Getting started with BLW

[Dotty_woman]

I was thinking about giving BLW a go. Violet is 5 months and a couple of weeks and I'm due to go back to work in about a month. As she's under 6 months I'm avoiding bread based food or eggs but have been trying her with carrots, apple, melon, strawberry and banana. We only really started at the beginning of this week and I'm only getting her used to the idea of picking up food at theGetting started with BLW moment and trying to get her to put it in her mouth. I'm not having much luck do far. She's just picking it up and often struggles to do that and generally just throws it or drops it on the floor. The stuff that gets anywhere near her mouth gets covered in drool which then means it slides right out of her hand. I've been trying to cut food into fingers but banana for example, just breaks in her hand. Has anyone any useful tips for getting started? Should I be putting the good into her hand or dies she need to grab it herself? I'm aware that my oh is saying "perhaps she'd be better bring spoon fed" but don't want to really do that after only a few days. I want to get into a little bit of a routine with weaning before she starts nursery. All I seem to be doing us picking food off the floor. I must get a mat for under the high chair!! xxx

 

[Taurusgirl]

I haven't started this but will be going down this route so interested in what people say. Have you seen the holders for fruit they have a piece of net on the end and you put the banana in there so they can chew it and it presses out through the net. It has a plastic handle so they can hold it. I don't think I have described it very well. My sister had it for her lo I will find out the name of it for you xx

 

[Taurusgirl]

It wasn't this one but same concept
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B000056JCY?pc_redir=1398118791&robot_redir=1

 

[CARNAT22]

If little one is ready to wean then they shouldn't need those net things (I remember seeing my nephew sooking cheese out of one and it made me heave )

I would say sign up to a BLW website and maybe see if you can find the book second hand (ebay?)

It's worth having a read about the principles and there are a lot of food ideas too.

We didn't start with eggs, meat and bread etc until after 6 months but from about 5.5 months James was having lots of different fruits, veg and salad

Easiest for him to hold (from memory) were:
Mini corns
baby courgettes
tenderstem broccoli / broccoli florets
cauliflower florets
carrot batons
peppers and cucumber cut into fingers
apples and pears peeled and cut into fingers
banana

We just tried him with something new every few days, didn't overload him with too much in one go etc..

X

 

[Dotty_woman]

I wasn't going to include eggs or bread based products until after 6 months. We'll have a go with fish too. Don't eat red best or chicken so they aren't a problem. I'm interested to know how soon after starting did anyone actually see their lo eat anything? I don't want to rush her but really wanted to just know if I should leave her to it or help by putting the food in her hand or holding it while she has a little chomp just so she has an idea if what she is supposed to do as she is getting started. I don't want to get too involved if you're not supposed to, to get it to work. I've tyres showing her me eating the foods too so it doesn't seem too alien. xxx

 

[Dotty_woman]

I found the book on Amazon for £6. Second had ones were about the same price. I think I can stretch to that. Thanks for the suggestion. xxx

 

[Dotty_woman]

I also saw a suggested purchase of a crinkle cut chipper which might stop stuff slipping out Vi's hands so going to have a look at Asda next time I go. xxx

 

[dingdongbaby]

My son grabbed food and started shoving it in straight away so once she gets it she'll def. like it. We had him sat in his high chair at the table watching us eat with his milk or cup of water for about a month as he got more and more interested...with us letting him have a taste from our fingers/a spoon if he wanted to. Then one day we just started handing him bits instead. We also used to put a shower curtain under his chair which made for a nice and easy clean up.

I've just written on another post a few of his favs. If he didn't like something he'd spit it out, but he generally only ever did that with carrots...and he still won't eat them today!

 

[CamFi]

We're actually doing a combination of blw, spoon feeding purees (and now other food like chopped pasta and sauce), and finger feeding lumps of the softer food like bananas that are hard to hold.
So for example for breakfast she has porridge fingers, which she eats about half of before they end up in pieces too small for her to pick up, so we feed them to her, then follow it up with banana, either finger feed small pieces, or cook it and spoon feed for texture/temperature variety. Lunch and dinner she has either sticks of veggies, or spoon feed purees and now lumpy but wet food such a mackerel and veggies in tomato sauce, or pasta bolognaise, followed by lumps of fruit which we feed her with our fingers. She'll often help us guide the spoon into her mouth.
Every baby is different, so go with what feels right. I don't see it as a problem to help baby grab food and guide it to the mouth.