What's the future for weaning?

[madamebovine]

Feeling a bit philosophical...

When I puree weaned DD 2 years ago I bought a highchair, food pots, blender, special spoons, recipe books, jars of food for emergencies etc etc...

For BLW DS now I have bought nothing. Nada. Not becuase we have it all but because there's nothing to do differently from the family's meals (although he does sit in his cheap-as-chips Antilop highchair)

Is anyone (except book authors) going to 'profit' from BLW, and is it going to become the preferred route or remain as a minority?

Any thoughts?

I think it will take off esp. with 2nd children, I know from experience that DS1 is a fussy eater because of the way he was weaned, he will however eat any fruit you put in front of him because this was given as finger food.

Mums who see my 8month DS2 munching his way through three triangles of toast in playgroup while they try to get their toddlers to eat something say to me they wish they had done things this way.

I think it will depend on whether the Health Visitors pick up on it and start recommending it, which I think they should, as, as you say it is a cheap way of feeding your children. I was a bit sceptical until I was told to look into it as an idea in clinic.

I am a bit reluctant to rave about it though in case people think i am a bit of a loony!!

I find it really hard to explain to people that it isn't just 'finger food', also I think it seems like a bit of a statement to go against the majority. My HV was really supportive though and said it was the way forward for weaning.

Agree about 2nd children. It's sometimes slow going and if you weren't dealing with a naughty toddler at the table it'd be much more obvious!

I suspect BLW won't become the norm, simply because all the competitive 'my baby's 18 weeks and on 3 meals a day' crowd wouldn't want to wait till 6 months or so.

(Note, I don't want to offend anyone whose baby is on 3 meals a day at 18 weeks - just a LOT of mums I know have a very competitive attitude and so are weaning early. They complain lots that their LO refuses to take anything off the spoon day after day after day. I would have thought the answer would be to wait a few weeks before trying again, but they keep on doing it daily, despite saying to people that they don't think their baby is really ready for it. Peer pressure is a terrible thing.)

Not that many people I've met have heard of BLW, and people who take advice from their parents / family etc are likely to do purees, I suspect.

I do think BLW sounds lots of fun - we are starting this weekend and are very excited!