# self-feeding/baby-led weaning support thread...



## mamalex (Mar 2, 2004)

My almost 6mth old starting begging for food a month ago, and we finally said okay. He reaches for and grabs food and eats it, and he also grabs spoons w/ food on them and puts them in his mouth. this is so so different from ds1 who we tried to entice to eat for so long (even still) and who we spoon fed (unwillingly- yikes!)









We've let ds2 have bananas, rice, carrots, green beans, apples, pears, and potatoes (I may have left something out.) We're not following the "one new food for 4 days" rule. I'm just so much more relaxed about it this time around. And besides, we are all free of gluten, dairy, soy, corn, dairy, eggs, pork, tomatoes, and most nuts! I know it sounds crazy. I don't have many food sensitivities, but ds1 and dh do (and ds1 still nurses.)


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Were you hoping this could be a thread for those of us starting to do self-feeding? I'd definitely be interested in having a continuous one for questions, experiences, anecdotes, etc, as they arise. And I've noticed a lot of threads around this subject lately, so it might be convenient to have one thread we're regularly adding to... (or maybe even a separate forum, mods? It definitely seems to come up a lot, and I know I have a lot of questions! The current forum on "child-led weaning" seems to have more to do with weaning off breast milk completely, or night weaning, but maybe I just haven't looked at it closely enough?).

We're just getting to the point where we're starting DD on solids. She's 5 1/2 months and while I meant to wait until 6 months, she seems ready and interested. SHe's been sitting up unassisted for well over a month now, and is always trying to grab things off our plates. All I've given her so far is chunks of banana to play with - she was intrigued and got some in her mouth and swallowed (and far more on her clothes and hands). I think we'll try broccoli flowers or spears of steamed carrots next. I still always feel like I have questions about which foods, how big to make chunks, whether to do single-ingredient foods for now or just do whatever we're eating, etc. We don't have allergy histories so I'm not too worried, but I think I might stick to occasional steamed veggies and fruits until she's 6 months old, and then maybe over the holidays start giving her more complex foods - a bit of whatever's on our plate - to play with.


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## mamalex (Mar 2, 2004)

yes, that's exactly what i have in mind. i have lots of similar questions, but can't find much info out there. i have no intentions of weaning from the breast (heck, i'm still nursing a 44mth old!!)

tonight for dinner, we didn't have much that he could eat- he's about 2.5wks older than your dd. i made some thickish rice cereal and he alternated b/w grabbing it out of the bowl w/ his hands and feeding that way and me putting it on the spoon while he fed himself. he did the same with some plain applesauce. he sits at the table w/ us (in a "me too" chair) and demands food if we're eating.


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## queen_anne78 (Apr 2, 2007)

I'd be interested in a thread of this sort as well. DD is going to be 7 months in a few days and is almost sitting up on her own. That was the last sign of readiness I was holding out for....she's been obsessed with our food for awhile now







I am (finally) emotionally ready to begin the fun of solids and really want to do the self-feeding thing, but I have tons of practical questions!

My biggest question is how big to make the chunks of food. Does it vary by food? Like...if I am giving her a really ripe banana, should I give her the circular-shaped slice, or cut that in half, or fourths?? I am paranoid about choking but I am all for the self-feeding and I want to do it safely.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

I've heard that french-fry shaped chunks area good size, but I have the same question. But i think sometimes bigger is supposed to be less of a choking risk than smaller - the idea being that they'll bite off a small enough piece, and won't bite off something that they'll choke on.
However - I tried broccoli and steamed carrots tonight, and neither worked. DD put them in her mouth, and seemed to really like the carrot (she hated the broccoli and made a really funny face), but then she just sucked on it. Since she doens't have teeth, I'm not sure how she'd actually bite off a piece of the carrot - even steamed it takes some strength to bite it off. So now I'm wondering if I should cut them up into "bite-size" pieces after all. Or give her softer things like banana (which she likes). or soft stuff like avocado, roasted sweet potato, etc, spread onto a piece of toast (which seems to be popular at the babyledweaning.com site).
Or maybe the fact that she doesn't have teeth and can't bite it off means she's just not ready? I certainly don't care about her doing more than experimenting at this stage, and I'd thought I'd wait longer. But she's SO eager to join us, and so advanced for her age in a lot of ways.


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

It took till DS was around 8 months before he really got the pincer grasp and self-feeding thing 'down'. We let him play with food from the time he was right around 6 months, but it took that long for him to figure it out... Now we give him little chunks (bite-size), on the table and he picks them up and eats them...

All that said, before he really got the pincer grasp down he liked bigger chunks (french frys, aple slices, etc), to really just grab and chew on.

Oh, and DS has been eating just about whatever it is we're eating the whole time... I made green chili enchiladas a week or so ago (very, very spicy new mexican dish)... and he screamed cause' we werent sharing... so I dipped alil tiny bite of tortilla in the chili and he LOVED it!!! So... yeah... its really been VERY surprising what he likes/doesn't like (cranberries, for example







!!


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## wasabi (Oct 12, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp* 
WThe current forum on "child-led weaning" seems to have more to do with weaning off breast milk completely, or night weaning, but maybe I just haven't looked at it closely enough?).

I think you haven't looked at it closely enough because it's about not weaning your child at all but allowing your child to decide when to wean. So it's not about weaning at all. It's about the challenges those who are following child-led weaning experience.

I did self-feeding with DD#2 and I loved it. She fed herself everything and it was just great. Big chunks that they can get a real handle on is what you're going for here. That way the baby can hold on to the food and munch on it. Has everyone read this link? http://www.borstvoeding.com/voedseli...uidelines.html

It has great info and it's what turned me on to self-feeding. It just made so much sense. BTW DD#2 will eat anything. DD#1 who we spoon-fed is very picky. Good luck!


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## tankgirl73 (Jun 10, 2007)

It doesn't matter if baby is "only sucking" on the food and not "biting", "chewing", or even "swallowing" or "ingesting".

At the beginning stage, solids should be ONLY about the experience and the experimentation -- taste and texture. The "nutrition" of the food is irrelevant. It completely doesn't matter whether or not they're actually "eating".

Enough "quotes" lol??

DD started around 6mo sucking on broccoli and asparagus. Sometimes she would bite, and sometimes she would swallow what she had bitten and sometimes she would play with it in her mouth a bit, then spit it out. She was experiencing the taste and "practicing" how to move food around in her mouth.

Around 7.5mo, she started actually *eating*. Deliberately swallowing and looking for more food, rather than the curious exploration of before.

I've come to think that one of the great benefits of BLW is *exactly* the fact that they are *not* actually ingesting much food at first. Rather than spooning multiple ounces of substances into their bodies to suddenly have to digest and deal with, it's a much more gradual introduction for their systems. And they are in complete control of how much -- if any -- food actually gets "inside", even while they're fully exploring the food on the outside.

I always like to post my DD's BLW pictures in threads like these...
http://flickr.com/photos/lovecat/set...7600330803313/

I've got a few more recent ones I still have to upload, she's starting to learn to use a spoon and makes a great mess with sloppy joes!!

Anyway, for other BLW support, there's always the BLW blog and the yahoogroup. Tons of other mums and their experiences and tips and suggestions!


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## Ava's Mom (Oct 21, 2007)

Am also interested in a self feeding thread. My DD is 10 months old but still will only eat very small pieces of food and not very many foods either. She likes bananas, sweet potatoes, and carrots. That's about it. Oh she'll eat apple sauce too. Anything sweet. She prefers the breast over solid food- Before, after and sometimes even during!


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wasabi* 
I think you haven't looked at it closely enough because it's about not weaning your child at all but allowing your child to decide when to wean. So it's not about weaning at all. It's about the challenges those who are following child-led weaning experience.

Sorry - I probably didn't explain myself well enough. I know that, I just meant that it's not about "child-led weaning" in the more universal sense of the word weaning - i.e. not about transitioning off of nursing, but about introducing something in addition to milk. I think the terms are confusing because we tend to use "weaning" to mean the gradual end of breastfeeding, but the term "child-led weaning" is also used more broadly to describe introducing solids - which is what I'm interested in - which doesn't necessarily have anything to do with nursing. I meant that it's not a thread for self-feeding


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## tankgirl73 (Jun 10, 2007)

acp -- you'll find that "child-led weaning" is generally used (at least in North America) to mean the cessation of breastfeeding. The philosophy of child-led solids, self-feeding, etc, is referred to as "BABY-led weaning".

It is still confusing, with the different usages of the term weaning (I myself prefer the British use of the term). But if you're trying to do research on self-feeding etc, you want to look for "baby-led weaning", that's the commonly accepted terminology.

It makes sense if you think about it... the introduction of solids happens when still a baby, but the actual cessation of breastfeeding happens when they're an older child.


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## spmamma (Sep 2, 2007)

:

I'm very interested in this thread as DD will soon be 6 MO and is definitely displaying many of the signs that she's ready to try solids.








:


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## Qtopia (Dec 24, 2002)

I'm interested in this, too.







Although, DD has some sensitivities (egg, dairy) and we have a family history of major allergies so I'm limiting her exposure to foods with lots of different ingredients.

tankgirl73, your DD is beautiful.







And can you please share the name of those awesome long-sleeve bibs????







:


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## queen_anne78 (Apr 2, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wasabi* 

I did self-feeding with DD#2 and I loved it. She fed herself everything and it was just great. Big chunks that they can get a real handle on is what you're going for here. That way the baby can hold on to the food and munch on it. Has everyone read this link? http://www.borstvoeding.com/voedseli...uidelines.html

It has great info and it's what turned me on to self-feeding. It just made so much sense. BTW DD#2 will eat anything. DD#1 who we spoon-fed is very picky. Good luck!


yeah yeah I love this site, but I still am worried about the SIZE of the chunks.....bear with me....first time madre here









I totally like the idea that she might not actually swallow any food at first, I'm down with her regulating her intake etc...I just don't want her to choke







How big is "bite-sized"?????? When DH takes a bite of something, half of it's gone. Ok, bad example...obv that would be too big...but you get my drift. Are we talking a chunk the size of....I don't know. I can't think of anything. Hm.


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## Magali (Jun 8, 2007)

I am glad to see this thread. Ds is almost 7 months and just today I gave him some banana bite size pieces ( a round piece cut into 4ths), just to see what would happen. He didn't eat any of them...just squished them around and played. I noticed his grasp isn't quite there yet and he can't sit unassisted so I'm in no hurry to start him on solids. I'll let him explore once in a while still, and keep lurking around here for more advice. I guess my main question is about the size of pieces I should give him. I have visions of me giving him a long piece of soft carrot and him sucking half of it off and trying to swallow it. So I look forward to reading more in this thread.


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## wild_reilly (Nov 18, 2006)

My DS is 8 mo. He's been eating solids since he was 6 mo. He has always been super interested in foods - and particularly in feeding himself. We didn't initially intend to do baby-led weaning, but that is essentially what he wanted to do!









Some of his favourite foods to eat are:
- bananas - I break off a third of a banana and hand it to him. He eats it all (what doesn't end up on his hands, face and shirt!)
- toast - I usually just give him a quarter piece of brown toast (more because he likes to eat it than for the nutritional value)
- rice cakes (see toast!)
- pear - I peel it and give him 1/4 or 1/3 of a pear. Same idea as banana.
- Steamed potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes - I just give him pieces (say, ping-pong ball sized?) and he eats them.
- I can't think of what else... He loves chicken, but we mostly eat veggie so he doesn't have that too often... Beans - I made a bean soup and gave him a bunch of the beans from it (he's just figuring out the pincer grasp - but it takes him a long time to pick up the beans!), then he drank some of the broth...

I've found that if he takes too big a bite or the food is too hard, he gags on it a bit, then spits it out and reaches for something else. I've read quite a few posts on here with people who have had similar experiences.

Oh, and I didn't mention... at this point, he usually gets whatever we're eating (lentil stew spiced with cumin and cayenne was the last thing, chili, you name it). I did start out with the slow introduction of individual foods, just to see how things went. We did that for about a month, then moved on from there...

Hope this helps some of you! I'm still at the beginning too, so I've got lots of questions, but he seems to be directing things in my case - so I'm just following his lead (in most cases!).


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## mamalex (Mar 2, 2004)

Today at the grocery store, ds2 (6mths) was begging for food the way he does! I had just nursed him...

So, he was intro'd to another new food: plain rice cakes. He did fine with them- they get soft and mushy when wet. He also tried quinoa flake cereal this morning (that's what we were having- the hot porridge kind.) He wants to eat anytime he sees someone else eating!

Does anyone get worried that they WILL wean from the breast early? There's just so much happening that ds is easily distracted when nursing. Of course ds1 (3 1/2) will nurse anytime the opportunity presents itself- and he's a very different eater.


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## addiemom'07 (Jul 7, 2007)

DD is 5.5 months old and we're trying the baby-led weaning too. She's had a variety of things so far, most just get soggy and disentegrate though she does like oranges and tater tots







She started being interested in what we were eating at 4 months and would lunge at our plates in restaurants. We started giving her rolls just to keep her occupied and it grew from there. Does anyone else's babe LOVE







: spoons? DD can't get enough, she just chews and bangs and keeps herself occupied throughout dinner.

Must admit DH has taken to pureeing fresh banana in DD's evening MM bottle. She loves it and sucks it down. Then she sleeps for 9-10 straight hours. Tried avocado first but DD hated it. Not sure it fits with the baby-led philosophy but DD and DH seem to enjoy their "special" bottle together.


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## jeannie0603 (Jun 1, 2007)

I am so glad to see this thread! DS will be 6 months old on the 10th of Dec. and is interested for sure in food! He watches intently everything that goes in my mouth! He's not quite sitting up on his own, but is getting there! I think I will start with banana and go from there! I am so nervous and so glad I found this thread! It sounds like we all have alot of the same questions, so hopefully we will be able to answer each others questions!


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## SevenVeils (Aug 28, 2006)

My baby is a year old and I've never mashed anything for him. If I'm eating soup I share with him but mostly he grabs stuff that he wants from my plate or I give him bites if it is something like pasta which uses a fork.

His first food was a pear that I was eating. He grabbed it and ate half of it. Ate, not slobbered or spit







His second food was an avocado.

He eats pretty much everything now, within reason. I don't eat anything that I don't want him to have. I don't have peanut butter in the house at all. I try to stick with one new food per week but I'm not always strict about that. He does not like anything bland.

A couple of weeks ago we were in the grocery store and he was pointing at and begging for a box of frozen Gardenburger bites. I bought them, and when we got home he saw the box again and started begging again. I cooked some and he LOVED them. They were the perfect size for his little hand, just the right texture and nicely flavorful.

I will give a warning: cashiers in grocery stores look at me very, very oddly sometimes when my baby is holding and eating a pear or a string cheese just like a regular kid. (I always buy the item before allowing him to have it- sometimes the baby is hungry when we're there. Nobody who is not a baby is allowed to eat in the grocery store


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## Anandamama (Aug 29, 2007)

My DD is 9 mos and hasn't seemed too ready for solids until the last two weeks. I introduced some pureed and mashed foods starting at 6 mo. but she was barely interested and when she did take in a tiny bit she would gag. So it's been very gradual, and like others here, I've been totally paranoid about choking. I did go ahead and order one of those "baby mesh feeder" things (mainly with the idea of using ice in it for teething). DD has been using it mainly for banging on things, but today I put some banana in it and she finally put it in her mouth to eat some banana. So if you're worried about choking, that's an option. I have given her big pieces of fruit, bread and sweet potatoe. She now has teeth and will bite on it, but I'm not confident that she won't choke on little pieces. So I've watched her very carefully while she eats it... (I'm sure this phase will be a short one). It seems like "baby led" is the only way eating is going to happen, because she basically won't let me put anything in her mouth. Anything going in that direction is quickly intercepted by baby hands to be grabbed or slapped aside. Now that she's showing more interest, I'm much more motivated to give her things to eat. And I'm not sure yet, but it seems like my milk supply has already decreased, even though the solids she's eating are very minimal (like 2t a day)! Anyone else notice that?


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## Queen of my Castle (Nov 11, 2005)

After religiously following a set schedule of cereals and puress (














with ds, I have decided to do this approach to solids for dd. I love it! So much easier, and more pleasurable, without worry of giving her the 'wrong' food! At 7.5 mos dd has had food for about a month. I began with sweet potato, avacado and banana, mostly cooked soft and then frozen. It was essentially mashed, which she had fun with, but she would suck on frozen chunks. Now she's eating most foods, as long at they're soft, as I can see her moving them around her mouth, chewing, expellin tougher peices and swallowing of course.
She has choked, and I've had to do the finger swipe a few times. But I allow her to try to bring it up with her natural relux, and if unsucessful, I swipe. I'm calm now, but it freaked me a bit at first, and of course I backed off for awhile every time it happened.
A


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## jeannie0603 (Jun 1, 2007)

I saw someone else ask about our LO's weaning early because of starting solids... that's a concern of mine... I want to BF as long as possible... Anyone?


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## ShyDaisi (Jan 22, 2007)

I have been offering food to my ds for a little over a month now. I offer soft food in larger chunks so he can suck/gnaw on them. A couple of days ago I gave him a plate with honeydew melon, cucumbers (he doesn't have teeth, so this one was mostly for texture), peaches, pears, and pickles....He didn't actually ingest all that much, but he had a blast (I didn't realize what an odd combination until just now







). I have noticed that although he doesn't actually ingest that much, he has been getting better at manipulating the food. He slurps or gums it in, moves it around, but if it goes back too far he just gives a small cough (semi-gag like) and then out it comes







I think it is so neat to watch such a little baby eat like this. I am so glad that I discovered BLW.

As far as the supply goes, I think that if you allow the babe to eat at their own pace, it shouldn't be a problem. Offer the breast first, then allow dc to explore the food, then offer the breast again. I don't have any experience, per se as my son hasn't been doing too much eating, just playing, but I haven't noticed a dip in my supply...whenever he wants it, its there


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## ShyDaisi (Jan 22, 2007)

Oh, and I LOVE







this thread!! It will be nice to swap notes, ideas, ask questions, get answers, etc.


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## Shannie77 (Jan 16, 2007)

We started self-feeding just after our DD turned 6 months. We just gave her french fry shaped pieces of sweet potato, banana, apple, pear and avocado. We have also done broccoli. She gagged so bad she threw up the first time, but after a week her gagging basically dissapeared. She still actually eats very very little, but she really enjoys biting pieces off and moving them around in her mouth.

Pretty must every thing she eats comes out the other end in her diaper. Does this happen to anyone else? Is that OK? Any thoughts or suggestions?


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## ChelseaG (Oct 29, 2004)

Loving this thread - we kind of did self-feeding with my DD - though I didn't really know a lot of the research behind it before. We started around 7 months - her first foods were avocado & banana, but we also offered applesauce in a spoon (I wonder if that's why to this day she still hates applesauce!) My DS is just going to be 5 months this week, but he is sitting on his own for a few seconds unsupported - and he can sit in a high chair and has gotten really good with grabbing things lately and even grabbed my plate at dinner last night and pulled it toward him








Maybe I'll try to put an apple slice in front of him soon and let him experiment with grabbing it and bringing it to his mouth.


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## laneysprout (Aug 5, 2006)

Subbing!


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Baby sleeping on me, will be back later with a real post.


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## addiemom'07 (Jul 7, 2007)

Quick tip:

Don't give a baby jello (thanks DH). It's not real food anyway. DD loved to squish it in her hands and spread it all over the table. Poor waitress at the buffet was hovering, trying to keep up with the mess DD was making







Mommy went and got her a couple of apple slices which seemed to make her just as happy and was definitely less messy.

DD loves mini carrots, just the right size for her to hold


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## jojo16 (Oct 18, 2007)

There's a great book that I've been reading called 'Super Baby Food' by Ruth Yarron. Not only does it give groovy recipes for porridge and other baby foods, it also has a lot of basic information about safety (I'm thinking of all of those size of bites questions).
So...check it out.
That said, is self-feeding basically NOT spoon feeding pureed food? I'm not familiar with the term.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *addiemom'07* 
DD loves mini carrots, just the right size for her to hold









Do you steam them, or just give them to her raw? DD doesn't have any teeth yet, and I've given her steamed carrots once or twice which she mostly just sucked. I figured she was at least sort of getting the taste (which she seemed to like).
We tried avocado yesterday and it was an incredible mess but lots of fun. I joked at one point that DD was finger painting, not eating. She had a great time smooshing it around her high chair, squishing it between her fingers, and occasionally getting a bit in her mouth. Tonight I gave it to her again but in a mesh feeder - the first time I've used it. She certainly was more successful at eating it with the feeder - the slices are so slippery that they were really hard for her to pick up well and hang onto. But is that not really self-feeding? Maybe i should try giving her, say, an entire half of an avocado rather than slices in hopes that that would be less frustrating for her to try and pick up. Still pretty slippery, though....
How do you all give your LOs avocado?

Her other new favorite: pear. We just give her a whole one that one of us has taken a few bites out of, and she manages it pretty well.


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## ChelseaG (Oct 29, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp* 
We tried avocado yesterday and it was an incredible mess but lots of fun. I joked at one point that DD was finger painting, not eating. She had a great time smooshing it around her high chair, squishing it between her fingers, and occasionally getting a bit in her mouth. Tonight I gave it to her again but in a mesh feeder - the first time I've used it. She certainly was more successful at eating it with the feeder - the slices are so slippery that they were really hard for her to pick up well and hang onto. But is that not really self-feeding? Maybe i should try giving her, say, an entire half of an avocado rather than slices in hopes that that would be less frustrating for her to try and pick up. Still pretty slippery, though....
How do you all give your LOs avocado?

When I did avocado with my DD - I cut it into slices but left the peel (rind?) on - it made it easier to hold onto without being too slippery. Did you ever get the avocado out of your mesh feeder? I ruined one by not rinsing it right away after having avocado mush in it - and it was brown and disgusting and I could never get it clean again


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## addiemom'07 (Jul 7, 2007)

We give DD raw carrots. She sucks on them and scrapes them across the roof of her mouth. She just got her two bottom teeth, I'm excited to see how her eating changes.

DD absolutely hates avocado. 100% return everytime we give it to her. She's hell on bananas and fortune cookies though







She gets so mad when we pry the mushy. soggy glob of whatever she's been playing with out of her hand, like she was saving it for a midnight snack







:


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## onyxravnos (Dec 30, 2006)

Oooooooo subing.

we gave ds a little food at 7 mo but we've only really started to give him solids on a regulary babsis now. (almost 10mo) breastmilk is still his main food of course but i'm a little lost on giving him solids. he tottaly digs the mesh feeded but for the most part we spoon feed him. i'd rather he self fed but he has no teeth so he cant bite anything and if i put food on the table and let him have it it ends up everywhere but defently not in his mouth









should i be just letting him making a mess and trusting he will figure out he can eat it? he seems to respong well if i offer food im holding or on a spoon but doesn't put it in his mouth on his own....


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jojo16* 
That said, is self-feeding basically NOT spoon feeding pureed food? I'm not familiar with the term.

Self feeding is basically skipping both spoon feeding and pureed foods - letting your LO feed him or herself chunks of fruits, veggies, meat, or whatever the rest of the family is eating, once they're showing all the signs of being ready to try solids. In the beginning that might mean that little or none of the food actually makes it into their stomach, but the idea is that solids at this age is all about experimentation, socialization, flavor, etc, not nutrition - your baby is getting all the nutrition it needs from breast milk or formula.

I think people do it different ways - some might do a combo of spoon feeding and self feeding, some might still chop or puree things a bunch and some might just do bigger chunks their LO can grab hold of. Some people are really careful about doing single fruits/veggies at first, avoiding allergenic foods, and waiting several days between introducing a new one - others just give some of whatever the family is eating, no matter how "adult" it might seem.

Here's a good blog about it:
http://babyledweaning.blogware.com/
And an interesting article:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9646449/

I'm still totally new at this (hence the reason I'm participating in this thread! I have a lot of questions) so I don't know if I described that all right, but that's how I understand it at this point.


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

I've said this in another thread about feeding, but I think it's relevant here: One of the differences in philosophy that I see between self feeding and spoon or parent feeding is what the point of it all is. In spoon feeding, the point seems to be to get them to eat, and a meal is a "success" if the baby actually swallows food, and is a "failure" if they don't. In self feeding, as I see it, the point is to let them _experience food in whatever way they wish._ It doesn't matter whether they actually consume any of the food. A "meal" is a success if they experience food - touch it, taste it, lick it, gum it, mouth it, spit it out, whatever. They've had the opportunity, and that's what matters. They'll eat when they're ready.

I don't actually think either of these is BAD, although I obviously have a preference. And certainly there are times when it really is necessary for them to "eat" (I've been spoon feeding my child a pill every day since he was a week old - you betcher bottom dollar it matters that he actually consumes all of it, not just smears it all over the place, and I'll use every spoon feeding trick in the book to make that happen). But in general, especially for a breastfed (or mama milk fed) baby, it isn't, and so I think self feeding is preferable.

Ack, want to add more (Naked Baby LOVED the chard stalks we had tonight!), but gotta go.


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

This might not make sense if you don't follow the strip, but I stumbled on this tonight, and had to share.


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## tankgirl73 (Jun 10, 2007)

Haha! Yes, I love Kevin and Kell and I remember that particular strip, I think I posted it to the BLW yahoogroup when it came out.

Just a few points that have come up in the thread:

1- Letting baby self-feed does not lead to early weaning (in the definition of "stopping breastfeeding"). Self-feeding means allowing baby to self-regulate and trusting their instincts. Their instincts are to nurse for several years! The risk of early weaning is greater if you do the 'recommended' routine of spoonfeeding purees, since baby is getting greater quantities of solid food, and nursing less. In fact, most of the 'schedules' out there were designed with the goal in mind of having baby completely weaned by 12 months.

2- learning to feed while making a mess. Just let them go for it! It's lots of fun, and a bath afterwards is also fun.







DD is almost 12mo and is working on learning to use a spoon. For yogurt, applesauce, etc, I used to load the spoon then give it to her, at first helping her guide it then leaving her to do it. Now I'm just giving her the spoon and the dish of yogurt. She did a great job today! She's more 'dipping' the spoon than 'scooping', and just as much ends up on her bib as on her, but she totally understands what she's trying to do and eats most of it, all by herself!

3- for the benefit of lurkers and 'newbies' to self-feeding, the whole idea of pureeing and hyper-concerns about 'safety' stem from the time when babies were started on solids at a young age when they were not developmentally ready yet. By waiting until baby is ready, well, then they're READY! I like to say, when they're ready for solids, they're ready for SOLIDS.

Another way to think about it, is that eating is such a basic, essential requirement of LIFE, that biologically speaking it should not require a ton of work on the parents' part to "teach" their child how to eat, or "trick" them into doing it! It should be instinctive and natural, otherwise, the human race wouldn't have survived very long!


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## babyluvr (Mar 21, 2004)

subbing! we did this with our 1st, not as much with our 2nd, and are really loving it with this baby (our 3rd). he loves spicy food, like Indian or Mexican and is so cute shoveling in the fistfuls and chewing now. just a couple weeks ago it was mostly slurping but he really chews now (just 2 bottom teeth, but the gums you know). and it's fascinating to see how well they can really EAT. i'm not nervous about giving him chunks anymore now that i've seen him handle all kinds of textures and sizes. i wish more moms could see other babies eat like this so the fear would be gone.


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## addiemom'07 (Jul 7, 2007)

Thanks so much for the MSNCB article. I've been trying to express to my husband what I'm trying to do with Baby-led weaning. He still thinks she has to have her baby oatmeal and pureed foods. Since this is a "mainstream" source of info, hopefully he'll see what I've been trying to tell him.


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## Mere (Oct 1, 2002)

I love the idea of starting ds2 off with some chunks; he's got 4 teeth though (2 top, 2 bottom) and I'm worried about him biting off more than he can chew (no pun intended - hah!). He's just about 6 months, BTW.

Does anyone else have experience letting younger babies with teeth self feed?


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Well, even though Naked Baby had the rodent set (front two top and bottom) and was sitting up etc since about 5 months, we waited until about 7.5 months, but his first experience with food was a whole pear. He actually didn't bite any of it off, just bit into it, and scraped little bits off with his teeth. His second or third food was apple - and same thing. After a lot more experience with food, he's starting to bite bits off (he actually ATE tonight! Almost two whole sweet potato fries!







: ), but he's never gotten anything that was too big for him that he didn't gag right out. Not every kid is the same, but in general I think the more we trust them (watchfully!), the better they do.


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## onyxravnos (Dec 30, 2006)

what about you mamas with 1ish year olds who *don't* have teeth? what are yiu guvung them to munch on?


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## nummies (Jun 9, 2007)

How do you prepare sweet potatoes for babe? I am not a fan of sweet potatoes so I never really have them. So I am clueless about how to prepare. Do you bake them, steam them, etc.?


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nathansmama* 
How do you prepare sweet potatoes for babe? I am not a fan of sweet potatoes so I never really have them. So I am clueless about how to prepare. Do you bake them, steam them, etc.?

I think you can do either of those. I'm also not a fan of sweet potatoes, so I never make them for myself. When I bought them for DD the other day, I cut them into chunks and steamed them - that worked well. But I might also try baking or (for the best flavor since it carmelizes them a bit) roasting. Steamed isn't how I'd eat them for myself, but it seemed to be the quickiest, simplest way to prepare them for her, without any added salt, oil, etc.

She's starting to get pretty into mealtime, and we're giving her sometimes two or three things to choose between. I haven't been very good about the whole "introduce one thing and wait 4 or 5 days before introducing the next" approach, but I'm not very worried about allergies (there aren't any in either family) and I'm giving her pretty non-allergenic foods. Last night she seemed interested in the broccoli for the first time, but the thing she *really* loved was a little bit of guacamole from Chipotle's







:
I wasn't going to give it to her since it has more ingredients and salt, but she grabbed some when I was eating it and loved it so much that I gave her the little plastic top of the container with a bit of guac on it that she could lick off. How careful are you all being about salt/no salt? I'm thinking in the future I might just make some homemade guacamole (which is the tastiest anyway) and leave aside a bit for DD before I add salt to it.
Oh, and in answer to the pp's question about getting avocado out of our mesh feeder - we managed, but it wasn't easy! I'm definitely glad we put it in to soak immediately after she ate.
Seems we have an avocado fan on our hands, just like mommy and daddy...


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## babyluvr (Mar 21, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp* 
How careful are you all being about salt/no salt? ..

not as careful as i probably should be







if i remember, i leave out the salt while cooking and just have on the table for me and dh and big kids, but usually i still forget, ds2 wants what we have and it has salt in it. I am much more careful about NO sugar, and we don't eat anything like that in front of him. i'm sure it's not scientific, but i'm much more worried about him getting sugar too early than salt.


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

Just wondering if anyone out there has an 8 month old without a pincer grasp yet. My DS loves to eat off a spoon if I hold it, and he is starting to "help" hold the spoon as well. He actually does pretty well, and generally gets everything in his mouth when he does it.

I know spoon feeding isn't all that popular around here, but I do it gently, and follow his cues, and he is loving things so far. I don't do purees, so it is things like yogurt, soup, apple sauce, that are on the spoon.

Also, as far as chunks go, he will pretty much only let me put them in his mouth, or will put his face into my hand to scarf them up. He loves them, and chews them right up (err....gums them that is







) and doesn't gag. He just doesn't have the pincer grasp yet. He has hit all of his other milestones right on target or early.

Any ideas why this might be?


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## tankgirl73 (Jun 10, 2007)

DD didn't have full pincer grasp until 7-8 months, but she self-fed just fine before then. That's what the "handle" or "chip-shaped" pieces are about, so she could grab them in her fist and gnaw on the ends.

She also couldn't open her fist to get at what was inside yet. That's another development that comes later.

Personally, I feel that "pincer grasp" isn't the strong "sign" of readiness for solids that many people do. The pincer grasp is only about the ability to pick up tiny objects with thumb and forefinger -- that's not necessary IMO for eating. If they have the ability to grab an object and deliberately bring it to their mouth, that's all they need.

As for teeth -- DD didn't have any teeth until 8mo (then got 6 teeth in 6 weeks -- and no more since then!). She doesn't eat much differently now than she did then. The only real difference is that she now takes deliberate ripping bites of larger things, like pancakes. But even before the teeth she ate pancakes just fine. Those gums are hard!! Most 'chewing' is done with the gums at this age anyway, the true chewing teeth (molars) don't come in until much later. The "biting" teeth, the incisors, are useful, but not necessary for most solids.

About salt/no salt. We already eat reduced salt due to my HBP. So I don't worry about it TOO much. Foods with 'usual' salt amounts in them (ie, my reduced amounts), like breads and curries, I don't do anything different. Foods that would often be served with "extra" or "added" salt, like french fries or scrambled eggs, I cook up plain then everyone salts their own. I don't automatically add salt to boiling water, things like that, but I didn't before either.

Regarding sugar: I'm not going to stress about sugar. Glucose is an essential part of the body's energy system. Refined white sugar and processed sugars (HFCS) and artificial sugars are a different story, of course. But just because something is sweet does not mean it's BAD. Humans have a sweet tooth for a biological reason









That doesn't mean I'm loading DD up on cake and cookies lol... She eats a varied diet. But I'm not one who obsesses over sugar. I should add that I only buy 'natural' sugars, unbleached organic or sucanat, that sort of thing, I try to limit the amount of PROCESSED sugars in other words.


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

I adore sweet potatos... I didn't think anyone could dislike them!









Prep - the last time, we did oven baked sweet potato fries. Take a couple "yams", skin them, cut into fry/british chip shape, toss with some melted coconut and, yes, a little salt (we use Real Salt or celtic salt, 'cause I dislike the chemical declumpers "regular" salt uses), bake in a 425 oven half an hour or until done.







Everyone here loves 'em!

No tomatos for the Chipotle guac! (Man, now I have a craving







:







) I don't think introing one food at a time is necessary, except _for convenience_ for those whose kiddos have a high liklihood of allergies. Last night Naked Baby had spaghetti for the first time - introducing tomato, onion, garlic, and a bunch of spices, and probably a few other minor ingrediants. He loved it! It was with brown rice spaghetti, because I'm trying to put off wheat because I don't think it's particularly good for us. Wheat, dairy (except traces of cheese), eggs, nuts, and citrus are the only things we're deliberately trying to avoid for the moment. And honestly, I'm not sure about avoiding those, and am not a hardliner about it. (I wouldn't have a problem with the lime in Chipotle's guac or rice, for instance.) Other than that, we generally don't eat anything we wouldn't want him to have, like artificial ingrediants or HFCS etc. I will suck the sauces off his veggies when we eat chinese, but that's about it.


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## addiemom'07 (Jul 7, 2007)

I've been really bad about limiting salt







Today baby girl had a french fry from McDonald's because Mommy was eating them. I held it out, she grabbed it and brought up to her mouth. She gummed it good, I don't think she actually ate any but she didn't seem to care, she was having fun


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## onyxravnos (Dec 30, 2006)

Pumpkin_Pie said:


> Just wondering if anyone out there has an 8 month old without a pincer grasp yet. My DS loves to eat off a spoon if I hold it, and he is starting to "help" hold the spoon as well. He actually does pretty well, and generally gets everything in his mouth when he does it.
> QUOTE]
> 
> we sometimes have it sometimes not and he's almost 10mo. I'm not worried. it's hard to tell then their so little. and i dont let him practice on cherrios or anything beacuse he chokes on them...


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## ShyDaisi (Jan 22, 2007)

Subbing...

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Pumpkin_Pie* 
Just wondering if anyone out there has an 8 month old without a pincer grasp yet.

I have seen Micah (who is close in age to your peanut) practice his pincer grasp on the elusive pieces of stuff the vacuum cleaner doesn't get (when I get the chance to use it














, but doesn't seem to use it for food very much. He usually grabs it with his fist. Maybe if you let him play with something that is really soft and mushy it will give him some practice, but with it being so soft it would just disentingrate when he goes to pick it up.







Maybe he will suprise you and eat it, too!









Quote:


Originally Posted by *onyxravnos*
what about you mamas with 1ish year olds who don't have teeth? what are yiu guvung them to munch on?

Micah isn't one, but he doesn't have any teeth. We have done sweet potatoes, green beans, pears, peaches, bananas, pickles, cucumbers (mostly just to gum), and honeydew melon (his FAVORITE!!)...I think we are going to do carrots and broccoli next.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp*
How careful are you all being about salt/no salt?

I haven't been adding salt to Micah's food, but I was thinking about when I do, using sea salt instead. Which I heard might be a little better. What is so bad about salt, anyway?


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## tankgirl73 (Jun 10, 2007)

What I've read is that an infant's kidneys are not yet able to properly process excess salt. Salt is required for life, it's in all our cells and most cellular functions involve the relative salinity of inside vs. outside the cell -- so it's not a matter of completely eliminating it. Nor is that possible, as sodium is in the cells of most everything we eat.

But too much salt is too stressful on their kidneys.


