Baby lead weaning
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- Baby lead weaning
31/8/08 19:39
I didn't add that my dd is bottle fed and drinks water from a beaker with her meals and has managed blw very well. My hv advised that 6 months was the recommended age for weaning and if you do hold out to 6 months then there's no reason a baby can't move straight onto lumpy solid foods. When I weaned ds in 2000 the recommended age was 4 months but he wasn't happy taking solid feeds until around 5 1/2 months so that was when I weaned him29/8/08 22:24
I actually had to start BLW before 6 months!! couldn't believe that couldn't make it till 6months cos DS didn't want to wean even then but DD was getting so upset when not allowed to grab my food off me/food off plates on table when on someone's knee or if people were eating but all food out of her reach - I let her pull a raw carrot that I was holding to her mouth & suck on it at 23-ish weeks and at 23.5weeks I was eating a plum and she pulled my hand to her mouth and started sucking on it. So from 24weeks I let her have some carrot (sometimes raw just to suck/chew on for teeth, sometimes cooked to try destroying lol) and cucumber once a day for teatime to play with in her bumbo while me & DS were eating. She first swallowed a bit at about 25 weeks which was followed by a burp then about a minute later was sick, at 25.5 weeks I offered her Organix carrot sticks as we were camping so harder to do her cooked carrot, she did well with them, not so keen on rice cakes lol. She's def eating the odd bit of carrot now & oranix carrot sticks cos was some in her nappy lol, and the cucumber seeds (i remove the skin and she sucks the sticks left until soft). Offered potato today, gonna take it slowly & not introduce too many foods just yet (she's 26.5 weeks now) but will offer plum soon cos she's had the taste of that. (oh she's had a tiny bit butternut squash too). Will do some mash for her to play with with some ebm soon too cos when DS finally started weaning he liked scooping mash, weetabix, porridge etc into his mouth lol!
28/8/08 00:16
DD has been blw'd since 6months, she had everything we had, minus the salt. She eats everything herself incl yoghurts, soups etc
27/8/08 21:30
i hadnt considered the point about the weaning age going up but the method not adapting in line.
my 1st two were born early 90s when weaning started at 12 weeks. by 5 months they were eating cheese sandwiches, so it makes perfect sense to me that a 6 month old can manage finger food.
C
x
19/8/08 14:56
why is baby-led weaning becoming popular?
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since the 1960s the recommended age for introducing solids has moved from three to four and now six months, but the way in which we introduce solids is still geared towards a three month old. parents and carers traditionally wean their children on to single fruit or vegetable purées or baby rice, moving on to other pureéd foods as their babies become older, finally introducing mashed foods and foods containing small lumps after several months.
in 2003 the uk government changed its advice in line with that of the world health organisation about the recommended age for babies to start solids. it now advises parents to introduce solids into their baby's diet at around six months. at s19/8/08 14:55
How do I do it?
Parents who have used baby-led weaning recommend using foods that are shaped like a chip, or have a handle, such as cooked broccoli spears. This is because small babies have not yet developed a pincer grip and can only clasp foods in their fists. If you would like to try baby led weaning, offer your baby a selection of nutritious finger foods suitable for your baby's age when you and your family are eating and let him join in. At first he might just play with the food, or he might grab pieces of food with his fist and start to suck on them. Carry on breastfeeding in between mealtimes. As your baby gradually eats more solids, the number of breastfeeds will start to decrease.Won't my baby choke?
Parents (particularly those who have weaned older children on to pureed foods) understandably worry about the possibility of babies choking or gagging. Gill Rapley argues that as long as babies can sit upright, the fact that they can handle their own food and move it to the back of their mouths means the risk of choking is minimal. However, it is important to remember that babies should never be left unattended when eating.Is baby-led weaning suitable for both breastfed and formula-fed babies?
Most parents who have tried baby led weaning have breastfed their children and see it as a natural extension of the breastfeeding process. Breastfeeding babies usually feed on-demand and breastfeeding is very much an active process, with babies needing to work hard, using their jaw and tongue to latch on properly and get at the milk effectively. Research has shown that breastfed babies seem able to regulate their calorie intake according to their needs. It makes sense for babies who can regulate how much breastmilk they drink to also regulate their intake of solid food.
However, there does not appear to be any reason why a bottle-fed baby couldn't be weaned onto solids in this way. If your baby is formula-fed, you should offer him several drinks of water in between milk feeds and at mealtimes. Breastfed babies do not need to be given water because breastmilk is a drink as well as a food.14/8/08 21:54
I never followed any blw rules as such but as soon as dd turned 6 months i let her feed herself at each mealtime, i sometimes spoonfeed her a fruit puree or yoghurt for afters but she pretty much feeds herself all her other meals. A Typical day is something along the lines of toast and fruit for breakfast, bread ham cucumber and tomato for lunch and meat and veg ir pasta for tea - she doesn't seem to like chicken much but has a good go at everything. Dd is 9 months now but when i first started weaning her i cut veg into large spears to steam so they were easy for her to get hold of and now she can feed herself little cubes of del monte peach (in juice of course). She loves sucking up spaghetti and noodles. Holly has what we have almost all of the time and when i'm serving up i spread her stuff out on a plate and it cools quickly and is usually ok by the time i've sorted everyone else out and got it to the table14/8/08 12:36
Just saw something interesting about this on one of the other forums, thought I might try it as DD isn't very interested in her purees at the moment. Anyone have any tips or experience to share help me on the way?
