Feeding your baby BLW style

Well, as I was telling momtoc on fb last week, I was wondering if I should share our journey with little A now.

Let's see, she is 6 months and 5 days old today and like B, we started at 5m2w or so. Again, I'm using started loosely, as some days we remember to feed her, other days we just don't eat anything she can participate in. She's also still breastfed, I've had mastitis 5times now and thrush about 6 separate times.

This time around I wasn't ready and I'm still not very ready. I'd prefer her not to start eating yet, to stay a baby but she started becoming really fussy when we eat especially since she sees B eating and monkey see, monkey do...

She's not hungry - she doesn't see food and think "gosh, I'm hungry, need to eat something" she eats because she sees us doing it and she feels, especially at dinner that it's a family thing, everyone sits at the table and she does too and also wants to participate. Babies her age do not look at food as something they need to feel full. If she's hungry/thirsty she cries for milk. Period. At some stage, and we are getting there right about now, it becomes part of the routine, so she gets grumpy if the routine isn't 100% the same always.

I also started her on one 'meal'. Dinner was easiest. I just put whatever is on my plate on her bumbo tray. If it's something like a piece of chicken, she picks it up. If it's something like stew, she will spread it on her tray then suck on her fingers. If B requests something I can do for A too then she gets some lunch. For example today B wanted alphabet noodles, so A also got multi coloured pasta screws made from veggies as well as alphabet noodles but they were a bit small for her to pick up.

Some days B wants scrambled eggs and we make 3 eggs, so A can also have some. Now here's where the rubber hits the road and the whole egg debate... we do not have any allergies in our family. And as with everything else she eats, she feeds herself, which means she might get less than 1ml of actual egg in. This is way different from spoon feeding an egg.

We also do not do the whole one thing for 3 days and then a new thing. For the most part she has 3 different things on her tray per meal, so it wouldn't be rocket science to figure out which one might be causing a problem if she has a reaction.

There is food present in her diaper for 2 weeks or so now, which means, yayness! She is actually really biting off pieces and swallowing! Which is a really good sign and means that she was ready to start eating, here's why...for blw the true signs of readiness is when they pick up food, take it swiftly and accurately to their mouth and make chewing movements. Little A can sit up on her own, which B couldn't at this age but it didn't stop little B from being able to eat, as the bumbo keeps them in the right upright position I guess.

Little A hasn't choked yet. She has gagged a bit but very few meals and 2 weeks later, she's quite the little eater. Today she took a bite of a banana, I was sure it was too big for her but she got it in! She chewed till she got it down. Oh yes and she still doesn't have any teeth!

Hi!

My boy is 4 months old so hopefully we will be joining you in about 2 months time.

I wish I had known about BLW with my first who is now 3 years old.

I have bought the book as well as the recipe book and have read them both twice.. definately worth every cent!

I hope there will be more moomies joining us soon!

Hello there ladies

I posted on here about 2 years ago that when I have baby no 2, I'll join the thread & guess what.................... HERE I AM

Jayden will be 6 months in a weeks time & he has been ebf & not planning on stopping soon.

I bought him a highchair, a nice long sleeved bib (which looks like a shirt) & can't wait to start blw.

The only things he has tasted so far is droe wors & unsalted biltong sticks for the itching gums
A small taste of mashed pumpkin & mashed beans (just wanted to see his face) & that's it.

I've read this whole thread & think I have an idea what to do but just need to ask a few questions.....

1) Which foods do I start off with? (Toast fingers, butternut, pumpkin, sweet potato - all cut into finger sized strips/cubes & it must be soft but not mushy?
2) I'll start off with only one meal, which will be dinner & take it from there but when do I increase the meals?
3) My mother looks after Jayden but not sure for how long she'll be able to do it but we are aiming to keep him out of creche until spring but what do I do once he goes to creche regarding the blw way? I don't think the creche will follow our way. Do I send fruits, cheese etc already cut up & avoid foods that will cause a huge mess?

Okay, Okay, I think this is enough for now............

Hope we can revive this thread.

Great you got the book Dinky. Yah it's such a hectic time of year. I have not had a moment to read in the last 2 days either. Can't wait for my holiday to start on Friday. Last night Mila had Lasagne and Corn on the Cob for Dinner and she absolutely loved it, it was a huge huge mess though

WOW 2km she is loving that for sure

I got the book - but haven't started reading yet it's been an absolutely crazy week and I completely crash when I get home!

Did you get the book Dinky? I have been reading it and it is amazing and so helpful. Mila had a great 'Food" weekend. She had Weetbix for breakfast on Saturday Morning, Apple Flapjacks on Saturday for Dinner. She had a proper Roast chicken, Roast Potatoes & carrots for sunday lunch and she loved it so much.

That's too Cute Dinky. She is going to love it when the "Big people food" Is given to her when she is big enough. Yes, I think the book really seems to be a must. It's Called Baby-Led Weaning by Gill Rapley & Tracey Murkett.