i don't understand BLW - Page 2

[Blessed_Mom]

Originally Posted by GoldmanBaby09

Boo on Amazon for the product description:



I guess breastfed babies aren't included in food transitions

Tee Hee!

[snuggly]

Originally Posted by Blessed_Mom

I am not sure I agree completely with BLW method of feeding (first off - I have an issue with calling it baby led weaning .... it kind of glorifies this method as if the baby were leading the weaning versus the method of feeding them purees. In my opinion it has nothing to do with weaning- or atleast not all that much!)

I was confused about the term BLW at first, too. But after looking into it my understanding is that the BLW literature and term comes from Britain where the word "weaning" has a different connotation than here in the US.

ie:
British meaning of "weaning": starting to eat solid foods
US meaning: stopping to nurse

So in BLW the baby is leading their start of eating by deciding what to put in their mouth (not leading the stop of nursing... That would be CLW). Hope that helps!

[hotharmony]

Originally Posted by kdescalzi

If BLW includes giving your lo something they can get in their palm, what happens if they bite a huge chunk off?? My dd is very interested in food and I tried to give her a spear of ripe banana but she bit off a huge piece. How does this work???

Part of baby lead weaning is letting your child learn how to manipulate and handle food in their mouth. Most babies will spit out anything that is two big for them after they move it around a bit.

The only time you should have any concern is if someone else put something in their mouth or if they are not breathing.

[Beene]

Originally Posted by GoestoShow

I think baby led weaning can be great, but I think it's also important to pay attention to your baby. Mine was ready for solids earlier than baby led weaning methods say.

Meh here too. My DS is 9 months old and has zero teeth. He eats A LOT. And his solids never stopped him from nursing every 2 hours on the mark. He has been eating solids since 5.5 months, which is when he was sitting and hadhis pincher grasp down. He can use a spoon himself, but really loves the food I make him, so he appreciates it when I help him with the spoon and mush things or puree them. We also do chunks of apple, potato, carrot,e.t.c. for him to practice with and he has learned to chew with his gums, but I still make organic purees myself. I don't think BLW should be so militant about baby does it herself or nothing at all. We've struck a beautiful balance between pureed food and experiments with food chunks. It works for us!

[_betsy_]

My DD2 is 11.5 months old, has 8 teeth and more coming, and still passes pieces of carrots and green beans out whole.

She loves to eat, she's met all the physical milestones for months, and she doesn't get any dairy, grains or rice (although I do eat it and she BFs about 147,000 times a day). She's hated purees since before she knew food came any other way.

Carrots are really fibrous and hard for all of us to digest. And the saliva needed to really begin the digestion of them might not be there if the peices are small anough for baby to mash on her gums a little and then swallow (and I wouldn't feed it any other way).

[GoestoShow]

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Edited by GoestoShow - 1/4/11 at 8:59am