self-feeding/baby-led weaning support thread... - Page 9

[spmamma]

Originally Posted by SparklingGemini

Yay! For making progress. I think in some cases slow is infinitely better! Do you have pictures?

I didn't take one when she ate the pear, but here's one of Charlotte sucking on a piece of banana a few days before Christmas. Leaving some of the peel on seemed to make it easier for her to hold it.

[Ubelle]

hmmm here's C eating a pear - she loves them
I tried getting a photo of her with one of her mini bananas - but she was too quick. DH was worried thinking she ate it whole - she took 3 bites :

[spmamma]

Originally Posted by Ubelle

hmmm here's C eating a pear - she loves them
I tried getting a photo of her with one of her mini bananas - but she was too quick. DH was worried thinking she ate it whole - she took 3 bites :

What a cutie pie! How old was she when was she able to eat without gagging?

[Ubelle]

Thank you!!

She still gags some, but she's never been a big gagger. DH and I don't have big gag reflexes either - maybe it's genetic? I thinks it's only been the last week or two that the way scarry gagging (makes you think choking is immanent) has been very minimal. So that would have been about 8 mo.

She gags more on a new food than she will on a food she's had before, somtime I think she just needs to get used to a new texture, but also she does gag anytime something goes the wrong way - she just brings it forward and either tries again or spits it out.

[popbaby]

I thought it might be a good time to repost all of the links in one place.

Getting Started:

Jack Newman handout about watching baby's cues regarding solid foods...
http://www.kellymom.com/newman/16sta...lid_foods.html

Here is a great thread on inroducing solids and 6 great reasons to wait.
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/t032000.asp


Baby Led Weaning:

Here's a good blog about it:
http://babyledweaning.blogware.com/

Also, here's a great interview with Gail Rapley, the person from the
UK who did the research and came up with official protocol for this
method of feeding.
http://www.theweaningroom.com/weanin.../interview.php

Guidelines for implementing a baby-led approach to the introduction of solid food
http://www.borstvoeding.com/voedseli...uidelines.html

A GREAT resource:
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/babyledweaning.htm

Why Baby Knows Best:
http://news.independent.co.uk/health/article2067856.ece

And an interesting article - you wonder if you can serve chili? why yes!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9646449/

[Maela]

Hi everyone!

My dd is going to be six months next week, so I've been reading this thread intently ever since it started. She doesn't sit up on her own for more than ten seconds at a time, and she doesn't have any teeth yet. She is always very interested in what we are eating though. I think I just might let her 'play' with a chunk of avocado in a couple of weeks and see what happens. I'm excited, scared, and a little sad. Dh and I are both on board with BLW though.

Regarding the finger sweep: What I learned in my CPR/first aid class a couple of years ago was that you can do the finger sweep if you are able to see the food. If you can't see the food easily, then you shouldn't do the sweep because you could push the food farther down into their throat. You're supposed to do this.

[spmamma]

Originally Posted by popbaby

I thought it might be a good time to repost all of the links in one place.

Getting Started:

Jack Newman handout about watching baby's cues regarding solid foods...
http://www.kellymom.com/newman/16sta...lid_foods.html

Here is a great thread on inroducing solids and 6 great reasons to wait.
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/t032000.asp


Baby Led Weaning:

Here's a good blog about it:
http://babyledweaning.blogware.com/

Also, here's a great interview with Gail Rapley, the person from the
UK who did the research and came up with official protocol for this
method of feeding.
http://www.theweaningroom.com/weanin...eaning/intervi...

Guidelines for implementing a baby-led approach to the introduction of solid food
http://www.borstvoeding.com/voedseli...uidelines.html

A GREAT resource:
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/babyledweaning.htm

Why Baby Knows Best:
http://news.independent.co.uk/health/article2067856.ece

And an interesting article - you wonder if you can serve chili? why yes!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9646449/

Thanks, popbaby!! Now I have everything bookmarked in one place!

Originally Posted by Maela

Regarding the finger sweep: What I learned in my CPR/first aid class a couple of years ago was that you can do the finger sweep if you are able to see the food. If you can't see the food easily, then you shouldn't do the sweep because you could push the food farther down into their throat. You're supposed to do this.

