It is hwere you just give you baby pretty much what you eat, being careul about salt and allergens if you have a family history, in large fist sized pieces and let them get on with it. At first they mostly play and not much goes in, but eventually it does.
I just read up about it and tbh, it sounds more appealing than shoveling in spoonfuls of sloppy stuff. All that steaming and pureeing is such a pain and I can think of better things to do with my time, Just wondered if anyone had any experience to share.
Yes I've done it both ways. Mush with dd1 and blw with dd2. It's soooo much easier (although rather messier :D ). The way things have worked out my girls have their main meal at lunchtime, because dh gets back too late for us all to eat together in the eveinings. Because of that, I was cooking for my toddler anyway (20 months between them), so dd2 just had what dd1 was eating. When they're little it helps them to have pieces of things that are bigger than their fist, because they can't get at the bit that they're holding iyswim. Depending what they were having I would also load up a spoon (preferably with something that sticks to it a bit) and let her use that. Pasta twists work well too. Basically the theory is if they can pick it up and get it into their mouths they're ready to eat it - although obviously do keep an eye out for choking. Having said that from finding out about other people's experiences (mine were never gaggers), give the baby and chance to gag and get it out on their own - the defence mechanism is there for a reason. Trying to fish something out of their mouths with a finger can make it worse.
Hope that makes sense - I should be in bed!
I think I have done BLW but buy accident rather than design.#2 wouldnt let us wean her.We tried,we tried everything we could think of,especially when she hit the "6 months must be taking somethin by now :-\' stage.She even learnt to cry with her mouth shut in her highchair as so desperate were we that she was malnourished that we try even putting some in if she cried.It was at this point I realised that this was so wrong we stopped.At nine months she grabbed food off her sisters plate,and we never looked back.We totally bypassed the smooth ,lumpy stage and went straight to finger foods.BTW now as a teenager she loves fish,brussel sprouts,sushi…..
#3 was similar
#4 loved and needed the sloppy stage.I was really sick and DH was bringing him to me just for the bf/sleeps.Keen not to disturb me he thought e would offer a jar of organic apple babyfood.#4 must have been hungry/ready because he ate the entire jar
#5 we intend to do the baby led thing
We just started BLW with 6mo Morgan. So far she has sucked on some sticks of cucumber and some apple segments.
We weaned my older daughter at five months by mostly pouring purees down her in laid back position. :-[ It is one of my biggest childrearing regrets - she wasn't ready, and she has a lot of allergies now which I partly blame on our over-eagerness to get food into her whatever it took.
We are doing a mix with Bean he has some finger foods but he also has puree because I like doing it. We did wait until he showed us he was ready to start though. He grabbed the pizza crust out my hand and tucked in and I thought "Aha were ready for some solids then". He enjoys his food though he isn't bothered if it is just me, prefers milk when I am around and solids when it is daddy.
Did BLW with both of my children. Lots of expersts agree that waiting for 9 months or longer is ideal before indtroducing solids. By then they can sit unaided (upright posture aiding digestion and without support means they are less likely to slip and choke) and at this age also have begun to deveolp digestive enzymes. Before that they have not and so this is why you see the food comming out looking very similar to when it went in! The sad thing about that is although their tummies are 'full' and they act content, they are not actually getting nutrients from it. Where as of course breastfed infants need to be fed all day, when ever, as it's such a great substence it is absorbed and utilised fast. I would even say the more your babe wants BM the more they must be growing and so sit back with a book, find a great slng to nurse in, lay on a rug outside and just nurse
My children have never eaten 'baby food'. They eat from my plate when they can and often I chew things a bit before giving it to them - sounds gross but my saliva also aids digestion. Women from time began have done this. My children stopped wanting milk at around age 4 years. I never said no and never denied them and they weaned as and when it suited them. Mostly from 2.5 to 3 yrs they would night feed only (we co-sleep so this is not a problem) unless distressed in some way during the day.
This made my life so easy! It was a pleasure and when relatives asked about weaning and baby food I just smiled and said thanks so much for your concern and love, it means such a lot! Look at him/her! Are they not the picture of a big fat pile of milk sausages?! I know he/she will eat when ready but I just don't think it's time quite yet…. something like that. Outside pressure can do wierd things to a Mama's instinct
The breastfeeding forum also has a topic similar to this right now I belive.
