BLW support thread? - Page 6

[tzs]

hey there hartfelt,

we started out with the large fist-sized pieces and just went from there. it became pretty clear early in that my babe had her pincer (she eats cheerios) and was really good at chewing. so for a while now we've been doing mostly bite sized pieces if the food is soft. if it's a "harder" food like a fruit other than banana or toast then i give her the big chunks and she chews pieces off. muffins i give in big pieces...just because. we kind of play it by ear. if i think a n item would be "chokable" or not eaten well in a small piece then i give it in a chunk. sometimes i'll do both. i gave her bites as well as large strips of grilled cheese yesterday and she chose the bites.

[hartfelt]

thanks you guys! so i gave her some bow tie pasta in a red sauce with veggies for lunch. it was leftovers i was having from our dinner last night. she did realy well and gummed about 10-15 bow ties. most of them fell in her lap but she did get some down, and seemed so pleased to be eating the same thing i was. when she got too much she would spit it out. i think i am just going to give her what i am eating from now on. thats what she really wans anyway. thank you mamas so much for the suggestions/feedback. i am off to read those links! have a beautiful night!

nak

[tzs]

wow! a pro already!!!

[ElliesMomma]

Originally Posted by hartfelt

thanks you guys! so i gave her some bow tie pasta in a red sauce with veggies for lunch. it was leftovers i was having from our dinner last night. she did realy well and gummed about 10-15 bow ties. most of them fell in her lap but she did get some down, and seemed so pleased to be eating the same thing i was. when she got too much she would spit it out. i think i am just going to give her what i am eating from now on. thats what she really wans anyway. thank you mamas so much for the suggestions/feedback. i am off to read those links! have a beautiful night!

nak

good for you. do not overthink this -- the simpler, the better. the only hard-fast rule i follow is to keep your eyes/ears on your baby always when they are eating, and be ready to respond in case of choking. but seriously mostly they will only gag on food, and they learn how to work it out of their mouths, so it's all good.

we have discussed a bit on this thread regarding what exactly to offer babies, and there seems to be no real consensus except that the more "whole" and "pure" the food the better for nutritional sake.

i have seen my baby eat in "spurts" -- for awhile there he was really eating a ton, even gained a whole pound in one week. now he's slowing down his intake a bit, although still eating of course.

and i always try to keep in mind that "before they're one, food is for fun." so as to not take it overly seriously regarding exactly what he is taking in. my son is otherwise EBF, and he "still" nurses on demand many many times a day. i feel that that more than makes up for any "gaps" if there are any in his "real food" intake.

all in all, BLW + BF has got to be better nutritionally and developmentally than the "standard" american diet for babies of formula + jarred baby food.

[tzs]

it's funny b/c i am subbing today in the baby room of the preschool where i used to work and i am thinking how although i should totally know what i am doing now (as opposed to the couple other times pre-baby i was plopped in there and had no clue as to feedings etc..) i still have no idea b/c we have taken this totally different route to feeding. we'll see, i guess.

[carmen358]

Not sure if this thread is still active...

DD is 7.5 months and has been eating bits of solids for a few weeks. We wanted to do BLW but everytime we give her "fist sized pieces" of broccoli or banana she shoves the entire piece into her mouth (not kidding!) and then looks at us in a panic. So, we put small bite sized pieces on her high chair tray (pea sized) but they are usually so slippery she can't pick them up. Her pincer grip is quite good actually but most foods are just too slippery. So, we feed her bits off our fingers mostly, once in awhile off a spoon, she prefers a finger - she seems to really enjoy food now. We tried one of those baby mesh feeders and she LOVED it. A friend also gave her some of those baby mum mum things and she handled it like a pro. She clearly prefers to put the food in her mouth herself. Oh, and she has 4 teeth and 2 more on the way in.

Any suggestions on how to make feeding herself easier and safer?

[Knitting Mama]

I would keep using the mesh feeder if it was me, until she has figured out how not to shove entire things in her mouth. I wouldn't stop giving her full sized pieces of food, but obviously watch her like a hawk when she tries to shove them completely in her mouth. You can try to teach her verbally and with actions how to nom on a bit at a time.