This was helpful, too. Thanks Maela!!

[sprouthead]

so i wanted to share a recent experience and get some feedback:

ds is in early intervention because of his prematurity and this morning a nutritionist came out to see us. she said that his weight, height, and body fat deposits are all good. yay!

but then she was encouraging the whole rice cereal then the rest of the grains and then fruits and veggies, and then meats, and doing all purees. She was saying that he shows signs of being ready (mouthing everything, interest in food, *starting* to sit unassisted) and if we don't introduce it now, he may reject it later on. i explained that i was starting to give food in either whole pieces or french fry shapes, and he wasn't really eating it because of his tongue thrust reflex. i said that once this was gone and he was ready to swallow, then i'll start giving him more food. she said that because he's a preemie, it's going to take him longer to be ready to swallow and he may need more practice, so therefore i need to go ahead and start *purees*.

these are my thoughts: he's already a very oral boy and loves mouthing the food we give him. this alone should get him used to tastes and textures so that when he's ready, he'll be able to eat. what's the point in getting him used to eating purees off of a spoon just to have to transition him to more solid food?

does that make sense? any input?

thanks!

[addiemom'07]

Sprouthead I have one question...

Is he receiving some sort of sustenance such as mommy milk or formula? I can only assume he is since he's growing. Then he obviously knows how to swallow

[sprouthead]

Sorry- I should have specified! (I knew what I meant!)

Swallow pieces of food!!

[binky]

Nurse on demand necessary w/BLW?

I've read through many of the postings here but not all (yet). I'd like to hear how working Mammas are handling BLW. I've read a couple of different places that nursing on demand goes hand in hand w/BLW. I am not able to do this because I am out of the house 1/2 days 2-3 times/wk and 2-3 times each month I am gone for the whole day. I pump and my DH gives DS a bottle. He gets BF (or bottle) 4xdaily. We just started BLW 4 days ago w/banana, slice of baguette, and cucumber. So far, DS is diggin' the idea and taste of chow but not really getting much in. I also wonder about the iron question and the push by our pediatrician to do the cereals now. Do you do BLW in addition to the mushy cereals? One last question, we've had DS on infant acidophilus since about 4 weeks as he had some issues with burping and gas. Anyone esle doing acidophilus and if so, how long do you intend to keep it up? Our former pediatrician whom we liked and respected recommended acidophilus for the first year.

[Arwyn]

Feeding purees would offer practice at swallowing purees (although until he's ready, it'll just be offering practice at getting purees out of his mouth). Offering real food, when he's ready is the only thing that will give him practice at swallowing real food.

And I think BLW is right regardless of the feeding style before solids are introduced. I recommend feeding on demand even with bottles (and "bottle nursing" as much as the child will allow), but even scheduled feeds don't preclude self-feeding. It's probably best to offer foods after feeding, because milk is where his nutrition should be coming from until he's at least a year old.

We don't do probiotics (he gets them from me, anyway), so I can't really answer that question, sorry.

[westcoastma]

This thread is what got me into this site.

My son is 4 months and I'm starting to do quite a bit of researching on solids. I'm really interested in blw. Totally new concept to me, but makes total sense. I like the idea of offering wholesome, natural, real foods first rather than the processed rice junk.

I'm sure i'll be around with lots of questions. Like this one... did anyone use the "feed sacs" at first? I don't know the proper name, but the mesh bags. I'm pretty sure that's totally against blw, but some were given to me, wondering if I should now just return them.

And do you continue to offer pieces of real food the whole time w/o any cereal at all? No purees? (again, this is a totally new concept for me!! thanks!)

[popbaby]

Originally Posted by westcoastma

did anyone use the "feed sacs" at first? I don't know the proper name, but the mesh bags. I'm pretty sure that's totally against blw, but some were given to me, wondering if I should now just return them.

I never used them with food, but I used them a lot with ice and with breast "milksickles" when my DD was teething...she loved it!

[binky]

Peels/pesticides and iron in cereals?