In extensive research in to pre-industralised people women did not feed their infants much other than breastmilk for the first couple of years. The average age of weaning worldwide (topday) is still something like 4-5 yrs. That 'average' does not happen without many many children weaning much much later.
Blessings and well wishes in your explorations into nutrition and food. |I hope it is a journey of fun!
We have done BLW with no.2 ( now 9 months) and it has worked great for us. There is the odd 'puree' in there (although my home made purees are nothing like the mush in a jar) as I find these are sometimes easier if going out for the day and not wanting to be sat in a cafe causing destruction for the best part of an hour!! Felicity can handle anything- lumps of meat, the odd crisp, some raw veggies. She will certainly have a go at anything too- saag masala, chilli, nachos.
I actually hate seeing other babies being fed their mush now- saw a child well over a year being fed smooth puree and it just didn't look right ( obviously I am making an assumption here that the child was not having it for a particular reason- I acknowledge)
I have come across this a few times now and it sounds interesting. Can I ask has anyone tried this with bottle-fed babies? Reading the article in the link above it says to check with health visitors first. Unfortunately our local clicnic seems to give different advice depending on who you talk to. 1 health visitor said don't fed before 6 months and the other (from the ame clinic) said start at 4 months and take it gradually! I think I would rather listen to someone who has tried it themselves! We have already started puree but wondered if when she turns 6 months if i can compbine both ways?
Hi Ladies! :D
Mamauk - that's very interesting info you gave there. I've agonised over weaning - too many cooks and all that! I started weaning lo at @41/2 months after everyone said she obiously wants more. However, she didn't change her feeding at night at all!! I called La Lech League and they really helped. We too, co-sleep and a shift of attitude from me and knowledge of BF under my belt has helped immensely. I gather what you and others are saying is that BLW means when they are ready, not necessarily at 6 months 'ooh the body clock alarm has gone off and I must have my solids now - aren't I clever telling the date right?!!' Does this also literally mean that lo can skip the mushy stage? I started using baby rice which LO liked and to be honest didn't seem bothered if she had it or not, so I stopped after a couple of weeks. I think I'll wait for some more obvious signs and go from there. Hope to goodness I'm doing the right thing.
[quote author=Skyowl link=topic=92.msg1106#msg1106 date=1180857844]
Can I ask has anyone tried this with bottle-fed babies?
My two both ended up bottle fed and blw was not a problem at all. I always fed on demand, never encouraged them to finish a bottle etc. The only difference with bottle fed babies is that it would be a good idea to introduce fluids, eg water or very diluted juice, as formula is not a drink and cannot change to your babies needs as breastmilk does.
From what I can remember you can combine puree and finger foods, but lumpy puree is not a good idea from a spoon as baby does not know whether to suck it or chew it (second stage baby food, another market ploy ::))
Skyowl, if you dd is ready for puree then she is ready for blw, or vice versa if she is not ready for blw then she is not ready for puree.
I think the beauty of blw is that you dont have to do the whole pureeing thing and baby doesnt get confused about whether to suck food off a spoon or chew.
I've done it both ways. Mush with dd1 and blw with dd2. It's soooo much easier (although rather messier :D ). The way things have worked out my girls have their main meal at lunchtime, because dh gets back too late for us all to eat together in the eveinings. Because of that, I was cooking for my toddler anyway (20 months between them), so dd2 just had what dd1 was eating. When they're little it helps them to have pieces of things that are bigger than their fist, because they can't get at the bit that they're holding iyswim. Depending what they were having I would also load up a spoon (preferably with something that sticks to it a bit) and let her use that. Pasta twists work well too. Basically the theory is if they can pick it up and get it into their mouths they're ready to eat it - although obviously do keep an eye out for choking. Having said that from finding out about other people's experiences (mine were never gaggers), give the baby and chance to gag and get it out on their own - the defence mechanism is there for a reason. Trying to fish something out of their mouths with a finger can make it worse.
