Feeding your baby BLW style

Hi Marijke, I love the pic of B! Cute!

I like the idea of BLW, but am not entirely convinced. I'm worried that my LG won't be getting much food and hence nutrients in. What is your opinion on giving baby both pureed and whole pieces of food - i.e. "best" of both worlds? I get the idea many mommies would like to opt for this route? All I want is for Emma to be healthy, hence I will be steaming her food myself - and homemade food is less pureed than bottled food even if it is mashed. What do you think?

Marijke, B remind me so much of my Daughter at the same age. From 10 months old she ate all fruit this way and loves fruit today. My Son on the other hand refuses point blan to even pick it up. I think I was far more of an Unkowing BLW mamma with my daughter with many things and I think I have made my son the way he is by sticking to puree's and finely mashed food and waiting far longer to introduce any pieces of food for him. I don't know if he will ever pick up an Apple and eat it this way or even a quarter of an apple for that matter.. What do you think I must do?

Zodwa glad to hear that things are going better, perhaps the teething caused the upset tummy, shame with little people you just never know!

MommyN, I completely agree!

Have been meaning to post a pic of B eating an apple for a while now, but always forget to take a pic, so today I caught her eating her pear. Shame, she loves Loves LOVES pears!

So happy that its gone so well for Marijke!!! So proud of B

Ruru's diarrhea lasted for 2 weeks. He still poo's 3 times a day but is regaining weight again. The poo is not runny, normal poo but the paed is not worried (he used to poo once every 2 days before)
While he was sick he was limited to having rice cereal, yoghurt, banana & pureed apple as they are supposed to b binding foods. I cldnt give him formula for the 1st 2 days!!
I tried letting him feed himself a banana but he gagged at every bite. Yesterday he gagged on mashed potatoe!!!
So I have to start BLW from scratch as he seems to have forgotten how to swallow lumpy food but Im not stressed, he'll remember quickly again. Shame, he's so used to the purees now.

He still grabs the spoon to feed himself tough & he tries to feed himself. Oh, He's crawling on his tummy now & has 2 teeth!!

BLW has been the best thing to happen to us too!!

As you say, a bit messy at times and I end up washing floors everyday, and scraping alot off the floor too! My LG sat in her high chair for about a month, and since then, either on the floor or on a lap - not encouraged but sometimes the case if we are out.

I believe that BLW will make my LG a good all-rounder who eats well and listens to what her body needs!

I have been meaning to do an update! So here we go.

Baby-led weaning: As they say hindsight is 20/20. Looking back now I'm still upset that I ever started purees/cereals (did it for 2 weeks at 4 months) HATED it. Don't know who hated it more, me or B. In the beginning it was fun and cute but it quickly turned into a battle of wills. And I have to say, being on a forum didn't help! Everyone was giving daily updates of how well their 4 month old was eating heaped spoons of cereal and bottles of purity. Well eeuuww, but anyway.

I stepped back from forum life, read the book: Baby-led Weaning and followed my heart and my head. As luck would have it when I returned I got luke warm to ice cold responses to BLW. I searched for someone who understands and found just the girl - I will be forever grateful.

This is where we started off:

(potato, butternut and chicken)

(peaches and plums)

(Yoghurt)

(rice, chicken and mixed veggies)

(plums, grapes and cheese)

(a banana)

(and a cupcake for her birthday)


Today B's fine motor skills are amazing, I put that down to loads of practise. She loves peas, green beans, chicken, fish, rice, mince, eggs, cucumber, cheese and grapes. I've had a slight problem with her in the stores as the fresh produce is usually so accessible, I usually have to 'steal' a grape to keep her busy.

I had a comment from another mommy recently saying that I make it look so easy and I told her this: I only take photos when it's going well. Which is true, don't we all. We always take photos of our happy smiling babies and scare the crap out of new mothers when their child turns out to be a screamer!

It's not always as easy as it looks, luckily we have dogs who will eat anything. I have been known to sit on the floor with a scraper to get food off it. I have to wash clothes and treat stains every day. B has been a good sport till now, since starting to walk she eats quickly then wants out of her chair, but we don't make a big fuss about it, we just let her go. If she wants more she'll ask for it and if she doesn't then no big deal.

BLW has taught me so many things, but the best thing is to just relax and enjoy. Meal times are fun family times, it not meant to be a struggle and for mommy to have a break down at every meal and eat cold food. I don't measure food and multiply with long division to make sure that B has the right amount of everything in her system. This is purely up to her, I just provide her with healthy meals to choose from.

I love cooking for my family as it is SO rewarding. Sitting down together and enjoying a meal from very early on in her life has taught B so much. She loves food, in small amounts but she loves it because there is no pressure and loads of trust.

I never leave B to eat on her own but I know I can. She already knows what can be eaten and what not, if I forget a small pip or something in her grape she'll eat the grape and spit out the pip. I am never nervous when she's around food and it shows in her abilities and her absolute love of discovery - not only food but the world around her.

We still only have 6 teeth this side and still only one trip to the doctor when she was 5 months old (UTI). She's still on 2.5 milk bottles (175ml) a day and loves water.

I can't believe how much she's taught me in just 13 months and I love being the kind of mother that I am. I look at her with so much pride and I know what I made the right decisions for her.

Hello my fellow BLW mommies!

It's been a while since I posted but life with a toddler is... well busy! Had loads of cleaning to do and all that.

What are all of you up to and how's the babies?

Will possibly if I find a moment tomorrow write a nice long reply, but for tonight this will have to do, still need to clean and put away!