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## iris777888 (Apr 3, 2007)

We've been self feeding with our babe since just before 6 months and he absolutely loves it, as do we! One of his favorites, and something easy to bring out with us is seedless cucumber.

One tip I've not seen mentioned yet is to invest in a crinkle cutter. It makes thing easier for babe to hold on to things as they get wet or slobbery.









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.

I can't believe this way of feeding isn't more common. It just makes so much sense (but when did that ever ensure popularity?







). I guess it's more the norm in other countries. Our parents were skeptical at first, but after watching him eat they've bought into the concept.


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

There's an official protocol? Whoda thunk?


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

I killed the thread?


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## puddle (Aug 30, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Arwyn* 
I killed the thread?









I wish it hadn't died--I was lurking here trying to figure out how to get started! We might start offering this week...


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

How to start: 1) Take baby. 2) Place food in front of baby. 3) Take pictures.

Done!







:









Seriously, what we did was just let him finally at a piece of fruit I was eating (he'd been lunging for a while - at 7.5 months, when I was eating a pear, we decided we'd let him try). That was it. We'd "started". He bit into it a bunch, scraped a bit off with is teeth, and might have actually consumed a small amount of juice on accident...

And tonight he had spaghetti with mushroom bison marinara sauce, and this morning he had a couple blueberries from my blueberry pancakes. Yesterday it was the introduction of wheat with the heal of a loaf of french bread. And half a dozen sweet potato fries, of course.









Speaking of, since this is a support thread, can I just say:








He's actually eating!







Didn't he get the memo that food in the first year was just for exploration??
















Ok, so he's not replacing milk with food yet, but he is actually EATING, putting food in his mouth, chewing, and swallowing, and then going back for more. That's so wonderful but so sad!







: I know I'm not the only parent to feel this ambivalent... right?


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Arwyn* 
Speaking of, since this is a support thread, can I just say:








He's actually eating!







Didn't he get the memo that food in the first year was just for exploration??
















Ok, so he's not replacing milk with food yet, but he is actually EATING, putting food in his mouth, chewing, and swallowing, and then going back for more. That's so wonderful but so sad!







: I know I'm not the only parent to feel this ambivalent... right?

















:

Our LO has been doing the same, and eating so much. She still nurses as much as always, sometimes more but I feel sad a sometimes a little empty that it isn't just nursing that she wants anymore.

I'm so happy I found this thread, I've been lurking for a few days, glad is isn'y dead.

When self feding and following a baby led solids/weaning approach is here such a thing is offering too much food? I am constantly worried I am giving her too many solid choices. Right now a typical week day for my DD goes as follows for food (solid servings I send are 2-3 tablespoons):

AM - nurse anywhere from 1-3 times before leaing for daycare
~ 9 am - 4 oz BM in a bottle, then 2 solids (sweet potato, turnip, fruit)
noon - She nurses anywhere from 20 min to 45min. then she gets 1-2 solids followed by 2 oz BM in bottle
~3 pm - she gets another 4 oz of BM in a bottle
5:30 pm we are home and she nurses on demand
~ 6:30 pm she has solids as much as she wants, usually 2 tablespoons woth sometimes more
Then to bed ans she nurses when ever she wants to.

If we and daycare are just jutting the food in front of her and letting her eat what she wants and stop when she is ready will she eat to much, will she wean early? - I am looking forward to a long nursing relationship but worry that it will end too soon. It took alot for me to start sending more than 1 solids serving to daycare and then I only added 1 more plus more milk and DD was still unhappy, she has been very happy with the current set-up but don't think I was/ am ready fir her to eat so much, but I can tell when she want the solids and I am trying to relax and understand that she will go at her own pace.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Well, DD is now 6 months, and she's started occasionally eating - as opposed to tasting/sucking/licking/feeling - the food I give her. Not all the time, but she's definitely ingested significant (still pretty tiny) amounts of banana, sweet potato, avocado, and guacamole. It does make me a bit sad, even though I think it will be a long time before it actually affects her nursing or before she eats significant amounts of solids.
We stopped giving them to her a few days ago, though, because her pooping has gotten so out of control - for several days now she's been pooping 7-8 times a day, sometimes diarrhea-like, sometimes green. She's always been a big pooper, but this is crazy even for her, and I can't help but think that the solids have something to do with it. We haven't been that great about separating out individual foods and only giving her one food at a time for 5 days, etc, since I haven't been too worried about allergies. My first thought was that it might have somethign to do with the fact that DH gave her a tangerine slice to suck on Thursday (I was away on a work trip, and he called to tell me how much she was enjoying it - I guess I need to go over with him again the food we're avoiding - like CITRUS - for at least a few months...).
But who knows. It's now four days later and she's still a poop machine.


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

My DS was a mega pooper for a bit shortly after I introduced solids. I figured he was just getting his intestines up and running. He never seemed to be in distress, but the diapers were definitely getting hard to deal with. He evened out and now has pretty regular solid poops. They are more like peanut butter some days and more like formed adult poop on other days. (Those are the best btw. They just roll right off the dipe into the toilet)

I do have a question though"

DS is getting better at grabbing food and actually getting it into his mouth, but for the last day or two, cannot tolerate sitting in his high chair next to me while I am eating. I usually give him a few pieces of whatever I am eating so he can feed himself, but he screams and lunges for my plate and swipes the pieces in front of him away. If I give him a piece and "feed" it to him, he is happy as a clam. I really want him to feed himself, and he was starting to get the hang of it. It is almost like a strike against self feeding. He just wants to be on mama's lap and have mama feed him. Gah.... Any ideas? The screaming is so hard to take. I also don't want meal times to become battles.


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## MotheringHeart (Dec 18, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Pumpkin_Pie* 
DS is getting better at grabbing food and actually getting it into his mouth, but for the last day or two, cannot tolerate sitting in his high chair next to me while I am eating. I usually give him a few pieces of whatever I am eating so he can feed himself, but he screams and lunges for my plate and swipes the pieces in front of him away. If I give him a piece and "feed" it to him, he is happy as a clam. I really want him to feed himself, and he was starting to get the hang of it. It is almost like a strike against self feeding. He just wants to be on mama's lap and have mama feed him. Gah.... Any ideas? The screaming is so hard to take. I also don't want meal times to become battles.


This is my DD to a T. She WILL NOT sit in the high chair and play with/eat food. When I get out the food grinder she is beside herself with excitement and falls on the spoon when I offer it to her with food on it. So I just let her sit in my lap and eat off the spoon. I am very careful to watch her cues and when she turns her head or doesn't open her mouth, I don't put food in. I went through this with my others and they all got to a point where they wanted to do it themselves. I believe that if a babe is wanting solids (after the appropriate age and developmental milestones have been reached) then you should give it to them, even if you are feeding them with a spoon. (Don't flame me if you don't agree, it works for us....) We also only feed our kids table food and what we eat.


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

This is pretty much what I end up doing. I don't even grind his though. I just give him whatever I eat that I think he can handle with mashing it with his gums. He wants/needs to be on my lap, and will bat at food, but if I hold a piece in front of his face, he lunges for it. I think it is still BLW, as I would never use any "tricks" to get food into him. I am also trying hard to not give him any bites unless he "asks" for it either by vocalizing or by reaching, or by opening his mouth and stretching his neck toward my plate.


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## spmamma (Sep 2, 2007)

Well, Charlotte tried her first solid food last night: avocado.







: It's funny, because normally the first thing she does when she grabs _anything_ is put it in her mouth. Last night, though, I placed some mashed up avocado on her high chair tray and she mushed it up in her fingers but way reluctant at first to taste it. I put a bit on my finger and brought it near her mouth but she didn't want to eat it. So, I just let her squish it up for a while and eventually she put some in her mouth! It was the cutest thing!!!

I also tried giving her a wedge with the skin on (for better gripping) but I think it was too slippery for her to hold up. Perhaps other foods will do better with wedges.

Anyway, here's a photo of Our little avocado girl/.


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ubelle* 
When self feding and following a baby led solids/weaning approach is here such a thing is offering too much food?
...
If we and daycare are just jutting the food in front of her and letting her eat what she wants and stop when she is ready will she eat to much, will she wean early?

I really don't believe self-feeding will lead to earlier weaning IF baby is able to nurse on demand (at least half the day, like you describe - morning, evening, night), and milk is offered BEFORE solids, at least most of the time.

I know my brother weaned early (8mo) because my mom started offering him food first (although I don't believe she was doing baby-led feeding), and then one day forgot to nurse him after he ate. But if they get milk FIRST, and _they_ get to choose whether, more or less when, and how much to eat, then I don't believe it's a worry. Some babies will end up making food a larger chunk of their diet earlier, some will eat very little, but those are normal individual variations, and don't necessarily indicate the overall length of the nursing relationship. As long as milk is the primary food for at least the first year, I don't think we need to worry about it, and certainly not any _more_ because our babies are eating real food they feed themselves.

And on the feeding themselves note, I do believe eating from a parent's hand can still fit in with this philosophy on food. Sure, it's neat to watch a baby feed hirself a heel of french bread, or whatever, but some babies prefer the comfort of a parent's lap, and the reassurance of being fed, just like some prefer small bits of food, or mashed food, or only cold foods, or only hot... These are all just normal individual variations, it seems to me.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *spmamma* 
It's funny, because normally the first thing she does when she grabs _anything_ is put it in her mouth. Last night, though, I placed some mashed up avocado on her high chair tray and she mushed it up in her fingers but way reluctant at first to taste it.

So funny - we had the same experience with DD the first time we started offering her solids. DH and I were wondering what was going on that, for what seemed like the first time ever, she had something in her hand and didn't put it in her mouth! Instead, with broccoli and carrots and banana and really all the foods she tried first, she'd look at them, pick them up, sniff them, make a face, and then grab her bowl or sippy cup or some other non-edible item and chew on _that_ instead. She has since managed to actually put some foods in her mouth and swallow them, but it took a while... and she's still more hesitant to put anything edible in her mouth than she is to put any NON-edible thing there (paper is a particular favorite).

Love the avocado pics! Looks a lot like DD's first experience with avocado. I joked that it was really finger painting more than eating...


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## Magali (Jun 8, 2007)

For the past couple weeks I have been giving ds pretty much any soft veggie that I am eating, or banana. I think it is so amazing watching him develop. At first he could barely pick up slippery pieces of banana, but now he is pro! It's amazing how he is actually chewing his food and thinking about it. I love allowing him to explore and make a mess. I'm not feeding him solids everyday because like pp's have mentioned, it's really more for exploration right now.


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## sprouthead (Jul 14, 2007)

what cues did everyone look for when deciding their baby was ready to start this? ds is reaching for food and putting everything in his mouth, & starting to sit unassissted.. i always thought unassisted sitting would be my cue, but i thought he would start later! he's seven months old chronological, but 4 months (almost five) adjusted.. this seems so early, but thinking along the lines of "trust your baby" - i might as well just see what he does, right? he shouldn't eat more than he's ready..

can someone explain what "chip shaped" is? like a potato chip or a chocolate chip?

also, what are some good ideas for first foods? i always wanted to start w/ veggies- especially greens.. is that still a good idea for this type of feeding?


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## puddle (Aug 30, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sprouthead* 
can someone explain what "chip shaped" is? like a potato chip or a chocolate chip?

this threw me for awhile too--i'm such a silly american--i believe they mean chip in the british sense. french fry shapes!


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sprouthead* 
what cues did everyone look for when deciding their baby was ready to start this? ds is reaching for food and putting everything in his mouth, & starting to sit unassissted.. i always thought unassisted sitting would be my cue, but i thought he would start later! he's seven months old chronological, but 4 months (almost five) adjusted.. this seems so early, but thinking along the lines of "trust your baby" - i might as well just see what he does, right? he shouldn't eat more than he's ready..

can someone explain what "chip shaped" is? like a potato chip or a chocolate chip?

also, what are some good ideas for first foods? i always wanted to start w/ veggies- especially greens.. is that still a good idea for this type of feeding?

Yep - french-fry shaped.







. It threw me too the first time I read it.
I'm hardly an expert, but the foods I've heard suggested (many of which I've now tried with DD) are: banana, avocado, sweet potato, carrots, squash, pear, apple (she mostly just sucks on the juice since she doesn't have teeth), broccoli, peas, green beans.
As for readiness - I assumed we'd wait until DD was 6 months, but we actually ended up starting when she was just shy of 5 1/2 months. She was also a really early sitter - she started sitting totally unassisted at 4 months - and she started showing a LOT of interest in the food we were eating, trying to grab it off our plates, etc. I decided it didn't hurt to let her start playing with it, especially since we weren't actually forcing her to *eat* any food - just giving it to her to play with and taste and maybe end up eating a morsel here and there...


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

subbing- we did this with dd1 and had a blast, and now it's time for dd2 to play with her food!









With avocado we used to cut it in half (twisting around the pit so you've got two pieces that look more or less the same) and then remove only a tiny sliver of the peel around the edge. Both girls have been able to hold this and sort of scoop out the juicy middle.


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## sprouthead (Jul 14, 2007)

thanks ladies! in my head i was thinking that a french fry shape would probably be the safest, but i didn't connect that with a "chip"!









i think we'll try some green beans at christmas dinner and see what happens!


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## mamamirranda (Nov 15, 2007)

My Ds is 10.5 months old now. We started blw with avocado and banana at 6 months. He really took to it,and has eaten so much since those first few weeks. I was getting really confident in my sons mad eating skills. Well now. . . He seems to gag and choke on everything now. Rarr! It freaks me out and now I find myself cutting up his food. He loves picking up the little pieces. It seems that since he got 6 teeth he bites off more than he can chew. I don't think that cutting his food is the same as spoon feeding, however, it is still less about him exploring the food the way it comes. Well not sure what to do there because I am not sure how many more heart attacks I can have before I finally keel over.

Oh he is figuring out how to spoon feed himself. I find that applesauce and Yogurt sticks pretty well to the bottom of the bowl so he can tip it without making a huge mess while he figures out how to refill his spoon.









Well thats the intro...hope everyone's holidays are going well.


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## Anandamama (Aug 29, 2007)

[Anyway, here's a photo of Our little avocado girl/.







[/QUOTE]

Mmm... I'm trying to figure out how to put a quote in a box.. Adorable pic of avocado baby! But seeing her plastic bib made me wonder what all you mamas think about plastic bibs, especially since letting a baby self-feed is so messy. They seem great and practical, but I'm pretty sure most (if not all) are made of PVC. Do you think it's safe? We were given two very cute plastic bibs, but I haven't used them and don't think I will.


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

There are non-PVC plastic bibs available, and you can also use fabric bibs. We actually have one of each, both with pockets, although we only use them occasionally. I wouldn't use a PVC bib, or an unknown plastic bib, but that's just my comfort level.


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Naked Baby LOVES green beans! Lightly steamed (or microwaved














, they're a great food for babies. We usually serve sprayed with a little olive oil and some ground rosemary.









ETA, because otherwise I'm going to have half a dozen posts in a row







:

Beans are really great for the practicing-pincer-grip stage. Black beans are apparently one of the best foods known to baby-kind around here (right up there with sweet potato fries, just below turkey legs







). There's nothing wrong with offering kids, especially those working on the pincer, little bits of food (like beans), I just think it's wrong to START with those, based on the idea that it's "safer". But some kids like little pieces better, and that's fine. Naked Baby likes both (big sticks of green beans or sweet potato, little pieces of beans or chopped veggies), which makes it easy on us, especially when we want Mexican!









Oh, and on that note - this child doesn't like avocado. _Or_ guacamole. But he _does_ like raw tomato. Whose child is this??? (I'm an avocado _fiend_, and have only recently learned to tolerate tomato.)


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## Magali (Jun 8, 2007)

I started by giving ds a fry shaped piece of banana. He bit off a huge piece and gagged on it. I freaked out. That was a couple weeks ago and now I give him tiny pieces of food that I feel more comfortable with. It works just fine. He picks up the pieces and pops them in his mouth and sucks on them and gums them and then eventually swallows them. I was feeling quite happy about how we are doing things. But now I'm reading that cutting up the food is just the same as if I am mashing and spoon-feeding. But I will have a heart attack if I give him anything big enough that in my mind he could choke on. Maybe later on I will try giving him bigger pieces for him to bite off but for now I can't do it. Is this really so bad? Does anyone else feel the same way?


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## babyluvr (Mar 21, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Magali* 
But now I'm reading that cutting up the food is just the same as if I am mashing and spoon-feeding. But I will have a heart attack if I give him anything big enough that in my mind he could choke on. Maybe later on I will try giving him bigger pieces for him to bite off but for now I can't do it. Is this really so bad? Does anyone else feel the same way?


i'm not sure why cutting up food would be considered the same as mashing and spoon feeding....where did you read that? i usually give my ds the 'chip shape' and he does fine, but plenty of his favorite foods (peas, beans) are the small 'cut up' size (even without me having cut them). whether it's big chip shapes or little pieces, he feeds himself only as much as he wants of the thing. what's the difference between a crouton and crust of the same bread in the hands of your babe?!?!


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## Magali (Jun 8, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *babyluvr* 
i'm not sure why cutting up food would be considered the same as mashing and spoon feeding....where did you read that? i usually give my ds the 'chip shape' and he does fine, but plenty of his favorite foods (peas, beans) are the small 'cut up' size (even without me having cut them). whether it's big chip shapes or little pieces, he feeds himself only as much as he wants of the thing. what's the difference between a crouton and crust of the same bread in the hands of your babe?!?!

Well.....when I came across the cutting=mashing thing, it was my 5am MCD run....so I could have read it wrong







.
I guess I just need reassurance (and that's why I love all you mama's!). I know that I should go with what works for my and ds, but I tend to stress over things...hence dh's nickname for me....Stressy Stresserson







.


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## iris777888 (Apr 3, 2007)

According to the wikipedia article, the reason not to cut things up is just that is that it makes it harder for baby to handle. When we were starting we went more towards giving him big/whole pieces of things rather than cut them up. That way he didn't get more than he could gum or scrape off with his teeth (once he got some). Of course now he can handle small things pretty easily, likes to pick up single grains of rice and eat them one at a time.







:

Also wondering, how many times the babes are really choking as opposed to the gagging that they do naturally. If you wait a second before panicking, you'll find babe has a natural reflex that pushes the food back out. Its alarming at first, but totally normal. From what I read on other forums, some babes do it a lot more than others. Our son has only done that once or twice I can think of, but I remember reading on the babyledweaning.com site (left hand menu, That Gagging Thing) that some were doing it MUCH more often.


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## sprouthead (Jul 14, 2007)

so we officially tried apples.. he just mouthed it, sucked out some juice, and threw it on the floor.. i'm wondering what people think of raw vs cooked veggies? when you give broccoli, do you give the florets or just stalk?

also, what do people have against spoon feeding?


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

I usually steam veggies if dd2 will be trying them, but not always. Sometimes it's just however we're having that particular item as a family...so for example, last night we all had baked sweet potato spears (cut into wedges, toss in olive oil and salt, bake at about 425 till the edges are brown/crunchy. mmmmmmmm). With broccoli dd1 loved holding the stem and chewing on the florets. DD2 hasn't tried broccoli yet but we'll probably do the same with her.

Spoon feeding- short answer, nothing is wrong with utensils.







We've always encouraged dd to use utensils. But if you are loading the spoon, and putting it in your baby's mouth, then you are essentially "running the show". Sort of like giving your little one paints but holding the brush for them to make sure they use the "right" color in the "right" place. You're not letting them explore on their own. Solids during the first year should be about exploring different smells, tastes, textures, temperatures, combinations, etc instead of "calorie/nutrition" and spoon feeding sort of cuts out a lot of that exploration. Also, some people feel that spoon feeding can throw off baby's ability to regulate their intake (baby wants to please you so they eat more, or you are distracting them from their bodily sensations by having them focus on you instead of letting them relate directly with their food) or create a power struggle over food.


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## tankgirl73 (Jun 10, 2007)

:


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

Not sure if this has been covered yet or not, but how much do you offer, and how many times a day? DS has totally mastered the pincer grasp, and eats absolutely anything I put down in front of him. He loves eating so much, he will come racing over any time I am eating anything and demand some by making his noise for "eat" (totally different sounds than "I want to nurse" btw) and if I don't give it to him, it will end in tears.

Anyway, he is now eating about 3-4 times a day, and he is getting at least as much as his fist is big. I was told that their stomach is about the size of their fist, and to guage their intake on that when it comes to solids. He can easily pack away a quarter of a pear, a whole handful of cheerios, and a tablespoon or three of yogurt mixed with wild rice in the morning, and at lunch, he will eat at least a quarter cup or so of whatever veggie I am having, a quarter or so slice of bread, and at least 6 or 7 bites of meat/protein.

I am not encouraging/tricking/forcing eating solids in any way. He is putting everything in his mouth on his own. I just feel like he is eating so much, and I am not ready for him to be eating this much.

I have tried putting less in front of him, but he gobbles it up and cries for more so quickly. He chews everything, and it is mostly coming out the other end digested, so I think he is doing a good job of chewing.

Anyway, how much do you all give your 9 month old? I was under the impression that solids are just for experimentation right now, but he seems to want at least three "meals" a day.

ETA: I always nurse before offering solids. Generally he will, but at definitw meal times, he will often only nurse for a few seconds and then go play until his food is ready.


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

All babies are different; some really are ready to eat, and eat a lot, as early as that. Is he nursing at night? I'd definitely keep nursing him before solids time, maybe see if you can get him to nurse more before meals, too. (Maybe offer midway through, too, and again after.) Really, though, as long as he is also getting substantial amounts of your milk, I wouldn't woory, and would keep following his cues.

And it's ok to feel sad about it, too.


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## ananas (Jun 6, 2006)

Subbing to read later.


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Arwyn* 
All babies are different; some really are ready to eat, and eat a lot, as early as that. Is he nursing at night? I'd definitely keep nursing him before solids time, maybe see if you can get him to nurse more before meals, too. (Maybe offer midway through, too, and again after.) Really, though, as long as he is also getting substantial amounts of your milk, I wouldn't woory, and would keep following his cues.

And it's ok to feel sad about it, too.
















Thanks for the words of encouragement. He is definitely a booby monster at night. He will nurse easily 6-8 times throughout the night. He will also go through periods at night where he will only sleep with my nipple in his mouth so he can sip/sleep/sip/sleep for a few hours at a time. My milk supply has dipped a bit during the day, but I am pretty sure I am a milky mama all night long, as I can feel my breasts start to fill up around bedtime.

I guess as long as I am following his cues and letting him do what he wants/needs to do, then he should be just fine. I just wasn't expecting him to be eating like this so soon. I don't know any other mamas IRL who's babes are eating such large amounts of food that is "chunks". I swear, this kid can eat anything an adult with a full set of teeth can eat, and he only has one tooth!







:


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## Ianthe (Dec 19, 2006)

subbing

my now 7m old ds has been self feeding since hr was 4.5 months (i thought it was young too, but he was doing it!)


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## Magali (Jun 8, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *iris777888* 
According to the wikipedia article, the reason not to cut things up is just that is that it makes it harder for baby to handle. When we were starting we went more towards giving him big/whole pieces of things rather than cut them up. That way he didn't get more than he could gum or scrape off with his teeth (once he got some). Of course now he can handle small things pretty easily, likes to pick up single grains of rice and eat them one at a time.







:

Also wondering, how many times the babes are really choking as opposed to the gagging that they do naturally. If you wait a second before panicking, you'll find babe has a natural reflex that pushes the food back out. Its alarming at first, but totally normal. From what I read on other forums, some babes do it a lot more than others. Our son has only done that once or twice I can think of, but I remember reading on the babyledweaning.com site (left hand menu, That Gagging Thing) that some were doing it MUCH more often.

I haven't had a chance to read the article, but I will. It makes sense that cutting the food would make it harder to pick up. Ds has mastered tiny bits of slippery banana though. About the gagging. I know that when ds gags on his food if I wait a second he brings it up and all is fine. The 2 times that I panicked and stuck my finger in his mouth I scared him and he started screaming. Lots of times he gags, my heart stops, and then he brings up whatever it was and continues eating...like nothing happened. He actually usually laughs about it.


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## KangaRoo's (Oct 25, 2007)

In our home..we didn't intorduce food until DD was 7+months.... now she is 11m and starting to feed herself..she picks up diced carrots and loves them... i did CLW with DS2 and he did it around 2 years old.. which was fine with me


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## tankgirl73 (Jun 10, 2007)

About the 9mo who is eating so much... DD was eating huge quantities "early" as well. And she would SCREAM if you were eating and she wasn't getting any!

But expect that to come and go. More recently she's been much more 'dainty'. She still loves to eat, but isn't as ravenous. We're actually more often surprised at how *little* she eats. Loves a huge variety of things, but not huge quantities right now.

She's gone back and forth like this a few times. Sometimes eating is more exciting, I guess lol...


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wombatclay* 
I usually steam veggies if dd2 will be trying them, but not always. Sometimes it's just however we're having that particular item as a family...so for example, last night we all had baked sweet potato spears (cut into wedges, toss in olive oil and salt, bake at about 425 till the edges are brown/crunchy. mmmmmmmm). With broccoli dd1 loved holding the stem and chewing on the florets. DD2 hasn't tried broccoli yet but we'll probably do the same with her.

Spoon feeding- short answer, nothing is wrong with utensils.







We've always encouraged dd to use utensils. But if you are loading the spoon, and putting it in your baby's mouth, then you are essentially "running the show". Sort of like giving your little one paints but holding the brush for them to make sure they use the "right" color in the "right" place. You're not letting them explore on their own. Solids during the first year should be about exploring different smells, tastes, textures, temperatures, combinations, etc instead of "calorie/nutrition" and spoon feeding sort of cuts out a lot of that exploration. Also, some people feel that spoon feeding can throw off baby's ability to regulate their intake (baby wants to please you so they eat more, or you are distracting them from their bodily sensations by having them focus on you instead of letting them relate directly with their food) or create a power struggle over food.









:
We give steamed or raw veggies depends on what's cooking for our dinner.
DD loves raw carrots to teeth on, we just peel it and hand over a big piece. She loves steamed Sweet potato - just haven't been baking any lately.

DD just yestered spoon fed herself, we usually load the spoon and let her decide whether to eat or not. Well last night I apparently wasn't fast enough because she reached out and scooped up food with her spoon. I was floored and she looked at me like it was nothing new


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## Magali (Jun 8, 2007)

bump


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## Magali (Jun 8, 2007)

The thread is dying
















I could add that I was really concerned about giving ds the fry shape food at first and I was cutting his food into teeny tiny pieces. But now he is handling the fry shape really well. Well, I think he was before too, but it freaked me out too much. So maybe I should say that I am handling the fry shape better now!

When do you start giving meat? He basically is eating whatever we are...he had spicy garlicky huumus yesterday and loved it, but I don't want to overload his system..he's only just 8 months.


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## clavicula (Apr 10, 2005)

Subbing...dd2 is 8 mo and still EBF but we plan on BLW when she is ready. I guess, not yet.


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## spmamma (Sep 2, 2007)

We're taking a short break from solids right now. DD has showed very little interest in anything I've put in front of her. Our first try with avocado went well but she liked it less and less after that. Plus, she's gagged on just about everything she's put in her mouth. And when I gave her a big hunk of banana to suck on she bit off a huge chuck (no teeth!) and I was a little nervous about her choking/gagging on it. I know there's a big difference between choking and gagging, but she's gagged on just about _everything_ she's put in her mouth... including a miniscule piece of banana!

Anyway, just wanted to post an update. I suppose we'll try again in a few weeks.







:


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

We've taken a break from solids for a few weeks too, despite the fact that DD loves them, just because she's been having such crazy poop issues - for the last couple weeks she's been pooping easily 7-8 times a day, including once or twice at night, which she hasn't done since she was a newborn. First we thought it might have to do with giving her solids - now i dont think it did, since she hasn't had any for a couple weeks - but we're still holding off since the pooping is giving her a red sore bottom for the first time, and it seems like having chunks of solids to get out might be even harder.

In general, though, I also did steamed veggies for the most part - DD still doesn't have teeth, and those seemed soft enough that she could gum off small chunks. And once I did bake sweet potato spears and she LOVED them. Still her favorite thing we've offered her (well, maybe a close runner-up to the Chipotle's guacamole).

Also curious when people started giving their LOs meat, and also wheat (in the form of toast). My mom mentioned that toast was one of my favorite things from pretty early on, and it seems like it could be a good thing to spread some of the more slippery foods, like avocado and banana on (she can pick them up ok, but sometimes they just become a squishy slippery mess). I'm not really worried about food allergies, but I know a lot of people hold off on wheat for a while... Would doing something like toasted oatmeal bread be better?


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## jenni22 (Oct 30, 2006)

So far I have offered 10 mo dd just about everything I eat, she has had meat, yogurt, noodles, fruit, and a bunch of other stuff in her mouth, but if she gets it in the back of her mouth she gags it up and if she doesn't get it out or I don't get it out she throws up. I think she's maybe not ready yet. Although she did swallow a ladybug a couple of months ago without gaging, maybe she's just going to be a bug eater!







She mostly just likes to play with food for now.


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## popbaby (Dec 12, 2006)

MY DD is 11 mos. We introduced solids at 6 mos (no interest), 7 mos (no interest), 8 mos (no interest)...finally at 9 mos she was up for it. Now at 11 mos, she is still 85% mummymilk, and goes through stages of what she'll eat.

Two weeks ago she loved cheese, now she just tosses it on the floor.

She likes avacado, she hates avacado, she likes avacado, she hates avacado...argh!!!! lol

Anyway, my DP gave her whole wheat toast with some butter and she loved it (of course!), and we only use organic (but not raw). I wasn't going to put butter on anything for her. I gave her toast this morning and put cream cheese on instead...she loved this as well. Hmmm..what is more unhealthy? LOL

What does everyone here do? Do you ever put a smidge of butter on the broccoli? On toast? On the mashed potatoes? Thoughts?


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## katie9143 (Oct 3, 2006)

i dont personally butter veggies or pasta (although my mom did last night and i didnt really care and i dont think dd noticed) i do butter toast as its so dry otherwise either that or i put some all fruit spread on it and she loves it. if its something like potato then usually i do add butter or oil the same as i would for dh and i. i dont really think too much about giving her what we eat as we generally eat organic and whold foods so no artificial sweetners or trans/damaged fats etc - but hey no ones perfect. she grabbed my moms cup of crystal light the other day and took a big sip b4 i got to her and as much as a cringed i figured that one sip wouldnt kill her....

i think for her bday im going to make the cake myself and maybe do a banana or vanilla flavored cake using whole wheat flour and raw cane sugar - that is how i did all m holiday baking and no one complained and gobbled up all the goodies i made. im still thinking of something for frosting....maybe a creaam cheese frosting with minimal sugar or some whipping cream would be good. im trying not to be too anal about what she eats but im certainly not ordering the cake from the supermarket! i know kids eventually will be exposed to all that crap, atleast i know at home and when im around that she is getting the best she can.


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## popbaby (Dec 12, 2006)

Thanks Katie! Those were the ideas for cakes I was looking for!


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## ChelseaG (Oct 29, 2004)

DS will be 6 months old next week, and we just recently started offering food at mealtimes...
He has 2 teeth, sits up well, can easily grab things and bring to his mouth - no pincer grasp yet though...
We have tried steamed baby carrots, raw apple chunks, banana, teething biscuits, and just today cantaloupe. I just bought some avocado and sweet potato to try those in the next couple days.

I don't think he has actually ingested anything yet - he has bitten off a couple chunks with his sharp little teeth, but he ends up gagging and spitting it out.

Everybody always thinks it is odd when I mention baby lead feeding and how we are introducing foods -but when you read about it - it makes perfect sense!


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Magali* 
When do you start giving meat? He basically is eating whatever we are...he had spicy garlicky huumus yesterday and loved it, but I don't want to overload his system..he's only just 8 months.

Naked Baby went NUTS at Thanksgiving (he was about 8 months?) he wanted my turkey _so bad_. So I let him chew on the thigh bone I was eating, and he LOVED it. Spent a very happy 15 minutes chewing on first the meat (gagged on a piece pretty bad, but other than that did fine) then (even more happily) the end of the bone. He's not loved the chicken we've offered him since, but he's probably had a piece or two. He just ate an entire spicy meatball with apricot sauce from our local deli, and seemed to really like that.

I dunno. I hadn't been planning on giving him meat, but he had other ideas.









Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp* 
(well, maybe a close runner-up to the Chipotle's guacamole).

I swear my kid can't be related to me, because he doesn't seem to like avocado, including their guac (which is THE BEST).
















Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp* 
Also curious when people started giving their LOs meat, and also wheat (in the form of toast). My mom mentioned that toast was one of my favorite things from pretty early on, and it seems like it could be a good thing to spread some of the more slippery foods, like avocado and banana on (she can pick them up ok, but sometimes they just become a squishy slippery mess). I'm not really worried about food allergies, but I know a lot of people hold off on wheat for a while... Would doing something like toasted oatmeal bread be better?

We gave wheat a little before 9mo, if I remember correctly. We held off for a bit because it's a high allergen, but mostly because it's hard on the gut, and all my alternative health care providers have told me I should be avoiding it.







:







But he gets a fair amount of wheat now, simply because we eat it a lot. Although we haven't actually "done" toast yet. Pasta, yes, rolls, yes, but no toast.









Quote:


Originally Posted by *popbaby* 
What does everyone here do? Do you ever put a smidge of butter on the broccoli? On toast? On the mashed potatoes? Thoughts?

Naked Baby has had traces of butter in mashed potatos (traces of cheese in other things, too), but we're not in a rush to get him consuming large amounts of cow's milk products. We do add coconut and olive oils where appropriate, though. We make our sweet potato fries with coconut, and often put olive on green beans. If I weren't wary of cow dairy in general, I'd be fine using butter; babies' brains NEED fat and cholesterol. Those are vital nutrients, not things to limit. But they get enough from us, too, and don't need supplemental sources while they're still nursing lots..


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

We've "done" meat.







DD2 grabbed a slice of steak and growled when we tried to take it away. It's kind of funny since we have red meat maybe twice a year and we were actually vegetarian for about 4 years. So she probably wont get steak again for a year or two, but she really enjoyed it.

Wheat- we don't have a history of allergies but dd1 has a wheat sensitivity. She had mild eczema but wheat products caused a flare up every time. It took a while to figure it out actually, but we wound up restricting wheat for a while. So with any food/any child just keep your eyes open.


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## babyluvr (Mar 21, 2004)

we offer meat to our 9 mo and he loved a mostly clean drumstick at Christmas, but mostly he likes to shred it (such a different texture than other foods!) and drop the fibers from fingers to tray. i don't think he's had butter other than on a bagel once. we don't do toast yet because he gets wheat in other foods.

steamed veggies cold are a great car food! our 5.5 yo loved offering a bean or carrot to little brother on our recent trip.

i cracked up because our babe does not like avocado, but LOVEs guacamole (and homemade salsa, especially the onions). loved how he smelled like a little burrito after that meal with the beans too

one funny story: ds was 'helping' cook lunch (Indian food), which really means crawling around the kitchen and snitching pieces of veggies and such, and then he was ready to go to sleep so i gathered him up to wash his litle hands and face and i couldn't believe how he smelled. he had garlic breath!! the little champ had been EATING raw garlic. so funny


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

DD has had turkey and beef

Turkey started at thanksgiving (so she was 7 moths old) and then a few weeks later she had chili beef - I sucked most of the sauce off since it was tomato based and there was salt from the beans (I try to avoid added salts and sugars) she loved the beef!







:

DD is now 8 mo and we haven't tried wheat yet, and I was thinking of waiting until after she was 9 mo - just in case. But we have a family trip scheduled for the middle of Jan which includes flying and I am having a hard time comming up with neat finger foods - I have been imagining avacado and banana (2 of her favorites) on the plane smeared eveywhere. ANyone with ideas od easy to tote clean finger foods?

Aside from the chili beef, we have been following the whole 1 new food every 3-5 days (or longer depending on circumstances) How long did you all wait till you were offering complex foods that had more than 1 new ingrediant? Any that you made sure you waited on? (ie cheese, tomato, citrus, etc)

Thanks


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ubelle* 
I sucked most of the sauce off since it was tomato based and there was salt from the beans

Are tomatoes something you're supposed to wait on? I hadn't heard that.

Also, I'd also love ideas for good finger foods, especially to help DD work on her pincer grip. She's started to get more interested in picking up small things, but I'm not so into the idea of Cheerios, which seems to be the classic finger food parents like. Peas? tiny pieces of steamed carrot? bits of ground beef? bits of cheese (we haven't given her dairy yet, but I've heard other mothers say cheese is generally ok)? She doesn't have any teeth yet, and I want to make sure I don't give her something she could choke on - I don't actually know what size is small enough to swallow whole and what size she might choke on. I'm assuming peas and that sort of shape can just go down whole, though?

We actually haven't been great about the one ingredient then wait a few days thing - i sort of wish we'd been better because then maybe I'd have a sense if her crazy poopiness/semi-diarrhea is at all connected to solids. I don't think so, since it's kept up even after we put solids on hold for a couple weeks, but we still probably should have been a bit better. I've also given her a few complex foods when she's been interested. in addition to the afore-mentioned guacamole, she had roasted red pepper hummus yesterday (I was eating it at a friend's house and she reached over and stuck her fingers in) and loved it.