Thanks for posting the links again - lots of good info. For those of you leaving parts of peels (bananas, avocado etc) aren't you worried about pesticides? Our ped freaked out yesterday when we told her we were doing BLW. In fact, she had no idea what it is! Ugh! We're loking for a non trad care giver as we just moved to the area. We cannot afford organic right now. Where are you geting the iron from for your 6 mos and up babies? I have tended to be anemic since I was a teen and when the ped said we needed to do cereals for DS iron, I kinda got concerned that I was not doing right by my baby by not doing some crereals. First time motherhood is so fraught with guilt and uncertainty !!

[Arwyn]

We never used the mesh feeders, although I was tempted to a time or two when he was teething, for breastmilk ice cubes, but I don't pump regulargly, and I'm against buying something to be used just a couple times, so

We have never done purees at all. The only spoon use here is a bit of hummus or sauce on a spoon that we hand to him, and we didn't start that until after he'd been eating for a while.

Pesticides: we eat mostly organic here, and I'm extra careful to get organic produce when Naked Baby is going to have it. Apples especially. Avocados are some of the LEAST pesticided foods, as are bananas, so if you're only going to get some foods organic, make it apples and citrus and berries.

Battery's dying, be back later.

[baturay]

just found this thread, but it's sooo long, so i kind of skimmed it i do belong in here though, since we are doing BLW. didn't do that with our first, but it's been a blast doing it with our second. he didn't show true signs of interest in foods until around 7 months. sure, he'd be interested in what's on the table, but it was the same interest he had with spoons or anything else he could grab. it wasn't until around 7 months that he was specifically interested in eating food. so, we started by giving him chunks of sweet potatoes on his tray and letting go at them. he's now 9 1/2 months and he feeds himself various foods like sweet potatoes, all types of fruits, cheerios (trader joes brand), bread and whatever else we are eating at dinner. it's amazing to me how naturally a child will on his own, show interest towards food. and it's so much easier than feeding them!

[Ubelle]

We've had a new meal for DD we did a little sweet potato and white bean curry, with onion and green peppers - she loved it, I love watching her face when she eats something new.

And we introduced some organic O's for our plane trip the end of this week - she gets so excited when she sees the box :

Originally Posted by binky

I've read through many of the postings here but not all (yet). I'd like to hear how working Mammas are handling BLW. I've read a couple of different places that nursing on demand goes hand in hand w/BLW. I am not able to do this because I am out of the house 1/2 days 2-3 times/wk and 2-3 times each month I am gone for the whole day. I pump and my DH gives DS a bottle. He gets BF (or bottle) 4xdaily. We just started BLW 4 days ago w/banana, slice of baguette, and cucumber. So far, DS is diggin' the idea and taste of chow but not really getting much in. I also wonder about the iron question and the push by our pediatrician to do the cereals now. Do you do BLW in addition to the mushy cereals? One last question, we've had DS on infant acidophilus since about 4 weeks as he had some issues with burping and gas. Anyone esle doing acidophilus and if so, how long do you intend to keep it up? Our former pediatrician whom we liked and respected recommended acidophilus for the first year.

I too am a WOH mama, but we still do BLW - actually now i just can't imagine doing purees, it seems like so much work, but then again so is cleaning the babe all the time. We still nurse on demand when I see DD. I think the concern that you should be nursing on demand is that these babies have had practice controling how much they eat at each sitting from birth.

At DD daycare we even got them to go along with just letting her feed herself, now I see many more babies with finger food

We do mushy cereal - not for iron - just a different texture taste, and they help thicken applesouce somedays, we make our own cereals. We load the spoon and then just hand it to DD so then she is still in control.

Originally Posted by westcoastma

I'm sure i'll be around with lots of questions. Like this one... did anyone use the "feed sacs" at first? I don't know the proper name, but the mesh bags. I'm pretty sure that's totally against blw, but some were given to me, wondering if I should now just return them.

We use the mesh feeders - they have a cloth sac. I've been using them for aples since lately DD bites of pieces that our choking hazards, but she really loves them. we've also used them when we've been out to eat and DD will be in our lap - it help minimize the mess, but they are good for some occasions not always. - I would think it's still BLW - your not putting the food in their mouth for them or pushing them to eat.

