BLW - all or nothing?

[newmamalizzy]

I'm just learning about BLW. DP and I were discussing it tonight, and he liked the idea of doing a combination of "traditional" feeding and exploratory self-feeding. I got the impression, though, that you're really not supposed to feed the baby at all with BLW. Is it possible to use a compromise approach? Or should it really be all or nothing?

[Knitting Mama]

I don't see why you can't do both if that is what you're comfortable with. For me, I don't want to mess with purees, so we're going 100% BLW when we start, but that doesn't mean it's the perfect choice for everyone. I do, however, personally think that the idea of delaying solids until past 6 months as suggested in BLW should be the norm for whatever style people choose.

[newmamalizzy]

Originally Posted by Cecilia's Mama

I don't see why you can't do both if that is what you're comfortable with. For me, I don't want to mess with purees, so we're going 100% BLW when we start, but that doesn't mean it's the perfect choice for everyone. I do, however, personally think that the idea of delaying solids until past 6 months as suggested in BLW should be the norm for whatever style people choose.

Yes, it seems far more natural to wait. I would personally do 100% BLW as well, particularly because DD has always been kind of slow about food (small appetite, poor sucking, etc.). I really don't want to push her. But DP pointed out that I always ask his opinion then do things my way anyway, so....now I feel like I need to compromise. Darn it.

[EmTheWife]

I am curious to hear what more experienced mamas have to say too, because we were kind of thinking about using a combo approach too...

[tsfairy]

I gave DS1 a few jars of baby food here and there, but really self-feeding was so much easier! I just did some minimal prep (mashing a banana, steaming a sweet potato or apple, etc.) and let him do his thing while I ate in peace. With DS2 we never even bothered with purees. He's only ever self-fed, except for bites of my food here and there.

Keep in mind that most breastfed babies really don't *need* the additional nutrition from solid food, it's just exploration and play for them. Spoon-feeding tends to override the natural gag reflex and baby eats far more than his body needs. It's much easier for baby to regulate his intake when he's feeding himself.

[ElliesMomma]

really, what's the point of giving mushed banana, if the baby can hold the banana himself and just take a bite?

people are "afraid" of BLW due to the risk of choking... but ANYONE can choke, including adults (remember George W. Bush choking on a pretzel while president?)

just watch your baby very carefully whenever he is eating and be prepared to turn him upside down and give firm but gentle thumps between the shoulder blades should the need arise.

my first child i started with a few "mush" meals, but quickly went to BLW.

my second child i started with BLW entirely and never looked back... once the baby is already eating solids, WHY would you go to mush?

[Knitting Mama]

Originally Posted by tsfairy

Keep in mind that most breastfed babies really don't *need* the additional nutrition from solid food, it's just exploration and play for them. Spoon-feeding tends to override the natural gag reflex and baby eats far more than his body needs. It's much easier for baby to regulate his intake when he's feeding himself.

The gag reflex is really an important part of development. And it seems like babies actually gag less when they have control over what goes into their mouths and when. As well, I feel like spoon-feeding can (not always but can) override the baby listening to their body and eating when they want and stopping when they are not in the mood or done.

[carmel23]

I think it is wise, with most things parenting, to not expect 100 per cent of anything.

You know?

My experience with the benefits of BLW: baby eats solids when ready.

Baby doesn't get over full, and learns to self-regulate.

That said, when we were at our favorite, local, organic, blah blah market, they had these samples of "world organic baby food."

So we tried some, and our little guy loved it. With spoon feeding we did a combo where I had 2 spoons because of course he would grab it and want to nom nom the spoon. So I just used another one and traded with him, so he had a spoon he could feed himself with, and I had a spoon to reload. He had had most of the ingredients as single ingredients, so we were comfortable with this...

Did he finish the whole jar? Good Lord, no! He doesn't really eat 3 squares (he is now almost 10 months) and has some food sensitivities/allergies. So we are pretty careful about what he eats.

Just go really slowly, and be ready for queues to stop. No rush!

We've made some purees at home that make nice 'sauces' for other foods he eats, for when he is tired of plain pumpkin, etc.

It has been my experience that BLW is really the best way to start, and it is true that babies tend to push bites of food that are too big out of their mouths. But if you want to try something with a spoon you aren't going to destroy your baby, just take it super slow.



edit to add: more on the risk of choking. Our ped. put this a really good way, that babies are so tuned into eating because it isn't like second nature to them (like it is adults). They aren't drinking and talking when they're shoving food in their mouths, like us. Its not like they'll put a huge piece of steak in their mouth-- they take bites, and really, if it is too big their little tongue typically pushes it out. The risk of choking on a genuine food item by a baby is probably less then the chances of an adult choking.