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## ShyDaisi (Jan 22, 2007)

I have been offering solids to Micah for a couple of months now, and I don't think he is really ingesting all that much. But, I have found a few "pieces" in his diaper. When does the poop become more solid? I am looking forward to the more formed poops that are easier to clean, but so far they are just more odiferous.


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## ShyDaisi (Jan 22, 2007)

As far as pincer grasp practice goes....I have been offering beans and smaller pieces of soft fruit. He does pretty well, but I have also seen him utilize the "Hoover" move when he gets frustrated -- just leans over, puts his mouth on the table, and sucks


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## ShyDaisi (Jan 22, 2007)

So is there no approximate time as to when the body is developmentally read to digest meat?


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## Mommy2Haley (Oct 25, 2007)

Can I just say that I love you all and this thread? I've been looking for this information so I can stop spoon feeding. Darn those mainstream ideas. I wish I had known all this earlier.

DD is currently spoon fed (no flames, please) abd I'm in the process of transitioning her to self feeding. I give her pieces of banana or beans or piecces of rice cake to "eat" while DH and I eat our meals. I've been hesitant to switch b/c she doesn't have teeth yet (9months). THANK YOU for this info. I'm so tired of spoon feeding!! She loves to spread the pureed food around her tray and then try to eat it off her fingers









I'll have to do it slowly. DH is accepting of my parenting ideas but I keep springing changes on him.

We're going to try some chicken tonight.

It's ok to give DD YoBaby yogurt, right? My ped said no to yogurt today (but also told me she should be eating three full meals and to let her CIO). ??


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## jackalope2006 (Nov 10, 2007)

My 4.5 mo DS is extremely interested in our food. He is reaching (and sometimes successfully grabbing) and lunging for our plates when we eat. He has food intolerance issues in my BM so I am not in any hurry to introduce solids but he seems to have different plans. He is starting to get frustrated that he can't eat what we are eating.

Is he far to young? Maybe we can start at 5.5 months? Does anyone have any experience with a baby wanting solids this early. He holds his head up well and can sit unassisted a bit. We are planning to BLW when the time comes. Any suggestions mamas?


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jackalope2006* 
My 4.5 mo DS is extremely interested in our food. He is reaching (and sometimes successfully grabbing) and lunging for our plates when we eat. He has food intolerance issues in my BM so I am not in any hurry to introduce solids but he seems to have different plans. He is starting to get frustrated that he can't eat what we are eating.

Is he far to young? Maybe we can start at 5.5 months? Does anyone have any experience with a baby wanting solids this early. He holds his head up well and can sit unassisted a bit. We are planning to BLW when the time comes. Any suggestions mamas?










Are you sure he's interested in the food? My four month old also lunges at things and tries to stick them in his mouth, but that includes the computer parts, a pen, toys, and anything else I happen to be holding. Mine has just realized that people eat, and watches intently as though he's not sure where the food is going.

Oh, I just stopped in to sub so that I can study up before we hit 6 months.

Question though, for those parents who don't eat "perfectly". What do you do when you are eating something that you wouldn't want your LO to eat? (So many people who can say that they don't eat anything they wouldn't want their LO to eat, I think I'm jealous.)


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Twinklefae* 
Question though, for those parents who don't eat "perfectly". What do you do when you are eating something that you wouldn't want your LO to eat? (So many people who can say that they don't eat anything they wouldn't want their LO to eat, I think I'm jealous.)

It's hard for me to believe that many people really don't eat ANYthing they wouldn't want their LO to eat. I mostly sit DD at the table with us in her booster seat (attached to a dining room chair) so she can imitate us and eat some stuff, but not grab things off our plate. So if I'm eating something I don't want her to have, I just don't put it within her reach and don't let her have it. She sometimes tries to grab potato chips, coffee, etc from my hands if I'm holding her and eating or drinking them, and I just give her something else she can put in her mouth (not necessarily food - she's generally happy with anything from a film canister to a spoon to an actual toy).

As for when to start - DD was a super early sitter (she sat unassisted at 4 months) and showed interest in what we were eating from an early age, but I still waited until just under 5.5 months to give her actual food. I'm sure I could have done it sooner, it just didn't seem necessary, and there were plenty of other things she was happy exploring. That's not to say that a baby can't be ready early (I originally thought I'd wait until at least 6 months), but I don't think there's any reason to push it. I'd certainly wait until a LO sits really well unassisted, though, and shows some of the other readiness signs.


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## jackalope2006 (Nov 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Twinklefae* 
Are you sure he's interested in the food? My four month old also lunges at things and tries to stick them in his mouth, but that includes the computer parts, a pen, toys, and anything else I happen to be holding. Mine has just realized that people eat, and watches intently as though he's not sure where the food is going.

He does want to touch everything but not in the same way he lunges at and is mesmerized by the food we eat. He even mimics us chewing when we take bites of food. I'm not really sure he would know what to do with it if we let him have it....I guess we will find out soon enough







.


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## SparklingGemini (Jan 3, 2008)

Hi! I am new here but wanted to post quickly to subscribe to this thread! This is EXACTLY what I was looking for when I found this forum!

My DD just turned six months yesterday and against pressure from my IL's and others, I have held off on solids. I love the idea of BLW because it seems _natural_ to me! At first I was going to just make all our babyfood but after careful consideration and some research, I am pretty certain this is the way we are going to go! I haven't completely read the entire thread, yet, but I certainly will!

I am glad to have someone to bounce my ideas, concerns and triumphs off of!!!

Question, did y'all start AT six months or did you wait until the end of the sixth month or longer?

Thanks for letting me join!

~Rhiann


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## spmamma (Sep 2, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SparklingGemini* 
Question, did y'all start AT six months or did you wait until the end of the sixth month or longer?


We started at 6 MO, but decided to hold off a bit and try again in a few more weeks since DD has been gagging on _everything_, even tiny smidgens of banana and avocado.


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

With dd1 we started letting her grab food around 6.5 months, dd2 was about the same... she is 7mo this week and samples solids maybe 2-3 times a week. Basically we just stopped distracting the girls from solids after about 6mo, but we don't necessarily offer solids to them (if that makes sense?).

YoBaby- well, your ped sounds a bit off but on that one he may have a point. YoBaby is still a cow dairy product so if you're avoiding cow dairy then that would be on the list of things to avoid as well. And if you're not avoiding cow dairy then perhaps offer a yogurt product that isn't full of sugar? I'm not saying YoBaby (and other flavored yogurt products) is bad, but for yogurt we generally use plain (unflavored) yogurt and add fruits and spices to taste. It's a lot better for you and ou know eactly what's in it. We actually make our own yogurt when we have the time... we like it "tangy".









Meat- hmmmm, good question about digestion. I know meat is listed as a good "first food" by a variety of organizations (like LLL) but I'm not sure what the research is.


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

they're hardly digesting ANYTHING at this point (if the whole bits in the toilet are any indication, anyway







), meat isn't different in that respect

NB was "ready" at 5mo, including watching us and "chewing", but I think it's important to have a sterile gut for as long as reasonably possible. the digestive tract of an infant changes as soon as other foods (incl formula) are introduced in ways that reduce the absorbtion of the nutrients in mama's milk. we started a little after 7mo in the end, although i was preparecd to wait longer if he'd cooperated.

yogurt is a great food if you're going to start cow dairy (lots of probiotics, easilu digestible), but I think it's really important to go with an unsweetened organic whole milk yogurt. yogurt is plenty sweet enough, and the pestisides etc cows ingest get excretyed straight into the fat in their milk (read Having Faith for more info on pollutants and lactation). and buying foods not marketed to babies is always going to be cheaper, anyway...

peas, small bits of apple (we do slices of apple, actually), dried berries, beans, corn, etc, are all good, relatively clean finger foods. a french bread crust is popular around here, if crummy (but less messy than avo or banana)


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

I want to second the organic plain whole milk yogurt. DS absolutely adores it. Between the two of us, we go through a quart of it a week, and he probably eats about half of that. I eat it a LOT, and any time I am having some, he has to get in on it too.









As far as finger foods for him, freeze dried peas, corn, strawberries, bananas, apples, etc are fabulous. They are no mess, and full of healthy stuff for him. I have to admit, I do Cheerios.







: DS loves them so much, and the ingredients aren't too bad overall. I also do Veggie Booty which is pretty non-messy as well. It gets some veggies in and is very portable. I am going to have to try beans. I hadn't thought of them as a finger food, but they would be great!

I am so loving this thread!!!


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## Shannie77 (Jan 16, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *tankgirl73* 
DD started around 6mo sucking on broccoli and asparagus. Sometimes she would bite, and sometimes she would swallow what she had bitten and sometimes she would play with it in her mouth a bit, then spit it out. She was experiencing the taste and "practicing" how to move food around in her mouth.

Around 7.5mo, she started actually *eating*. Deliberately swallowing and looking for more food, rather than the curious exploration of before.

I've come to think that one of the great benefits of BLW is *exactly* the fact that they are *not* actually ingesting much food at first. Rather than spooning multiple ounces of substances into their bodies to suddenly have to digest and deal with, it's a much more gradual introduction for their systems. And they are in complete control of how much -- if any -- food actually gets "inside", even while they're fully exploring the food on the outside.

This sounds like my DD. We started at 6 months and she really didn't eat anything. After she turned 7 months she started eating, and now that she is about to turn 8 months she gets really excited to eat and can skillfully feed herself the smallest pieces of food.

I always make DD her own food, although she will often have part of what we are having. DH and I eat well but not as well as I would like. I want DD to experience foods that DH and I don't like, and not be picky eaters like we were as kids.

My mom was definitly skeptical about BLW, although she never said so and was very supportive. Now that DD is eating so well on her own, I think my mom now sees the benefits of BLW. In fact she likes to show off how well DD eats and uses her pincher grasp. DH has never really known anything else, so when he sees other babies being spoonfed he just thinks it looks so wrong (although we do spoonfeed her some applesauce once in a while, so she also can experience that type of texture).

Anyone have any thoughts on bread for babies? I don't like to give it to her, but she loves it (takes after mommy). Tonight DH and I had sandwiches for dinner and she threw a fit until we gave her a little piece of bread. I feel like I want to stop giving it to her altogether. I am worried about her becoming a carboholic like her mommy.


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## addiemom'07 (Jul 7, 2007)

Baby girl has been experiencing all kinds of new food over the holiday season. She joins us for all sit down meals and has her own plate. Christmas morning she had eggs, bacon (meat) and english muffin (wheat). We give her small pieces she can pick up and put in her mouth, she doesn't eat a lot but enjoys the tastes and moving the food around in her mouth.

We do a combo of BLW and traditional baby foods. She gets fruit and breastmilk blended together in her evening bottle, she just tried papaya and loved it. Great taste and not too sweet. I've slowly convinced DH to cut back on the spoon feeding though she gets some of that too.

She loves Wendys Frosty by spoon







and she had mashed potatoes and chocolate pudding pie by spoon on New Years Day. She's had Chinese (sweet-n-sour chix with no sauce, green beans, fortune cookies) Mexican (refried beans, shredded chix) and lots of other things including ham in Christmas day. She also loves baby carrot sticks because their the perfect size for her to hold and she gnaws on them with her two teeth







She leaves little pieces of carrot all over herself.

We've thrown caution to the wind when it comes to introducing one food at a time or staying away from complex foods. My family has a history of adult onset gluten intolerance but DD hasn't exhibited any issues with what she's had. Her poop seems to have gotten a little more solid (it holds the shape of her butt cheeks when we peel off the diaper!) but not noticeably more frequent. She's not swallowing a lot but certainly loves food time with the big people


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp* 
Are tomatoes something you're supposed to wait on? I hadn't heard that.

Also, I'd also love ideas for good finger foods, especially to help DD work on her pincer grip. She's started to get more interested in picking up small things, but I'm not so into the idea of Cheerios, which seems to be the classic finger food parents like. Peas? tiny pieces of steamed carrot? bits of ground beef?

I thought I read that you are supposed to wait until 10-12 months, but then again that was from the same places that tell you to spoon feed your baby too. Tomatoes are acidic, would they be too harsh on the tummy? DD get's so excited when we are eating pasta (alot lately) I would love to start sharing some of my meal.

For finger foods - when we are home and mess doesn't matter - I cut up any of the food we are giving her that day into little pieces (pea size, I leave peas whole) but we have done apple, peas, avacado, cherries, blueberries (halved), Cooked rice, and carrot shreds as finger foods.

I'm looking for wheat free, cheerio alternatives - only because I want to wait on the wheat just in case and we need something less messy for trips. anyone?

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SparklingGemini* 
Question, did y'all start AT six months or did you wait until the end of the sixth month or longer?
~Rhiann

DD started 1 week before her 6 month birthday, she was sitting up well, mimicing chewing and spooning into her mouth while we ate. And she was not settling for a toy as a distraction. But then we took it very slow she ate once every other day or so.

We are trying to let her set the pace, but sometimes she seems to be going to fast. and other times she's not interested. Sunday DD attacked her plate of shredded carrots (we were out at a restaraunt) DD started a 2 fisted frantic eating like we never feed her.

There are no history of food allergies in our family - do I still need to wait on wheat? I am now because it is a high allergin - but part of me wonders if I need to.


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## monkeybum (Jan 1, 2005)

Yaaaayy, so glad I found this thread!!

So after much humming and hawing and reading all your posts, I took the plunge and gave my 9 1/2 month old REAL FOOD today! Wahoo!









He has been gagging so badly on everything since we started trying things at 7 months. We started with little teeny bits of banana, avocado, mushed up steamed carrots, rice cereal, oatmeal cereal, rice husks, toast bits...he gagged on everything and threw up most times. I would wait a few days and try again, but with the same result. This continued right up until yesterday.

However, I noticed that he did ok with longer crusts of bread that he could hold on to and eat himself. He did not gag on those for some reason. I read all this great info and concluded that he does better when HE bites off food himself rather than me making little bits/mush...

So today, I gave him 1/3 of a banana, (big honkin chunk for him to hold on to) and with my heart a poundin', I watched closely as he DID NOT GAG!!!! Not once. He would bite bits off, and if it was too big, he'd spit it out, if it wasn't he'd eat it. He even ate a few very big chunks much to my surprise. And he had a blast!

So, feeling a little less fearful, I gave him a bunch of toast "fingers". He did great, didn't gag once and loved it.

Fast forward to lunch time, I peeled a whole apple and handed it to him, the whole thing big and round as it was. He sawed away at it with his 4 front teeth, did NOT bite off and choke on a huge chunk like I'd worried about, and generally really enjoyed his apple!! I don't think much went in, but he sure did great manipulating the bits in his mouth.

Then I got crazy and gave him shredded cheese.







He devoured it and did not gag once.

So here I am after having him gag repeatedly on all the tiny bits I cut or mashed for him, (and the jarred stuff and the mushy cereals...) and he doesn't gag ONCE on a whole apple, big pieces of toast, huge chunks of banana. WHO KNEW!!! I am sooo excited!!!! MY BABY CAN EAT!!! *happy dance* I'm so proud of him!

Thank you mammas for showing me the light! Good bye gagging-causing mushy cereal and putrid baby jar food that stinks to high Heavens...Hello FOOD!!!









Kathy


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## forestrymom (Jul 13, 2006)

Can I jump in?

I did baby-led with my dd and we will do the same with ds, but we probably won't start quite as early. She probably didn't meet the criteria for being completely ready when we started, around 5.5 months, but she could get food to her mouth at that point.

We didn't do any of the allergy foods--strawberries, dairy, egg whites, citrus, nuts, etc until after a year, and even longer with some of those (nuts for sure). I also wanted to emphasize that it doesn't matter if they actually swallow anything at first. Breastmilk (or formula if the case may be) should be their primary source of nutrition until they are at least a year--solids should be for experimenting only!

:gvibes


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## ShyDaisi (Jan 22, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *monkeybum* 
Yaaaayy, so glad I found this thread!!

So after much humming and hawing and reading all your posts, I took the plunge and gave my 9 1/2 month old REAL FOOD today! Wahoo!









He has been gagging so badly on everything since we started trying things at 7 months. We started with little teeny bits of banana, avocado, mushed up steamed carrots, rice cereal, oatmeal cereal, rice husks, toast bits...he gagged on everything and threw up most times. I would wait a few days and try again, but with the same result. This continued right up until yesterday.

However, I noticed that he did ok with longer crusts of bread that he could hold on to and eat himself. He did not gag on those for some reason. I read all this great info and concluded that he does better when HE bites off food himself rather than me making little bits/mush...

So today, I gave him 1/3 of a banana, (big honkin chunk for him to hold on to) and with my heart a poundin', I watched closely as he DID NOT GAG!!!! Not once. He would bite bits off, and if it was too big, he'd spit it out, if it wasn't he'd eat it. He even ate a few very big chunks much to my surprise. And he had a blast!

So, feeling a little less fearful, I gave him a bunch of toast "fingers". He did great, didn't gag once and loved it.

Fast forward to lunch time, I peeled a whole apple and handed it to him, the whole thing big and round as it was. He sawed away at it with his 4 front teeth, did NOT bite off and choke on a huge chunk like I'd worried about, and generally really enjoyed his apple!! I don't think much went in, but he sure did great manipulating the bits in his mouth.

Then I got crazy and gave him shredded cheese.







He devoured it and did not gag once.

So here I am after having him gag repeatedly on all the tiny bits I cut or mashed for him, (and the jarred stuff and the mushy cereals...) and he doesn't gag ONCE on a whole apple, big pieces of toast, huge chunks of banana. WHO KNEW!!! I am sooo excited!!!! MY BABY CAN EAT!!! *happy dance* I'm so proud of him!

Thank you mammas for showing me the light! Good bye gagging-causing mushy cereal and putrid baby jar food that stinks to high Heavens...Hello FOOD!!!









Kathy

Yay!!

Happy dancers:







:







:







:







:







:


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## MilkTrance (Jul 21, 2007)

At nearly 7 months, DS is still gagging and thrusting things out with his tongue. He also has no teeth.

I'm wondering when he will take food and whether I should do ANY spoon feeding at all, just to get him used to food? Or does that happen naturally?

Is there ANY correlation between picky eaters and late starting of solids?

(I suppose that would depend on what is considered "late" -- a couple of generations ago, babies were fed "solids" at two months!)


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## WildNettle (Oct 25, 2006)

subbing to this great thread!
dd is just 5 months and we are not looking to start solids any time soon....she doesn't appear remotely interested and she certainly doesn't seem ready, but when we do, this is the route we're taking. it's great to have a thread like this, esp when everyone i know irl---even my "crunchy" friends---takes the mainstream approach to food.
i checked out the link in one of the earlier posts...does anyone have any other links, articles or books on BLW that i could share with friends and family who are curious/skeptical?


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## Magali (Jun 8, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MilkTrance* 
At nearly 7 months, DS is still gagging and thrusting things out with his tongue. He also has no teeth.

I'm wondering when he will take food and whether I should do ANY spoon feeding at all, just to get him used to food? Or does that happen naturally?

Is there ANY correlation between picky eaters and late starting of solids?

(I suppose that would depend on what is considered "late" -- a couple of generations ago, babies were fed "solids" at two months!)

I started my ds on solids at about 7 months, just because he would get really upset if I didn't share my food with him. It's been amazing how in only a month his self-feeding skills have really developed and he looks like he has been doing it forever. But, I really don't think there is any rush to start out your baby if he doesn't seem ready. I was planning on delaying solids longer...it's just that baby had a different plan.

I wouldn't spoon feed at all, but that is just my opinion. The more time goes by and ds self feeds, the more sense it makes to let him do it himself and not try to shovel food in his mouth for him.

I would be interested to know about any correlation between picky eaters and late starting of solids/self feeding. I have actually been mulling it over in my head and all the picky eaters I know have been spoon fed babies. But I don't know any self feeders anyways...and are lots of kids just picky anyways? Or is struggling with spoon feeding caused kids to not see food as a positive experience, and caused a lot of pickiness?


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## Dolphin (Apr 22, 2004)

I would love to join in too. Ds2 is 8.5 months and I have been trying the self-feeding route with him for about a month or so (ds1 was spoon fed and is a super picky eater now). I'm getting a little frustrated with it because every time I offer him something, he really does gag and get upset. He is sitting well by himself, and his pincer grasp is really good, but I don't know why he is having trouble with the gagging. DH is just looking at me like I have 3 heads but lets me continue trying. Maybe it's still too soon? I give him large hunks of banana and he always bites off pieces that are too big. We have tried soft pear, banana, steamed brocoli, peaches...


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## ShyDaisi (Jan 22, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Dolphin* 
I would love to join in too. Ds2 is 8.5 months and I have been trying the self-feeding route with him for about a month or so (ds1 was spoon fed and is a super picky eater now). I'm getting a little frustrated with it because every time I offer him something, he really does gag and get upset. He is sitting well by himself, and his pincer grasp is really good, but I don't know why he is having trouble with the gagging. DH is just looking at me like I have 3 heads but lets me continue trying. Maybe it's still too soon? I give him large hunks of banana and he always bites off pieces that are too big. We have tried soft pear, banana, steamed brocoli, peaches...

Well, I have two thoughts. First, maybe he needs some transitioning since he may be used to you feeding him already and getting frustrated that you now expect him to??







Maybe spoon feed a couple of bites to "take the edge off" of his expectation of food, then allow him to play more. Also, maybe the purees don't have as much flavor as the chunks of food you are giving which could cause him to be picky? Second, maybe he wasn't ready for solids to begin with. My DS is almost 9 mo. (4/12/07) and he still doesn't actually ingest much, if ANYthing! I don't really have any experience with this since this is my first child and we have done BLW from the beginning...but this is just me thinking out loud about the possibilities.


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

Links-

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/so...olids-how.html general info for introducing solids while nursing (through the toddler years too). Talks about giving larger pieces and how older infants often prefer self-feeding. Links to lots of studies/info/guidelines at the bottom of the page.

http://www.borstvoeding.com/voedseli...uidelines.html This is the link from the other post I believe. Lots of info on letting baby lead the way, along with personal stories.

http://babyledweaning.blogware.com/ Mostly personal stories, but also recipes and info.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby-led_weaning wikipedia page

http://www.babybanana.biz/page7.htm another personal page with info and stories


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## ShyDaisi (Jan 22, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MilkTrance* 
At nearly 7 months, DS is still gagging and thrusting things out with his tongue. He also has no teeth.

I'm wondering when he will take food and whether I should do ANY spoon feeding at all, just to get him used to food? Or does that happen naturally?

Is there ANY correlation between picky eaters and late starting of solids?

(I suppose that would depend on what is considered "late" -- a couple of generations ago, babies were fed "solids" at two months!)

At 7 mos my DS was doing the EXACT same thing, but I think it was developmentally on target. He is just learning how to manipulate the food in his mouth and discovering taste and texture as well. If the food gets to the back of his mouth before he is ready to swallow, he will gag to prevent choking. As long as he is breathing and making sounds, let him work it out. It is just part of the learning process. Honestly, my DS still does this at almost 9 mos., and, as I said before, ingests very little. Food is just for exploring right now, not nutrition -- that is what you (and your milk) are for


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## Dolphin (Apr 22, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ShyDaisi* 
Well, I have two thoughts. First, maybe he needs some transitioning since he may be used to you feeding him already and getting frustrated that you now expect him to??







Maybe spoon feed a couple of bites to "take the edge off" of his expectation of food, then allow him to play more. Also, maybe the purees don't have as much flavor as the chunks of food you are giving which could cause him to be picky? Second, maybe he wasn't ready for solids to begin with. My DS is almost 9 mo. (4/12/07) and he still doesn't actually ingest much, if ANYthing! I don't really have any experience with this since this is my first child and we have done BLW from the beginning...but this is just me thinking out loud about the possibilities.









Thanks for your thoughts







I don't think I was clear in my first post - I didn't start solids at all until after 7 mos because he wasn't sitting unassisted, so I never did purees (with current bambino - ds 1 was spoon fed). I just started with chunks of soft fruit, but he has had trouble since the beginning. Maybe I should do a spoon or two then? Just to get him used to food?


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Dolphin* 
Thanks for your thoughts







I don't think I was clear in my first post - I didn't start solids at all until after 7 mos because he wasn't sitting unassisted, so I never did purees (with current bambino - ds 1 was spoon fed). I just started with chunks of soft fruit, but he has had trouble since the beginning. Maybe I should do a spoon or two then? Just to get him used to food?

Not sure how you feel about cereals or grains in general but you could always try cereals and sort of spoon feed not sure if it is really spoon feeding)

With DD we made homemade rice cereal and she's had oatmeal and I make it thick enough to stick to a spoon and I would load the spoon and then just hand it to her. I've never seen her gag on the cereals - there are days she doesn't want to eat them, but never gags but she has been in control of her feeding still.

DD at 8 months still gags on foods, even foods she doesn't always gag on, I think they are still learning to manipulate the food that does get in their mouth - and if it feel weird they gag, bring it forward and either spit it out or try again (DD sometimes looks like a cow re-"chewing" her food - not meant in a mean way)


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## iris777888 (Apr 3, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *monkeybum* 
So here I am after having him gag repeatedly on all the tiny bits I cut or mashed for him, (and the jarred stuff and the mushy cereals...) and he doesn't gag ONCE on a whole apple, big pieces of toast, huge chunks of banana. WHO KNEW!!! I am sooo excited!!!! MY BABY CAN EAT!!! *happy dance* I'm so proud of him!

Yay!!! So happy to hear it.







:


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

Anyone else have a "spicy" babe? DD1 loved soft/sweet foods... apples and applesauce, avocado, pear, sweet potato, slow cook oatmeal cut with breastmilk, etc. Actually, she loved everything.

DD2 though... she makes the most gods awful faces at anything "sweet". We eat a lot of apple and sweet potato and both provoke insanely funny faces from dd2. She HATES them. And forget oatmeal or avocado...she can't spit them out fast enough when they get into her mouth. But spicy bean chili, risotto, ginger rice, pepper rubbed steak, even orange peel (!) have gotten enthusiastic "more more more" approval.

Anyone else? Any suggestions from btdt mamas?


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## monkeybum (Jan 1, 2005)

...and here we are a few days later, just happy to report in that the babe had spagheti (cut up) and meat sauce last night. He shoveled it in! He's loving the shredded cheese.

It is like a sudden turning point, he just stopped gagging. Knock on wood - he hasn't gagged at all this week!!









Gotta check out those links above!


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## BarefootScientist (Jul 24, 2007)

Hey everybody, I just wanted to subscribe to this thread. I am attracted to the idea of BLW and am looking at some of those links ya'll posted. My DS is 6.5 mo and we've been doing solids for 2 weeks now. He's had banana, avocado, applesauce, hummus, and cooked carrots, all by spoon. But he usually tries to grab the spoon as it's coming at him and stick it in his mouth himself. I let him play in the banana and avocado but it doesn't get it in his mouth. He has had some steamed broccoli and cauliflower and brown rice, self-feeding style, which was a huge mess but he seemed to love. So maybe we will head more in that direction. I also let him suck on raw veggies when we were at restaurants a couple times, to keep him occupied. Once cauliflower and once a cucumber slice. I am paranoid about choking though. If he chokes on something, how much of a chance is there that I won't be able to get it out doing that whole back-slapping thing?


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## ShyDaisi (Jan 22, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *BarefootScientist* 
Hey everybody, I just wanted to subscribe to this thread. I am attracted to the idea of BLW and am looking at some of those links ya'll posted. My DS is 6.5 mo and we've been doing solids for 2 weeks now. He's had banana, avocado, applesauce, hummus, and cooked carrots, all by spoon. But he usually tries to grab the spoon as it's coming at him and stick it in his mouth himself. I let him play in the banana and avocado but it doesn't get it in his mouth. He has had some steamed broccoli and cauliflower and brown rice, self-feeding style, which was a huge mess but he seemed to love. So maybe we will head more in that direction. I also let him suck on raw veggies when we were at restaurants a couple times, to keep him occupied. Once cauliflower and once a cucumber slice. I am paranoid about choking though. If he chokes on something, how much of a chance is there that I won't be able to get it out doing that whole back-slapping thing?









Rather than back slapping, try just sweeping your finger in his mouth to remove the object. The back slap could make it move farther down into the airway. Also, hang back to see (just half a second) to see if it really is a choke needing intervention or if it is just a gag (for manipulation).

I also let DS chew on raw veggies. He doesn't have any teeth yet, but I think it feels good on his gums. He also chewed on the remnants of a corn cobb the other day and absolutely LOVED it!!

I think it is awesome that you are interested in BLW! Feel free to ask us any questions!


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

I agree with a finger sweep after waiting to see if your little one can manipulate the item to the front and out (or to try again)

My DD gets a little annoyed when I sweep, but has needed the help a few times when things have been stuck on the roof of her mouth - but once I've swept she seems much happier and not mad at me.

I am still on my quest for neat food, for an airplane trip, and have come up with these baby pancakes - not neat but fun and apparently yummy - DD looked like cookie monster.

1/2 C. ground oldfashioned oatmeal
1/2 C. rice flour (arrow mills)
1 mini banana mashed (approx equal to 1/2 a reg banana)
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tbsp oil (I used olive)
1 C. water

Mix all together until smooth and cook like you would pancakes.

they crumble but don't seem to become a big glob (AKA choking hazzard)

They tasted pretty bland to me so you could probably use a pureed fruit for some of the water.

We haven't done wheat or eggs yet and are trying to avoid added sugar for now

Just thought I would share

Does anyone else have a VERY enthusiastic eater? DD acts like I never feed or nurse her when ever she sits down to eat - shi is always nursed right before a solids session. Am I not feeding ehr enough? She's gaining weight just fine but am I moveing to slow for her? I really don't want to encourage her to wean early, but I do want to respect her wants etc. Any thoughts?

TIA


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## BarefootScientist (Jul 24, 2007)

Quote:

Feel free to ask us any questions!
Ok, I will, lol. I've been thinking about this all last night and this morning and it makes a lot of sense but I have a lot more questions. Starting solids has got to be the most confusing thing about having a baby. Everything I read is something different.

Ok first question: choking hazards. What exactly constitutes a choking hazard? Peanuts are an obvious example, but are they a choking hazard because of the size, or the hardness, or both? Are raisins ok, which are the same size as peanuts but soft? Will they be ok once he gets a pincer grasp and can pick them up? Could he eat something like a chocolate chip? (Not that he should, nutritionally.) What about raw veggies, if he bites a chunk off? What about raw fruits? Do they have to be really ripe and soft? Or will he just gum them? How many teeth will he have to have to be able to actually chew stuff? Are cooked beans, like kidney beans and chickpeas ok? I am terrified of choking (could you tell?







) What foods don't you give your kids for fear of choking? (Mine is 6.5 mo now)

Wow that was long. That's my main question for now. But I'm sure I'll have more.


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## ShyDaisi (Jan 22, 2007)

Alright, here is my thoughts...(take into consideration that every baby is different and this is what I have done/would do/am comfortable with, etc. -- other people might have different advice.)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *BarefootScientist* 
Ok first question: choking hazards. What exactly constitutes a choking hazard? Peanuts are an obvious example, but are they a choking hazard because of the size, or the hardness, or both? Are raisins ok, which are the same size as peanuts but soft? Will they be ok once he gets a pincer grasp and can pick them up? Could he eat something like a chocolate chip? (Not that he should, nutritionally.) What about raw veggies, if he bites a chunk off? What about raw fruits? Do they have to be really ripe and soft? Or will he just gum them? How many teeth will he have to have to be able to actually chew stuff? Are cooked beans, like kidney beans and chickpeas ok? I am terrified of choking (could you tell?







) What foods don't you give your kids for fear of choking? (Mine is 6.5 mo now)

Wow that was long. That's my main question for now. But I'm sure I'll have more.









Micah is almost 9 months, and we STILL don't have any teeth







: (I thought he started teething at 3 1/2 mos.!!) So, I consider harder small foods "off limits" for now. I have given him smaller items that are softer such as several kinds of beans and corn since he has started to really master the pincer grasp. Before then I made sure the foods I offered were larger really soft/mushy foods -- i.e. steamed sweet potato, avacado (large pieces -- the small onesa hard to get a hold of), pear slices, baked squash, steamed broccoli (these were our firsts). I have given him raw veggies as well. He basically just gums them to death, but since we have no teeth no pieces come off. I haven't offered raisins, but I have heard other moms have.

For the most part in the beginning -- large soft pieces are good and small hard pieces are bad....







HTH


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

I can't answer all your questions, but maybe some of them - from what I've observed, of course every baby is different.

small peices - I've given DD small pea sized (would that be like 1/2 a peanut size) foods that were soft, before she got her pincer grip down really good they were frustrating, but she never choked - she did get them to her mouth.

When we first started I would giver DD 1/2 an apple pealed and cored and she would mash it to a pulp and then her bottom teeth came in and she could scrape, but now with her top teeth she bites of bigger pieces and doesn't mash them - so we have to dice the apple or use the mesh feeder right now. On the same note whole raw carrots, peeled she seems ok with she chips small pieces of but can't yet bite a chokable size off.

I've read that they can "chew" with their gums, since they don't get their molars typically until 1-2 yrs and we ussually chew withour molars. But the chewing with the gums would apply to softer foods - They don't have to me mushy, just soft though.

Remember babies will gag during the process - it's part of the learn - but VERY alarming to the mom and dad.

For fear of choking I cut blueberries in half and sometime if DD is gaging alot on something I will break it into smaller pieces.

HTH - at least a little


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## Dolphin (Apr 22, 2004)

Ok, am I the only one with a babe who is not such an enthusiastic eater? I am afraid it's something I'm doing, because my lo has a completely different temperament in just about every way from my first ds, but he is very timid about trying and/or eating anything just like ds1. Each time I give him something (and now I have tried a variety of different textures and mushy-ness levels), he looks at it and me like I'm crazy! He only rarely puts it in his mouth and ingests anything. **sigh**


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## sanguine_speed (May 25, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ShyDaisi* 
Rather than back slapping, try just sweeping your finger in his mouth to remove the object. The back slap could make it move farther down into the airway. Also, hang back to see (just half a second) to see if it really is a choke needing intervention or if it is just a gag (for manipulation).

I also let DS chew on raw veggies. He doesn't have any teeth yet, but I think it feels good on his gums. He also chewed on the remnants of a corn cobb the other day and absolutely LOVED it!!

I think it is awesome that you are interested in BLW! Feel free to ask us any questions!









I took infant/child CPR and was told NOT to finger sweep as it can cause the item to become further lodged.


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## sanguine_speed (May 25, 2005)

I'm also confused about what foods to offer. Does anyone know of a book based on the concept of BLW? I like having reference books on hand.


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## spmamma (Sep 2, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sanguine_speed* 
I took infant/child CPR and was told NOT to finger sweep as it can cause the item to become further lodged.

What should you do in the event that something is stuck in the baby's mouth/throat?


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## spmamma (Sep 2, 2007)

Here's an update on our BLW adventures:

DD hasn't had any solids for about three weeks now, seeing as she gagged on most everything we gave her. I was eating a pear today, so I peeled the skin off a big hunk (about 1/4 of the pear) and handed it to her.

At first she just touched it with one finger and waited a while before touching it again. Eventually she picked it up and scraped a small piece into her mouth, which she swallowed without much incident (a few tiny coughs but that's it).







:

She's almost 7 MO old and still doesn't have any teeth. We're still planning to take it really slow and maybe try again in a few weeks.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

What do you all think of hard-boiled egg yolk as a food? I was wanting to introduce something new tonight, and that occurred to me as something that might be fun. Will it just crumble if she tries to pick it up? Also, when did you all start giving your little ones tiny pieces of things to practice pincer grip. DD (almost 7 months) is starting to get pretty interested in tiny bits of lint, etc, when she's crawling around the floor, and I was thinking maybe I should start giving her peas to play with (I'm having a hard time coming up with other tiny foods - corn, maybe? small pieces of cheese? O's cereal?),
I also gave her a quarter of a pear to play with lasst night and she seemed to like it. She didn't eat a ton, but definitely a bit...

Oh, one other thing - I made chili for DH and me over the weekend (with ground meat, tomatoes, and black beans in it) and was thinking that in some ways it would be a great complex food for DD - all small pieces, stew-like, etc - but I just couldn't bring myself to do it, with the tomatoes in it, the spices, the fact that she hasn't tried meat yet. Would you all give your LOs something like chili that early? I'm not really worried about allergies since neither of us have them, but i just can't see a 7 month old eating chili...


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## SparklingGemini (Jan 3, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sanguine_speed* 
I'm also confused about what foods to offer. Does anyone know of a book based on the concept of BLW? I like having reference books on hand.

So far, I don't think there are any out there. If you look around online and surf through various blogs you will find that there is a recurring theme regarding the lack of information for BLW.

I've considered starting my own blog to give others out there more insight...once we start of course.