Originally Posted by baturay

just found this thread, but it's sooo long, so i kind of skimmed it i do belong in here though, since we are doing BLW. didn't do that with our first, but it's been a blast doing it with our second. he didn't show true signs of interest in foods until around 7 months. sure, he'd be interested in what's on the table, but it was the same interest he had with spoons or anything else he could grab. it wasn't until around 7 months that he was specifically interested in eating food. so, we started by giving him chunks of sweet potatoes on his tray and letting go at them. he's now 9 1/2 months and he feeds himself various foods like sweet potatoes, all types of fruits, cheerios (trader joes brand), bread and whatever else we are eating at dinner. it's amazing to me how naturally a child will on his own, show interest towards food. and it's so much easier than feeding them!

Welcome!!!

[binky]

[QUOTE=Ubelle;10272522]

We do mushy cereal - not for iron - just a different texture taste, and they help thicken applesouce somedays, we make our own cereals. We load the spoon and then just hand it to DD so then she is still in control.

What kinds of cereals do you make? Where do you get them?

With regard to the feed sacs, is there a brand that you recommend? I remember reading something about a baby spoon, sassy something? Recommendations?

I am curious how many times per day y'all offer solids when just starting BLW? I am a WOH Mamma who usually can schedule work around nursing times (upon waking, around noon, mid-afternoon, before bed). We've been doing BLW at dinner time when we sit down to eat (most other meals are in the car between school visits). I read in a PP that you can offer the breast while BLW, no joke intended, but do you wrap yourself in a towel or something? Our DS is so completely covered in banana or avocado that even to carry him to the changing table gets smeared food everywhere. Any suggestions? Also, what signs has your baby given you that s/he is thirsty and wants to be BF in between exploring with solids? Our DS is a grunter - has been from birth. He'll start grunting toward the end of his solid "for the evening" but I am not sure what he is saying. Normally, he gets fussy and softly cries when he is hungry....The question is how can you tell if your baby just is done eating, wants down from the highchair or wants a drink??

[dancebaraka]

OOooh ooh Thanks Alexa for starting this thread! Akasha is starting some foods nows and it's good to hear from others.


So first, a little about us. DD is 8+ months and she is sitting, crawling, rolling, standing, cruising, really just all over the place. She has a good pincer and is clearly cool with solids, although we get a bit of gagging now and again. We knew we wanted to do BLW to keep our breastfeeding relationship strong and to empower her own sense of self-sufficiency. About a month ago, she started playing with and getting a few bites of foods every 1-5 days. We do nothing really strategic. She has tried avocado, sweet potato, banana, apple, pear, celery, bell pepper, carrot, cucumber (by far her fave), organic and hormone free chicken and beef, and of last week, her first puffed brown rice cake. Also, we have started letting her have a very small glass with water when we do this. It is a fun process and it feels good to move slow. There are many days with no food other than my milk, and when she eats it seems more like playtime than a meal. At any given time, she never gets more than a few bites.

[QUOTE=binky;10280163]

Originally Posted by Ubelle

I read in a PP that you can offer the breast while BLW, no joke intended, but do you wrap yourself in a towel or something? Our DS is so completely covered in banana or avocado that even to carry him to the changing table gets smeared food everywhere. Any suggestions?

I nurse before offering any foods. Sometimes DH offers a food while I am not home, in which case it is accompanied before and after with mostly breastmilk or a few sips of water.

They do get wild messy! I tend to offer food before bath time, or at least change clothes and wipe down with a hot washcloth afterwards. And DD eats while sitting up herself on a big oilcloth on the floor. Easy cleanup.

Now I have a question. DD takes a bottle of my milk 3-4x a week when I am working. I want to introduce a cup now instead of her glass bottles, but would love some recs. We want to get her a little sigg, but how are the tops with those. Does a straw top or sip top work better for you? We do offer water from a small glass a la Montessori, but when I am away I want her to get a good amount of my milk without wasting it (it's liquid gold!) and she mostly plays with her cup thus far.

Any thoughts?
TIA and sorry for the novel!