLW but has been a greedy sod since day one, he took to it immediately. DD was weaned the traditional/puree way and is much fussier with food, so think it varies a lot.

My son wouldnt have puree at all. Just clamped shut and turned his head. In the end I just gave him some cheese on toast and he got the idea, it took ages but now he eats really well. If i offer him pureed carrot for example he looks disgusted, yet a piece of carrot he can hold, he really enjoys.

It gets a little frustrating when you see other mums shovelling food in and their baby sits there with open mouth like a baby bird. I used to think my son was missing out yet he is thriving. I started around 6 months but it took a couple of months for him to eat a decent amount.

There's no rush - it's only been a week and a half as you say. They're effectively learning something new... crawling, walking etc take months so it's only logical to assume feeding will take time too.

Great thanks folks. It's reassuring to know it's ok to take a while.

Babybouncer is that the I've got to go back to work thread?

No, this one:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/weaning/945501-Just-about-to-start-Baby-led-Weaning-Join-Me-to

Oh blimey, at a week and half in DD was eating bugger all!

Try and relax, and think of meals as opportunities for him to practice rather than as proper meals.

Remember the BLW Mantra - It's all for fun before they're one!

It's only in the last week that DD has consistently been eating 3 meals (plus the odd snack) a day and that I feel happy that she's getting enough food over the course of a day. And sure enough, she suddenly stopped asking for milk during the day and just has milk 1st thing and last thing.

She's 10.5 months.

I agree with everyone here. i did BLW, having read about it on MN, and - aside from the odd choke-panic, it was lovely.

"It gets a little frustrating when you see other mums shovelling food in and their baby sits there with open mouth like a baby bird."

It's like this at the start, but when your child is 18 months and feeding themselves in a restaurant, you look at mums still doing the feeding and feel really smug!

My eldest son was on purees and is REALLY FUSSY now, but DS2 isn't fussy at all.

Carry on! It's all good!

Thanks! Still going. It is a very nice way to wean I think.

I love BLW, my 8 month old DS eats a more varied diet than my puree fed 5 year old will now, he is so wary of new foods, DS2 just shovels them in!

I am starting to notice less food on the floor in the past week. I have also started giving him snacks in between his main meals, although there still isn't much structure to his mealtimes.

IIRC the BLW book addresses questions like "my 10 month old hardly eats anything" (answer: don't worry, they'll get the hang of eating and actually swallow more when they really need it). So you have more than 4 months before you need to be concerned.

Can't wait to start BLWing my DS in a couple of weeks' time. All my friends who weaned early onto purees (ie almost everyone I know) is spending all their time complaining about what hard work cooking/pureeing is, and how their DCs still took ages to be interested in food.

DD only ate small amounts until she was about ten months. My theory was that she was enjoying food for fun before then but then it suddenly clicked that this solid food lark was a good solution to hunger. She started eating literally five or six times as much in the space of a couple of weeks.

Nice to hear about your experiences. He had a bit of our lunch today wohoo.

Also he likes to feed himself with a small wooden spoon. Which is great (I assume the point of BLW is not the lack of spoon but the lack of spoon-feeding!).

I have a 7mo DS who is a spoon refusnik. I weaned DD the 'Annabel Karmel' way with great success. She's a really good eater, and was all prepared to do it again for DS but he was having none of it. I do like the fact I have a dog to clear up alot of the mess, but I honestly agree it's really satisfying seeing him eat the amount he chooses/in his own time. I think he's only started to swallow stuff in the last week, and TBH that's pretty hit and miss. I think that now there is so much going on at mealtimes I don't notice so much whereas if he was my first it would be really obvious IYKWIM.

I went to a friend's house yesterday and it was lovely just shatting whilst DS gummed on some cheese on toast. I was glad I didn't have to being out the mush.

The point to this essay is that it can feel slow, but I'm sure it's worth it

shatting???

I mean chatting obviously

Hi all. My DS has also become a spoon refusnik in last few days, and meal times bringing me to tears - NOT GOOD. Tried BLW today at lunch time, but was there for 45mins, (did some spoon shovelling of fish in cheese sauce whist he ate toast & cooked carrot sticks, followed by plum) DS would have happily sat there longer eatings bits and bobs if I'd let him.

My question is - how long do mealtimes last? Should I set a time limit, and if he hasn't filled up within 1/2 hour say, just try to top him up with milk?

Today it took me 1 1/2 hours to prepare lunch, sit with him and then clean it up! There's no way I can do that 3 times a day!!!