We leads me into this part of of my post...questions!!!!

My DD just turned 6 months on January 1st. I would really like to wait as long as possible to start giving her foods to try but she seems to be sort of ready. This might have something to do with the fact that I have always included her in family mealtime. Before she could sit in a highchair I would hold her, and once she could sort of sit, we put her in the highchair on the recline setting. Now she sits straight up and watches intently as we eat!

I broached the subject of BLW with our pediatrician yesterday and she didn't really give me the warm fuzzies about it. But, she didn't so no. It wouldn't have bothered me if she had but I wanted to see what her opinion was. Her main concern was choking.

Do I really need to be that worried about choking? It seems DD knows how far to put things in her mouth before she gags.

Also, what about allergies? Do I really need to follow the one food for four days rule? And do I have to avoid other "high allergen" foods such as strawberries and wheat and egg whites?

We have zero food allergies in my family and when I mentioned this to her doctor she said that the reason behind one food for four days is to avoid any elimination diet to rule things out. She also mentioned that most food allergies effect the skin more than causes breathing issues and what not. What is your experience?

And lastly...when you started offering your baby food, did you cook seperate things that were supposedly appropriate or did you just immediately start giving whatever you were eat?

OK. One more....did you offer at every meal, or just one to start with...progressing on with more?

Quote:


Originally Posted by *spmamma* 
Here's an update on our BLW adventures:

DD hasn't had any solids for about three weeks now, seeing as she gagged on most everything we gave her. I was eating a pear today, so I peeled the skin off a big hunk (about 1/4 of the pear) and handed it to her.

At first she just touched it with one finger and waited a while before touching it again. Eventually she picked it up and scraped a small piece into her mouth, which she swallowed without much incident (a few tiny coughs but that's it).







:

She's almost 7 MO old and still doesn't have any teeth. We're still planning to take it really slow and maybe try again in a few weeks.









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


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SparklingGemini* 
Do I really need to be that worried about choking? It seems DD knows how far to put things in her mouth before she gags.

Also, what about allergies? Do I really need to follow the one food for four days rule? And do I have to avoid other "high allergen" foods such as strawberries and wheat and egg whites?

We have zero food allergies in my family and when I mentioned this to her doctor she said that the reason behind one food for four days is to avoid any elimination diet to rule things out. She also mentioned that most food allergies effect the skin more than causes breathing issues and what not. What is your experience?

And lastly...when you started offering your baby food, did you cook seperate things that were supposedly appropriate or did you just immediately start giving whatever you were eat?

OK. One more....did you offer at every meal, or just one to start with...progressing on with more?

Well, I'm still pretty new to this, but to answer at least a few of your questions... I think all parents do it a bit differently. I'm not worried about food allergies, but I've still more or less introduced one food at a time. I definitely haven't let 4 days go between each new food, though. I have cooked separate things for her (see my above question about chili) - in part because i dont' always eat things I'd want her to be having, and even those that might work, like the chili, i'm just having a hard time giving to her this young. We've only been offering her food once a day for now (and not always that often - we often skip a day, and we skipped over a week when it seemed like she was pooping an incredible amount and i thought it might be tied to solids). As for choking, I really haven't had to worry about it. And so far, DD has yet to even gag on something, though I know that's often pretty common.

I think you just have to go with your gut and see what works for you...
I too wish there was a good book written about it, though! I think we're maybe just a bit early on this trend... I'm sure in a few years there will be something out there.


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## addiemom'07 (Jul 7, 2007)

My gen practitioner looked at me like I'd grown a third head when I told her we weren't doing rice cereal but letting baby girl eat with us. I got the allergy speech and NOOO nuts until at least age 5! I've come to just smile and nod during visits, she also had huge issues with us co-sleeping when DD was very little. The doc is a family friend and fellow Unitarian, I thought she'd be more accepting of non-mainstream ideas esp since DD is doing so well developmentally.

As for questions:

We haven't waited for anything. Some nights we introduce 2 or 3 new foods sometimes a week will go by without any baby feeding. If you're not regularly shoveling goo into babe's face, it's not hard to stop feeding babe for a couple of days to determine what was the allergen.

We've been giving her bits of our meals when appropriate. To date we have not fixed her anything separately and DH is a chef.

DD did gag once and I told DH to wait a second and DD got it out all by herself. We haven't had any real choking so far and DD is a squirrel. I put her to bed an hour after dinner one night and found tiny pieces of shredded chix on her mattress the next morning. I swear she has pockets in her cheeks


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## BarefootScientist (Jul 24, 2007)

Quote:

My gen practitioner looked at me like I'd grown a third head








Sorry this made me laugh. Do you already have a second head?









Thanks for the good info ladies. SparklingGemini asked a lot of the other questions I had rolling around in my head. Keep the answers coming!

So I gave my DS a third of my banana this morning for breakfast, as some of you suggested. He did manage to suck on it a bit, but mostly he just gave me funny looks and made angry noises. Does that mean he's not ready yet? Or was he frustrated because I wasn't feeding him? He loves banana when I spoon-feed him. Actually he could have been mad because of a wet diaper too - he always seems to think his high chair is a potty.

I scraped off two little spoonfuls of the banana, gave him the spoon, and helped him guide it to his mouth, and he gobbled that right up. Is doing something like that completely against the rationale behind self-feeding? Is there anything wrong with combining some self-feeding and some spoon-feeding? Do any of you do that?

Thanks!! I have a lot of questions!


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp* 
Oh, one other thing - I made chili for DH and me over the weekend (with ground meat, tomatoes, and black beans in it) and was thinking that in some ways it would be a great complex food for DD - all small pieces, stew-like, etc - but I just couldn't bring myself to do it, with the tomatoes in it, the spices, the fact that she hasn't tried meat yet. Would you all give your LOs something like chili that early? I'm not really worried about allergies since neither of us have them, but i just can't see a 7 month old eating chili...

When I gave DD beef for the first time it was beef from our chili - it was a medium hot chili, low salt (came from the canned beans) and I didn;t worry about the spices, I was more worried about tomato - I sucked 90% of the sauce off. DD was ~ 7 mo old at the time. She seemed fine, made faces a few times but kept going back for more.

I would love others opinions on tomato - or BTDB experience


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## SparklingGemini (Jan 3, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *BarefootScientist* 







Sorry this made me laugh. Do you already have a second head?










Tee Hee! Totally made me laugh! And I was thinking the same thing.

What is IT about doctors that makes them so resistant to change and natural behaviors?

So. Someone else tell me you were nervous about starting! I know this is what I want to do. I know the emotional and healthy benefits. I know the risks are minimal.

So why am I balking and feeling nervous?


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

I was nervous about starting _food_, at all. Well, nervous is probably the wrong word. I didn't want to! He's my _baby_! Almost every molecule in his body came from my body! He's not supposed to have _food_!









Which is why we delayed well after he was "ready" by the traditional measures. We waited until both his dad and I were OK with it (we both felt like that







), AND Naked Baby was lunging for our food before we "started", which really just consisted of letting him at what he was lunging for. I can't believe that was only two months ago... And now he eats what we eat. We started slow, letting him at fruits and veggies (and turkey, when he insisted







), then a little more, then a little more, and now he eats everything. He LOVES orange, he eats dairy in things (traces of cheese and butter), has had traces of a couple different types of nuts, gets wheat and eggs and just _whatever_. He had a couple bites of my (organic!







) microwave burrito this morning; didn't want just he beans I sucked off for him anymore (we've been doing that for a few weeks at least), he wanted a bite of the burrito, cheesy spicy sauce and all.

And yes, with some foods we'll get some on a spoon and hand to him - nothing wrong with that. Did that for the butternut squash sauce we made the other day, and for hummus today. I wouldn't necessarily guide the spoon in, but just because something is on a spoon doesn't mean they shouldn't have it.

I do think that things are different for those transitioning from spoon feeding than for those starting out with this feeding style. It seems to me that those who start out spoon feeding are more likely to want things on a spoon (duh) and also are less likely to know what to do with a big hunk of food, and might gag more. (Not that gagging is bad - my kid gags on everything, and has choked on my milk more than he's ever choked on food














- but it can be scary for some people.)

And for choking fears - how many times in your life have you choked a little on something? (Me - several times a year. Maybe I'm just a bad eater







) How many times have you died from choking?







Yea, choking is scary (for the choker and observers!), and it can require intervention, but it's not instant death, either, y'know?


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SparklingGemini* 
Tee Hee! Totally made me laugh! And I was thinking the same thing.

What is IT about doctors that makes them so resistant to change and natural behaviors?

So. Someone else tell me you were nervous about starting! I know this is what I want to do. I know the emotional and healthy benefits. I know the risks are minimal.

So why am I balking and feeling nervous?


Yup nervous to start with, and DH didn't help he was very sceptical and still looks at me like I am a horrible mom when DD gags and I am not reacting externally - he is ussually ready to wack her on the back.

And I still get nervous, I worry that something isn't soft enough, I still worry when she gags - I just don't react because I want her to feel ok with her eating experience. Since we send DD to daycare, I worry that something may happen there - it never has and they are all trained in first aid and CPR - but I still worry.

Like Arwyn, I don't think I am ready for her to grow up either so sometimes I feel like I hold back on giving food.

I definitly worry about doing something wrong as far as allergies go, and I waver back and forth between wanting to just letting her have what we are having and being super vigilant on food allergen foods. She hasn't gotten any of the foods on the allergen list and a few other that you are supposed to wait on - but I wonder if I need to worry.

I think if I knew less, and was spoon feeding purees, I would care less because I would have so many people backing me up that what I was doing was "right" and normal.

We never spoon fed in the traditional sense (we do load spoons and hand them over) but we moved into doing food slowly and I think it's best to set the pace that works best for you, DP and the LO (sometimes that is harder)


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

So, in the past few days, I feel like DD has made huge leaps in terms of really *getting* solids. Before, she had fun when we let her play with stuff, and occasionally ate bits here and there, but mostly just spread it all around and made a mess (which was fine with me - like others on this thread, I kind of wanted my baby to remain a baby...).
But two nights ago, when I gave her some hard-boiled egg yolk and banana (she ended up picking up most of the very crumbly egg yolk bits with the banana, which they stuck to), and last night, when I gave her some hummus and some sweet potato fries, she attacked the food with a vengeance. And ate the majority of it. She seemed to really relish it - and didn't make her hysterical I'm-not-sure-about-this face that she sometimes has in the past when food, as opposed to paper, wood, or other nonedible objects, gets near her mouth.
Her poops, as a result, have been horrific - stinky, slimy messes. (Do these ever get better, or is this what I have to look forward to for the next year or two??)
We're still only sitting her down to eat with us around dinner (though I did give her some of my banana this morning since she looked so upset that I was eating some and she wasn't), and still not every day, but she's definitely embracing it enthusiastically.

On the spoon issue - I still haven't used one at all, but I may start doing it for those food that make sense. Hummus, for instance. The other night I just put a bit in a bowl and let her have it with her fingers, but it's not really the best way to go about eating hummus - not how i'd do it, certainly. And I was thinking that I may start giving her some plain whole-milk yogurt, and mashed potatoes, and applesauce (if I can find any without added sugar) in the future, and none of those are ideal finger foods. I'm not sure how I'd do it, but I'm thinking maybe I'd show her how I eat it off a spoon first, then help her the first few times, and then put some on a spoon and let her try herself, realizing that she may, of course, revert back to her fingers, and that's ok. What do you all think?


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## spmamma (Sep 2, 2007)

Quote:


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.


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

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







:


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## spmamma (Sep 2, 2007)

Quote:


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?


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

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.


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## popbaby (Dec 12, 2006)

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/


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## Maela (Apr 2, 2006)

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.


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## spmamma (Sep 2, 2007)

Quote:


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!

Quote:


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!!


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## sprouthead (Jul 14, 2007)

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!


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## addiemom'07 (Jul 7, 2007)

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


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## sprouthead (Jul 14, 2007)

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

Swallow pieces of food!!


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## binky (Jan 6, 2008)

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.


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

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.


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## westcoastma (Jan 10, 2008)

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!)


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## popbaby (Dec 12, 2006)

Quote:


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!


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## binky (Jan 6, 2008)

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







!!


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

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.


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## baturay (Jan 15, 2006)

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!


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

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







:

Quote:


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.

Quote:


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.

Quote:


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!!!


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## binky (Jan 6, 2008)

Ubelle said:


> 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?
> 
> ...


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## dancebaraka (Dec 14, 2006)

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.



binky said:


> Quote:
> 
> 
> Originally Posted by *Ubelle*
> ...


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

Cereals:
First was rice - I just ground wholegrain brown rice in a food mill till it was the consistency of uncooked cream of wheat then I cook it in water for about 10 minutes, I think I used a 1:2 cereal to water ratio, but I always made the cereal really thick. so you can play with that ratio.

Next we've done oatmeal - I just cooked old Fashioned oatmeal according to the dirrections - thick though.

I've ground both together for a mixed cereal
DD doesn't get cereal everyday though.

Mesh feeders & Spoons
I've used the sassy brand mesh feeders - it screws together and has a cover (I needed that for daycare)
We have those cheap disposable plastic spoons







:They are pretty standard infant feeding spoons - shallow bowl, but again for daycare items that can be lost, broken or thrown away without lots of money lost are necessary for us. I think they are munchkin brand (20 per pack).
At home we have a couple silver baby spoons from Onidea - small shallow bowl. And DD like our regular table spoons to, but they are kind of heavy and she tend to drop them alot.

In the begining I think C got solid food every 3 or so days, sometimes only once a week, then around 7 months a little after she got regular "meals" at daycare only am snack and lunch, and only after her milk - they were fairly small 1-2 tablespoons.

As for nursing at the table, I often end up topless when C requests milk durring a solid meal, typically she gets a little fussy and when I go to get her out of her seat she's grabbing my shirt, so a little nurse and then she's back to the solids - other times she comes out, gets wiped down and nurse fopr a full nursing session. She is always nursed before a solids meal. Soemtimes she will sign for milk.

HTH

Now for a question:
I always nurse DD before offering a solid meal or snack, but there are times when this is a very brief nursing - she is not interested, but she wants to eat solids. Like today at lunch I felt there wasn't a big nursing session, but she wanted her solids, I tried nursing 3 times before getting the solid foods.
DD is 8.5 months old, are we heading into a nursing strike, should I withhold solids till I know she has nursed enough? Or should I follow her lead, will it lead to an early weaning? If we are together, like on the weekends, DD typically nurses before a solids meal and after - should I be worried that she is pulling away from nursing a little?


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Loved seeing peoples' baby solids photos - here's one of DD eating some sweet potato fries and hummus (this was when I decided that a spoon - for things like hummus - might not be all bad....)
Interestingly, the few times I've given her food in a spoon now - a couple times with hummus and with goat milk yogurt - she was interested in the food, but totally refused to let me feed her (I thought I'd show her what the spoon was for). INstead she grabbed the spoon out of my hand and fed herself. Guess she's taken the self-feeding thing to heart!


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## ShyDaisi (Jan 22, 2007)

Hi, everyone!

I haven't had a chance to read through the most recent posts, but do have a question. I started offering food to Micah at about 6.5 mos, and though he hasn't ever actually ingested a lot, he has tasted, gummed, explored a lot of different foods. And, seemed to like most all of them! But, recently he has been refusing most foods -- even those which he seemed to LOVE before (pickles and broccoli, especially). He does have a select few he will still eat pears, corn on the cob, and occasionally melon (canteloupe, honeydew, watermelon). Most everything else ends up on the floor with not so much as a glance. Has anyone else dealt with this? Any thoughts?


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Unless it goes along with digestive discomforts or otherwise acting sick or unhappy, just go with it. He doesn't *need* food at this point at all. It's just for experimentation and exploration and play right now. If he's still happy, if he's still growing and nursing and thriving, don't worry about it. Just keep offering him the chance when you both feel like it, and keep a plastic mat on the floor (or have a German Shepherd Dog, like me)


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## sprouthead (Jul 14, 2007)

Okay- I'm back looking for more support from likeminded mamas. Out of all of my *crazy* parenting practices, this is the one that gets the most flack! So I guess I'm still not used to having to defend myself against the mainstream...

So in addition to the nutritionist and the EI worker that DS sees, we recently had to go to a preemie clinic. Everyone's really pushing us to introduce purees, saying that he won't be able to chew and manage the whole foods and that if we don't get him eating, we'll miss this window of opportunity and have trouble later on...

Well, DH went ahead and gave him some pureed green beans. he put them on the spoon and gave it to DS. DS took the spoon (an adult spoon!) and fed himself the green beans- loved it, and kept reaching for the spoon for more! He's definitely not as interested in food when we give him whole green beans or anything else for that matter... So now I'm perplexed since he even seemed to like the purees better! Any input? Thanks!


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## brandnewmommy (Sep 7, 2007)

Hello. I just stumbled across this thread while looking around. DH and I are doing BLW with DS. He's a little over six months so we've just started. I'm glad to find this as it seems that most pp think we're weirdos. lol. I do have a question - if this is covered somewhere else feel free to point me in the right direction. Is anyone doing the iron supplements with your LO's. I've read that this can interfere with natural iron absorption. And I've read that the supply of iron received from mom runs out around 6 months? So I'm wondering if I should start giving him the drops. He's not getting it in his diet like he would be if we were doing iron-fortified cereal or something like that. Any ideas or thoughts on this? Thanks.


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

I don't do iron supplementation or worry about it. I do occasionally check to make sure he is getting dietary sources of iron (leafy greens, cooking in cast iron, etc). But really, I just don't worry about it.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Speaking of iron...
We don't do supplemental drops either, and I know my ped (and people here) says not to worry about it at all. But since I'm pretty low in iron myself, I'd like to at least make sure DD is getting some natural iron in the food she eats.
What are some good sources of that? Red meat, I assume, though I haven't given her meat yet, mostly since without teeth it seemed like it might be trickier for her to chew. Spinach? I also haven't tried that yet. How do you tend to serve it, if you give it to your LO? Any other good natural sources of iron that lend themselves well to BLW?

DD is definitely getting into eating (as opposed to tasting/experimenting) now. We started giving her some peas and O's cereal recently so she could practice her pretty successful pincer grip, and since she seems to LOVE picking up tiny objects. They're her new favorites. She'd rather have them any day over banana, avocado, etc. She still enjoys sweet potato fries, though (one of my favorites to make, since i love them too), and is a HUGE hummus fan. I finally decided a spoon was OK on that one, after a couple evenings of her making a giant mess finger-feeding herself, but she definitely won't let *me* feed her the spoon. Instead, I put some hummus on, and then she takes the spoon from me. I guess I created a successful self-feeder







.
I've tried yogurt a few times now, but she just makes a "yuck" face, so I guess we'll hold off for a bit. She doesn't seem too interested in bits of cheese, either. My generally BLW-supportive doctor told me at this last visit to only do fruits and vegetables until she's 10 months old, but that seems a little ridiculous to me, especially since we have no allergies in the family. Obviously we've already given her wheat (in the form of the O's), and some more complex things in the hummus and guacamole, and I gave her an egg yolk once that she liked. But I've been a little hesitant to just give her whatever DH and I are eating (also for the practical reason that we usually eat after she goes to bed) or more "adult" things like chili or stew. Should I just dive in? I'm pretty sure she'd love toast too - but is 7 months little for getting tough-to-digest whole grains?


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Once I was sure Naked Baby was consuming food, not just playing with it, so that he no longer had a "virgin" gut (that is, his digestive tract shut down some to protect itself from foreign proteins), I pretty much just let him have whatever. I did do one major allergen at a time, but, at the moment, two of his favorite foods are oranges and bread.









Any leafy dark green is going to have good, easily absorbed iron in it. Spinach, kale, chard, etc. We cook with a lot of those foods anyway, adding them to spaghetti sauce, casseroles, stirfries, etc., which is how Naked Baby usually gets them. If you want to do meat, either BIG chunks (too big for them to swallow), or little pieces, like ground meat, are good choices pre-molars. You can also cook with cast iron, as, especially with acidic foods, that adds iron to what you cook in it. Lentils and beans also have some iron, easily digestible, and NB for one LOVES black beans, and hummus.


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## Bunnybee (Jan 16, 2007)

I;m glad this is here too. DS just turned 6 months and doesn't seem too interested in food. We're supposed to go to 6 month WBV this week and I am concerned the pediatrician might ask if/why isn't he on solids. Did any of you have late starters when it came to eating? My DD loved and still loves all food from 5 or 6 months (adjusted age) on and DS seems quite different! He makes chewing motions with his mouth but I tried banana twice and he spit it out and made a face. Should I keep trying? Wait longer? Sorry for all the questions. I think I did things wrong with DD and want to get it right!


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## kdtmom2be (Aug 26, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *binky* 
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







!!

Iron can come from black beans or other iron rich foods. Every baby cereal I pulled off the shelf at the store by my house had palm oil in it. Palm oil is GROSS. And the organic stuff, had organic palm oil in it.







But really, an EBF baby should have enough iron for at least the first 6 months and possibly as long as 12 months. Iron stores don't dissappear over night, they drop off gradually. DD likes beans, green veggies (raw & sliced or steamed to mush), lentils and ground meat, all rich in iron.


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

Dumb question here, why would iron go away at 6 months? Is this from tests of breastmilk after 6months? And why don't other nutrients stop then?


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## Rico'sAlice (Mar 19, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sapphire_chan* 
Dumb question here, why would iron go away at 6 months? Is this from tests of breastmilk after 6months? And why don't other nutrients stop then?

It's not that the amount in BM changes- that is consistently low (but a very easily absorbed form)
Rather, while in the womb babies store up iron in their system. After they are born they gradually use up those stores. The general trend is for breastfed babies to be ok for the first 6 months w/o supplementation while being EBF. Then if parents introduce solids (resulting in lower percentage of intake from BM) but not any particularly high in iron, then by 9-12 months their iron levels may be low after they run through their stores.
http://breastfeed.com/resources/articles/ironsupplements.htm


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

Just wondering why my DS would suddenly become a "picky" eater? He has been self-feeding for a few months now, and at first, was so excited to try anything I put down in front of him. For the past week or two, though, he will put veggies into his mouth and then open his mouth and let it fall back out, and not pick that particular thing back up again.

Give him a handful of Cheerios, though, and he goes to town. He also loved beans at first, and now won't touch them either. I realized he is testing things and learning that he can have a say in what goes into his body, but I didn't realize that it started this early!

Not that I am worried about what he is eating, as he still nurses like a mad man.


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## anasmommy (Oct 24, 2007)

My dd is 8 months and has been spoon fed homemade purees at daycare (she's too nervous about choking) only for about a month and a half. After getting the answers to my questions about self feeding here she is eating with us every evening and all weekend.
Here are my questions:
It seems like she wants to be spoon fed. She waits for a minute, feeds herself a few handfuls then arches her back and cries.
If I feed her on my finger or with my spoon she is okay.
Any one experience this?
What to do?


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## brandnewmommy (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Arwyn* 
I don't do iron supplementation or worry about it. I do occasionally check to make sure he is getting dietary sources of iron (leafy greens, cooking in cast iron, etc). But really, I just don't worry about it.


Quote:


Originally Posted by *Arwyn* 
Any leafy dark green is going to have good, easily absorbed iron in it. Spinach, kale, chard, etc. We cook with a lot of those foods anyway, adding them to spaghetti sauce, casseroles, stirfries, etc., which is how Naked Baby usually gets them. If you want to do meat, either BIG chunks (too big for them to swallow), or little pieces, like ground meat, are good choices pre-molars. You can also cook with cast iron, as, especially with acidic foods, that adds iron to what you cook in it. Lentils and beans also have some iron, easily digestible, and NB for one LOVES black beans, and hummus.


Quote:


Originally Posted by *kdtmom2be* 
Iron can come from black beans or other iron rich foods. Every baby cereal I pulled off the shelf at the store by my house had palm oil in it. Palm oil is GROSS. And the organic stuff, had organic palm oil in it.







But really, an EBF baby should have enough iron for at least the first 6 months and possibly as long as 12 months. Iron stores don't dissappear over night, they drop off gradually. DD likes beans, green veggies (raw & sliced or steamed to mush), lentils and ground meat, all rich in iron.

Thanks for all of the iron ideas. I think I may try some black beans for now. I have them in the house so that works. I'll try to find ways to incorporate more greens into me and DH's diet (which we should be doing anyways) so that DS can get that as he eats what we do.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *anasmommy* 
My dd is 8 months and has been spoon fed homemade purees at daycare (she's too nervous about choking) only for about a month and a half. After getting the answers to my questions about self feeding here she is eating with us every evening and all weekend.
Here are my questions:
It seems like she wants to be spoon fed. She waits for a minute, feeds herself a few handfuls then arches her back and cries.
If I feed her on my finger or with my spoon she is okay.
Any one experience this?
What to do?

I wonder if this is because she's spoon fed at daycare? I don't know though...just a thought. And as to what to do. That can be hard because if you like your daycare it may not be worth it to try to be pushy about something your provider is not comfortable with. I don't know. Hopefully someone else has some experience with this and better answers for you. Good luck though.

An update on us - I'm getting braver with this. I'm still really nervous because this is all so incredibly new to me. I would've never guessed I would go down a road like this. But here I am. So far Ayden has had banana, avacado, dairy-free pancakes, french fries (not a good choice I know - it was the only thing safe for him when we went out to eat the other day), broccoli, and pork. Yes, last night he tried pork for the first time and loved it. He didn't swallow any of it. At this point I don't think he's swallowing much of anything. But he just sat there with the pork hanging out of his mouth just sucking the crap out of it. So I take it that he liked it. Plus I think it must have felt good on his gums (he's currently teething). I think we may try some black beans today.


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## addiemom'07 (Jul 7, 2007)

Baby girl is quickly turning into a vacuum cleaner. Today she helped me eat my oatmeal during breakfast and then during lunch she made two green beans disappear. I keep looking for them under the furniture but I think she actually ate them!!

She's definitely moving from tasting to eating and then coming back for more


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## brandnewmommy (Sep 7, 2007)

Well, I know that I can probably vent here. My mom took us all out to lunch today. I gave DS a green bean and of course my mom had to repeat over and over about how he was going to choke. And then of course he did gag on it (he's very new to eating), which only fueled my mother's fire. And then of course DH chimed in with how he was getting nervous and he thinks Ayden is all done with the green bean. That's another issue. He says he supports my decision and BLW makes sense to him, but he has yet to read anything to try to understand what it's about or to let me really explain it to him. So after my mom said that A was going to choke for about the hundredth time I bit her head off and told her that "if he chokes and dies I guess it will be my fault then." A horrible thing to say I know. I was so irritated and it's not like this is the first time she's seen it or the first time that I've tried to explain it to her. Anyways, I ended up deciding to just let him have something later and stopped with the feeding for that meal just because I didn't want to hear it the entire time I was trying to eat. But ugh - I wanted to rip my hair out! Okay - done with that vent. That felt good.

Anyways, I've started a BLW blog. It's nothing special. I just thought it would be neat to chart our progress for anyone that's currently BLW or interested in trying it in the future. I certainly don't claim to be any sort of expert. I'm learning along with everyone else and that's what the blog is about. Feel free to check it out. It's brand new so there's not much on it so far!

http://babyledfeeding.blogspot.com/


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Naked Baby has choked more on my milk than on any food. And gagging is normal. Ugh! Sorry you had to deal with that.


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## amyleigh33 (Nov 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *brandnewmommy* 
Is anyone doing the iron supplements with your LO's. I've read that this can interfere with natural iron absorption. And I've read that the supply of iron received from mom runs out around 6 months? So I'm wondering if I should start giving him the drops. He's not getting it in his diet like he would be if we were doing iron-fortified cereal or something like that. Any ideas or thoughts on this? Thanks.

Wow, I am so glad that this post was on pg. 10 of this thread. I read through pgs. 1-4 and then finally had to give up, and skipped to the last one, and here is what I was looking for. I just posted about it in Veg Living thread.

My DD self-feeds sweet potato, winter squash, potato, pear, etc. and according to this Kellymom article that someone sent me when I posted in Veg Living, the first two are iron-rich. I am wondering about giving her home made oatmeal cereal, though. We have never spoon fed her. If I just gave her oatmeal prepared the way I eat it, maybe with some BM mixed in... but not too liquidy... maybe she could just eat it with her hands? Or is that a choking hazard? (We're vegan, so we are never going to be introducing any meat or dairy.) She is also probably old enough (8 months) to try self-feeding steamed spinach, eh?
[subbing now]


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## MamaSpruce (Aug 10, 2004)

Been lurking for a little bit getting used to the idea. My poor baby, 6.5 mos (born 7/10/07) has been so unhappy at dinner so we finally set up the high chair and have been letting him play/eat. What a different dinner time baby! My first ds didn't really want to eat until a year (and I hadn't heard of BLW, just offered to feed him) and I am so surprised how enthusiastic ds2 has been about food. We've given him avacodo slices, butternut squash, pear, banana, steamed brocolli stalk and apple (just sucking and nibbling on the core really). I'm kind of surprised how well he is doing with it and how much he is actually eating. I think I'm still going to be nervous for awhile though and will stick to these foods and other softer veggies/fruit for awhile until he gets a little better.

It's not very efficient though, is it? Lots of little pieces get bitten off and not eaten. Oh well, how fun though to watch him learn on his own.


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## spmamma (Sep 2, 2007)

At what age have you mammas started introducing a cup or sippy cup? I'm not sure how this fits in with BLW but my MIL recently asked if DD has a sippy cup. I told her she does, but didn't mention that we haven't tried using it yet.

DD is 7 MO and still EBF (we tried a few solids but she gagged on everything so we're waiting a while to try again). I guess I'm just wondering what age babies start drinking in ways other than the breast. Did it reduce the amount of time your baby nursed?


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## tankgirl73 (Jun 10, 2007)

Here's DD at 6mo:
http://flickr.com/photos/lovecat/604...7600330803313/

We also started her with a Sigg bottle, which she loved, around the same age (7mo):

http://flickr.com/photos/lovecat/841...7600330803313/

We've never bothered with a sippy cup, we just use regular cups at home and the Sigg for out and about (if at all).

And no, it certainly didn't reduce nursing, no more than the gradual introduction of solids did. At 13mo, she NOW nurses less often than before, but that was very long and gradual process and she still nurses at least 3x/day plus several times at night.

Oh and she only gets water in her cups. Juice is pointless and dairy is icky.


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *amyleigh33* 
Wow, I am so glad that this post was on pg. 10 of this thread. I read through pgs. 1-4 and then finally had to give up, and skipped to the last one, and here is what I was looking for. I just posted about it in Veg Living thread.

My DD self-feeds sweet potato, winter squash, potato, pear, etc. and according to this Kellymom article that someone sent me when I posted in Veg Living, the first two are iron-rich. I am wondering about giving her home made oatmeal cereal, though. We have never spoon fed her. If I just gave her oatmeal prepared the way I eat it, maybe with some BM mixed in... but not too liquidy... maybe she could just eat it with her hands? Or is that a choking hazard? (We're vegan, so we are never going to be introducing any meat or dairy.) She is also probably old enough (8 months) to try self-feeding steamed spinach, eh?
[subbing now]

What we've done with oatmeal the time or two he's had it is put some on a spoon and give him the spoon. I like my oatmeal nice and thick, so it sticks well to the spoon.


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## sprouthead (Jul 14, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *spmamma* 
At what age have you mammas started introducing a cup or sippy cup? I'm not sure how this fits in with BLW but my MIL recently asked if DD has a sippy cup. I told her she does, but didn't mention that we haven't tried using it yet.

DD is 7 MO and still EBF (we tried a few solids but she gagged on everything so we're waiting a while to try again). I guess I'm just wondering what age babies start drinking in ways other than the breast. Did it reduce the amount of time your baby nursed?

i know you can start working on open cups at 7 mos.


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## Mere (Oct 1, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *spmamma* 
At what age have you mammas started introducing a cup or sippy cup? I'm not sure how this fits in with BLW but my MIL recently asked if DD has a sippy cup. I told her she does, but didn't mention that we haven't tried using it yet.

Ds2 started day care 2 days a week at 5.5 months; we skipped the bottle and went straight to a sippy. He did/does just fine with it! It didn't take long at all for him to learn to grab it and tilt it up to drink.


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## brandnewmommy (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *spmamma* 
At what age have you mammas started introducing a cup or sippy cup? I'm not sure how this fits in with BLW but my MIL recently asked if DD has a sippy cup. I told her she does, but didn't mention that we haven't tried using it yet.

We've started introducing a cup. We just use one at dinner when DS eats (he's 6 1/2 months). I put the tiniest bit of water in the cup. At this point he still doesn't know what to do with it, but we have started working on it. It's just a regular cup too, not a sippy cup.


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## sanguine_speed (May 25, 2005)

Hi mamas! Oscar had his first 'meal' last night. I thought you might enjoy the pictures:
http://jemm.dyndns.org/firstfood/

It went well and I could tell he was really enjoying _experiencing_ his food, rather than just swallowing mush.


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## ssharon (Jan 19, 2008)

This thread is huge--a little too big for me to go through completely so sorry if some of my questions have been answered. I am wondering what foods anyone tried with a 6 mo old that were unique or not part of the standard schedule of introducing solids. I am doing BLW with my 6 mo daughter, but did not do it with my 3 yr old son. I am definitely being more relaxed about introducing foods, but I still want to be somewhat careful. I have read that you shouldn't rely too much on grains because of all the sugar and how it affects them and possible obesity problems later. I did make her some "teething biscuits" that she loved, but were pretty much all carbs (sugar and flour). What about oatmeal? Would that be easier to choke on though because of its texture?


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## ssharon (Jan 19, 2008)

Another question...someone mentioned toast. What kind of toast did you use? Did you make homemade bread? The bread we purchase has honey in it and I am worried about that whole no honey before 1 year thing. But I would love to give her some toast.


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## brandnewmommy (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ssharon* 
This thread is huge--a little too big for me to go through completely so sorry if some of my questions have been answered. I am wondering what foods anyone tried with a 6 mo old that were unique or not part of the standard schedule of introducing solids. I am doing BLW with my 6 mo daughter, but did not do it with my 3 yr old son. I am definitely being more relaxed about introducing foods, but I still want to be somewhat careful. I have read that you shouldn't rely too much on grains because of all the sugar and how it affects them and possible obesity problems later. I did make her some "teething biscuits" that she loved, but were pretty much all carbs (sugar and flour). What about oatmeal? Would that be easier to choke on though because of its texture?

My son has tried homemade hummus (complete with fresh garlic). That might be the most "unusual" thing I guess. I've used low-salt rice cakes (I can't find no salt) with avocado smeared on it. I'm too nervous about wheat to do toast yet (but my LO has shown signs of food sensitivities). He's tried pork (just sucked on it so far) and chicken (same thing). Other than that he's had pretty standard stuff - steamed broccoli, green beans, sweet potato, potato, carrots, banana, pear, avocado, and canteloupe. That's all I can think of right now. I have a site charting our progress if you're interested in checking it out.

http://babyledfeeding.blogspot.com/

I'm interested to hear others thoughts on oatmeal. I'd like to try to make some sort of breakfast bar or something out of it.


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## spmamma (Sep 2, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ssharon* 
This thread is huge--a little too big for me to go through completely so sorry if some of my questions have been answered. I am wondering what foods anyone tried with a 6 mo old that were unique or not part of the standard schedule of introducing solids. I am doing BLW with my 6 mo daughter, but did not do it with my 3 yr old son. I am definitely being more relaxed about introducing foods, but I still want to be somewhat careful. I have read that you shouldn't rely too much on grains because of all the sugar and how it affects them and possible obesity problems later. I did make her some "teething biscuits" that she loved, but were pretty much all carbs (sugar and flour). What about oatmeal? Would that be easier to choke on though because of its texture?

I wouldn't necessarily say the foods we introduced are unique, but they certainly didn't follow the mainstream schedule for solids (cereal then veggies then fruits). We first tried avocado, then banana, allowed her to suck on apple wedges and now she's eating pears. All big chunks that she can pick up herself.


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## ssharon (Jan 19, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *brandnewmommy* 
My son has tried homemade hummus (complete with fresh garlic). That might be the most "unusual" thing I guess. I've used low-salt rice cakes (I can't find no salt) with avocado smeared on it. I'm too nervous about wheat to do toast yet (but my LO has shown signs of food sensitivities). He's tried pork (just sucked on it so far) and chicken (same thing). Other than that he's had pretty standard stuff - steamed broccoli, green beans, sweet potato, potato, carrots, banana, pear, avocado, and canteloupe. That's all I can think of right now. I have a site charting our progress if you're interested in checking it out.

http://babyledfeeding.blogspot.com/

I'm interested to hear others thoughts on oatmeal. I'd like to try to make some sort of breakfast bar or something out of it.

What kind of rice cakes (brand?)? What age was he when you tried cantaloupe--my "guidelines" mention waiting on melon until older (closer to a year). Any thoughts on that? Also how did you (or anyone) do green beans? Did you buy fresh or frozen? How soft did you get them? I would definitely be worried about the choking with green beans. The only thing I thought of was the canned green beans which are often thicker and really soft--I just don't like the thought of giving her canned food.