[Parker'smommy]

I didn't do BLW with my dd, but did something similar ( I had never heard the term BLW until a few months ago)

I let her totally self feed, but I didn't give her big pieces. My ped has said that anything the size of a cherrio was good so that's what I did. She didn't start eating solids until she was around 8 1/2 months when she developed her pincer grasp and was able to pick foods up by herself. She NEVER wanted me to feed her...never. So, I cut up small pieces of avocado and ripe banana and she was so happy. She hated anything mushy or spoon fed except she did develop a liking to yogurt and let her big brother feed her for a few months but then grabbed the spoon and wanted to do it herself. I would load the spoon up for her and she would feed herself.

I am curious about BLW. But I have time ( baby is 6 weeks old) and will most definitely look into it. But I feel that what i did with dd is a variation of BLW because she self fed. I just made the portions smaller.

[rhiOrion]

Ehh, I do something in between. I can't get over my fear of choking with large pieces, and she doesn't like getting big chunks of stuff in her mouth anyhow. So, I tend to roughly mush up whatever she's having, and then let her have at it. But, if I put some on my finger she will guide my finger to her mouth. She still gags, but to me I'd rather her gag on something that can't truly block her airway. That said, I don't think there's actually much danger in that, and I have no problem with people who give whole pieces of food to eat- but my ocd brain cannot let go of the fear of choking. So, to keep me from completely losing my mind, we go with something in between. I also started solids at about 5.5 months.

[SilverFish]

well, i certainly don't only eat big pieces of fruits and veg, i eat soups, and curries and sauces. so we do a combination. sometimes i give her chunks of fruit and veg, sometimes i make something specifically for her that has a pureed or mashed texture. if the item we're eating isn't going to work for her (too spicy, untested ingredients etc) i'll make a plainer version for her. i generally spoon-feed these foods myself, but honestly, that's just because i'm not too keen on spoonfuls of applesauce or sweet potato curry ending up all over my dining room. i think i'm perfectly capable of reading her signs and not over feeding or insisting when she's not hungry... i have better things to do than try to shove spoonfuls of food down her throat!

i think the most important thing is to not get caught up in how much they're eating. just offer the kinds of foods your family eats, and let it happen on its own. i don't offer food every day or even every other day. if there is something on the table that is suitable, i give it, if i feel like making something specific i do, and if not, she is perfectly happy to play with a spoon and her rings at the dinner table. she is 7.5 months right now.

[Tattooed Hand]

I do a combo. DD is 10 months old tomorrow and we waited on all solids until she was almost 8 months old (she showed zero interest anyway). She has multiple food sensitivities through my milk and a super sensitive digestion. We tried steamed stuff (but not too soft so she could hold it) and it was really hard on her digestion - she spent all day straining, constipated (and yes, we gave her water) and started having 1-2 hour long wakeups at night in obvious discomfort. So we backed way off, went back to EBF for a couple of weeks (to verify that food was the problem and it was).

Now we are starting again, but we are doing a combo. She has a great pincer grasp, but some things needs to be steamed or mashed up to make them easier to digest. Or they are just too mushy to start with. Though I don't anticipate doing it for too long.

She loves eating off my spoon, though not too much. I only worry about giving her a few bites anyway, since she's growing fine and BM is OK to be her main source of nutrition until at least a year.

[Quinalla]

I did a mix of feeding purees/cereal/etc. and things she could pick up herself. It worked well for us because she really did want to eat, but didn't have the patience at first to pick up everything herself. Also, she really likes cereal, soup, yogurt and some other things that she really can't self-feed yet. Sure, she can smear it around and get a bit in her mouth, but she gets frustrated with that and likes to eat stuff off a spoon or my finger. Since she is very clear when she doesn't want more, I don't worry too much about it since I feel I am still letting her take the lead. As soon as she figures out the spoon herself though, I'll let her go to town

[dakotablue]

Its funny but I feel like part of the reason Ds doesn't choke and spits food out when there is too much is because we didn't start with purees.

I mean In my mine a puree is like a thick liquid, so you don't mash you just swallow and then when given something you have to mash, well the first time might be a surprise. Kinda like getting a chunk when you drink a milk shake.

We started with cooked carrots and rice, then banana not mashed, because that's what we want him to do....

DS didn't have any interest until 8-9 months.