[marinak1977]

I'm joining in here too, DS is just starting to really eat. He is just over 7 months. He's been asking to suck on flavorful things for a while, but not really swallowing much, until 2 days ago. Yesterday he ate a chunk of banana, and today he swallowed a piece of pickled ginger.
I've been pretty relaxed about sharing whatever we eat with him as long as it isn't sugar, grains, or dairy. So mostly veggies and fruit, although he got to suck a BBQ rib bone a couple of times. He seems to like almost anything including spicy food (all that gorging on spicy sauce during pregnancy paid off! ) and has had no reactions to anything so far One of his favorite things - spicy green beans at a chinese restaurant (yes we eat out way too much lately. )
I think i will try cooked squash and raw pears - that sounds like a great idea. I have used the mesh feeder for things that are small yet I still would like to share the taste with him. He loves cherries in it and will cover everything in cherry juice.

[dancingflower]

thanks for reviving the thread. I'm no authority in the subject (I 'm still reading Rapley's book and started with DS last week he's 6mo).

How many times did your LO stuffed the mouth? I'd say try many times. First because this is usually a rule for many things babies can or cannot do. What they can't do today, they magically get it tomorrow. And because first times in BLW can be very frustrating and it's all about learning.

Yes "watch like a Hawk". Our LO gagged and even vomited the first few times.Oh I know the panic face. While putting things in his mouth, he would make an expression I never had seen before, kinda scared and keeping his eyes on me as if asking for guidance. Then he would gag and throw his arms as if wanting to be picked up. Nose and eyes constantly red from gagging. Simply excruciating. I rehearsed so many times the movements necessary to free him from the booster seat if needed.

He may have reached his 6th time self feeding now. He still only sucks on everything but I think something is already being eaten (pears, apple, broccoli, cucumber, chicken, bread, avocado). No huge gagging anymore. From the first time when he took huge bites and got in trouble till now where he goes slowly munching: learning

Keep trying! Oh it's so good to eat my meals using two hands again while he's having a blast squeezing food (and eventually eating, i hope)

[marinak1977]

Originally Posted by dancingflower

Keep trying! Oh it's so good to eat my meals using two hands again while he's having a blast squeezing food (and eventually eating, i hope)

huge I think my DS is pretty much learning the same way. He definitely gags less now and when he does he is less panicky. I still watch like a hawk for sure.

[Perdita_in_Ontario]

Hi - timely thread to pop up! DS is 6 months and I'm on board with BLW.

We tried some pieces of banana a few days ago, and he managed a couple like a pro - I figured he was ready, but since then he's actually back-tracked and isn't interested (I offered him some applesauce when DD was having some and he didn't want that either).

So fine, I'm okay with waiting - I know BLW'd babies often are closer to around 8 months before they're really eating - but how long do you guys wait between offering? A few days? A week? I am thinking since we did have an initial success, I might try again in a week - I think perhaps the tiny gag he had on the last piece of banana might have scared him a little. Perhaps I should wait longer?

(I'm on hold at the library for the BLW book - is it worth buying or is it one of these books that's very valuable at the time but loses its value once they're eating well in a couple of months?)

[tzs]

just keep offering at every meal. if there's no interest then no big deal. i think that in addition to the taste and texture bit of it.....a big part of the process is just that the babe is a part of the family meal or meal with mom or whatever. i mean, even at 11 months my hearty eater has those moments where she's just not that enthusiastic. it's not a big deal in the least. usually at this point she picks it up at the next meal but in the beginning there were alot of times when nothing much happened except some great quality time together and maybe some learning by example.

[tzs]

oh and as far as the mouth shoving. i would just keep helping and keep at it. i would also say "out" as i helped her clear her mouth in the beginning and as she got better i could say "out" and she would do it herself. then they get to the point where they realize themselves that they've taken on something they can;t handle (whether it;'s too big or just not working....like a peel...) and will take care of it on their own. but watching is key and trying to remain calm.