I'll definitely check out the blog. Thanks!


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## Maela (Apr 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sprouthead* 
Well, DH went ahead and gave him some pureed green beans. he put them on the spoon and gave it to DS. DS took the spoon (an adult spoon!) and fed himself the green beans- loved it, and kept reaching for the spoon for more! He's definitely not as interested in food when we give him whole green beans or anything else for that matter... So now I'm perplexed since he even seemed to like the purees better! Any input? Thanks!

We just started giving some food to Dd at six months. We've tried avocado, banana, sweet potato, naan bread, pear, apple, and last night butternut squash. She hasn't been too interested. She doesn't like it when pieces come off in her mouth. She gets this grossed out look on her face and sometimes she gags. She does like the pear and apple (I give it to her whole or a very large piece) because usually no pieces come off into her mouth - she can just suck on the juice.
So I was just wondering if she would feel the same way about purees. I really want to do BLW, but I was just curious. So last night I cooked some butternut squash and pureed it. I put some onto a spoon and then gave it to her. She still made the face, but kept sucking on the spoon until it was all gone. Now I don't know what to do. Should I try purees first? Or is she just not ready for solids yet? I really like the idea of BLW...


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## spmamma (Sep 2, 2007)

We gave DD a wedge of pear tonight and she happily sucked on it and bit off large chunks. The best part was that she spit out large chunks and didn't gag too much. But then I went to nurse her about 30 minutes later and she wouldn't latch on. Finally I looked in her mouth and noticed that she had a chunk of pear lodged in her palette!







Anyone else had this happen with your LO? I'm not too freaked out about it but I'm wondering if I should give her even softer foods for a while...


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Nothing that extreme, spmamma, but sometimes DD will be chewing on something quite a bit later, after I thought she was done eating - I'll see it still in her mouth. I've had the same experience as you, though, where when she's eating something like banana or pear, if she bites off too much, she eventually spits it back out (and then sometimes dips her fingers in the mushy rather gross chunk she just spit out and tries to scoop it back up... ewwww....).

As for green beans, we've only given them to DD once and she loved them. They were just regular fresh green beans. However, the way she ate them was to chew on them until the little beans inside popped out, and those were what she ate. SHe didn't really eat the skin, which I think would be too tough (given that she doesn't have teeth) unless it's really overcooked.

The only rather "nontraditional" things we've given DD (meaning, other than fruits and veggies, all of which she's had in non-puree form) are guacamole, roasted red pepper hummus, and a lentil and rice dish I made. I also gave her a couple pieces of macaroni from some mac and cheese I was eating the other night. She seems to like spices! She was a big fan of all of those, and while none of them were super spicy, they were all pretty heavy on things like garlic and onions and (in the case of the lentil dish) cumin. I want to give her chili the next time I make some, but I've been holding off for a bit on tomatoes and beef. Oh - she does love toast too. I initially planned to wait on wheat, but it doesn't seem to be causing any problems, and it's often an easy way for her to eat something like avocados, which I'll smear on top. I just give her a bit of toasted whole-grain bread from whole foods.
I don't think it has honey in it, but I've also heard that the honey issue only has to do with raw honey (which wouldn't be an issue in the bread you buy) - they just tell people no honey, period, because it's too hard for most people to know to differentiate.


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *tankgirl73* 
Here's DD at 6mo:
http://flickr.com/photos/lovecat/604...7600330803313/

We also started her with a Sigg bottle, which she loved, around the same age (7mo):

http://flickr.com/photos/lovecat/841...7600330803313/

We've never bothered with a sippy cup, we just use regular cups at home and the Sigg for out and about (if at all).

And no, it certainly didn't reduce nursing, no more than the gradual introduction of solids did. At 13mo, she NOW nurses less often than before, but that was very long and gradual process and she still nurses at least 3x/day plus several times at night.

Oh and she only gets water in her cups. Juice is pointless and dairy is icky.









What's she wearing over her clothes in the highchair and where can I get one? (I showed it to dh and he said "cool! a Hazmat suit for babies."







)


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## tankgirl73 (Jun 10, 2007)

Heh... it's a big from Ikea! Just sleeves and a front, with a 'pocket' at the bottom to catch spills. And spoons. It's quite remarkable what we find in there sometimes...


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## ssharon (Jan 19, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *tankgirl73* 
Heh... it's a big from Ikea! Just sleeves and a front, with a 'pocket' at the bottom to catch spills. And spoons. It's quite remarkable what we find in there sometimes...

I hate to promote Walmart, but they carry something similar without the sleeves. They are big though and have the pocket. They also sell out quickly as people really like them.


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## brandnewmommy (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ssharon* 
What kind of rice cakes (brand?)? What age was he when you tried cantaloupe--my "guidelines" mention waiting on melon until older (closer to a year). Any thoughts on that? Also how did you (or anyone) do green beans? Did you buy fresh or frozen? How soft did you get them? I would definitely be worried about the choking with green beans. The only thing I thought of was the canned green beans which are often thicker and really soft--I just don't like the thought of giving her canned food.

I'll definitely check out the blog. Thanks!

Well, we just did the cantaloupe this last week, so 6 1/2 months. It wasn't really planned. We were out to eat and our plates were garnished with the cantaloupe. He LOVED it. I'm not sure why the guideline suggests closer to a year. DS did fine with it, so I'm not going to worry about it. It was just in a wedge. He held the wedge and sucked it to death. I used frozen green beans, although next time I think I'd try steaming fresh ones to see if maybe I could get them a bit softer. I don't think he was actually able to eat any of the outer part (a bit too tough). In fact I didn't think he ate any of it until I saw a little bean in his poo. I'd be leary of canned food because of all the added salt, unless it was sodium-free.

Good luck!


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## ssharon (Jan 19, 2008)

We have tried several foods lately. We tried oatmeal this morning and all she did was keep gagging on it so I took it away. I also gave her a peach half and she got the skin lodged in her throat pretty well--I can't handle the panic of wondering if she is going to choke so I took the skin off and will continue to do that for now. We also tried rice cakes and she didn't really like them and they broke off into pieces quite a bit so I am a little worried about choking.


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## ssharon (Jan 19, 2008)

Oh also I made some homemade teething biscuits--they are basically all sugar (carbs), but she really liked them and did really well with them. And I gave her some mango "ice cream"--frozen mangoes blended to ice cream consistency.


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## ssharon (Jan 19, 2008)

She has been breaking out a little on her face ever since I started solids. It has been really cold here so I am not sure if it has to do with the weather and her little exposure to it or if it is a reaction to one of the foods. Has anyone ever experienced this?


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## CanidFL (Jul 30, 2007)

Hello,

DS is 5 months and only recently I've started thinking about self feeding. DH and I are both on board with this and agree that we will start as soon as he is 6 months and can sit unsupported.

Ok here is my question. My in laws are pretty annoyed that we aren't giving DS any food yet. (surprise surprise







) So whenever they try to give him something to eat I just keep saying "at 6 months". Well now it is getting close and I'm panicking because he might not even be ready at 6 months. I know for sure that as soon as he is 6 months they will all try to shove food into his mouth (they have already tried this while he is in his sling). So how do you handle this? I am a firm believer that if you let babies pick up the food and try to eat it that they won't choke or overeat. If they can't physically get the food in their mouth then there is no risk right? I also don't want them feeding him things that I still feel are inappropriate for his age.

I don't want to cause a fight but I don't want to give a 5 min explanation of why we are doing things this way. They just won't get it and I again will be the "weird mom".

Any suggestions on how to quickly explain what we are doing without hurting feelings and causing a scene?

Thanks


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

Well, I'm in the same boat. DS just turned 5 months and we're having the countdown to 6 months. Everyone is so excited about feeding him. So I've been finding alternatives. They love to give him sips of water out of a glass. Or off a spoon. (DS is DESPERATE to eat.) Let them give him a mesh feeder with a breastmilk popsicle in it.

Really, I enjoy being the "weird" mom. It means that everyone asks before they do ANYTHING. I let everyone know that I will be upset if they don't, and will talk their ears off about why we do things the way we do.

I also find it helpful to talk as though they agree with you. You know "of course will be nursing long term, I mean with the WHO recommending until at least two, what else would we do?"

"It just doesn't make any sense to feed them, when we want them to gain more independence." That kind of thing.

HTH!


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## ssharon (Jan 19, 2008)

I don't have any good suggestions because I usually just say this is the way we are doing things. I also feel that this is my child, not theirs so what I say goes. I do a lot of research so I often back up what I say with what I know from my research. That could be a way to address it--explain that you are relying on a resource that says to do it this way. Or blame it on your ped--say this is what they have recommended and you feel very confident in them.

Good luck. Those outside influences can be tough to deal with.

Is this your first baby? Believe me, it usually gets better after the first. They back off because 1) they know this is the way it is now (people learn eventually) and 2) they figure the 1st one is doing ok so you must know what you are doing. I don't know if that is what they really are thinking, but it appears to be.


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## ssharon (Jan 19, 2008)

When did you all start cottage cheese, yogurt or egg yolks? I know the traditional resources say they can have these before a year, but closer to a year and she is only 6 mo.


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

To combat the in-laws and my parents from feeding DD unwanted foods we have stressed that we are taking solids slowly, and that she is to only eat foods that we supply for her, we also plan on extending that rule to include only eating off our plates, when we get there - that way we know what she is getting. So far it has her, but my nephew (their 1 st grandchild) is only 5 months old and my sis has different rules - so I understnad helping them remember ours. My In-laws haven't tried to feed her yet, they have asked to feed her inappropriate foods (cookies) and they joke that one day she can have them but so far it's working out ok.

DD is 9.5 months old and we just gave yogurt for the first time last night, it's the first dairy she's had, we haven't done eggs yet just because I am confused about when we can start - seems like we could introduce yolks now, but then some say to wait until 1 yr.

Speaking of the yogurt, last night was the first time DD has ever been spoon fed in the traditional way, we have always loaded her spoons and handed them to her for her to eat off, it works for cereals we make, applesauce (although she preferes to eat that with her hands) and anything else that is more creamy/ mashed in texture. So last night we try the yogurt for the first time and I load the spoon and hold it out for her, waiting for her to take it and do whatever - but no she just leaned forward and opened her mouth and waited for me to spoon it in, so I started holding the spoons closer to her and she would lean over and eat of the spoon, while I held it. about 1.4 of the time she took the spoon and did it herself. I was very confused but she seemed happy enough, maybe frustrated that I wasn't catching on.

She does go to daycare where 6 other babies are spoon fed purees or their food for the most part (there are a few her age that get some finger foods) but Daycare never spoon feeds (they know it goes agains our wishes) and she rarely gets spoonable foods there) Did DD learn this from watching the other babies? I told her I have no problem holding the spoon but I still waited for her to want the food (does that make sense?)


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## tankgirl73 (Jun 10, 2007)

DD has never been to daycare or 'hung out' with other babies eating, so she hasn't picked up any habits from other babies.

She also sometimes eats off our spooning rather than taking it herself. I think it's all just part of the 'experimentation' that they are doing. Trying out different ways of doing things. Like sometimes she has only wanted her food 'whole' for her to pick up and bite pieces off, and other times she only wants it already cut up into bite-sized pieces.

I know when DH gives her yogurt, he spoon-feeds the first few bites just to "make sure SOME of it gets into her" then lets her go at the rest on her own lol... He's not really concerned about her getting solid food into her, lest it sound that way -- it does seem to help 'jump start' her, rather than just playing with it the whole time it seems to help her realize "oh this is FOOD" and she'll eat more on her own...

Less and less so now that she's older, of course, this was more when she was about your DD's age.

Anyway, I wouldn't be too concerned about your DD leaning out to eat off the spoon... DD has done this for months, but still ate with her own spoon much of the time too. And now she eats with the spoon herself -- scooping and controlling the whole thing, rather than us pre-filling it for her. And she even eats with a FORK too, which is way cool.

Eggs -- I know there's different advice out there, but we gave DD eggs (whole eggs) quite early. She had no reaction and enjoys them a lot. Scrambled and omelets are her favourites.


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## babyluvr (Mar 21, 2004)

we have introduced some dairy recently...maybe starting around 9months, and egg yolks around the same time. now at 10.5 months he eats things with egg in it sometimes (like muffins) but not much.

i have also recently offered ds some food on my spoon and he has eaten it as if he was always spoon fed too! he doesn't have much interest in self spoon feeding, textures are much to fun to miss out by using a spoon.


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## Maela (Apr 2, 2006)

I have had the same problem/worries with in-laws. So far they haven't actually given her anything because I always say no when they ask.
Yesterday I made a point of saying "So far she's only had good nutritious whole foods like avocados, squash, bananas, ...and we're hoping to continue that for a long time." in front of my MIL. Hopefully she'll want to be a part of that healthy eating. However I have seen them give my nephew (1yo) cheetos and cookies behind his moms back, so...







:


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## tankgirl73 (Jun 10, 2007)

(ignore)


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## Tizzi (Jan 13, 2008)

My DD is almost 9 months, and is showing no interest whatsoever in eating solids. We've been offering various purees and finger foods, both fruit and veg, and she hasn't eaten a bite so far. I've also made up some baby rice with EBM, so that she could explore texture without the food tasting unfamiliar, and she hated that too.

She explores the food we offer - I always offer part of it as a puree and part as finger food, so that she can both squidge the food around and also pick it up. She'll put it to her mouth, but as soon as it touches her lips and she gets a hint of the flavour, she's pretty revolted, _really_ gags and drops the food. She's never, ever put any food of any sort _into_ her mouth, only up to her lips.

She's meeting all her developmental milestones, she mouths her toys, has 4 teeth (but isn't teething at present), and is interested in watching us eat. She's exclusively BF, and is gaining weight beautifully. She's really active, inquisitive and is great fun.

But, and here's where I'd love some support from other mamas, I'm getting no end of grief from family, friends and health professionals about how she _should_ be eating by now, and how we'll 'miss the window of opportunity' and she'll have an eating disorder, and how I should '_make_ her eat so she sees what she's missing'. I can't even leave her with my mother, as she's desperate to get DD to eat and is convinced that she'll succeed where I've failed, and I'm worried she'll 'make her eat' against her will.

I'm keeping it low key at the moment. I refuse to 'force' her to eat, and am just viewing it as a time of exploration for her. I don't want to make eating an issue, and she's thriving on breast milk. But I can't go anywhere or see anyone now without being made to feel like a failure or a freak. And it's knocking my confidence a bit.

_Please_ tell me I'm not permanently damaging my daughter by going at her pace, and that she _will_ eventually eat at some point!

Thank you very much!


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Not really appropos of anything, much less the current discussion, but Naked Baby just found the wraped up loaf of Rosemary Basil Olive Oil bread, pulled it off the table, opened it up, pulled out the loaf, and is alternately gnawing on it and picking little bits off to eat.







:


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

You are NOT damaging your daughter, and she WILL eat at some point!










9mo is not that old to still be exclusively breastfed. If she gets much over a year (like 18mo) and still isn't interested, or if she stops growing/developing, then I'd maybe consider getting an evaluation for sensory issues or something like that, but 9mo? No way! 9mo is totally in the realm of normal to not want solids yet. Yay you for respecting her pace!


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## Tizzi (Jan 13, 2008)

_Thank you!!!_ It's _so_ nice to hear a supportive response.









I've been feeling a bit low about it, especially as I went to the BF drop in clinic last week for a BF issue and ended up being lectured about the whole weaning 'issue' from _five_ different BF specialists, one after the other. I didn't even _mention_ weaning to them, _I_ wanted to discusss BF, but because DD's past 7 months and not weaning, that was all they wanted to talk to me about. So, that's when my confidence hit an all-time low.









I only want to do my best for my daughter, and I felt like I was doing the right things, until then. But if enough people tell you often enough that you're not doing the right things.... you know?







:


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

I agree with a past poster your LO will eat when they are ready.

I hear about the window of opportunity alot - not sure why since I have a voracious eater (think vacumn cleaner) but at daycare the teachers were discussing it (this was more in depth than just throwing the phrase out) It seemed to me from the coversation that the window of opportunity pertians more to introducing textures - if a baby eats only purees until xxx age then they seem put off by any textured food. I have no idea if this is true or not, and Iwonder if it would apply even more so to those babies that start getting spoon fed at earlier ages (2, 3 or 4 mo)

But I think when you follow BLW that 1 you are letting your child guide you (how can that be wrong) and 2 since we are giving more finger foods our children get different textures with each meal/ snack.

You will not give her an eating disorder, eating disorders are not about food, they are control issues - food is just something that is easy for an individual to control. I would think forcing/ coaxing a child to eat would lead to food issues or eating disorders more than letting them eat at their own pace.

It is so very hard when family and friends put the pressure on, but you are doing great things for your DD.


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## Bunnybee (Jan 16, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ubelle* 
It seemed to me from the conversation that the window of opportunity pertains more to introducing textures - if a baby eats only purees until xxx age then they seem put off by any textured food. I have no idea if this is true or not, and I wonder if it would apply even more so to those babies that start getting spoon fed at earlier ages (2, 3 or 4 mo)

In the case of my daughter it wasn't true! I didn't know about BLW with her and the pediatrician said we could start cereal at 6 months (real age) even though she was 10 weeks early! (In my gut I felt this was not right and waited til 6 month adjusted). Anyway, she ate a lot of pureed foods for a long time because she didn't get any teeth until 15 months and I was worried about her choking. But I did give her real food (what I ate) before the teeth just cut it up real small and she loved it. SHe never had an issue with texture and loves all food! Broccoli is one her favorites and she weighs 32 lbs at less than 2 years old! I think whatever you feel your baby is communicating to you and what you feel as a parent is the right thing to do!


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## CanidFL (Jul 30, 2007)

Thanks for the advice on the in laws. I think the next time we are there (in 2 weeks) and it comes up, I will say something along the lines of "we are really excited to get DS started with healthy eating habits so we are only giving him healthy foods like fruit and veggies and we are going to let him feed himself rather then put things in his mouth. That way he is not forced to eat more then he should and he will learn to trust his own appetite and know when he is full". How does that sound? It's an easy way to put it and if they argue then I can tell them how when I was little, I was forced to eat everything on my plate and now I have issues with overeating so I don't want to pass that on. If they still argue then I will just have to put my foot down and tell them this is the way it is and we are not discussing it anymore.

Tizzi - I think you are doing the right thing! Shame on those LC's for trying to get you to wean. My pediatrician said that 100% of your babies diet should come from breast milk in the first year&#8230;the foods are just for fun at that point. Keep doing what you are doing and be proud for being so in touch with your LO.


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## Maela (Apr 2, 2006)

Last night we were at the inlaws for dinner, and my MIL told me she had a treat for Dd if I would let her have it. I was ready to politely say "no she can't have that..." but she pulled out a whole organic carrot for Dd to gnaw on! It was so sweet. At dinner, Dd had a raw peeled carrot in one hand and a raw peeled zucchini in the other hand. She loved it.


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bunnybee* 
In the case of my daughter it wasn't true! I didn't know about BLW with her and the pediatrician said we could start cereal at 6 months (real age) even though she was 10 weeks early! (In my gut I felt this was not right and waited til 6 month adjusted). Anyway, she ate a lot of pureed foods for a long time because she didn't get any teeth until 15 months and I was worried about her choking. But I did give her real food (what I ate) before the teeth just cut it up real small and she loved it. SHe never had an issue with texture and loves all food! Broccoli is one her favorites and she weighs 32 lbs at less than 2 years old! I think whatever you feel your baby is communicating to you and what you feel as a parent is the right thing to do!

It sounds like your DD did get textures though, the food chopped up very small is different than a smooth puree - I have a friend whose son started puree's at about 4 months and was spoon fed purees until we was 1.5 and he had a hard time eating anything that wasn't pureed smooth - he still isn't a great eater - but I also know that ever baby is different and I still don't know if there is any truth behind the window of opportunity thing.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CanidFL* 
Thanks for the advice on the in laws. I think the next time we are there (in 2 weeks) and it comes up, I will say something along the lines of "we are really excited to get DS started with healthy eating habits so we are only giving him healthy foods like fruit and veggies and we are going to let him feed himself rather then put things in his mouth. That way he is not forced to eat more then he should and he will learn to trust his own appetite and know when he is full". How does that sound? It's an easy way to put it and if they argue then I can tell them how when I was little, I was forced to eat everything on my plate and now I have issues with overeating so I don't want to pass that on. If they still argue then I will just have to put my foot down and tell them this is the way it is and we are not discussing it anymore.

Tizzi - I think you are doing the right thing! Shame on those LC's for trying to get you to wean. My pediatrician said that 100% of your babies diet should come from breast milk in the first year&#8230;the foods are just for fun at that point. Keep doing what you are doing and be proud for being so in touch with your LO.

I love that explination of BLW - I need to memorize it, it is so straight forward and covers everything. My brain always goes all funny when I try to explain what and why and I sound like an idiot, but I get all panicky because people look at me like I'm crazy for letting my baby feed herself.


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## Tizzi (Jan 13, 2008)

Thank you again for the info and support. I _sooooo_ needed to hear it.







We've not offered solids today, as my daughter is not feeling 100% and I don't want food to be negatively associated with feeling unwell.

It was really interesting to read the discussion about texture and aversion, too, btw.

CanidFL - I really like your description of BLW. Says it all without being too involved or sounding like an apology for your parenting choices.







I think it's one I'll store up and use when my DD starts eating!

Thank you all again. You've made this mama feel a lot happier!


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## SeekingJoy (Apr 30, 2007)

Hi Mamas! DD is 6 months old and showing all the signs of readiness (sitting alone, grabbing my food, lost gag reflex, etc).







:

Now what?







I followed the mainstream "wisdom" of cereal and pureed jar food with DS at 4 months, and am really looking for a better way. But this thread is so long, I can't seem to find what to do now for DD. Cereal? Our veggies chopped up? I smushed banana with a fork for her and she really seemed to enjoy that this morning.


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## zora (Dec 24, 2002)

Hello,
my son will be 11 months old this week. He wants to use utensils; does anyone have any recommendations of some kid friendly utensils w/o BDA?
Thanks in advance,
Zora


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## brandnewmommy (Sep 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CanidFL* 
Thanks for the advice on the in laws. I think the next time we are there (in 2 weeks) and it comes up, I will say something along the lines of "we are really excited to get DS started with healthy eating habits so we are only giving him healthy foods like fruit and veggies and we are going to let him feed himself rather then put things in his mouth. That way he is not forced to eat more then he should and he will learn to trust his own appetite and know when he is full".

Wow! That's a great explanation. I need to write that down and read it until it's memorized. I tend to sputter and stammer when trying to explain BLW. I don't do it justice at all. I end up looking like an idiot who doesn't know what the hell I'm doing.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SeekingJoy* 
Hi Mamas! DD is 6 months old and showing all the signs of readiness (sitting alone, grabbing my food, lost gag reflex, etc).







:

Now what?







I followed the mainstream "wisdom" of cereal and pureed jar food with DS at 4 months, and am really looking for a better way. But this thread is so long, I can't seem to find what to do now for DD. Cereal? Our veggies chopped up? I smushed banana with a fork for her and she really seemed to enjoy that this morning.

There's some great starter sites out there. My blog has a list of them.

Feeding Boo

Quote:


Originally Posted by *zora* 
Hello,
my son will be 11 months old this week. He wants to use utensils; does anyone have any recommendations of some kid friendly utensils w/o BDA?
Thanks in advance,
Zora

Forgive my ignorance. What's BDA? Is this another stupid toxin that I have to worry about now?


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Metal baby and child utensils

Naked Baby also likes the bamboo set we picked up for him. It's just an adult size set (he gets the fork and the spoon







).


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## kdtmom2be (Aug 26, 2006)

We also use metal utensils, but they are vintage







from when I was a babe, my mom kept them. We also have a metal plate.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *brandnewmommy* 
I'm interested to hear others thoughts on oatmeal. I'd like to try to make some sort of breakfast bar or something out of it.

We make our oatmeal with water (this comment is specifically for Amy, no milk needed) and I tend to mix in a mashed banana and some molasses. I make it thick enough that DD can wave her spoon around and it won't fly off. I load it up for her (she's 9 months) and she puts the spoon in her mouth. If it were a little bit thicker I would probably just put a dollop on her plate. As it is she often holds the spoon and picks bits off with her other hand and eats it that way.







:

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ssharon* 
What kind of rice cakes (brand?)? What age was he when you tried cantaloupe--my "guidelines" mention waiting on melon until older (closer to a year). Any thoughts on that? Also how did you (or anyone) do green beans? Did you buy fresh or frozen? How soft did you get them? I would definitely be worried about the choking with green beans. The only thing I thought of was the canned green beans which are often thicker and really soft--I just don't like the thought of giving her canned food.

DD has been eating cantaloupe for a few months. The worry with melons is that they can harbour salmonella.
Green beans we do fresh/steamed. I tend to cook them a bit longer for DD so they are extra soft and she picks them up and eats them. She really enjoys them and will shovel them in as fast as she can.
We gave her frozen corn niblets, steamed, the other day, and she happily picked them up one by one and mushed them up. Same with peas.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ssharon* 
She has been breaking out a little on her face ever since I started solids. It has been really cold here so I am not sure if it has to do with the weather and her little exposure to it or if it is a reaction to one of the foods. Has anyone ever experienced this?

Absolutely, DD has that reaction whenever she has dairy. Sometimes it takes 2-3 days for the rash to show up, but I am certain that it is the dairy.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Just wanted to update here.... DD (now 8 months) is embracing lots of new foods. We just got back from an out of town trip with my mom and a bunch of her friends, and they were all amazed at all the "real food" she eats, and thought it was very cool that she doesn't do "baby food."
She's a big spice girl - her favorite things tend to be beans (lentils, black beans, etc) with lots of garlic, onions, and other spices, and she loves red-pepper hummus and spicy guacamole. She also seems to love anything with grains. I originally thought we'd wait longer before giving her wheat, but I'm not super concerned with allergies, and she seemed so excited about little things like O's cereal. She loves O's (we get Organic Joe's O's), wheat toast, and rice cake (*ssharon*, I think you asked about the rice cake - we get them from Whole Food's. I think they're actually Quaker Oats brand, but they're no salt, organic, from brown rice).
And her latest obsession: grapes. I cut them up, since she still doesn't have teeth and grapes do seem like a choking hazard. Plus, she loves picking up tiny bits of things. But she LOVES them. I have to say, the more I feel comfortable giving DD just whatever we're eating, the more fun it is to watch her try new foods. I shared some of my turkey sandwich with her while we were waiting at the airport - she got some bread, some turkey, and some cheese, and literally just gnawed on my sandwich in between my bites. And I gave her bits of chicken and pork that I was having for dinner over the last week or two, though she still hasn't had tons of meat.
She still doesn't eat a ton quantity-wise, and I don't think the solids have affected her nursing yet, but she definitely loves exploring food!


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

A question... we let dd1 self feed when we introduced solids around 6 months and all went well. She is now almost 3yo and will eat ANYTHING (with the odd exception of cottage cheese) and she never had any problems in terms of self feeding. So I wasn't expecting anything funky with dd2...

But, dd2 is a little over 8mo now, she has 3 teeth, a fully functional pincer grip, sits perfectly well on her own (even pulls up and "stands"), and is thrilled with the idea of putting things in her mouth... but she WILL NOT eat. She seems to hate anything sweet (no bananas, apples, applesauce, oatmeal) but will nibble on savory solids now and then only to spit them out after they've been chomped into mush. Actually, she seems happier to eat mush. Since we've been traveling we did "spoon feed" a few times in hotel restaurants (out of consideration for the serving staff who probably wouldn't have enjoyed cleaning up dd2's excited splattering) and she loved it... she'd lunge at the spoon, mouth open, and gobble up whatever it happened to be (whatever I was eating, but mashed a bit to stay on the spoon...so a lot of chicken and rice).

Please tell me this is normal! I'm not about to start spoon feeding dd2, especially not after watching dd1 power through anything and everything she could get her hands on. But it's a little worrisome to me that dd2 seems to be dead set against solids. I'm perfectly fine letting her get the majority of her nutrition from breastmilk of course, but part of me is worried that she might have an underlying problem...

thanks all!


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## tankgirl73 (Jun 10, 2007)

Perfectly, perfectly, perfectly normal. And very, very common. Read back somewhat in this thread and you'll likely find several similar stories.

Remember that FOOD BEFORE ONE IS JUST FOR FUN. And even after one it's not absolutely essential for survival as long as they're still nursing. But anyway, the point is that with young babies, first foods are all about EXPLORATION and EXPERIMENTATION, not about NUTRITION or even INGESTION. Breastmilk SHOULD be a baby's primary source of nutrition until at least age one. It's like, 0-6mo, breastmilk only, 6-12mo, breastmilk, with some solids -- "some" can mean "almost none" or "quite a bit" or even "none at all".

She's enjoying putting foods in her mouth and mashing them up -- that's not "dead set against solids". There are many babies this age and even older that refuse to even put food in their mouths (and they're okay too!). She's doing EXACTLY what a BLW baby should do -- exploring this 'food' thing, enjoying different tastes and textures. But she's not 'eating', so she's not ingesting large quantities of less nutritious solids that take away from her intake of Perfect Mommy Milk!

One of the biggest arguments against standard spoon-feeding, IMO, is that even if baby enjoys it, they're getting more volume of their tummies taken up by lower-calorie, lower-fat, lower-nutrient solid food and thus reducing the amount of high-cal, high-fat, high-nutrient breastmilk they can take in. BLW solids has them actually ingesting MUCH less early on -- even if they're 'eating' a lot it's still usually much less actual quantity ingested than with purees.

My DD was a gourmand... she's now 14mo and has been eating just about everything for months now. She started herself just before 6mo, and it wasn't until she was 7.5 or 8mo that she started SWALLOWING. So I'm fairly confident that the NORMAL progression is a period of just exploring, followed by gradually increasing amounts of swallowing.

At first it's just a wee bit, then more and more. DD has even gone a full day (morning to bedtime) without asking to nurse, on a few occasions... she's just so happy eating our dinners!


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## chemer (Jun 15, 2006)

My baby just starting feeding herself this week! I'm so excited. We waited until she was 6 months old. So far this week she's had roast squash wedges, banana, mango and broccoli trees. Well, she's squished all of them around her tray and actually tried tasting the mango and broccoli. She seemed to love the mango and gave that a good sucking.

Ok, I'm subbing in now.


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

It's very unlikely but possible that there's an underlying sensory or allergy issue, but much, much, MUCH more likely just that your daughters are two different people! I'd just keep letting her mash and spit and explore for now.


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

thanks... dd2 really is a very different kiddo from dd1 but it always takes me by surprise just HOW different. DD1 is almost 3yo and still a happy nursling, and I'm totally on board with the idea that breastmilk is food/solids are fun. But after the gung ho way dd1 chowed down on anything she could reach it's a bit disconcerting how little interest dd2 has in the whole affair.

DD1 has eczema related to a wheat/dairy sensitivity so I'm being a lot more cautious with dd2 and so I guess I also worried that maybe my hesitation was rubbing off on her a bit? Ah well, she'll eat when she's ready to eat!


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## iris777888 (Apr 3, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *zora* 
Hello,
my son will be 11 months old this week. He wants to use utensils; does anyone have any recommendations of some kid friendly utensils w/o BDA?
Thanks in advance,
Zora

Our babe is just turning one next week, so similar in age. He was given one of these baby spoons for Christmas and just started using it. It's a great size for him. Here are some others I've been looking at: http://www.tinybirdsorganics.com/Wood-Baby-Spoon.html

Quote:

Also how did you (or anyone) do green beans?
Green beans are one of our DS's favorites and one of the first things he had. We either steam, boil, or microwave them. He has them often, because they're so easy. He did not at all like the canned version served at a relatives, I think because they were salted (and a much different color!).


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## tankgirl73 (Jun 10, 2007)

wombatclay -- I can relate to just the SHOCK of differences between siblings even when you "know" it's all normal... DS was a 'precocious' talker, and DD is 14mo and doesn't even say "mama" yet. DS was born with a full head of hair, DD still has just fuzz. It's just so WEIRD to me lol...

Then on to: Non-plastic kid's cutlery! We have the Oneida stainless steel baby utensils:
http://www.oneida.com/index.cfm/fuse...f-93fa43072610

We also have some Playtex ones that have plastic handles but metal ends.

And I've just ordered some bamboo ones:
http://www.greenfeet.com/bambudesc.a...=&WT.svl=image

(Along with a whole bunch more bamboo products lol...)

EDITED to add a couple cute pics of DD using the Oneida cutlery:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lovecat...7600330803313/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lovecat...7600330803313/


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## Bunnybee (Jan 16, 2007)

How do the wooden utensils hold up (with washing, retaining food odors etc)?
Also, to Tankgirl, we have Bunnykins dishes too!


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## tankgirl73 (Jun 10, 2007)

The bamboo is SUPPOSED to be great for that, though these particular ones I've ordered are handwash only. I'm looking forward to testing them.









I'm sure it's not much different than any other wooden utensil, like spoons, salad serving forks, bowls, etc. Require SOME special care but hold up really well.

And yes, we love the bunnikins! I still have MY old bunnikins cereal bowl! I can honestly remember working to deliberately finish my oatmeal so I could see the bunnies at the bottom of the bowl... We got those dishes for DD as a Christmas present, a complete surprise, and I *bawled*. My only disappointment is that they're the melamine ones (plastic) and not the nice ceramic. Oh well...


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## wildflower18 (Jul 22, 2007)

Happy to be directed to this thread!







DS (5 mo) is just starting to show interest in food. He even stole a piece of lettuce from my plate yesterday and started sucking on it! I had planned to wait until he was 6 mo to start solids, but want to follow his lead as well. Not sure if he's showing all the readiness signs as he can't sit by himself yet...well not for more than a few seconds without falling over. Anyway...I'm happy to find this thread and be able to read up on things before we truly get started! I've only read a bit of the previous posts, but is feeding purees a bad thing to do? Does not pureeing the food make preperation easier?

CanidFL - My brother would sit at the table for hours by himself because his plate wasn't empty yet and now is very particular about foods. Until he recently had health issues, he didn't eat any fruits and very few veggies. My mother feels awful and if she had it to do over again wouldn't have pushed the issue.


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

I don't think purees are exactly _bad_, but I think it does nothing to help children learn about real food, its texture, how do eat it, how to move it around in their mouth, etc. And yes, not pureeing makes things LOTS easier. Food "prep" around here is looking at my plate and thinking "what would Naked Baby like out of this?" In the beginning, when he was just doing fruits and vegetables, we'd plan our meals a bit more with him in mind, making sure we had a veggie like brocolli or green bean, or we'd do sweet potato "fries" instead of baked sweet potato, or I'd order the plate that came with black beans, but that was it. And now he eats basically everything we do, I don't even really think about it anymore, just offer him pieces of whatever we're having.

So yes, much easier.


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## Bunnybee (Jan 16, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *tankgirl73* 
The bamboo is SUPPOSED to be great for that, though these particular ones I've ordered are handwash only. I'm looking forward to testing them.









I'm sure it's not much different than any other wooden utensil, like spoons, salad serving forks, bowls, etc. Require SOME special care but hold up really well.

And yes, we love the bunnikins! I still have MY old bunnikins cereal bowl! I can honestly remember working to deliberately finish my oatmeal so I could see the bunnies at the bottom of the bowl... We got those dishes for DD as a Christmas present, a complete surprise, and I *bawled*. My only disappointment is that they're the melamine ones (plastic) and not the nice ceramic. Oh well...

Oh, the handwashing is fine, we don't have a dishwasher! Those sound cool. That is awesome you have your own Bunnikins! Ours were a Christmas gift to DD too (last year), hers are the ceramics ones, which I worried about at first but they are still unbroken after more than a year!


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## Queen of my Castle (Nov 11, 2005)

I'm curious as to the recommendations for introducing solids to formula-fed babies, although obviously that's a whole other forum. But how does this baby-led weaning type of diet fit into a ff babie's eating routine? What about cereal and such?
I'm wondering for advice to give to people I know who ff. (I'm still nursing!







and dd is a voracious self-fed eater!)


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Baby-led solids and formula/bottle feeding can definitely be compatable. Especially if the baby has been bottle-nursed and fed on cue, but even if not, baby led solids are a perfectly appropriate method of feeding.


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## Ashersmum (Nov 12, 2006)

I'm doing BLW with my 7 m/o. He LOVES food and practically does back flips trying to get a bite if anybody is eating around him. He has eaten a wide range of foods already and has accepted all of them with eagerness. The only worry I have is that he seems to shove too much food in at once and has seriously gagged a couple of times. I am nervous to give him anything too long/big now because I'm worried that he will choke. So I have started to cut things up in little pieces and put those on his tray. His pincer grasp is getting there and he'll get the occasional piece in but I help him along by popping the odd piece in his mouth. Is that cheating?







. Any suggestions about the size of the food I should be giving him?


