Baby lead weaning help
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Topic: Baby lead weaning help
Posted By: skp
Subject: Baby lead weaning help
Date Posted: 17 December 2009 at 10:43pm
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Hi I have read the BLW book and have just started with DD, she is pretty advanced for her age (5 months) and really interested in food, can get it to her mouth well etc - so I know its a bit earlier than recommended in the book but she really seems ready.
My question is, she gets food into her mouth eg boiled carrot, brocoli etc and then doesn't know to swallow, she gums it then pushes the food around with her tongue and then either spits it out or gags.... I tried with some pureed food just to make sure she was ready and to see what happened and she opened her mouth like a little bird and was really into it - but again pushed it all out with her tongue and then gags. Is this normal? I'm probably worried about nothing, but just wanted to check what other BLW babies do to start. TIA and merry xmas everyone  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Replies:
Posted By: AuntieSarah
Date Posted: 17 December 2009 at 10:54pm
Yep sounds completely normal  Stu put things in his mouth then let them fall out again or gagged on them for at least a few weeks before he started swallowing things. And I didn't even realise he was swallowing anything at first till the evidence came out the other end! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 17 December 2009 at 11:20pm
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I wouldnt be concerned either. She is still young enough not to NEED the solids so if she does nothing but play with it its all learning.
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 18 December 2009 at 9:34am
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Yep, food at this age is more about touch, texture and learning and not about actual eating. Just let her carry on. Gagging although sometimes concerning is totally normal too, sometimes they can actually gag and throw up as well, this is also normal (but gross), is all just part of the learning experience, and stops them choking too. ------------- 
 
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Posted By: Joscia
Date Posted: 18 December 2009 at 10:01am
Yep - what they said! 
DS still only seems to be swallowing stuff by accident at the moment. Though I have noticed stuff coming through - so he obviously does eat a little bit! We've been doing BLW since he was 6 months, and in the last week I've noticed marked improvements in his motor skills - it's quite cool! ------------- http://alterna-tickers.com"> 
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Posted By: skp
Date Posted: 18 December 2009 at 3:13pm
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yep I'm not worried at all about the amount she is or isn't actually eating, 'food is fun until your one "
But more was worried about the gagging and vomit/gagging - really attractive and my ex plunket MIL will freak if she sees it! Might save eating with in-laws for a few more weeks hehe. Her hand - eye co-ordination is really, really good today she took a small piece of my vege sushi and got it in one piece into her mouth (but then spat it all out all over the floor) I love the theory of BLW, who would bother pureeing after knowing how easy it is! Just another question - at what sort of age should they be quite competent at eating? and am I aiming for 3 meals a day at this stage? I sort of do breakfast and an afternoon late lunch/dinner at the moment, is that enough? ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 18 December 2009 at 6:52pm
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I would stick to just one as she's only 5 months and then slowly increase once she is 6 months just following her queues as to how much and how often. Doesn't mean you can't offer a bit of what you are having whenever for her to try/explore
Kyle took a while to get the idea of solids, he was too hooked on the booby, but suddenly took off at 8 months and was eating everything and I've never really bothered to mash or anything, sometimes cut to smaller pieces but normally just let him get at it as it is. Spencer was a lot quicker (we did purees with him) and was really confident with finger food in big pieces by 7 months, he was much more into solids from a younger age though. Some kids take much longer though, I think anything under a year is nothing to worry about but that's just my opinion -------------
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Posted By: Mamma2N
Date Posted: 18 December 2009 at 8:51pm
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We started solids (BLW) around 5mths as well. It took roughly 4 weeks of one meal a day, usually lunch.. not much went in, but it was amazing watching her skills develop.
By 6.5mths, so 6 weeks after starting, she was on 3 meals. I was a little worried about when I should introduce another meal, but found she just let me know
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Posted By: skp
Date Posted: 18 December 2009 at 10:00pm
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Mamma2N - How did she let you know? Sorry I'm really new to all this weaning stuff!
DH doesn't get home till 7.30-8pm so we often have dinner really late and DD is in bed, so she doesn't really get the chance to just grab stuff off my plate so I have been trying to sit down with her at 4pm or so and have lunch/dinner together so at least she can watch me eat once in the day. Breakfasts I'm a religious smoothie maker so she doesn't get to watch us eat breakfast either. I suppose I will just stick to the one meal and hopefully watch her get better at the swallowing part of eating and sit with her for that meal. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Mamma2N
Date Posted: 18 December 2009 at 10:38pm
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Sorry I suppose my post was a little ambiguous!