[sunnygir1]

I've done a kind of mixture, and ds totally spits out what's in his mouth if it's too much or if he's ready for a drink of water or something.

I let my babes eat things on their own when it makes sense, and I help them when that makes sense; same with big chunks vs. small.

I always give ds something he can grab and work on himself, but I spoon in things like hot cereal and yogurt. When he was younger I chewed certain things for him or minced them up and set a pile in front of him, like mushrooms, spinach, or fresh green beans that just weren't soft enough for him to gum up.

I give him water in an open cup, which I still hold for/with him so he isn't totally soaked every meal.

I've never fed one of my kids baby food from a jar, but I sometimes chew or chop what we're eating to make it easier for the babe to try.

[octobermom]

I have no idea what the pure deffineation is but were doing a combo. While it had NOTHING to do with our decession to fully BLW (no me feeding) with my first she had some serious sensory issues and processing delays.. It cause some very real food issues that eventually required therapy..The ONLY thing that me "feeding" her would have done is maybe alerted her to the issue sooner... It wouldn't have prevented the issue or cured it.. I know this but still I have vivid memories of the stuggles and years latter we still deal with it both physically and emotionally.. Therfore I personally cannot go back to a situation of a total self feeding only baby..
So yes my DD eats jars of puree baby food heck I just bought 3 flats of Earth best stage 2 antioxident, country meal and breatfast blend varriety packs..I hav elittle intrest in making my own puree plus when I have shes kinda ingnored itbut will eat the other stuff fine..
But we also do a LOT of self exploration, I dont fret whe nshes tried to grab the spoon and self feed I just help guide she also eats a lot of what we have when its appropiate She loves tasting bit s an chicnks of the "ingredients" when I cook fruit and veggies in raw forms from salads I'm preparing broths and bits of meats from stews and cassaroles peppers onions mushroom ect from sauces and garnishes there is a whole bunch of great foods that are gret and wont be found in a jar we openly eplore them..
And of course I read her cues while I'll encourage a food for a bit I'll also not force feed its not my desire to shove in the contents of the jar as fast as I can so if shes done she is done no forcing..
The results is a baby who has already a pretty decent array of good food combos and still a baby who is primarly on breastmilk since of course that still comes first.

Deanna

[newmamalizzy]

I guess one bit I don't understand is whether you still introduce foods one at a time to detect food sensitivities as they generally advise with the traditional route. And, if so, do various seasonings and whatnot have to be introduced individually as well? (i.e. If baby is going to try a sauce, should she have experience with all of the sauces ingredients individually beforehand?)

[~Amy~]

Originally Posted by newmamalizzy

I guess one bit I don't understand is whether you still introduce foods one at a time to detect food sensitivities as they generally advise with the traditional route. And, if so, do various seasonings and whatnot have to be introduced individually as well? (i.e. If baby is going to try a sauce, should she have experience with all of the sauces ingredients individually beforehand?)

I didn't really worry about this, honestly. We did hold off on common allergens for a while, but I didn't intro one food, wait a week, and then intro another one.

[slimkins]

Originally Posted by sunnygir1

I've done a kind of mixture, and ds totally spits out what's in his mouth if it's too much or if he's ready for a drink of water or something.

I let my babes eat things on their own when it makes sense, and I help them when that makes sense; same with big chunks vs. small.

I always give ds something he can grab and work on himself, but I spoon in things like hot cereal and yogurt. When he was younger I chewed certain things for him or minced them up and set a pile in front of him, like mushrooms, spinach, or fresh green beans that just weren't soft enough for him to gum up.

I give him water in an open cup, which I still hold for/with him so he isn't totally soaked every meal.

I've never fed one of my kids baby food from a jar, but I sometimes chew or chop what we're eating to make it easier for the babe to try.

THIS!!

whatever feels right.

[Maela]

We did a combination. At six months I introduced one new food every few days, but was super relaxed about it. Sometimes it was something like a big chunk of avocado or banana that I just let her/him hold and take "bites" and sometimes it was homemade baby food that I made. But really it was just a couple of bites either way. Just pretty much for fun -something new to try. Maybe once a day.

When they got older and started actually eating dinner with us, I would just give them small pieces of whatever we were having on their highchair tray. But sometimes it would be something that I didn't feel comfortable with them eating (trying to think of an example, but coming up blank), so I would give them some of the homemade baby food or I'd puree/mash up whatever it was we were having.

DS just turned one and he will try a lot of things, but still isn't that excited about solids (except cheerios ). so he's still mostly nursing, but I'm still doing a combo of blw and spoon feeding. It's just more on the blw side now.