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

I wouldn't worry about the gagging AT ALL. It's just gagging; it's a normal, beneficial, protective reflex, and is good practice for getting food out of their mouth they don't want there.

I'd give him either big chunks or little pieces, until his motor skills and eating skills mature.


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## Queen of my Castle (Nov 11, 2005)

Thanks Arwyn!


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## ssharon (Jan 19, 2008)

When did everyone start beans, cheese, egg whites & yolks? I know typically you don't really have to "wait" with BLW with any food, but I try to be careful still. My daughter is almot 7 mo and I would like to start beans. My schedule I relied on with my son before I did BLW says to wait on beans to closer to a year (same with cheese and egg whites).


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Beans was pretty early, right when he was just starting to develop a pincher grip - still a favorite!

Cheese and other cultured dairy we started, oh, a month or two after he'd started eating? But we don't, like, give him CHEESE - it's just in things he gets (like chicken quesadilla). Same with eggs.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

We're still somewhat careful - I haven't given DD egg whites yet, for instance, or uncultured dairy, or nuts. But we've been giving her beans for about a month now, and she loves them. As Arwyn said, they're great for practicing the pincer grasp. And DD loves them (she likes anything a bit on the spicy side). We've done black beans and lentils mostly, usually with rice - I just make a dish for DH and me, with the same kind of seasoning/spices I'd use for us, and then she gets some too.

I have given her hard-boiled egg yolk once or twice. And now she's getting to a point where if I were eating eggs around her I might give her some as well, though I don't think I'd go out of my way to make them for her. I've given her bits of cheese too, and the other day she had a few cheese-coated noodles from my homemade mac n' cheese.
As a caveat, I'm not as concerned as some parents might be since we don't have any allergies in our family, and DD has never shown any signs of sensitivities to anything.


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## sanguine_speed (May 25, 2005)

You have to check out Oscar's broccoli face! He tried it for the first time last night:
http://mercurysunrise.ath.cx/

He actually did end up liking it, but I think was surprised by its taste and/or texture.

Also loves green beans!


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## amelhu (Feb 19, 2008)

I'm weaning my dd who will be one this week!! Right now, my boobs are killin' me...I'll be going home to nurse soon.........


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *amelhu* 
I'm weaning my dd who will be one this week!! Right now, my boobs are killin' me...I'll be going home to nurse soon.........

actually, the title of this thread can be misleading for those of us with a US definition of weaning - it's not about weaning off breast milk, just about introducing solids in a different kind of way (letting babies self-feed soft chunks rather than spoon-feeding purees, etc). It's sometimes called baby-led weaning I think because a lot has taken place in Britain, where the term weaning is used more generally to mean introducing anything other than breast milk. (And it's baby-led because it's letting the baby take the lead, follow his/her own interest, explore food more for taste and texture than nutrition at first, etc).

Sanguine_speed, love the photo! DD had a similar broccoli face the first time we gave it to her (and she generally likes it too). Her most hysterical, "what kind of disgusting poison did you give me to try?!?" face was reserved for apple sauce....


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp* 
Sanguine_speed, love the photo! DD had a similar broccoli face the first time we gave it to her (and she generally likes it too). Her most hysterical, "what kind of disgusting poison did you give me to try?!?" face was reserved for apple sauce....

I loved those photos too, and while DD has never made that face for broccoli, she made Eww whats this face for yogurt, but the funniest part is she was very eager to eat it (still is) but she still makes the face - I think she learned it was funny, I couldn't help it I laughed so hard, especially when she would eagerly go back for more.

I love watching my LO explore new foods and I love watching her preference for food - yesterday I gave her some pear (she was just getting over a tummy virus and we were heading back in slowly after 4 days of just nursing) she wouldn't eat it, love playing with it and feeding me







: but was not impressed - so out came some avacado, she devoured it!! But a stray piece of pear made it in her mouth and out came the sour face - she was more careful about what she ate after that.









Anyone else notice prefrences from your LO - how do you handle it do you play short order cook? It's hard when they are still non-verbal, I think I will have to learn the signs for her favorite foods.


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## CanidFL (Jul 30, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wildflower18* 
CanidFL - My brother would sit at the table for hours by himself because his plate wasn't empty yet and now is very particular about foods. Until he recently had health issues, he didn't eat any fruits and very few veggies. My mother feels awful and if she had it to do over again wouldn't have pushed the issue.

Omg that is so my mom!! And me being the stubborn girl I am went very hungry for a long time. My mom would actually wrap the dinner up and put it in front of me the next night. I wasn't allowed to leave the table till it was gone. This could go on for a few days and I would just refuse to eat till it went bad. I am 100% positive that I have bad eating habits caused by my mom.

So DS grabbed a pickle off my plate on Saturday and was gumming it! He didn't swallow anything but it was his first real food. Since then, I have given him a piece of banana and broccoli.

We also gave him some puree in a little dish that he slopped around his high chair then licked off but his face was just horrible. He didn't like it and I don't think I will offer it again since it was more of DH's thing. I don't really like purees myself and think blended food is gross but DH really wanted to try it.

This is so fun! I know DS is only 5.5 months but he isn't swallowing the food and seems really eager to play with it so I let him.

Sanguine - that pic is adorable!! I love it.


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

Quote:

My mom would actually wrap the dinner up and put it in front of me the next night. I wasn't allowed to leave the table till it was gone. This could go on for a few days and I would just refuse to eat till it went bad.








Me too... only the rejected food was served for every meal until it was eaten or rotten. There are foods I STILL wont eat as a result.

It's the reason I stumbled into letting dd1 self feed. I just couldn't stand the thought of imposing my own food issues on my dd. I figured I'd let her pick and choose and remove the stress from both of us.

And in other news, dd2 suddenly decided that swallowing was "ok".







She ate a bowl of curry rice one grain at a time the other day.


__
https://flic.kr/p/2277722075


__
https://flic.kr/p/2277718457

(and no, I usually don't dress her head to toe in pink! We got a huge bucket of hand-me-down items that are all pink and, well...







)


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## CanidFL (Jul 30, 2007)

I thought I would share my pictures I just got off the camera. This is the first "high chair" meal with DS. He didn't actually eat anything but put it in his mouth then spit it out. It was cute and he had a lot of fun.

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...rah/solid1.jpg

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...rah/solid2.jpg

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...rah/solid3.jpg

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...rah/solid4.jpg


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sanguine_speed* 
You have to check out Oscar's broccoli face! He tried it for the first time last night:
http://mercurysunrise.ath.cx/

He actually did end up liking it, but I think was surprised by its taste and/or texture.

Also loves green beans!

Just thought I'd add Willa's yogurt face to the repertoire of "yuck" faces on here...








Along with her "mmmm... I love green beans and hummus" face


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## SleepyMamaBear (Jun 5, 2005)

there are pics of Niamh eating frozen blueberries on my blog. link in my name


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## CanidFL (Jul 30, 2007)

So yesterday I gave DS my apple core to chew on after I was done with it. I was watching him very closely and he seemed to just chew and suck but not really bite anything off. After about 10 min he got bored and started crying so I picked him up and nursed. Once he was done he started gagging and thrusting his tongue forward. I saw a huge piece of apple skin on the back of his tongue. I tried to get it out with my finger and think I made it worse because then he really started gagging







Eventually after a min or so he spit up a bit and it came out.

Is this normal? Should I be more careful with what I gave DS? What do you moms do if they start choking?

I am a little nervous now with self feeding.


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## puddle (Aug 30, 2007)

My daughter HATES touching anything that feels wet, mushy or sticky. She gets a look of utter disgust just from touching it and it usually doesn't go near her mouth. Does anyone have any suggestions for foods that feel mostly dry? I made her some little banana pancakes and she did best with those so far. She also loves paper and dried leaves.









Also, we're being kind of cautious with new foods since DH is allergic to so much, but his only somewhat serious allergy is uncultured dairy. I also have a few very mild food allergies.

Whenever dd does actually try to eat, she still gags and throws up, and the few bits that manage to stay down come out undigested. This keeps me from offering as much as I probably should...


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Naked Baby LOVES apple cores. Loves apple, period.

What is important to remember is *gagging is normal, beneficial, and protective*. If baby is gagging, just watch them. Odds are _extremely_ good they'll work it out on their own, and that trying to help by sticking your fingers in there will only make things more likely to go wrong (hey, just like birth!







).

Having food in their mouths even after nursing is pretty normal, although other than tiny pieces I don't think NB has ever done it, but I've heard from lots of moms whose babies do. If they don't want it in there, they'll thrust it out, or gag it up if it's too far back.

The first time Naked Baby had meat, it was at Thanksgiving, not too long after he started experimenting with solids. He absolutely INSISTED I give him my turkey thigh bone. There was still some meat on it, which he loved sucking on. He eventually got a pretty big piece off, and he decided he didn't want it, and it was too far back in his mouth, so he spent about 30 seconds gagging it out. It was a pretty big piece, so it was some pretty impressive gagging. A small part of me was running around in circles in the back of my head yelling and screaming and imagining the worst, but I just sat and watched him, and he got it out eventually, and then went back to gnawing on his turkey bone. *Gagging is normal, beneficial, and protective.*. Scary, too. But normal.

As for whether you should do anything differently in the future about what you give him, that's entirely up to you and your comfort level. Can you watch him gag, calmly giving him the space he needs to work it out on his own? Or is it going to be way too stressful for you, or are you going to want to interfere?

There aren't right answers. I do believe it's best if we can let babies experiment with food and their bodies, including practicing gagging if they need to, but _there aren't right answers_. It's up to you, and your comfort level. You don't have to feel completely confident and calm, but it really helps if you can project that to your baby, to tell them you trust them. If you're not there, *that's fine*. You don't have to give them an apple core just to prove anything.

OK, now I'm just babbling. I hope some of that helped.


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## SleepyMamaBear (Jun 5, 2005)

gagging is good. that is NOT choking. choking is when there is something obstructing their ability to breathe. gagging is normal, and we wat our babies to gag, it keeps them from actually choking.
if Niamh gags on something, but it wont come forward, then i do a quick sweep with my pinky finger, but thats only been one time with broccoli.


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## SleepyMamaBear (Jun 5, 2005)

of course in the naking time it takes me to type up a few sentences Arwyn comes along and says it much more eloquently.







:


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## CanidFL (Jul 30, 2007)

Thank you so much wise mamas! This is all so new for me as a first time mom and I think I am just a worry wart. I can deal with the gagging now that I know it’s ok. I just thought maybe I was doing something wrong.


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

What do you do with an avacado? I've been stalking this thread for months...and we're feeding DS on Friday.

I don't eat avacado myself. I don't know how to prepare one. I bought one to cut up for DS. HELP! I need to peel it? And cut it into fry shapes? How do I know that it's ripe enough... I feel like a twit, but I didn't grow up eating many fruits and veggies.


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## tankgirl73 (Jun 10, 2007)

I've tried everything I can think of with an avocado and DD just doesn't like them. I don't like them either. DS doesn't like them, and DH -- the human garbage disposal -- doesn't like them either.

We really, really, really don't understand what's so great about avocados lol...

(I mean we understand they're HEALTHY, just don't understand how folks can actually LIKE them).

I should add that DD likes almost everything, but has never, ever liked avocado. Go figure. She'll take her spicy curried veggies over that glop any day!


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## veryerin (Jul 29, 2007)

Well, LO is showing all the readiness signs and turning 6 months, so we are going to have at it.

If they don't care for whatever we let her try, do you just move on to something else?

How strict is everyone with following the time tables on when to introduce what?

I have a third cousin with massive food allergies, but no one else in my extended family, or dh's. Is that close enough to consider DD at an elevated risk for allergies?

Thanks for the help mammas.

Twinklefae - We are feeding our DD on Friday too! I am excited, but fully expect her to smear sweet potato on her face and ingest nothing.


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

I think I"m extra anxious about the whole thing as DS has showed several signs of allergies to things in breast milk. The idea of letting him eat something himself is scary as I don't want him to be sick, or have a major allergic reaction. But at this point, I've held him off for a month, and he's dive bombing any food he can reach. He's going to end up eating something he's not meant to have if I don't start supplying things he can have.

I dont' mind if he doesn't like avacados, they were just a good place to start.


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## shutterbug711 (Sep 13, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Twinklefae* 
What do you do with an avacado? I've been stalking this thread for months...and we're feeding DS on Friday.

I don't eat avacado myself. I don't know how to prepare one. I bought one to cut up for DS. HELP! I need to peel it? And cut it into fry shapes? How do I know that it's ripe enough... I feel like a twit, but I didn't grow up eating many fruits and veggies.

search on youtube.com! A friend sent me the link to a video about this but I can't find it now. I don't eat Avacados either so I had no clue at all!


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

DH and I both LOVE avocados. DD likes them too, though honestly, when I gave them to her as a "first" food, it was hard for her to pick up the slippery pieces. I tried giving her some pieces with a bit of skin still left on, which sort of worked. And I gave her some in the mesh feeder, which worked really well, but was so messy and hard to clean later we never did it again. These days, if she eats avocado, it's usually via guacamole, which is how DH and I usually eat it (for those of you who have never had or don't think you like avocado, making guacamole with it is a good place to start... though I also love it on salads or plain with a bit of salt, if it's a good one).
As for how you know when it's ripe - it should be soft, not very firm, when you press down on it. But not so soft that it feels rotten or is all dark/black inside when you cut into it.

DD is eating with gusto these days, though she's still nursing tons too. We gave her egg yolk a few times last week, which she seemed to like, though it was so crumbly that she mostly ate it as it glommed to other stuff on her plate (black beans, bananas, etc). She still has no teeth, but I've started largely giving her whatever I'm eating, so long as it isn't super hard or have sugar or lots of salt in it. She got some of my toast dipped in over-easy egg yolk the other morning, and loved it, and she was a big fan of some homemade mac and cheese the other night.


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## luv (Mar 20, 2007)

I'm still in the process of reading this thread so I'm sorry if it's been mentioned before and I've not yet gotten there.

We've been giving DD small things to play with for about the past week now. Cucumber, avocado, mushrooms, snap peas and last night green beans. She's never seemed to do more than play with it. Well last night she managed to swallow a bit. She gagged very gently twice. I was expecting it so not a big deal. She really didn't seem to ingest much.

Well this morning she pooped two pieces of undigested green bean. That I didn't expect. I expected it to be .. well more 'processed'. Is this normal? Might she not yet be ready?

Tks.
-luv


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp* 
DH and I both LOVE avocados. DD likes them too, though honestly, when I gave them to her as a "first" food, it was hard for her to pick up the slippery pieces. I tried giving her some pieces with a bit of skin still left on, which sort of worked. And I gave her some in the mesh feeder, which worked really well, but was so messy and hard to clean later we never did it again. These days, if she eats avocado, it's usually via guacamole, which is how DH and I usually eat it (for those of you who have never had or don't think you like avocado, making guacamole with it is a good place to start... though I also love it on salads or plain with a bit of salt, if it's a good one).
As for how you know when it's ripe - it should be soft, not very firm, when you press down on it. But not so soft that it feels rotten or is all dark/black inside when you cut into it.


Thanks for the tips! What's your guacamole recipe? I like guacamole, but have only had it at restaurants.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *luv* 
Well this morning she pooped two pieces of undigested green bean. That I didn't expect. I expected it to be .. well more 'processed'. Is this normal? Might she not yet be ready?

Totally normal, I think. DD has had lots of beans (green and black) and peas lately, they all tend to come out more or less intact - at least recognizable - on the other end. Carrots too. And sometimes sweet potato. From what I hear, that happens for quite a while... As she's eating more and more, though, I have to say - whooey, those poops now stink! Makes me nostalgic for her breast-milk only poops.

As for guacamole, I just take a few ripe avocados, put them in a bowl with a bit of garlic, some chopped onion, and some fresh lime juice, and mash it all together with a fork. Then I add some cilantro (or not, if you don't like cilantro) and chopped tomato and season with salt. If I want it spicier I add some jalapeno. Couldn't be easier. Mmmmm.


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## tankgirl73 (Jun 10, 2007)

Totally normal. I think of it as being a sign... certainly not that they're "not ready" for BLW, since they're obviously very interested in TASTE and texture of food... but not ready for food to be a *source of nutrition*.

It reinforces for me, the slow-and-easy pace of BLW, whereby babies actually ingest *very little* for the first couple months, while their digestive systems are still getting primed for this new stuff. So it's not taking up space away from BM, where their nutrition actually DOES come from.

Babies fed purees, or anything like the 'normal' feeding schedule, get much MORE food at early ages, and it's JUST as undigested. You just can't tell because it's already pureed so when it comes out the other end (ahem) you can't distinguish it...

It's normal for babes well over a year old to still be having bits of things in their poos, some things are harder to digest than others. DD 14mo digests most things now and has real "adult"-style poos, she's eating like a maniac now and actually getting nutrition from it -- but I'll still see tomato skins in there lol...


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Twinklefae* 
What do you do with an avacado? I've been stalking this thread for months...and we're feeding DS on Friday.

I don't eat avacado myself. I don't know how to prepare one. I bought one to cut up for DS. HELP! I need to peel it? And cut it into fry shapes? How do I know that it's ripe enough... I feel like a twit, but I didn't grow up eating many fruits and veggies.

I cut the avacado in half (like you would a peach) and twist the halves apart, then you have one with the pit - you can stab the pit with the knife and pry it out fairly easily when the avacodo is ripe. Then when DD was little I would just scoop with a spoon the whole 1/2 out and let her eat - it was easier to handle for her that way - now at 10 months I dice or slice it so she can have different shapes to play with, I tend to slice or dice it while it's in the peel - just cut the flesh till you get to peel - then I scoop it all out with a spoon - it seems less messy that way

And as an update DD is still eating like crazy and nursing tons and she managed to lose a pound since decemeber - Luckily the dr. felt is was normal since she is moving tons and growing tall.









What foods does your LO get really excited about?

Last night DD was sqealing with delight and vibrating when I was bringing out her curried lentils and yougurt - she was so pleased to be getting dinner







: actually she was so excited she ate it all very quickly and I had to get her seconds


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ubelle* 
I cut the avacado in half (like you would a peach)

Notes to self... that's also how you cut up a peach. I really want DS to enjoy more foods than I did as a child. I was also from a "eat it or you can't leave the table" family.And I was stubborn!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ubelle* 
Then when DD was little I would just scoop with a spoon the whole 1/2 out and let her eat - it was easier to handle for her that way - now at 10 months I dice or slice it so she can have different shapes to play with, I tend to slice or dice it while it's in the peel - just cut the flesh till you get to peel - then I scoop it all out with a spoon - it seems less messy that way

This is such a good idea! Everyone keeps telling me how hard it was for their LO's to hold slippery avocado!

Thanks to all for all the help. I feel so much better now!


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## SparklingGemini (Jan 3, 2008)

Avocados~Mmmmmm! We LOVE avocados here. Yes, they are super slippery. I didn't like them as a child but they are so fabulously nutritious that I really want DD to adore them. In order for my DD to get some, we sort of smash it up on a corn tortilla or a piece of toast and she sucks it off. She really, really likes it that way. She also likes guacamole with a little salsa in it. I am not stopping her if she wants to try spicy foods. Just have some Mommy Milk ready if she doesn't like it!


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

You know I love avacodos know, but I can't remember eating them as a child, ever. I know we had them, I remember trying to get the pits to sprout with my dad we would have rows of avacado pits on the kitchen window in little vases of water (we both still do this) but I can't remember eating them.

DD LOVES







spicy and stongly flavored foods - I wonder if it's because thats what I ate pregnant and while nursing or just a personal preference for her. I find it interesting since there are so many baby feeding sources that warn against trying strong flavored foods too early - siting that most babies don't like strong flavors - yet you come here and so many babies are eating chili, curry, salsa etc.

DD will not eat refried beans yet - she gives us the weirdest look when we have them (ours aren't really refried but I digress) I think she worries about their visual appeal - yet she will eat other mushy odd looking foods - go figure.


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## sanguine_speed (May 25, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *luv* 
We've been giving DD small things to play with for about the past week now. Cucumber, avocado, mushrooms,
-luv

I'm not the 'first foods' police or anything but I remember being told to avoid nightshades early on (and I see you have a 6 month old?). Does anyone know more about this?


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## tankgirl73 (Jun 10, 2007)

Are any of those things nightshades?

Anyway, I've heard that too, but I don't know any research or real reason behind it. I could be wrong, but I just shelved it up there with the "don't give babies spicy foods" and of course "don't give babies anything but rice cereal and purees" advice heh...

I think there is some legitimate stuff about digestion and delaying grains. And of course most people take extra care with commonly allergenic foods like fish and eggs. But for the most part, we ignored ALL the advice about "when to give what foods" and let DD decide. I figured the whole point of BLW was to trust the baby's body and system to know what it needed and what it didn't. If she wanted to eat a particular food then she was probably not allergic and ready for it, KWIM?


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

Nightshades include:

Quote:

Tomatoes, white potatoes, red and green bell peppers, the "hot" peppers such as chili and paprika, as well as eggplant belong to the Nightshade Family, a botanical genus called Solanaceae species. This species also includes tobacco, poisonous belladonna, and the toxic plants herbane, mandrake, and jimson weeds.
Some people find that eating them can aggravate (or cause) eczema or joint problems like arthritis. So some nutritional paths avoid them altogether and some "baby food when" charts avoid them for the early days. If you have a family history of allergies it may be worth holding back on nightshades...

We do have a family history of allergies (sensitivities/eczema in dd1) so I'm a bit shy of the "they wont eat it if it's not good for them" position.







DD1 would eat her "top allergens" all day as a babe if we had let her, and many books on allergies suggest that people will actually crave the foods they are allergic to (since part of the body's reaction includes the release of "feel good" chemicals).

Anyway, if you don't have a family history and you're paying attention I'm sure there's no real harm. But there really are reasons for some of the food suggestions (but only some!







)


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## deadheadmomma (Feb 22, 2008)

I don't know if this has been asked before, as I haven't been able to read the whole thread. But what if what we eat is mostly fast food or out of a box/can. Should I just skip letting DS have it? He always wants what we are eating, and I have given him some pureed food. After finding this thread I have given him some banana and apple pieces he loved. Any suggestions on fast food/convenience food I can give my baby. I'm worried about all the salt and junk in it. But right now I just can't cook much and I really don't know how. I'd like to start learning ( I just became a SAHM) but won't be able to until DS is ok for more than 10 minutes out of my arms







. Thinking about maybe sticking to the occasional piece of fruit until I can start cooking, but he begs for our food so sweetly







.


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## luv (Mar 20, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sanguine_speed* 
I'm not the 'first foods' police or anything but I remember being told to avoid nightshades early on (and I see you have a 6 month old?). Does anyone know more about this?

Showing my ignorance here. What's a nightshade?

ETA - DOH just saw the def in the last post on the prev page.... But by that def any of the things I mentioned "Cucumber, avocado, mushrooms, snap peas and last night green beans." are not nightshades.

Am I missing something?


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## Mimi** (Oct 3, 2007)

Hello all,

I have been doing BLW for 1 month now and would like to introduce meat to ds (8 mos). How do you prepare it? DS doesn't like purees that much and I want to minimize purees as much as possible. Thanks.


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## tammyswanson (Feb 19, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *luv* 
Showing my ignorance here. What's a nightshade?

ETA - DOH just saw the def in the last post on the prev page.... But by that def any of the things I mentioned "Cucumber, avocado, mushrooms, snap peas and last night green beans." are not nightshades.

Am I missing something?

Plants in the nightshade family are potatoes and tomatoes. Not sure if eggplant are in there or not.


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## CanidFL (Jul 30, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *deadheadmomma* 
I don't know if this has been asked before, as I haven't been able to read the whole thread. But what if what we eat is mostly fast food or out of a box/can. Should I just skip letting DS have it? He always wants what we are eating, and I have given him some pureed food. After finding this thread I have given him some banana and apple pieces he loved. Any suggestions on fast food/convenience food I can give my baby. I'm worried about all the salt and junk in it. But right now I just can't cook much and I really don't know how. I'd like to start learning ( I just became a SAHM) but won't be able to until DS is ok for more than 10 minutes out of my arms







. Thinking about maybe sticking to the occasional piece of fruit until I can start cooking, but he begs for our food so sweetly







.

We eat a lot of prepackaged (frozen/boxed) foods because I work full time and DH is in charge of meals during the week. I don't get home till 6pm and want to spend time with DS so cooking for 30-60min to prepare something healthy just isn't a priority for me. I would say 2 out of 5 times, dinner is burnt or just not made because he said DS needed attention so we eat take out







: So...we don't feed DS these foods. We always have fruits or veggies in the house and he gets these. Right now foods are just for fun and he should be getting all the nutrition from me. Once DS is at the age where he needs to be eating healthy meals for nutrition then we will have to change our ways and cook healthy for all of us.


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## deadheadmomma (Feb 22, 2008)

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one facing this







. I feel so bad eating and not sharing with him. He stands, holding onto my legs and will "ask" for a bite. But I don't want to give him anything unhealthy. I will be strong and not give in to those sweet faces he makes when he wants what I'm having.







. Today we had Burger King and he was lunging after my burger, I'm sure he smells it







.


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## CanidFL (Jul 30, 2007)

So I just learned through a different thread that pickles aren't good for babies. Does anyone let their LO's chew on pickles? That was the first solid DS had. He just grabbed it off my plate and started chewing/sucking. I didn't think anything of it but now I feel like a bad mama









I just assumed baby lead weaning was all about letting them explore new things.

DS had cucumber and apple sauce (I made from apples and water) tonight. He loved it. I put the apple sauce on a spoon and he grabbed it and put it in his mouth. I was surprised he could actually do that but he did.







:


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## deadheadmomma (Feb 22, 2008)

We just let DS have an orange slice tonight







. The little bugger actually ate the end off of it, I thought he would just gum it LOL. He seemed to like it, but mostly I think he's happy not to be left out of what we are eating as that is what usually happens. He's starting to be very upset if we don't share and will go after our food. I was a little worried about the orange as it is citrus, but neither me or DH have any food allergies in our families so I'm not too worried.

I hadn't heard about pickles being bad and had been about to let him try it. Did your thread say why? Maybe the amount of salt used in the pickling process? I don't think you should feel like a bad momma, I'm sure one pickle won't hurt him







.


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## CanidFL (Jul 30, 2007)

Yes the salt is the issue. But&#8230;I have decided it's not a big deal. I mean it's not like he's eating pickles every day. He has had pickles 2 times now and I think it's fun for him to explore new tastes.

We haven't tried citrus with DS yet but that is mainly because I never buy oranges. Just not a big fan.


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## Bunnybee (Jan 16, 2007)

I don't know if I should post here or start a new thread, but should my baby be given water? Since we are doing BLW he really eats 99.99% breast milk b/c he is not so coordinated with his hands yet (but getting there)! He is 7.5 months old and never had a bottle or cup. So if he does need water should we go straight to sippy? Thx!


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## EviesMom (Nov 30, 2004)

I'm really interested in doing this with ds. He's only 4 1/2 months, so we haven't started yet, but he WATCHES everything I eat go to my mouth, and he demands to nurse whenever anyone else has food...

First I wanted to answer the question about prepared foods (I have an older dd who we spoon fed). The classic baby self-feeding food is cheerios. If you want to let him have what you're eating, that makes for an easy breakfast all around! (I've been known to do it for dinner too







). Other easy packaged food stuff for kids is frozen vegetables (although my almost 4 year old loooooooooves frozen peas still frozen; won't touch 'em cooked!), string cheese, and canned beans.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bunnybee* 
I don't know if I should post here or start a new thread, but should my baby be given water? Since we are doing BLW he really eats 99.99% breast milk b/c he is not so coordinated with his hands yet (but getting there)! He is 7.5 months old and never had a bottle or cup. So if he does need water should we go straight to sippy? Thx!

We've been offering DD water (out of a sippy or a regular glass/cup) since about 5.5 months. She loves it. Both DH and I drink a lot of water, so often she just wants some from our water bottles when she sees us drinking it. But I also offer it to her with solids, and she usually wants some - I think it just helps to have with food, and helps avoid constipation. She does take a bottle of EBM, but I've never given her water out of a bottle - figured there was no need.
With the sippy cup, she sometimes needs help tipping it up high enough to drink, but mostly I let her try it on her own, at least at first. With water out of our glass, I help her. I recently got her this table set, and she really likes the cup and can do it completely on her own. It's not a sippy cup, in that if it's held upside down, water pours out. But the little spout helps her not make such a huge mess, and she really likes being able to do it herself.
The water doesn't seem to be affecting the amount of BM she's drinking at all, and I figure drinking water is a good habit to develop...


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## Bunnybee (Jan 16, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *acp* 
We've been offering DD water (out of a sippy or a regular glass/cup) since about 5.5 months. She loves it. Both DH and I drink a lot of water, so often she just wants some from our water bottles when she sees us drinking it. But I also offer it to her with solids, and she usually wants some - I think it just helps to have with food, and helps avoid constipation.

Thanks acp! I was wondering if he needed for constipation. He hasn't pooped in a few days! My DD went through that once but at a younger age (maybe 4 months) but I thought it was normal for breast fed babies. Maybe we'll try some water. Also, that table set is really cute!


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

fast food/almost no cook food...

We're living in a house right now that doesn't have a kitchen (it's coming!). So I've been "cooking" everything with a microwave, a toaster oven, a crock pot, and an electric kettle. And keeping things cool in tupperware boxes buried in the snow outside. Since I don't like to cook under the best circumstances I totally hear you on having trouble making meals that are healthy for everyone but don't require any effort!

We do a lot of oatmeal with yogurt for breakfast, fruit and rice cakes for snack, and for dinner.... well, if you buy a bag of frozen veggies, dump them in a bowl with a little splash of water, pop a paper plate on top and microwave them for a few minutes you'll have steamed veggies ready to go. So far DD2 loves green beans, snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower, and water cress. And they all came out of freezer bags. Sure, not as good for her as garden fresh produce, but it means that no matter what we have for lunch or dinner there will be things on our plate that we can share with her.

Oh, and check your supermarket freezer section for low sodium microwave meals. We had a yummy rosemary chicken with cherry tomatoes the other day... it microwaved up in about 10 minutes and when I added some green beans and some brown rice (from the crock pot) we had a whole meal that was baby friendly.

In terms of drive through "cuisine"... well, you know it's not good for you either







But it does save the day at times. These days there are slightly "better" items on the menu though. Perhaps order a kiddie meal with the apple slices. Eat the burger and applesauce yourself and give your little one the apple slices. Or get a salad and give them a few of the crunchy veggies. Or order a grilled chicken sandwich and pull a few pieces of chicken from the center of the sandwich. At a sandwich place you can ask for a wrap and offer pieces of the veggies or lean meat fillings, and there are usually apples or other "healthy" sides that could be shared. A little pizza crust could be fun if you're doing wheat (assuming a normal pizza, not some sort of stuffed crust topped with who knows what). It takes a little more doing (and I admit to having a jar or two of Earth's best stashed in the car just in case we eat someplace totally inappropriate) but it's also a good way to improve the food being eaten by your whole family. I know that when I sit down and say "I wouldn't let my baby eat this" I start to wonder why I am eating it, you know?


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## puddle (Aug 30, 2007)

One fairly quick and easy food I've found that my texture-sensitive baby will actually touch is pasta. You can cook up a handful and then reheat a few noodles at a time over the next couple of days (or give them cold pasta if they aren't picky). You can also mix the noodles up with veggies for something that actually resembles a grown-up meal.









As far as water, I give her some in a sippy cup to play with every once in awhile. She loves the cold. We skipped bottles--I think I started letting her play with a sippy cup just after 6 months. We also help her take sips out of our water glasses since that's about all we ever drink. It's just for fun and practice. She's also really good at drinking bathwater from a bowl in the tub.


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## luv (Mar 20, 2007)

I've noticed the trend that when I give DD solids she seems more 'spitty uppy' the next two days. And the spit up is frothy (for lack of a better description). Is this normal? She seems fine in every other way.

-luv


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## Bunnybee (Jan 16, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *luv* 
I've noticed the trend that when I give DD solids she seems more 'spitty uppy' the next two days. And the spit up is frothy (for lack of a better description). Is this normal? She seems fine in every other way.

-luv

My DS is like that too! And WAY more gassy. And he eats very, very little solids! I hope it's not a food sensitivity!


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## babyluvr (Mar 21, 2004)

sounds like it could be either a food sensitivity or just not quite ready for solids thing. but if it doesn't affect baby's mood or bum (no diaper rash, redness) might just be digestive system adjusting.


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## luv (Mar 20, 2007)

So far it's been after pear and green bean. She didn't actually injest much of either. Tonight she got some banana (well she licked it for a while) we'll see what tomorrow brings!

-luv


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## wildflower18 (Jul 22, 2007)

Too funny...I just came on to check if water was appropriate to give as part of BLW...and the answer was already here! I had been reading a book that suggested to give a few Tablespoons of water when you start solids so to help with kidney function. Just a few tablespoons though so it wouldn't interfere with BM consumption.

So, I guess we've started solids. DS gummed his first banana yesterday. Haven't made it to the store for more foods he could eat yet, so we're on hold. I'd also like to get the high chair set up for ease of eating. So I have a few questions since I've not been able to read up on the thread. I'm assuming with BLW that you still follow the guidelines for solid food....start with bananas, avocado, sweet potatoes,...then move on to veggies? Which veggies are best to start with? How do you prepare them? DS had played with a green bean that he stuck in his mouth, but without teeth, I don't know how he'd eat it. Also, I'd assume you wouldn't introduce a new food for 3 days to check for an allergy? DS was really eyeing up my (the first time I'd noticed his intent gaze while I ate in front of him) PB toast, but I gave him a banana instead. Again, assuming that you wouldn't want to introduce a possible allergin as a first food.

Canid - I'm in a similar boat as you. I gave DS some orange peels to play with and he stuck them in his mouth (to my surprise) and started sucking on them. I didn't find out until later that you shouldn't introduce citrus fruits until after their 1 year old due to the acidity. Oh well, he really enjoyed the little bits of orange that were left on the peel.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wildflower18* 
DS had played with a green bean that he stuck in his mouth, but without teeth, I don't know how he'd eat it.

Still no teeth here (at 8 1/2 months), but DD is now a champion eater, of just about everything. Green beans are one of her favorites - though she mostly just sucks out the little "beans" inside.
My experience from visiting this forum and hearing of others' experience is that everyone does BLW a little differently, figures out their comfort level with allergens, baby eating what the family does, what foods to introduce first, etc.

So you might hear lots of different things from different folks. I don't think there's any "one" right answer. FWIW, we started DD with avocado (which was slippery for her to pick up), banana (same, when I gave it in little chunks - we had much better success with big pieces), broccoli (she didn't like it at first), and sweet potato/butternut squash (big hit from the beginning). But really, it took probably 5 or 6 weeks of doing BLW, not all that whole heartedly (For a long time, I only offered her solids every few days or so, no regularity at all), before I really felt like she was doing more than just tasting/experimenting with her food. Which was fine with me. I know that occasionally something would get ingested, because I'd see it in her diaper, but for the first good bit she was really just playing with her food. Somewhere around 7 months old she got really interested in tiny things, and I started giving her peas and O's cereal and more little things to pick up, and she also just started eating a lot more. Gradually, I realized I was giving her more varied food every day, and was less worried about allergens.
Now, at 8 1/2 months, she usually eats three times a day (no real schedule, but more or less when I do), and she eats just about everything. She loves toast, and rice cake with hummus, and anything on the spicy side (lentils in curry, black beans with cumin, garlic and onions, guacamole, etc), and O's cereal. She also likes egg, the butternut squash risotto I made the other night, most veggies, most (not all) fruits, chicken, yogurt, cheese - you get the idea. All without teeth.
She still hasn't had nuts or shellfish, but I'm sure even those would be fine - there just hasn't been a reason to give them to her.

But my main point is that this has been a really gradual process. I was never super careful about the "introduce one food every three days" sort of routine, but I was a lot more careful about potential allergens, and which foods, and all that, at the beginning. And for a long time, we didn't do much in the way of solids and I just let DD play with it since she was interested. It really has been baby-led in every way, and now it's fun to see how much she loves food. I don't even know that I was that conscious about doing a strictly "baby-led" thing - it's just how it happened... (and what's funny is that I remember totally stressing about solids before starting them, upset at the lack of resources, sure I'd do it all wrong, etc).

Good luck and have fun!


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

Well we've just started too. Last firday DS had an avocado and enjoyed it. Then he gagged and threw up. He's also since enjoyed a couple of baby rice crackers and pear slices. I'm avoiding major allergens, but not waiting in between foods.

Ds is enjoying eating finally! He is very upset if we're in the kitchen and he doesn't have any food. He still isn't really "eating" much, maybe a teaspoon at time but he's really enjoying it!

We had take out one night because I was tired, and we did open a jar of squah and let him self feed the puree. (I loaded the spoon and handed it to him) It made a horrific mess, but he enjoyed it.


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## xtara2003x (Sep 25, 2006)

I have a question on the amount of food my DD should be eating.