Basically, I found that she was eating more with her one meal and becoming a little pissy before bed, ie. not so satisfied with just booby. Once she started taking in alot more we moved to two meals (lunch & dinner), then to three. Like I said, it was a good six weeks before she was on three meals. I kind of expected her to 'take' to solids really well and felt a little confused when she didn't! But I kept reminded myself that it won't happen over night - now at nearly 9 mths she eats so well, she even eats lettuce & loves it! (discovered that today) DH doesn't get home till late as well so we cook DDs dinner each night and ours later. Just remember that it is a process and she'll get there soon enough. Oh and do expect everyone who traditionally weaned their chidren to pipe up and tell you how dangerous BLW is - I still get it all the time, until they actually see her eating, what she eats and how easy it all is! I can just imagine your MILs reaction! Good luck and have fun! |
Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 19 December 2009 at 8:53am
such great advice here so i wont add mine except to say  go the BLW!------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
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Posted By: SMoody
Date Posted: 20 December 2009 at 4:11pm
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I wont really say we are doing BLW. However Andrew got really interested at food at 4 months (just like his sister did) but this time I really wanted to wait as close to 6 months as I could. Well he had other ideas and put himself on solids at 4 and a half months (same time we actually started feeding our girl as well).
He leaned forward to McKayla's plate and picked up a piece of wintermelon and I was not about to take it out of his hands again. He just popped it in his mouth and sucked and sucked. So he put himself on and now we just let him play with stuff. He is very good getting it in and only gets frustrated if it is so slippery and he cant really hold onto it after a while as it keeps on slipping out so I help to just hold it for him. He does that gagging bit as well, specially if gets a piece of and tries to swallow and it is still too big. Still gives me a bit of a scare but we are getting use to it. Seems your lo is going through sort of the same thing. (this side we are getting stuff in.). I dont really even do it at the same time each day. If we are eating something and he wants and I consider it sort of safe for now I allow him to get it as such. And according to his nappies he is getting plenty through. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: AuntieSarah
Date Posted: 20 December 2009 at 9:19pm
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DS was about 8.5 months before he really started eating, and now seems to realise that food and a drink of water will do the trick if he is hungry or thirsty, that it's not only milk that can fill him up.
I had him at the table with us for lunch and dinner right from the start, and then breakfast too from about 7 months I think? He didn't always eat something but it gave him a chance to watch us and explore the food and eat something if he felt like it. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Jelly
Date Posted: 21 December 2009 at 11:02am
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I hope you don't mind me threadjacking!
Baby led weaning sounds like a really good idea from what I've seen posted, so what's this book called? I'd love to read it ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
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Posted By: Joscia
Date Posted: 21 December 2009 at 1:00pm
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It's called http://www.whitcoulls.co.nz/search/gill+rapley/ - 'Baby-Led Weaning: Helping Your Baby to Love Good Food' by Gill Rapley.
The UK forums are actually really useful too. You can find them http://www.babyledweaning.com/forum/ - here ------------- http://alterna-tickers.com">
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Posted By: queenb
Date Posted: 21 December 2009 at 11:18pm
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I'm a BLW fan here, and so is my baby girl! 9 months now and she practically eats whatever we do
For the first couple of months (we started @ 6mths), she would play with her food more than actually eat it, so some days she would be interested in breakfast, lunch and dinner, and some days, none at all. But that's ok She is also BF on demand, so I wasn't worried.
Now she has her 3 meals a day (more often than not) plus snacks, and BF. Saying that, she is only 7.77 kg but very healthy 
And yes, you do get a lot of the Oh no she will choke!! comments, until people see how competent she is at eating 
Her favourites are blueberries and strawberries
I recommend it to everyone. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: SquishysMum
Date Posted: 22 December 2009 at 7:31am
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We started BLW early too, just over 5 months when DD picked food off my plate and ate it! The gagging DOES go away, just remember a 'real' choke is silent, so all the noise is just your baby moving the food away safely.
She started really 'eating' about 7 months, and was on 3 meals a day by 8. Now she has to have snacks as well! Like queenb we were still BF on demand (still are, actually!) so I knew she was getting enough nutrients. Food is all about play when they're little anyway. As an aside, DH sat down after dinner the a couple of weeks ago, and asked when it was that people decided that the best thing was pureed food, and how much of a crock it was! He commented about it being such a negative thing for babies, and how such a 'myth' could be pushed onto the public at large. And he started out thinking it was a crackpot idea I got off the net! A TOTAL BLW convert! |
Posted By: skp
Date Posted: 23 December 2009 at 10:11pm
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Haha SquishysMum I love it! My ex plunket mother in law is slowly coming around to it too, but hasn't seen much eating and gagging in action yet.
DD is really getting the hang of it, in only about 7 days, she has eaten a real range of food and actually swallowed some watermelon and courgette. Now I'm running out of healthy ideas of what to give her! ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: AandCsmum
Date Posted: 24 December 2009 at 8:26am
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I would only worry about the gagging & not swallowing food if she is still doing this constantly at a year.
Cooper still gags on & off but it depends on if it's a new food or not & he's working out how to eat it ------------- Kel http://lilypie.com"> 
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