Blw? - Page 2

[JMJ]

Originally Posted by oolongtea

My LO is 7 months and I haven't started solids yet. For one thing, he doesn't have a pincher grasp yet. But also we're doing EC for poops and he's just about got it... I'd love for him to be able to sign for toileting before we start getting those yucky poops! So as much as we want to see his face as he tries real food, we're waiting.

EC changes when you introduce solids. I kept thinking the same as you that I wished I could reliably catch all her poops before I start her on solids. With BLW, though, she's only eating maybe a teaspoon of food every day so far, and her poops aren't really yucky yet. Also, she's become more predictable. The only poops I've missed in the last 2 weeks were during the few days that I was sick and just EBFed her since I didn't have the energy to do food. Pees... now that's a different story, but I was so excited the other day to do my first load of just wet diapers ever!

[agoldenlife]

Just dug up the 2009 support thread for you ...

Baby Cakes,
THANKS for finding the 2009 support thread! I just happened on this thread as I am looking into introducing (very soon) my 5.5 mo. old dd to food as she is showing signs of interest. This is all so fascinating and exciting and mostly Ilove that the baby has control of their food and how much they want to eat. Makes so much sense.

[larzanna]

checking back in

Hey,
just checking back in. So DS is 7 months now. He still is not having much if any solids. I hand him a few oat-o's thats about it.
I read through the BLW discussion, and i just can't figure it out, can someone give me a list of foods that are very chokeable and that i should avoid?

People seem to be giving rasins and beans, but to me those look kind of chokeable, no? And cheese, i'd give him some, but what shape do you put cheese into? He has 2 teeth and tears off big chunks of whatever i give him, and then gags, and then he inhails sharply (?) and i am SO scared that the food is going to get inhailed.
I just have no idea what to give my 7 month old that he won't choke on.

If i wait, till lets say 10 months, i know thats fine. But will he still choke and or gag as much then? Or is it a new thing and they have to work through it that way, now OR when they are older.

Thanks.
-L

[Auraji]

I've been doing BLW with my dd. She's 7 months now. At first I was very scared to give her food because I thought she would choke and I watched her like a hawk. It scared me so much, but she would just cough things up and spit them out of her own. I've never had to "rescue" her. Now she never really gags anymore, people do get scared when they see me feeding her table food, including DP. I just never leave her alone with food.

She's now to the point that she'll CRY if you dont give her whatever you're eating. So far she's had vegan yogurt, bananas, pear, peach, apple, avocado, carrots, celery, pineapple, broccoli, oatmeal, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, pita bread, naan bread, toast, mini wheats from dss, tortilla with guacamole, scrambled eggs, waffles, pancakes, banana bread, tomatoes, green peppers, onions. All kinds of things.

[bedheadmaestro]

Originally Posted by larzanna

People seem to be giving rasins and beans, but to me those look kind of chokeable, no? And cheese, i'd give him some, but what shape do you put cheese into? He has 2 teeth and tears off big chunks of whatever i give him, and then gags, and then he inhails sharply (?) and i am SO scared that the food is going to get inhailed.
I just have no idea what to give my 7 month old that he won't choke on.

Regarding beans, think like very cooked black beans or black eye peas. The BLW book says no nuts or round foods like grapes and cherry tomatoes. As for cheese, I would just give like a rolled-up sandwich slice. Your baby seems like he just keeps getting so surprised by the texture or taste. I can totally understand how you feel re: the choking. My DD gets excited and loud when she is eating, and she screams, inhales, laughs, coughs, etc.etc. and she has not yet inhaled anything, which I can hardly believe.
Maybe in your case I'd give him the usual pureed baby food or yogurt in a bowl, which he can dip his fingers into and feed himself that way. If that gets inhaled, it won't be too much of a situation. The whole idea behind BLW is 'self-feeding,' really, even if that means he is feeding himself baby food.

[emmalizz]

.

[AKislandgirl]

I agree that it can be a bit nerve wracking at first. We had one chocking incident when we gave DD an inapropriate sized piece of fruit. At 10 months though she is doing great with food! We offer her lots of different things. She self feeds everything. If its a food that would normally be eaten with a spoon, she spoon feeds herself. (yogurt, oatmeal, etc...) She hands me the spoon when she wants it reloaded! Otherwise she eats wedges of steemed vegies or mashed bits with her fingers. She really likes meats which we give her as shreds. With cheese I grate it so she can pick up a single piece at a time. She really loves beans...black beans or refried.

I think that she can probably handle more foods then we give her...toast for example, but really what is the rush? She'll eventually be eating everything.

[emmaegbert]

larzana, I think our babies are close in age- my little girl is 4-28. She doesn't eat much yet. I don't officially know about baby led weaning (perhaps I'll read the book at the bookstore one of these days?)

ANYWAY, IMHO, its fine to take it slow w this age baby. This is my second and I am WAAAAY more relaxed. As in, it doesn't bother me that she eats very little. At this point I probably offer food 2x per day, but she certainly doesn't always eat it, and I don't stress if I forget. I do not prepare special foods for her, just include her if its something appropriate for her. I don't know why other people are so convinced babies need "solid food". I'll give her a bit of my beans or lentils or something off a spoon, but mostly let her feed herself. I'd estimate that the most she's ever eaten is about 2 tbl of food in a whole day.

Here is the deal- my first hated purees. He totally rejected them. What a waste of time and effort. He liked gnawing on a ripe piece of fruit, and eating a couple things, but not much. He didn't get teeth until 11 1/2 months. And then- he was eating like a CHAMP by 14m, all sorts of food, not the least bit picky. Then around age 2 he got more restricted (sensitive about taste, texture, and spiciness). Now at age 5 he pretty much eats everything.

But if you have a choker/gagger... and you really want to feed solids... why not mince it or mash it? I think if its not working for *your* baby, don't feel you have to follow the BLW system... I personally know a lot of kids who were spoon fed or fed purees as babies who are great, healthy, self-regulating eaters now.

FWIW, I am not giving wheat, eggs, soy, or milk products for now. And obviously honey. She's already had coconut oil and milk in some things, no ill effect. I am personally not convinced that early exposure causes allergies (and there has recently been some evidence actually of the opposite, at least w/ peanuts) but someone who works w/ kids a lot, convinced me when she said those 4 just cause problems for SO MANY kids she treats, and I wouldn't want my LO dealing with food problems right off the bat. I don't restrict my intake of anything though (LOL, maybe I should... might lose that last 20lbs)

[mammifera]

I know this post comes a bit late but I just found out about BLW and find it incredible. My DD is now 5 months old and has been showing a keen interest in eating solid foods. Rather than listen to her scream and fidget at the dinner table, I would just share the foods that I was eating be it steak, bread, or lentils. All this started when she was four months old, sitting up straight with a pincer grasp. I would feel so guilty for giving her food that wasn't pureed, but I found it myself very unprepared for her reactions whenever we were at the dinner table. I would even let her suck on watermelon rinds fearing she would choke on the watermelon.

Anyway in regard to cooking carrots until they are soft, I find that cooking them on higher heat softens them faster. It might be that the carrots were not being cooked at the right temperature to cook through.

Another thing that might help people is the use of a pressure cooker to cook lentils and beans all the way through so that they are soft.

Glad I found this thread, I am definitely going to BLW, Only i must admit that I'd been trying to hold off for fear of DD developing allergies. Would hate to have food restrictions in the house.