A little background......she is a tiny little petite thing. Her OLD pedi (we've since changed docs) actually was ALARMED by her weight because she's so "small". She's 11 months old today and weighs about 15lbs 13ozs (maybe slightly more, now) and is obviously BF.

She BF's a LOT during the day..and a LOT at night. Her new doc says she's doing just fine....and we did do an iron test and her hemoglobin was a 12 which is great.

We started feeding her foods around 10/10.5 months. She's had quite a few things now. My question is...do you "limit" how much food your child eats if they're just beginning to eat? She would probably eat almost an ENTIRE banana if I let her! I cut it into 1/4's and 1/2s and she just DEVOURS them (I'm honestly too afraid to give her the whole thing and see how much she eats. Choking is my worst fear...and i'm comfortable giving her chunks of food). She'd also eat a bajillion pieces of carrots and asparagus spears if I let her too. She's actually gotten MAD at me for putting food away.

Do you just keep giving the food until your child doesn't want it anymore or starts playing with it and you can actually tell they're finished eating? Is my DD really HUNGRY and really NEEDING the solids? Or is she acting this way because it's new and she likes food in general?

Since she's so tiny...I don't want to be "denying" her food. I want her to have whatever amount she wants....it's just that I also don't want her to get so full that it hurts.and I don't want her to have any pooping problems.

She LOVES avocado..and would probably eat the entire thing if I gave it to her. She also eats egg yolks..so she's getting the "higher fat" foods.....I'm still just not sure if I should limit or not? Help?


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Keep nursing, and maybe nurse before food opportunities, but as long as she doesn't look like she's going to drastically cut down on the milk she's also consuming, I'd let her eat as much as she likes.

Naked Baby will just keep eating beans as long as we'll give them to him (I think - I've never actually tried the experiment of sitting there until HE'S done instead of when we're done!), but we just make sure he has food, if he wants it, when we have food, and don't worry about how much he consumes. But he hasn't really started getting into EATING yet, which it sounds like your daughter has. So let her eat! (Do watch for signs of constipation, indigestion, etc) Just make sure she's nursing too, and maybe getting some supplemental water.


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

dd is 10 months old, and I used to limit her food - not intentionally to deprive her or anything I think it was fear that solids would interfere with breastfeeding and really how could some one so small put down so much food?









At her last well baby visit (about 2 weeks ago) DD had only gained 2 oz since her 6 month appointment and had lost a pound since a visit in Decemeber (1 month earlier) - I was shocked - luckily we have a great ped office they just laughed and said she was obviously fine meeting milestone etc.

DD can devour a whole banana fast than me - I am sure I could go that fast if I tried but wow and she eats 1/2 an avacodo in just a few minutes







: she seems to love food. I do worry about her eating so fast, but she hasn't choked yet and the gagging is down.

I finally about a month ago starting giving her more until she played with it - this was becuase I realized the whole point was to let DD limit her food in take and what she was eating -and I wasn't doing that by limiting the amount for her. We nurse before a solids meal and after - sometimes she requests nursing durring a meal - So I just make sure nursing is a priority and then solids.

We've also been doing signs with her so she can sign for milk (only for nursing), eat, more (she's really good at that) and all done (not always used, some times she just throws the food)

Also there have been a few times that I let her eat dinner at the kitchen counter while I prepare either dinner for DH and I or lunches for the next day and DD will request more food, but then play with it - and I am starting to wonder if she just wants to "help" me.


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## xtara2003x (Sep 25, 2006)

This morning, my DD had an ENTIRE avocado. I mean she seriously scarffed down the WHOLE thing. I actually asked DH how big her stomach was!! Lol! She was going so fast I had to slow her down a bit by only giving her one or two pieces at a time...but she kept signing for more and more and more and wanted more until the whole thing was gone! I nursed her before she ate, as well as after.

I, too, don't want her to replace any nursing sessions with solid foods yet. She still nurses all the time though, and it seems to me like she's growing a lot more all of a sudden....so part of me thinks it's because of the solid food? I don't know.

I think I'm just going to keep giving her food until she's obviously done by playing with it, etc. And I'll definitely watch for constipation issues. We've only had that twice...and both times were my fault because I gave her spoon fed stuff. I ended up giving her organic oatmeal and banana, and another time she got a jar full of homemade applesauce.

I'm not going to spoon feed her anymore...at least with those things....it's just that she kept telling me she wanted more and more and flipping out if I put it away that I kept giving her more. She also loves it when I put the food on a spoon and then give it to her to feed herself. She likes doing that a lot..but it just makes so much of a mess that I don't do that all the time.

I think I'll just stick to chunks of food that she can feed herself..and I'll just give her as much food as she wants until she's done.

*shrugs!*

I never knew this whole solid thing could be so difficult...lol!


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## User101 (Mar 3, 2002)

Could some of you mamas check out my thread in breastfeeding? We really do tend to stick with the baby-led weaning, but Daniel is seeming like he needs more. It's different than with my other three, so I"d just like some input. Danke!
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=857915


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## CanidFL (Jul 30, 2007)

We are not at the point where DS is eating yet but by the sounds of it....as long as your LO's are nursing before and after and in between the food then I would let them eat as much as they wanted.

Wild - I haven't tried citrus and I had no idea you were supposed to wait on that one either lol. I am not waiting the 3 days in between new foods. We don't have food allergies in our family and I'm not all that concerned about it. For veggies we have tried green beans, cucumber, brocoli, tomato, and celery. We steamed the green beans and brocoli. The cucumber we cut legthwise into 4 sections like french fries. The celery we just cut into 4" chunks so he could grab them. The tomato we sliced like you would have on a burger. He got all the foods into his mouth but no luck with actually eating.


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *annettemarie* 
Could some of you mamas check out my thread in breastfeeding? We really do tend to stick with the baby-led weaning, but Daniel is seeming like he needs more. It's different than with my other three, so I"d just like some input. Danke!
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=857915

I replied on that thread too, but you could try nursing before and after, even durring if your up to it, your DS's solids. I am always shocked at how much DD will take in durring a growth spurt adn she did have a 10 mo one.

She nurses at leat twice as much as usually and taking in double the usual solids - I am waiting for her to explode, but I've taken to giving her a variety of items and let her eat what she want till she's done (till she starts playing with it) and DD still wants to nurse immediatly after her solids too







:
I don't think DD is getting any great increase in nutrition from the solids though it just bulks up the poo.


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## User101 (Mar 3, 2002)

Thanks for the help, here and over in breastfeeding!

I discovered a new food Daniel loves today-- matzah!


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## Faliciagayle (Sep 9, 2007)

Hi Ladies! Long time lurker first time poster









I am so thankful for this thread, for the information on this board in general.
Baby is just about 6 months and has been making smacking noises and MmmMmm sounds when I eat (she's always in arms or on my lap). I put a bit of yam in front of her the other day and she went for it but I took it away before it got to the mouth. I'm not quite ready.... but soon. Very soon.

As an aside I was at a homeopathic drs appointment getting baby checked for allergies and he was talking about first foods. He mentioned peas being a wonderful start. I said "Won't she choke?" and he says "well, you puree them first." I just didn't have the heart to tell him. We are both sensitive to a ton of stuff so just whole organic veggies for baby to start.

After looking at the pictures of all the babies eating, I realized that I don't have a clue about high chairs.. *ACP* - what kind of chair do you have? I've never seen anything like that in the stores. Everything I see is covered in frills and fabric.


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Peas would be fine if she has a pincher grip (tiny peas), and on the chair front, we have one of these, and we love it. Very little plastic (very little material in general), and I like that he's in a normal chair and at the table like everyone else.


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## pokeymama (Nov 10, 2007)

OK, I might get a bit wordy here, but bear with me... I've been trying to read the back stuff but am only to page 7.

DS turned 6 months a couple weeks ago. I'd been planing to delay solids (have been telling grands at least 6 months) since he and I are allergy types - he has eczema and I've been on an elimination diet to find triggers. A chiro muscle tested us and said he and I were sensitive to dairy and wheat.

Well, DS has been reaching for our food for a while and DH and I decided to start solids soon...I was hoping when I got my ED figured out, but I was thinking DS might have other plans. Anyway, we went OOT this weekend (Houston) to see family and were eating at Steak and Ale Friday night. DS had his first high chair experience and loved it. Of course, he was grabbing at food, so we decided to give him some steamed broccoli. He attacked it, and he held on to it much longer than his toys, which he was throwing all over the place. My step-mom was amazed. Had some florets in diaper the next morning.

The next night (Saturday), although I wanted to wait since he is susceptible to allergies, we gave him some green beans - the only veg served at the restaurant we were at. Again, definite hold on the beans, he was fully aware they were in his hand and he would munch occasionally. Some pieces in diaper next morning.

Nothing on Monday, Tuesday night we gave him more broccoli, but not as interested as the other night. He also kept reaching for DH's (plain) ribeye - so we finally decided to give him a chip-sized strip







, but it did tear so we quickly took it away. He rubbed his eyes with greasy hands.







Then I fed him (BM), and he fell asleep in the car. When he woke up at home, his right eye was swollen practically shut. We decided to see what was going on in the morning. Right eye was a bit better, but other eye was pretty swollen as well. I think his whole face was a bit puffy.

We took him to a holistic FP (decided to ditch our pedi), who was thinking we rushed the solids. This guy works out of the birthing center I birthed at, so I expected him to be fairly crunchy. He thinks we rushed the solids, thinks that only cereal should be given now, then fruit about 7 or 8 months, then veggies. *I* think the little bit of homemade apple pie I ate (wheat in pie crust) caused it. Sure, it as a tiny amount, but I haven't had any wheat in at least a month.

The swelling got better, and we gave him broc the other night, and cantaloupe tonight.














Loved the cantaloupe!

What do you think of the doc's advice? Is the digestive system still too immature for BLW at 6 months, even though the food he is ingesting isn't being digested?

Sorry for the book!


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

If he's not ready for real food, he's not ready for any food. Cereal is a waste of time and money and space and resources and... Just skip it.

It might have been your pie, it might have been something from the ribeye (it might not even have been an allergic reaction, just an irritation), but it doesn't mean you should start spoon feeding him carb filler.

ACK, gotta run, more later.


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## chemer (Jun 15, 2006)

Quick question - at what age, or after how long of self-feeding solids, did your baby start swallowing things? E has been self-feeding for about a month (she's 7 mo) and puts everything in her mouth, but gets upset if she gets little pieces of food in there and spits them out. It's either food that breaks off (bits of steamed veg) or things like rice that bother her. Just wonder if this is normal and how long it takes them to progress.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Faliciagayle* 
After looking at the pictures of all the babies eating, I realized that I don't have a clue about high chairs.. *ACP* - what kind of chair do you have? I've never seen anything like that in the stores. Everything I see is covered in frills and fabric.

We have this one.
It is plastic, but the price is right, it takes up no space (we just keep it attached to a dining room chair and push it under the table when she's not using it), it's super easy to clean, and I love that it's so easy to take with us to a restaurant or friend's house if we need to.
There are some great wooden chairs out there that I'm sometimes envious of, but this one works well enough for us that I can't really justify the extra $$. It was actually a shower gift from a friend who had gotten it as a portable high chair for her LO and ended up using it as her full-time high chair and loved it.


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## iris777888 (Apr 3, 2007)

We have that same Fisher Price chair and love it!


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## Faliciagayle (Sep 9, 2007)

*Arwen & acp*: aren't those chairs hard to clean - I mean doesn't your regular chair get covered in goo?


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## digsmom (Jun 20, 2007)

I am so glad I propped open my eyelids to check out what you all had to say about introducing solids...My son is 101/2 mos and we started giving him homemade pureed veggies at about 9 months. Lots of gagging, a bit of spitting up and finally some big bites taken. Now, he seems to be on food-strike! He WILL NOT accept food from me and only a couple of bites from anyone else! He will walk (yes, WALK!!!) over to me and want to taste whatever I am eating, though. He has teeth, so I worry about chunks of food causing choking...I don't know... Definately going to research the self-feeding theory - it makes sense and may be exactly what is happening anyway. Thanks for this thread - I already feel less anxious.


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## Bunnybee (Jan 16, 2007)

DS ate his first broccoli today! He ate just the top and stopped when he got to the stalk! He didn't choke or gag once! I do have to admit I had some left over puree jars from my DD and tried that earlier this week just to see what would happen. He wasn't a fan! He much prefers to self-feed or just play with food!


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## CanidFL (Jul 30, 2007)

We have this

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30069724

It comes with a tray that snaps on. Very simple, cheap and effective.

Chemer - DS swallows things already and he is 6 months 1 week. We found some tomato and cucumber seeds in his diaper the other day. I wouldn't worry if they don't actually swallow. All they need is bm for the first year and solids are just for fun and learning.

Pokeymama - I don't really have experience with allergies but I would not give DS meat so soon. I just think it would be very hard on his tummy. Maybe just stick with fruits and veggies for now. Stick to 1 new thing every 3 days and then you know if something is causing a reaction. If LO is showing all signs of being ready and playing/eating the food then he is probably ready. You could maybe stop solids for a week and then introduce them again slowly? I would not do baby cereals. If you want to hold off on solids then just nurse.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Faliciagayle* 
*Arwen & acp*: aren't those chairs hard to clean - I mean doesn't your regular chair get covered in goo?

Nope, it's very easy. THe chair itself is super easy to clean since the tray snaps off. The entire chair is dishwasher-safe, but I've actually never done that - it's too easy just to wipe it down with a sponge and wipe the tray off in the sink. It pretty much covers my regular chair, so I haven't had any issues with stuff getting all over that chair. I don't think I'd attach it to a really nice dining room chair, though. We have ours on a folding chair that we normally bring out if we have more guests than chairs.


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *chemer* 
Quick question - at what age, or after how long of self-feeding solids, did your baby start swallowing things? E has been self-feeding for about a month (she's 7 mo) and puts everything in her mouth, but gets upset if she gets little pieces of food in there and spits them out. It's either food that breaks off (bits of steamed veg) or things like rice that bother her. Just wonder if this is normal and how long it takes them to progress.

Naked Baby (almost a *year*







) still often just bites little pieces off things and moves them around in his mouth, and then spits them out - especially hard things, like chips and apples (both of which he loves!). He also doesn't really like rice, or gooey things.







I think it's totally normal, and she'll start swallowing what and when she wants to.









Quote:


Originally Posted by *Faliciagayle* 
*Arwen & acp*: aren't those chairs hard to clean - I mean doesn't your regular chair get covered in goo?

Nope, not hard to clean - there isn't much to it! The cover (we got the cotton one, but I should have just made one for the price the "deluxe" one cost) comes off and can be rinsed or washed, and yea the chair gets messy but, uh, so? We have nice wood chairs, and everything wipes off pretty easily, although to be honest if the dog doesn't get it, we don't really worry about it.









Quote:


Originally Posted by *digsmom* 
I am so glad I propped open my eyelids to check out what you all had to say about introducing solids...My son is 101/2 mos and we started giving him homemade pureed veggies at about 9 months. Lots of gagging, a bit of spitting up and finally some big bites taken. Now, he seems to be on food-strike! He WILL NOT accept food from me and only a couple of bites from anyone else! He will walk (yes, WALK!!!) over to me and want to taste whatever I am eating, though. He has teeth, so I worry about chunks of food causing choking...I don't know... Definately going to research the self-feeding theory - it makes sense and may be exactly what is happening anyway. Thanks for this thread - I already feel less anxious.

Welcome!







Keep reading - there are reasons to be careful about choking, but no reason to let worry stop you.









Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bunnybee* 
DS ate his first broccoli today! He ate just the top and stopped when he got to the stalk! He didn't choke or gag once! I do have to admit I had some left over puree jars from my DD and tried that earlier this week just to see what would happen. He wasn't a fan! He much prefers to self-feed or just play with food!

Yay!


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## Danielle13 (Oct 31, 2007)

we tried this today and had some serious gagging...but no choking!


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Danielle13* 
we tried this today and had some serious gagging...but no choking!
















Yay!

The gagging will subside as they mature.







Naked Baby only gags when he _means_ to and when he _needs_ to nowadays, and he does so skillfully, I believe because of all the practice he had in the early months of exploring solids.


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## Bunnybee (Jan 16, 2007)

I'm wondering how much our babes nurse or need to nurse at night. DS is 8 months tomorrow and still doesn't eat any solids that would give significant calories. But I feel like he is eating less at night. He isn't waking less, unfortunately, but my breasts feel more full at night so that's why I feel he nurses less now. So, at this age and with little solids in his diet will he be OK if he reduces his night sessions?


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

My favorite saying: watch the baby. If he seems fine, he's hydrated and continuing to grow and develop, has good energy, is relatively happy, then you don't need to worry, and you don't need to push solids or nursing. (And heck, it's probably just a phase







)


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## Bunnybee (Jan 16, 2007)

Thanks Arwyn, I just need some reassurance I guess. Even though I had 2 babes very close together they are very different (#1 was a preemie) and I am doing things differently too (like this BLW).


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## SleepyMamaBear (Jun 5, 2005)

ok. they are probably in the thread somewhere, snd knowing me, probably the first page, but i am too lazy to search, plus, um,,, no time. so, does anyone have any links to back up BLW? my dad and i got into a huge fight tonight because of it.
his stance: 'they have been doing just pureed foods for decades!
me: spanking has been around a long time too, doesnt make it good.
him:
but they sell it in the stores, why would they sell it if it werent good for them, what they need?
me: they sell disposable diapers and formula in stores too, doesnt mean either of those things are good for babies either!

so he wont give it a rest til i give him evidence that pureed foods arent good and BLW with real solids, and letting a child use their gag reflex is a good thing.
anyone got links?


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

Well, they have been doing purees for decades, but they've been doing whole foods for eons? Where does he think Laura Ingalls mother hid the blender? What did she plug it into? YOu know? Purees are less nutritious than fresh food because they've been mixed with water, and they aren't fresh.

Sorry no links except this one:
http://www.borstvoeding.com/voedseli...nes.html#choke


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

There are some other links if you go back to the first couple pages - an MSNBC one, and a baby-led weaning blog.

But I think your first answer to your dad should be "thanks, I appreciate your input, but this is the way we're doing it. I'm the mother."

Also, I don't think purees are "bad" (heck, I - and DD - eat lots of purees - hummus, guacamole, mashed potatoes, etc). And I certainly know that lots of babies have successfully been raised on strained and pureed veggies and fruits.
But I've loved watching DD, at 9 months and with no teeth, have a far more expansive diet and interest in different types of textures and tastes. I also like that mealtime is about HER exploring and eating what she wants, and not a battleground with me trying to force a certain amount of solids into her, using airplane tricks with a spoon, etc.

If it helps your dad, my doctor was the first person I heard about baby-led feeding from. He just told me that her nutrition for the first year should be breast milk, and that solis were for taste and texture, experimentation and socialization. Because of that, he said to skip the empty calories of rice cereal, and just give her chunks of banana, avocado, etc, to play around with at first. Later, I found a lot more support for BLW here and in other places on the web, but my doctor's explanation really made sense to me.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AddysMama* 
him:
but they sell it in the stores, why would they sell it if it werent good for them, what they need?

Oh, and I just had to comment on this particular part of his argument.

Really??????!?!??
He really believes that they only sell things in stores because they're GOOD for us? Nothing to do with turning a profit (have you see how much gerber charges for a bit of pureed peas that you could make yourself for a few cents?) or creating a demand or consumerism or convincing us we need one more thing?
Good to know that all those tempting cupcakes, and big-screen televisions, and the rows and rows of plastic battery-operated toys with lead paint in them, and the $500 pairs of manolo blahniks are only being sold because they're good for us....


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## Danielle13 (Oct 31, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Arwyn* 
Yay!

The gagging will subside as they mature.







Naked Baby only gags when he _means_ to and when he _needs_ to nowadays, and he does so skillfully, I believe because of all the practice he had in the early months of exploring solids.









ok good! Her first gag I was tempted to take her out of the chair and fish out the food







but I didn't. As long as its normal its all good







I did just give her a third of a banana though and let her bite off chunks...should I be cutting them up in bite sized chunks?


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## SleepyMamaBear (Jun 5, 2005)

thanks for the assis ladies.








yeah my dad is a bit asinine.
and i know he wont give it a rest. not till he sees stuff backing it.
and his arguement really was "but its sold in stores!"
yep, just like hohos.


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

Joining up! Haven't read the whole thing.

DS is 7 months and change. He has almost no experience with anything other than breast milk.

He's had a few sips of water since he was 5 months. He will reach for cups sometimes.

I've given him things a few times, but he just looked and felt with his hands. He didn't seem to want to taste it.

When he was 7 months, he reached for a banana I was eating. I gave him a little. He gagged on it, and coughed, and it landed on the table, but he reached for it again so I gave it back to him and he ate it. Then an hour and a half later he threw it up in bed. He had a bad night sleep after that. That was about 10 days ago.

My MIL is really pushy about thinking he needs solids. DH was weaned at 4 months. She fed him cream of wheat from that point. She said in Ukraine where she is from EVERY baby is started on solids at 4 months. I'm supposed to start him on egg yolk mixed with a little BM.

MIL insists that he won't reach for solids because he doesn't know what it is. He needs to be taught that it is food. He needs to be started on purees so he will start learning. And why won't I let her get me some jars of organic baby food?

I don't want to shovel food into him. He is very spirited and motivated to be independent and do what adults do. I'm sure when he starts he will want to do it himself, and I don't want to take that away from him. If he isn't trying to eat things, I have to assume his instinct is telling him not to. I would think his curiosity would make him eat solids too soon rather than too late.

So, new pedi the other day had something to say on this:
1. babies are lazy, nursing is easier, they will resist doing it on their own
2. gotta start them on iron-fortified cereal because if they are iron deficient it could cause cognitive delays (new one i hadn't heard before)

DH is with me on not being in any hurry and let's observe the baby to see what he does. My parents are supportive too.


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## Bunnybee (Jan 16, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Danielle13* 
I did just give her a third of a banana though and let her bite off chunks...should I be cutting them up in bite sized chunks?

I found "bite size" to be too hard for DS to hold since they are so slippery. I cut them in quarters. First I cut the diameter then lengthwise so there are 4 long pieces. Even doing this it is still hard for him to hold and he ends up mushing most of it in his hands!


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## Danielle13 (Oct 31, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Lady Lilya* 

2. gotta start them on iron-fortified cereal because if they are iron deficient it could cause cognitive delays (new one i hadn't heard before)

.


I heard this too, does anyone know if its true? I have a hard time believing that bm wouldn't perfectly nourish my child...


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## Rico'sAlice (Mar 19, 2006)

For banana I just give a whole banana with the peel still on most of it. I help him position his hands properly and then he holds it and eats it like you or I would. And then pull the peel down for him if he's finished gnawing off the top portion. But he's usually had enough before that happens.


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## Faliciagayle (Sep 9, 2007)

Well, Grandma chose and bought the high chair so we got a super chi-chi one







: Honestly, its like the bugaboo of high chairs and I'm not sure its totaly functional. We put baby in it and since it doesn't really have a tray, but daughter is a bit short so she doesn't reach the table and I'm worried about banged foreheads and such. Sigh. BTW it differs from the picture in that it has a harness, a cushion, and a baby rail. SOOOOOO I might go spend our money on something to use while she grows into this.

And we've started feeding! The irony, she's been sitting in my lap every time







I wouldn't say she's eating, as such, but she's had licks of asparagus, avocado, apple, and orange pepper. Oh, and lettuce. She is, of course, most interested in squishing avocado and banging her spoon on the table. She gets a spoon when not interested in eating but wanting to play.

My mom (same one who bought the chair) is not entirely supportive of the self feeding thing. But then, every step of the AP journey has brought resistance from her, and she's mellowed out, so I'm sure it will just be a matter of time.


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## lmk1 (Sep 21, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Lady Lilya* 
My MIL is really pushy about thinking he needs solids. DH was weaned at 4 months. She fed him cream of wheat from that point. She said in Ukraine where she is from EVERY baby is started on solids at 4 months. I'm supposed to start him on egg yolk mixed with a little BM.

MIL insists that he won't reach for solids because he doesn't know what it is. He needs to be taught that it is food. He needs to be started on purees so he will start learning. And why won't I let her get me some jars of organic baby food?


Ohmigosh! I had to respond to this. I'm from the Ukraine...my mother doesn't remember exactly when she started feeding me solids. But, at least the Dr's there were telling women to bf, instead of ff. My mother has been dying to feed my almost 5 month old solids, and I've told her no way until he's 6 months at least...and then we'll see








As far as cream of wheat, I believe that's mannaya kasha in Russian, and to this day I have the worst aversion to it! Maybe it was shoveled into me, as I have very distinct memories of power struggles at mealtimes.
I am definitely not going to force feed my kid. GL to you with your MIL!


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## spmamma (Sep 2, 2007)

We discovered tonight that Charlotte loves refried black beans from Trader Joe's! We had to give her a bath right after dinner because she'd spread them all over her face, arms and hands!








:


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## Bunnybee (Jan 16, 2007)

very cute!


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

lmk1,

DH loves mannaya kasha.

DH's weaning story goes like this: Formula was a scarce thing in rural Ukraine in 1980. MIL got her hands on one can. DH refused to nurse ever again after that. His staple became mannaya kasha.

She doesn't understand why I worry about food allergies. They were virtually unheard of where she came from. She and DH say they occasionally heard of a child getting hives from red dye, citrus, chocolate, but if they didn't eat it for a while they could soon resume eating it in moderation.

I said maybe it is because our bodies here are so full of pollution and food additives that we are more sensitive to things than a human is meant to be. Perhaps it is because stuff here is so genetically modified that our bodies interpret it as an invasion of an alien substance instead of nourishment.


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

Iron- Here's the link to the kellymom breastfeeding page on iron http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/iron.html

The sound bite version is:

Quote:

Healthy, full-term infants who are breastfed exclusively for periods of 6-9 months have been shown to maintain normal hemoglobin values and normal iron stores. In one of these studies, done by Pisacane in 1995, the researchers concluded that babies who were exclusively breastfed for 7 months (and were not give iron supplements or iron-fortified cereals) had significantly higher hemoglobin levels at one year than breastfed babies who received solid foods earlier than seven months. The researchers found no cases of anemia within the first year in babies breastfed exclusively for seven months and concluded that breastfeeding exclusively for seven months reduces the risk of anemia.
and

Quote:

A recent review article on iron (Griffin and Abrams, 2001) indicates that if your baby is basically healthy, iron deficiency in the absence of anemia should not have developmental consequences.


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wombatclay* 
We do a lot of oatmeal with yogurt for breakfast, fruit and rice cakes for snack, and for dinner.... well, if you buy a bag of frozen veggies, dump them in a bowl with a little splash of water, pop a paper plate on top and microwave them for a few minutes you'll have steamed veggies ready to go. So far DD2 loves green beans, snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower, and water cress. And they all came out of freezer bags. *Sure, not as good for her as garden fresh produce,* but it means that no matter what we have for lunch or dinner there will be things on our plate that we can share with her.

Nothing beats freshly picked and still warm from the sun, but:

Frozen veggies have been found to be higher in nutrients than their "fresh" supermarket counterparts. The logic is that frozen veggies are frozen almost immediately, while fresh ones spend a long time in trucks and warehouses and sitting on shelves, with the nutrients disintegrating all the while.

I have a high needs baby. I don't have time to wash vegetables, pick off the bad spots, cut into bite size pieces, etc. Do you know how much fresh spinach it takes to equal a bag of frozen?!?


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wildflower18*
Canid - I'm in a similar boat as you. I gave DS some orange peels to play with and he stuck them in his mouth (to my surprise) and started sucking on them. I didn't find out until later that you shouldn't introduce citrus fruits until after their 1 year old due to the acidity. Oh well, he really enjoyed the little bits of orange that were left on the peel.

The peel itself doesn't have acid. That is why you can use citrus zests in creamy deserts without curdling them. So if acid is a concern, I don't see why you couldn't give clean peels.


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

Quote:

Do you know how much fresh spinach it takes to equal a bag of frozen?!?










Yes... we call it the amazing vanishing plant.


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## Bunnybee (Jan 16, 2007)

OK, I'm starting to get concerned about iron despite the stuff posted here. What foods should I offer DS that are high in iron and appropriate for BLW? I think there has been mention before in this thread but I just know DS will wake up if I start searching! TIA!


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## amyleigh33 (Nov 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bunnybee* 
OK, I'm starting to get concerned about iron despite the stuff posted here. What foods should I offer DS that are high in iron and appropriate for BLW? I think there has been mention before in this thread but I just know DS will wake up if I start searching! TIA!

Well there's the post right above with the Kellymom links...?
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...n#post10806793

If you're still BFing and your DS is under 1, he is probably OK.

We basically do BLW but I still give DD baby cereal with breast milk which is loaded with iron. I love baby cereal (not rice, we do organic oat & barley cereal) myself so we have it in the house anyway. She can feed it to her self with a spoon but makes a mess and takes forever, so I help her along some times. I think dates have iron? I give her dates sometimes. Ummm.. what else ...


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Raisens, avocado, black beans, leafy greens (especially kale and spinach), and meat all have high iron content. Vegetable sources of iron are generally more absorbable.


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## spmamma (Sep 2, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Arwyn* 
Raisens, avocado, black beans, leafy greens (especially kale and spinach), and meat all have high iron content. Vegetable sources of iron are generally more absorbable.

How old was your babe when you tried raisins? DD is 9 months... I love raisins and would love for her to try them. Maybe if I cut them up a bit?

Also, what's the general consensus on when to allow a babe to try tomatoes? I think I remember reading somewhere that tomatoes are a potential allergen...


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## Faliciagayle (Sep 9, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *amyleigh33* 
I love baby cereal (not rice, we do organic oat & barley cereal) myself so we have it in the house anyway. She can feed it to her self with a spoon but makes a mess and takes forever, so I help her along some times.

Okay. I admit ignorance. What's the deal with baby cereal? Why is it considered baby manna? Why is it traditional first food?
I haven't even considered it because it's a processed food....?


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Raisens I think I bit in half for him after he'd been eating for a month or two. Also for his first birthday he got carrot cake cupcakes with raisens, and he ate those whole (they get softer with cooking).

Spaghetti with sauce was one of Naked Baby's first combo foods - probably after a month or two. Loves it!

My opinion on baby cereal is that when people start feeding their babies "solids" when they're not ready at 6mo, 4mo, 3wks, they have to give something the baby wouldn't die from.







So it had to be bland and totally mushy and wet, and something people could spoon into their baby whether the baby wanted it or not.

I do think it's different if it's something you eat yourself (although I'll look at you funny if you do







).


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

I eat and enjoy grits, oatmeal and cream of wheat etc.....

That's why I let DD have them too - but it is home made oatmeal, ground brown rice (which isn't that bad).

But we didn't give the boxed baby cereal - WAY too processed for us to be happy giving it to my DD - that and I've tasted it before - GROSS!

Our first Ped gave us the iron cereal talk at 2 months and 4 months and then we had left already. and the new ped at 6 months never mentioned it all - just checked if we were still nursing - asked how much (I am always embarrassed that I don't know - we nurse whenever she wants, I don't chart it anymore - they smiled) And we talked about what she had been eating - avacado, broccoli etc. and they never brought up the iron fortified cereal.

Also the last visit (DD was 10 mo old) we had I was discussing BLW with the nurse who has a DD just a little younger than my DD - And she wanted to start solids and wasn't sure how - so of course I gave her links







she was facinated.


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## wildflower18 (Jul 22, 2007)

DS's favorite food is asparagus!







Who would've guessed.

So is food supposed to come out in the same shape and style as it went in when they are first eating? There was even long shreds of asaparagus in his poop today.


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

That's pretty typical, yea. Naked Baby FLIPS for black beans - he'll just eat and eat and eat them. But I'm not sure he's ever actually _digested_ any, judging by his fecal output.


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## jstar (Jul 22, 2004)

raisin bread is a good way to give raisins. they get really soft in the bread (like i cake). i toast the raisin bread and slice it. yummo. i also put a little butter on it. he's probably supposed to wait until a year to try butter







: i can't remember the rule on butter. he doesn't seem to have any bad reaction to it (or anything else i've given him thus far).


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## SleepyMamaBear (Jun 5, 2005)

or instead of butter do coconut oil. yum!


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wildflower18* 
DS's favorite food is asparagus!







Who would've guessed.

So is food supposed to come out in the same shape and style as it went in when they are first eating? There was even long shreds of asaparagus in his poop today.









Isn't it great to see which foods our LO's will prefere - When given choices DD will always eat the green food first and she absolutely loves Broccoli, asparagus and brussel sprouts - if she see's me getting them ready to cook she gets all excited and wants them immediatly.

I think it's going to be a while before everything get digested - DD who's nearly 11 mo still doesn't digest beans or peas and I still remember the first few months after feeding her broccoli or anythin greally you could tell what she had eaten.


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## Faliciagayle (Sep 9, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wildflower18* 
DS's favorite food is asparagus!







Who would've guessed.

Our babe loves asparagus, too! Yesterday she had asparagus and broccoli, and enjoyed both - still not really ingesting anything.

This morning she went to town on the stem of a banana.. I'm trying to avoid giving her fruit, but the woody end of the banana seemed okay (she has sucked on an apple slice, but not often).

I can't imagine the stem tasted very good, but I think it probably felt good on her gums.


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## Bunnybee (Jan 16, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Arwyn* 
Raisens, avocado, black beans, leafy greens (especially kale and spinach), and meat all have high iron content. Vegetable sources of iron are generally more absorbable.

Thank you! We have tried avocado a couple times but DS doesn't seem too interested. So far holding a nice chunk of apple is his favorite. He isn't too keen on bananas either so I'm thinking he just likes the hard stuff now b/c he is teething? He really, really does not eat much besides breast milk, so that was why I was concerned about iron.


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Oh, lentils I think are a pretty good source, too. And almonds?

Honestly though, your milk's iron is highly absorbable, and he's unlikely to have any iron-related problems, even if he doesn't dig the spinach. It's not outside the realm of possibility, but it's not LIKELY either.


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## littlecindy (Feb 14, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *spmamma* 
Also, what's the general consensus on when to allow a babe to try tomatoes? I think I remember reading somewhere that tomatoes are a potential allergen...

10 months or so...not because of allergies, but they're just very acidic and might irritate their tummies. i know when i was pg and had bad heartburn it could set it off for me.

http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/tom...oodrecipes.htm


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## ~Boudicca~ (Sep 7, 2005)

Hey hey hey! We're here! Haven't made my way through the whole thread yet but I'll get there eventually.

Self feeding rocks! Avery is 10.5 months and we (I) am pretty lazy with the solid food thing. Honestly, I only give them to her when I want to get some housework done (in the high chair she goes to play with her food while I do stuff close by) or when I am eating (then I give her whatever I am having mostly to keep her occupied so I can actually eat for once). It is going really well. My mom gets on my case about her not eating solids all the time but I really couldn't care less about what she has to say. Peanut had a check up the other day and her pediatrician told me not to bother bringing her back to him until she was 2 years old unless I think something is wrong because as he puts it, "You're obviously doing something right so just keep doing what you're doing!" She is fat and happy and still loves the boobie but is intrigued by big people food.

So far, she eats bananas, avocados (she ate a whole one the other day







), bread, and macaroni with meat sauce. This week we are going to give scrambled eggs a shot. I am going to try peas again when I remember; last month she seemed to have a hard time with them.

I wish I knew about this when DD1 was a baby, I just didn't know any better and did whatever my mom told me I should do







.

Avery cracks me up because every time she puts a new food in her mouth she makes a face like she just ate a piece of poo instead of, say, cheese!


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## spmamma (Sep 2, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *honeydee* 
Avery is 10.5 months and we (I) am pretty lazy with the solid food thing. Honestly, I only give them to her when I want to get some housework done (in the high chair she goes to play with her food while I do stuff close by) or when I am eating (then I give her whatever I am having mostly to keep her occupied so I can actually eat for once).

I'm the same way!!! I think most people think I'm crazy for not feeding DD more solids, but she doesn't care and it's so much easier for her to nurse right now. The only reason why she gets solids at this point is to keep her occupied long enough for us to eat our meals in (relative) peace!


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## Devaya (Sep 23, 2007)

i'd like to join at this point... im not absolutely sure yet if i m going to do BLW all the way or just partially, but my nearly 6month old put a plastic spoon in his mouth the other day and had a great time with it - it looked like he was ready to feed himself! up until recently i've seen no signs of interest. he's also suddenly trying to grab food off our plates - this is just a matter of days now - and staring longingly (and crying) at food when people eat around him. i'm quite excited about it all really, i've had so much resistance to the whole solids thing up till now but funniily enough i started feeling ready around the same time DS seems to.

so...we are going to start with a little mashed banana in a couple of days. it looks like there's an interesting array of foods in the babies' repertoires on here


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## wildflower18 (Jul 22, 2007)

Just got back from Easter dinner and it was a disaster in my mind. How do you guys discuss self-feeding/BLW with others that might be trying to feed your baby? And, I know that everyone is following their own "schedules", but I'm generally following the recommended food guidelines as to when to introduce certain foods...I'm just allowing baby to self-feed the items. I didn't discuss this with the in-laws prior to Easter dinner because my MIL had mentioned that she was making sweet potato for him. Unfortunately she forgot, but we made due with taking as much sugar off the sweet potato as we could and giving him the center portion. The "feeding area" wasn't optimum for self-feeding messes and so when he got frustrated, I told DH that he was done because when we are at home, throwing spoons and whining typically means he's finished. Grandma chose to take him then though...I thought to let us finish our meal, but I noticed out of the corner of my eye that she was feeding him cut up chunks of mac and cheese. He's just turned 6 months and has only been on solids for a couple weeks. Mac and cheese is NOT a first food IMO. Then, she thought it was cute when he grabbed the ham off her plate and continually kept sucking on it. It is true, he certainly seemed to like them both, but I don't feel that either were age appropriate. And I'm sure there is more of this to come in the future. How have you dealt with similar situations and explained your choices for feeding?
If this is more of a seperate post topic and not really for the self-feeding/BLW thread just let me know. Thanks!!


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## jmmom (Sep 11, 2007)

I haven't read a ton of this thread, and 6 months certainly does seem a little young for mac and cheese, but the way we did self-feeding starting around 7 or 8 months was to let ds eat off our own plates. We cook all our own food from scratch using fresh, local, and organic ingredients, no sugar or refined flours, but other than that he's always gotten what he wants and loves it that way.

Other moms might be able to help more with exactly when it is appropriate to start such a laissez faire approach, and I should also add that our ds never did and never has had any trouble with food allergies.


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

DD is nearly 11 months old and we are just starting to get more laid back with what foods we introduce and that's more that I am more laid back about introducing complex foods at once. And giving bites of what we are having - however this is only for foods that we have prepared - I still don't let her eat anything that I don't know how it was prepared, the ingrediants etc.

As far as family goes - they were told that she was to be given no food without our permission and they have been told/ reminded on many occasions. Mostly we are trying to limit the amount of salt, sugar, perservatives and unnatural ingrediants as possible.

It take time - and many repeated no's, and often looks of shock, my in-laws especially don't get BLW and the restrictions we have - they tried giving DD an animal cookie at 6 months, right after we said no wheat, no sugar etc.

So we just tend to be super vigilant when out and we try to nicely remind everyone of our food rules - so far it seems to work with persistance.


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## starwishful (Apr 12, 2007)

I have a constipation question! My 6 1/2 month old DS tried solids for the very first time over the weekend. We gave him chunks of ripe banana and let him go to town. He mostly just played with it. He probably ended up consuming less than a tablespoon of it total, mostly by getting bits stuck to his hands and then putting his hands in his mouth. The next morning he was HORRIBLY constipated, to the point of crying harder than I've ever heard him cry. He usually poops 3 times a morning. That day, he couldn't poop at all in the morning and cried all morning instead. He finally pooped in the afternoon and has been okay since. I know banana is a constipating food, but is it normal for less than a tablespoon to cause such painful constipation? Does this mean that he's not ready for solids at all or should we just try a different food? I'm not really in any hurry, but he shows all the signs of readiness and grabs at the food on our plates.


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## BarefootScientist (Jul 24, 2007)

Wildflower - I think your situation is not specific to BLW but is something we all have to deal with as parents. You just have to stand firm and remember that you are the parent and you get to choose what your child eats at this point in his life. I would probably just have politely said, "Please don't feed him anything," and if she tried to do it again I would have taken him away from her. This situation isn't going to go away, in a few months someone will be trying to give your kid Oreos and french fries I'm sure. That hasn't happened to us yet, but soon probably!

At Christmas, when DS was just barely 6 months and we hadn't started solids yet, SIL snuck him into the kitchen and gave him a spoonful of raspberry Cool Whip dessert without my knowledge or consent after I had _just_ told her there was nothing appropriate for him to eat at the table.







I found out about it the next morning from my nephew after DS threw up.







: I was royally pissed off but didn't have the guts to say anything to SIL...however, DS was not out of my sight the rest of the time we were there.


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## Devaya (Sep 23, 2007)

okay, so i finally got DP to sit down with me and watch a BLW dvd i borrowed. (this is a milestone in itself as DP has never read or watched anything i've suggested re babies/birth/etc)

And hes on board with it!









And i gave DS a banana to play with just now...he did have fun with it and a lot of it went in his mouth, though I dont think he quite knew what to do with it then







It was super messy though!

reading the posts about in-laws' reactions (and going against your plans as a parent) made me think...we're going up to DP's parents in 2 weeks time and i'm glad DP is in agreement about BLW so we can hopefully have a word with them first, just gently. We are planning to do gradual intro of foods due to allergies in our families, just that it will be done in a BLW way. I'm sure if i play the allergy card (and DP's dad, like me, has asthma so they should be sympathetic) it'll work. They seem pretty respectful so far.


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

Constipation cures?

DD2 was always an "every 4-5 day" pooper when she was exclusively breastfed. So I sort of expected a period of...er... "congestion" when she started eating more solids. Well, she nurses round the clock (she's just under 10mo) but she is starting to eat more solids and it's making her miserable.

BUT if she doesn't get something to nibble on/play with while the rest of us eat she is not only miserable, she makes sure we all are as well!







We try to make sure she gets a little prune dessert eat night but...

What does everyone do? DD1 self fed and never had a problem with elimination, but dd2 seems to be much easier to stop up and although we eat lots of veggies and you'd think she'd be getting enough fiber... it doesn't seem to be the case. So how do you all handle constipation in a self feeding babe who screams bloody murder if she isn't eating what everyone else has?


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## littlecindy (Feb 14, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *starwishful* 
We gave him chunks of ripe banana and let him go to town. The next morning he was HORRIBLY constipated...

bananas don't seem to bother most babies, but they do a number on my son, too! constipated, gassy. he LOVES LOVES LOVES them but i just don't let him have them. we stopped for a couple weeks and tried bananas again and they did the same thing so i know that's what it is. carrots were bad for his digestive system too.


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## starwishful (Apr 12, 2007)

Thanks, littlecindy. I think we're going to ditch bananas all together for a while. I bought a sweet potato at the grocery store earlier tonight. Maybe we'll try that later this week. My poor DS. He had reflux as a tiny baby that he has pretty well outgrown, he is still suffering from a dairy allergy, he was allergic to the Amoxicillin he had when he got sick a few weeks ago, and now he has constipation issues with his first TINY taste of bananas. It doesn't seem fair!


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

There's a BLW DVD??


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *littlecindy* 
bananas don't seem to bother most babies, but they do a number on my son, too! constipated, gassy. he LOVES LOVES LOVES them but i just don't let him have them. we stopped for a couple weeks and tried bananas again and they did the same thing so i know that's what it is. carrots were bad for his digestive system too.

DD and banana didn't mix well in the begining either, but I found that she can eat them now - in moderation, we giver her the mini bananas. Also if we haven't had bananas in a while we need to very slowly reintroduce them agian and with other food - that seems to make a difference for DD.


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

And keep in mind the "*BRAT*" diet... *B*ananas, *R*ice, *A*pplesauce, *T*oast. It's the classic dietary cure for loose stools/diarrhea/sour stomach. I think even the Dr Sears book points out that most of the traditional first foods are really good at stopping up the system. Especially in tiny ones.

I just wish I could figure out what to do for dd2 since she isn't eating foods that are known to block things up... I think it's just her elimination habits running up against solid food that's causing the problem. We tried some avocado again and this time she ate it so maybe she'll be happy with some smoother textures now.


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## SarahLi (Jan 11, 2007)

I couldn't really do self-feeding, though I wanted to, bc DS gagged or choked on anything not pureed until 10-11 mos.

After 10 mos. I pretty much gave up on the 4 day rule and let him eat with us... HOWEVER, I really wish that I hadn't, because it took a few weeks for me to eliminate and find that oranges gave him a bad diaper rash.


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

What do you mamas do about the "wasted" food. I can't eat anything after DS has had it. He mangles it. But I hate throwing most of what I give him away, as he is still just tasting, and experimenting.


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## a(TM)?Star (Oct 13, 2005)

I mostly lurk on this thread, occasionally post..........I have a question. Dd is 7 months, mostly still only BF's, but sometimes she wants what I have. When did you start giving your babes things with dairy in them? I should mention that ds has a sensitivity to it.


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## wildflower18 (Jul 22, 2007)

I've read in the Baby Book not to introduce cheese, yogurt, dairy related things until 9-12 months and not to introduce milk until after 1 year. If you have a potential allergy though, not to introduce any dairy until after 1 year.

As for wasted food, depending on what DS has, I eat it. If it's too disgusting too eat, then I toss it. But at this point (6 months), it's only a tablespoon or two that's getting wasted.


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## Bunnybee (Jan 16, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Twinklefae* 
What do you mamas do about the "wasted" food. I can't eat anything after DS has had it. He mangles it. But I hate throwing most of what I give him away, as he is still just tasting, and experimenting.

I was just going to post the same exact thing! I usual eat the mangled bits even the gross stuff like cheese that fell out of his mouth







There isn't too much waste b/c he just get say a piece of apple and me and DD eat the rest.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wildflower18* 
I've read in the Baby Book not to introduce cheese, yogurt, dairy related things until 9-12 months and not to introduce milk until after 1 year. If you have a potential allergy though, not to introduce any dairy until after 1 year.

As for wasted food, depending on what DS has, I eat it. If it's too disgusting too eat, then I toss it. But at this point (6 months), it's only a tablespoon or two that's getting wasted.

Ooops. I gave DS some cheddar cheese yesterday and today! He seems OK though which is surprising b/c early on I swore he was more fussy if ate dairy!

On a side note- I bought a small cup of vanilla ice cream for DD and me while shopping today. My father was with us and said "why don't you give DS some?"


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## Devaya (Sep 23, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Arwyn* 
There's a BLW DVD??

yes, i got it from my breastfeeding drop in. It's made by some health visitor in the UK. Its pretty basic, not very long, but a good intro.

Actually had a scary episode today giving DS a pear - i was trying to stick to the '3 day rule' but he just seemed so much more interested in the pear i was eating than the banana i'd given him (and also ate 'with him'). anyway he got really stuck into the pear , seemed to enjoy it but then choked! was so scared! sorted him out but then about 10 minutes later he made funny sounds in his mouth and up came a big piece of peel. should i have peeled it?....

i see another poster had their baby gagging/choking till 10 months. maybe i should try the puree route. he seemed to be swallowing okay but then - wooops!


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## binky (Jan 6, 2008)

We do actually peel the pears but our 8 1/2 month old is fine with peaches with the peels. It is very frightening when they gag but I believe that that is their natural reflex and they push it back out to continue chewing. I never-ever leave him alone while he is eating and my husband and i have discussed the "het him out of the highchair quickly" routine and we're both infant CPR trained.
Hope that helps a bit..


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## binky (Jan 6, 2008)

Our DS is 8 1/2 months old and has been doing BLW since 6 mos and doing great with it. I wonder sometimes about the whole sippy cup thing and whether we should be introducing water to him. Now he is BF only. I know that we'll need to start the water soon as we'll be camping all summer in Arizona with the heat and altitude. Any advice?


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## binky (Jan 6, 2008)

How often each day and how much (about) does your 8 1/2 month old baby eat with BLW?


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## CanidFL (Jul 30, 2007)

binky - DS is almost 7 months and we offer food maybe 3 times a day. He is not really eating much yet though. My pediatrician is very into BLW and he said to offer food 6 times a day. Seems like a lot to me. We give a sippy cup to DS but he doesn't get it yet. Breastmilk should be enough to keep your LO hydrated in Arizona but you could always just use a regular cup and help DS if you think he needs more water.

jacksmom - we are waiting a year for dairy. If your baby has a sensitivity then I would wait a year too.

Twinklefae - I hate wasting food too but I just can not bring myself to eat mangled drooly food. I throw it out. We don't give him a lot though so it's not too much waste.

Devaya - We had a scary episode with pear peels too and DS was gagging for a good couple minutes before finally getting it up. Thanks to the moms on this board, I discovered this is perfectly normal and nothing to worry about. He is getting better with peels now and he actually sticks the chunk of pear in his mouth, gets all the pear off then spits out the peel. It is beyond cute.


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## Bunnybee (Jan 16, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CanidFL* 
binky - DS is almost 7 months and we offer food maybe 3 times a day. He is not really eating much yet though. My pediatrician is very into BLW and he said to offer food 6 times a day. Seems like a lot to me.

Wow, 6 times seems like a lot to me too. I've been offering 1-3 times a day. it depends. DS just finished projectile vomiting over me, twice, poor guy. Must be the Ritz cracker DH gave him earlier.







:


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Binky, DD has been drinking water out of a sippy cup (or DH's or my water bottle or a regular glass, with help) for a few months now, and loves it. I feel like it helps with constipation, and is just good for her to get to know and like water, so long as she doesn't drink so much as to interfere with nursing (which has never been an issue). I especially find it helps when we've traveled to high altitudes or really dry climates (Colorado mountains) with her, where staying hydrated really helps both children and adults feel better. She drank a lot more water when we were in Colorado last month, and it seemed to help her a lot. So you might want to think about that for Arizona this summer.

As to how much she eats - it varies a lot, depending on her mood, how hungry she is, etc. Generally she eats the last amount in the morning - we usually just offer her some fruit, and she eats a few bites of pear and banana, but not a lot (unless it's a weekend and we're having something she loves, like toast dipped in egg yolk). Lunch varies a lot - today she wasn't really hungry at all and ate next to nothing. other days she seems to eat a fair amount. She eats the most (I can't say how much since so much gets on her lap or the floor, but it seems like a lot) at dinner time.


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## littlecindy (Feb 14, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Devaya* 
anyway he got really stuck into the pear , seemed to enjoy it but then choked!

i suppose is not true to the BLW philosophy, but i'd peel the pear.


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## littlecindy (Feb 14, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wombatclay* 
And keep in mind the "*BRAT*" diet... *B*ananas, *R*ice, *A*pplesauce, *T*oast. It's the classic dietary cure for loose stools/diarrhea/sour stomach.

funny, applesauce makes him poop. go figure...


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## spmamma (Sep 2, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *littlecindy* 
i suppose is not true to the BLW philosophy, but i'd peel the pear.

I think pealing pears is still well within the realm of BLW. We cut up lots of things for DD to make them small enough for her to pick up with her fingers and not choke on them (she has a very strong gag reflex). As long as your babe is feeding herself/himself, then it's BLW as far as I'm concerned.


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## welsh (Feb 14, 2007)

So we've been giving DS (7.5mos) avocado, squash, sweet potato, apple etc during the past few weeks and he's loving eating! Last night, at the last minute, we went to a party at DH's office where I knew that a) there wouldn't be anything for DS to munch on and b) he's now used to having something when we do and wouldn't be happy!! So I ran into the store and grabbed a jar of organic pears (puree!!!). Anyway, he loved it, I'd put the puree on the spoon, he'd grab it and feed himself (not so far from BLW then!







and he gobbled up the whole thing. Then I spotted some broccoli and gave him a floret. He had a teeny bit of the flowery end and started gagging so much that he barfed up some of the puree!
So...did he eat too much pear? Or was it just his natural gagging reflex that went into overdrive and made him sick?
It's ok to gag, right? I'm SO PARANOID!!!!


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *welsh* 
So we've been giving DS (7.5mos) avocado, squash, sweet potato, apple etc during the past few weeks and he's loving eating! Last night, at the last minute, we went to a party at DH's office where I knew that a) there wouldn't be anything for DS to munch on and b) he's now used to having something when we do and wouldn't be happy!! So I ran into the store and grabbed a jar of organic pears (puree!!!). Anyway, he loved it, I'd put the puree on the spoon, he'd grab it and feed himself (not so far from BLW then!







and he gobbled up the whole thing. Then I spotted some broccoli and gave him a floret. He had a teeny bit of the flowery end and started gagging so much that he barfed up some of the puree!
So...did he eat too much pear? Or was it just his natural gagging reflex that went into overdrive and made him sick?
It's ok to gag, right? I'm SO PARANOID!!!!

It is perfectly ok to gag - they are learning to manipulate teh food in their mouths - and now that we've been doing BLW for a while I notice that there are times that I "gag" - not nearly as dramatically as DD, but still gag if something goes the wrong way - so obviously it's something we all have to learn.

As for the throwing up the pear, I would guess it is the natural action of gagging that brought the recently eaten pear up - it's happened to DD once or twice and she hadn't eaten a huge amount. Probably depends on how long and hard the gaging was.

On a completely different note - DD has a new favorite food - Chili







:
She pwered through the bowl we gave her much quicker than expected and was loving it. None of the ingrediants were very new - except that is probably the largest amount of tomato she's had - but she's had small amount before.


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## welsh (Feb 14, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ubelle* 
It is perfectly ok to gag - they are learning to manipulate teh food in their mouths - and now that we've been doing BLW for a while I notice that there are times that I "gag" - not nearly as dramatically as DD, but still gag if something goes the wrong way - so obviously it's something we all have to learn.

As for the throwing up the pear, I would guess it is the natural action of gagging that brought the recently eaten pear up - it's happened to DD once or twice and she hadn't eaten a huge amount. Probably depends on how long and hard the gaging was.

On a completely different note - DD has a new favorite food - Chili







:
She pwered through the bowl we gave her much quicker than expected and was loving it. None of the ingrediants were very new - except that is probably the largest amount of tomato she's had - but she's had small amount before.

Thanks for the reassurance!
Chili...mmm, I know what I'm making for dinner tomorrow!


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## binky (Jan 6, 2008)

When are you nursing before or after giving solids BLW? My DS has been initially refusing to nurse at the last nursing before bed. He has a runny nose and may be teething. I was reading in Mother's Nursing Companion about this trouble and read that BF babies 6-12 months should be fed seven times a day and before giving solids. Gosh, with worling full time, I cannot imagine going back to nursing that often! What seems ot be working for your nursing, before or after solids, or both?







:


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *binky* 
When are you nursing before or after giving solids BLW? My DS has been initially refusing to nurse at the last nursing before bed. He has a runny nose and may be teething. I was reading in Mother's Nursing Companion about this trouble and read that BF babies 6-12 months should be fed seven times a day and before giving solids. Gosh, with worling full time, I cannot imagine going back to nursing that often! What seems ot be working for your nursing, before or after solids, or both?







:

We've mostly been nursing afterwards. I'm usually cooking dinner before and DS isn't interested when there could be "real food" in the offing. (He doesn't EAT much, but he's very interested)

After dinner is done DF cleans up and DS and I have a nice long nurse in the living room.


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## User101 (Mar 3, 2002)

Daniel's latest faves: beef lo mein noodles and nori "paper". Although the nori was pretty salty. I didn't let him have tons of that.


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

I need to pick up some nori. Good nutrient profile, and I need something nibbly that's, y'know, not cookies.


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## Faliciagayle (Sep 9, 2007)

We are so not following the "one food for x days" guideline in this house.








We've both been tested for allergies and so we're avoiding dairy, soy, wheat, corn, and sugar.... as best we can








She's had a variety of veggies - today was the first time I actually cooked something specifically for her (I baked a yam). I split it up and put it on her tray and gave her a spoon which I had covered in yam... I swear, watching her eat it the most AMUSING thing ever.

We tried avocado and peas yesterday.

To the PP who said their baby looks like they've eaten poo when trying something new - same here!!!!!


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## SparklingGemini (Jan 3, 2008)

Out of curiosity~

Since most of us are sort of "skimming" over the allergen and one food for so many days rules has anyone giving strawberries prior to the _official_ suggestion?

I love, love, LOVE strawberries and being out here in California strawberry season is already here. Every time my DD sees me eating one she begs for it! We don't really have any food allergies in my family at all (minus me and mushrooms) and I haven't held off on anything else but peanuts and eggs(mostly because *I* can't stand eggs!) so I wanted to know what the thoughts were on strawberries??


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

I gave DD strawberries for the first time when she was about 8 1/2 months old. She loved them. Haven't given them since, but just because they're not in season. Once our farmers market opens, I expect to. I've also given her blueberries. The only foods I've held off on so far have been shellfish and peanuts, but we don't have any allergies in our families and she's never shown any signs of sensitivities.
I know even a few of my very mainstream friends, who followed a lot of the allergen suggestions, gave strawberries to their 9- or 10-month olds, once they were in season.
Like everything else, I think it's just a personal decision.


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## CanidFL (Jul 30, 2007)

DS is 7 months and he had his first strawberry last week. He loved it. The only things we are avoiding are dairy and peanuts. And meat for a couple more months.

Once again....I had no idea there was a restriction on strawberries







:


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## SparklingGemini (Jan 3, 2008)

Well, I think I will just give in then.

My mom told me a story about my babyhood that I love...

Her and my dad used to live on a little house in the middle of this ranch/farm in Oregon. There was a HUGE strawberry patch somewhere on the property and one day my mom decided she wanted to make strawberry jam and strawberry rhubarb pie, so she took a big blanket for me to sit on while she was picking. I guess she had her back turned for several minutes and when she turned back, I had crawled over to the strawberries and was eating them as evidenced by the amount of dirt, red juice and green leaves all over my face, neck and shirt. I was only seven months at the time. No strawberry allergies for me!

So, I figure, my DD should be JUST fine!


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

I don't think Naked Baby has had strawberries yet, just because they haven't been in season. He's been woefully deprived of all fresh berries, actually! But no, I personally wouldn't avoid it. He's had peanuts now, too, at just over a year, although he probably had traces before then.


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

One of my MsIL has a strawberry allergy that developed when she was an adult... but we're not really avoiding fresh fruits/berries for dd2. But we do try to eat locally and in season so it's going to be a while before she gets to try those berries!


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## littlecindy (Feb 14, 2008)

just wanted to share. we were at a (neapolitan) pizza place tonight and i had basically crust with a caprese salad on it. my 8 month old LOVED the cubes of fresh mozzarella cheese with just a touch of olive oil. he even like it with a little of the basil. i would've let him try tomatoes, but i'm holding out a bit for those since he has a somewhat sensitive tummy. would've let him have at the crust, too, but it was awfully salty, which i'm trying to avoid a lot of yet.

i'll have to get some fresh mozz for home. great alternative to shredded cheese. he can actually pick this up and eat it himself.


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

We're avoiding major allergens, but DS has showed signs of allergies before, mostly to dairy and soy. (Bum rash, green poo, etc.) I'm still not good about waiting between foods, though I probably should. The only thing tha has irritated him so far were pears and apples, so we haven't gone back to those.


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

So, I spent the last week trying to explain to MIL the philosophy behind self feeding and how I wanted to go about making foods available, one new food each saturday morning, along with the ones he has already had, and let him choose and self feed.

Last night she comes over with a bunch of jars of organic baby food from Whole Foods, and some pages she printed off the internet from Gerber's website about how essential it is to feed him baby food so he will have enough iron and b6.








:

When DH came home, a little while later, MIL was playing with DS in the living room and I was in the kitchen. He came into the kitchen and I showed him what his mother brought. He looked at the ingredients. He hrmmmm-ed. He asked if I would object to his mother feeding them to the baby in parallel to my method of food introduction. I said yes. He asked me what I wanted him to do, exactly. I said I would put them away somewhere, ignore the matter until it comes up again, and then I just wanted him to support me.

Well, MIL brought it up pretty soon after. She handed him the printouts. He made some comments about what a great technique for ensuring sales by convincing people that your product is necessary. They argued a bit back and forth in Russian. I don't really know what happened.

I introduced pears to him this morning. He had apples starting last week, but MIL kinda interfered. She was certain he would NEVER EVER IN A MILLION YEARS know to put something in his mouth unless we forced it in there to show him that it tastes good. She had put the apple slices in his hand, and then held his hand so that the end was in his mouth. <sigh> At least she had understood that I wanted him to hold it himself, if she comprehended nothing else i had explained. So, anyway, the pears. The slices were so slippery, that he had a hard time picking them up. It was clear he wanted to. We helped him out a little sometimes, because he was getting angry, but some of the time he successfully picked them up himself. And as soon as he did, he stuck them right into his mouth. He made a horrible face. I guess he was expecting apple.


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## SparklingGemini (Jan 3, 2008)

OK.

What happened to Gil Rapley's BLW Guidelines on Borstvoeding.com ????

I reference them ALL the time when people want information about self feeding solids. And I just received a PM from another forum I belong to about them not working?

Is there anywhere else that the guidelines can be found? I usually keep a link in my siggy for others to read...


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## Polliwog (Oct 29, 2006)

I've only lurked on this thread since I can't breast feed P. But she's a graduate of baby-led feeding. I stopped using purees a few weeks after she moved in with me. She's now 13 months old and a master self-feeder. We started with banana, apple, and most cooked veggies. She also loves soft banana or avocado spread on bread. The bread makes it easier for her to eat the slippery-er foods. Her favorites are all kinds of beans, steamed veggies- searches out the green ones first, and raw bell peppers (red, orange, and yellow. She LOVES broccoli florets. It does freak people out to see such a tiny girl (only 18 pounds) with sticks of cheese, chunks of chicken, and broccoli florets but she does so well that they are usually converted.

Last night's dinner was taco salad with ground beef, cheese, mild salsa, steamed veggies and romaine lettuce. She adored it.


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## ashleyhaugh (Jun 23, 2005)

we gave my ds some steamed sweet potato "fries" last night. he had so much fun. there are pics in my siggy


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## Devaya (Sep 23, 2007)

how long did it take for some of your babies to start eating 'regularly'?ive been giving my baby the opportunity to eat solids once or twice a day, but he doesnt seem very interested except in treating it the same as he would any toy!and loses interest quickly. the only thing he got into and actually ate properly was a pear.

have tried banana (hes not that keen - tho he likes the peel!), pear, avocado (no go) and carrot (also no go) . plan to try little rice cakes next and some parsnip.

ive been trying for a couple of weeks now...just wondered if maybe i should leave it for a while then try again, cos he doesnt seem bothered.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Devaya, if he's not interested, I might just leave it for a little bit.
With DD, we started occasionally (not every day) offering her bits of things a little before 6 months. She played with it, tasted it, gummed it, occasionally swallowed a bit, but I think it was over a month of that before she really started ingesting it in significant quantities (maybe around 7 months). FWIW, she wasn't interested in broccoli or avocado, and we had the most success with banana (in bigger pieces to begin with, smaller when she mastered the pincer grasp), sweet potato "fries", butternut squash, steamed carrots, guacamole, and hummus (roasted red pepper is her favorite...).

Now that I think about it, it was right when she mastered the pincer grasp that her interest in solids really took off, and she loved having tiny pieces of things - like peas - to pick up and put in her mouth.

But I think all babes are pretty different when it comes to solids too....


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## Faliciagayle (Sep 9, 2007)

Baby led feeding is so much fun. Seriously.

She is so ~happy~ when she's got the biggest hunk of banana in her hand, tho I keep making the mistake of letting her eat when she's in her super cute wool shorties.









She's a gourmet! Last night I made potato leek soup for dinner and she loved it! Does that count even tho it's a puree and I had to feed it to her off a spoon?


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

About 2.5 weeks ago, we started handing apple slices to DS. I wanted to demonstrate eating them, and wait for him to do it himself even if it took weeks, but MIL, who strongly believes that a baby will never feed himself and must be forced, held his arm so that the slice was in his mouth. He seemed to find it interesting, and teethed on it. I kept giving him slices over the course of the next 10 days. For the first few days, he continued to teeth on them. Then he stopped wanting them at all. If I offer to hold it to his mouth for him (he still fumbles with them, and I thought maybe he was just to frustrated but really wanted them) he turns his head away like he is trying to escape it.

So, a week ago I started making pear slices available. They were much slipperier than apple. I ended up helping him get them into his hand a bit more than I did with the apple. He tasted them a few times. He seemed surprised at first when it didn't taste like apple. Then, like with the apple, he lost interest.

(By that time I realized he was developing a rash on his butt, that was probably from the pear. I stopped offering them, and the rash is now almost gone).

Now, if I sit him in the high chair with some apple slices, he just seems bored. He doesn't want them. He is much happier if I give him toys instead. And he is even happier to be put on the floor where he can practice his new skills in moving himself around.

So, I haven't bothered for the last few days to give him any apple slices. I am going to wait a while before re-offering pear. The next thing I want to offer is steamed carrot sticks, but not until the rash is gone, so probably next Saturday. I'm kinda making Saturday morning the time for adding a new food to the pile I put on his tray.

MIL is chomping at the bit to feed him more often, and get this MOVING. I'm not in a hurry. It was clearly starting to stress him.

I just told her that he is having a lot of bad teething the last few days and doesn't respond well to anything being put in his mouth for now. (Truth is, he is even holding off a long time on nursing because, it seems, he is uncomfortable putting ANYTHING in his mouth. So it wasn't a lie at the time, but it will be a lie if I continue to use that story to pacify MIL long past the teething trouble time.)


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## User101 (Mar 3, 2002)

Hey mamas! I was thinking, I'd love to make a sticky of links that addresses baby-led solids. Could you either post any great info you have to the thread or PM me? Thanks!


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

I thought this was a very good comprehensive article. It explains the safety and the philosophical concepts, along with some how-to.

There was a link to it earlier in the thread, that I bookmarked, but when I went to it last week to show MIL I found it had been moved and I had to look for it. The link above is its current location.


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Annette:
Here's a good MSNBC article(a nice "mainstream" source OKing baby-led solids): http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9646449/
And here's a great BLW blog, with tons of info, message boards, etc:
http://babyledweaning.blogware.com/

And, just looking at that last blog, it sounds like it's mostly moved to this forum, which I haven't checked out yet, but looks great:
http://www.babyledweaning.co.uk/forum/index.php


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## Faliciagayle (Sep 9, 2007)

my mom asked me if I could, just please, feed baby food off a spoon so she could eat like a "real baby"?

seriously.


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## Bunnybee (Jan 16, 2007)

My DH has it in his head that id we feed DS baby cereal he will sleep through the night! So, tonigiht I reluctantlt agreed to let him feed DS some jarred baby food (left over from DD, still not expired!) and he fed him while I was giving DD bath. Well, turns out DS ate half a jar! DH insisted DS opened mouth willingly and cried when he tried to stop feeding him. Does this mean I have been starving my son? Does DS WANT to eat purees? Ugh, i am so confused and starting to doubt myself


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## gibas23 (Apr 2, 2008)

this thread is fantastic and exactly as what I am looking for. I will be reading it more thoroughly to prepare my lo for solid when she is ready.


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bunnybee* 
My DH has it in his head that id we feed DS baby cereal he will sleep through the night! So, tonigiht I reluctantlt agreed to let him feed DS some jarred baby food (left over from DD, still not expired!) and he fed him while I was giving DD bath. Well, turns out DS ate half a jar! DH insisted DS opened mouth willingly and cried when he tried to stop feeding him. Does this mean I have been starving my son? Does DS WANT to eat purees? Ugh, i am so confused and starting to doubt myself


Quote:


Originally Posted by *Faliciagayle* 
my mom asked me if I could, just please, feed baby food off a spoon so she could eat like a "real baby"?

Well, we let DS self feed purees sometiems. And he does enjoy them. I put food on the spoon and hand it to him. Generally he puts it in his mouth. Sometimes he uses it like a pencil to create art on his high chair chair. Last night he figured out that if he put the spoon down I would put more food on it. He ate a 1/4 jar of carrots.

(I know no one NEEDS purees, but we didn't have anything baby-appropriate to eat, and I am being careful about allergies as he has some. Jars are my back-up food.)


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## Faliciagayle (Sep 9, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Twinklefae* 
Last night he figured out that if he put the spoon down I would put more food on it. He ate a 1/4 jar of carrots.

Oh I have no problem with the idea of feeding her puree (it was a potato leek soup I made for my own dinner and discovered she really liked it), and most of the time the sweet potatoes I (over) bake for her are like a puree..... it just frustrates me that my mom thinks she's not really eating unless "you shovel the goo they spit out back in their mouth with the spoon - it's so cute!"


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Faliciagayle* 
Oh I have no problem with the idea of feeding her puree (it was a potato leek soup I made for my own dinner and discovered she really liked it), and most of the time the sweet potatoes I (over) bake for her are like a puree..... it just frustrates me that my mom thinks she's not really eating unless "you shovel the goo they spit out back in their mouth with the spoon - it's so cute!"










I'm with you there... although no one dares talk to me about anything.. I was so fierce when I was pregnant, apparently it's not even worth asking me about.

My parents were happier when I let them give him sips of water out of their glasses, if that will help. (Though it sounds like your mom is stuck in one way of thinking... which is frustrating, as you say. GL with that!







)


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## luv (Mar 20, 2007)

When and how did you introdce meat? I'm still not sure of myself as I've read a few conflicting things.

TKS.
-luv


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## acp (Apr 15, 2007)

Luv, We introduced meat around 8 months, I think. The first time I wasn't really thinking about it, but I was traveling with her and eating a turkey and cheese sandwich I'd made myself in the airport gate area, and she kept reaching for it. I gave her some and she loved it. Since then she's had bits of chicken, hamburger, meatballs, turkey, and braised short ribs. Since DD only just got her first tooth a week ago (and it's still barely poking through) I do either give her just small bits of stuff or else pretty soft meat - meatballs or chicken that's been cooked in the slow cooker, etc (one of her favorites was a chicken and bean chili in the slow cooker - she LOVED it).


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

I can't remember how old DD was when we first introduced meat - maybe around the 8 month mark.

Nut mostly it's been small peices from stews, chili, we have a slow cooker recipe that results in shredded chicken, and she has had all natural roastbeef and turkey lunchmeats shredded.

about a month ago DH and I were having steaks for dinner, DD had already finished her dinner but was sitting with us and kept asking for some of the steak, so I cut her a strip of it and she gnawed away at it, the piece was big enough that she could hold onto to and bite at it, but not shove the whole thing in her mouth and choke - she loved that, she wouldn't give it up until it was destroyed.


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## lisad1 (Aug 7, 2007)

Hi all! I'm happy to find this thread! We are blw with our 6 1/2 month old dd. It's nice to have somewhere to go for support









I am heading out for groceries today and I'm lost as to what to get for dd. I was thinking sweet potatoes, bananas, apples. I've read a lot about blw but I'm still not sure where to start - can I get some ideas for first foods? Do you just feed your dc whatever is on your plate? dd is still ebf so I have mixed feelings about giving her solids (she is growing up way too fast for me







). I still have to go back and read through the early posts - off to do that now!

Lisa


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

Welcome!!

For first foods DD had steamed sweat potato spears, pear spears also there were time I just gave 1/2 a pear it was easier to hold, steamed broccoli. Everything was either soft ripe or steamed soft so that it would mush when she got it into her mouth.

In the begining when she only had 2 teeth we would give her peeled cored apple halves and let her play/eat those till they got small enough to be a choking hazard, then I took them away.

When DD was first starting out we didn't feed her straight off a our plates, I just wasn't ready and was very paranoid about allergies. Now she can have what we are eating assuming i know everything that went into it and there isn't too much sugar or salt, and for DD we do absolutely no high fructose corn syrup - actually we try not to eat it either.

Also in the begining I wasn't ready for DD to start but she was very ready but she only ate 1-2 times per week, it wasn't until she was 8 months old that she was eating very regularly and that was just a lunch at daycare, we've gradually added morning and afternoon snacks if she wants them and right now she still nurses before solids.


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## littlecindy (Feb 14, 2008)

just gave adrian an apple to *try* and chew on the other night. he could slowly scrape off a bit. he loved the taste. probably good for teething, too.


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## ashleyhaugh (Jun 23, 2005)

tristan is 6.5 months,and man he loves his food. the other day i fed him (cuz it was too crumbly for him to do himself) 2 egg yolks, then he had a teething biscuit, some peas (maybe 6 or 7) and he munched on a steamed carrot stick. and that was after he nursed, lol


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## EviesMom (Nov 30, 2004)

I've been dipping a spoon in purees as well, the sitter especially uses them to give him something while I'm away for work, because he rarely takes expressed milk from a bottle or sippy cup. I dip his spoon in anything appropriate off my plate--applesauce, mashed potatoes, avocado--or do a little bowl of a puree, and let him play with the spoon. He more often feeds his eyebrows than his mouth, but he has fun!

I also have a couple "baby safe feeder" mesh things with handles. I put whatever we have that I would worry about with choking like melon, pears, apple slices, into the feeder and then he has that while I eat. He likes it and it's good for getting a little flavor of something, but he's not really going to be able to eat much of it. It does let me know what I might want to do a puree of for him though. If he doesn't like it in the feeder, he won't like it on a spoon either. (Remembering making a huge batch of pureed sweet potato to freeze for dd and she hated it! Had I done the baby feeder, I'd have known before I made it! Eh, makes good soup if that happens to anyone else!)


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

I am looking for information/ thoughts on children being likely to choke because they are fast eaters.

I know the difference between choking and gagging and we've been BLW for a while now, DD is a veracious eater, she eats fast and often stuffs several pieces in her mouth at once. This seems to be bothering her daycare provider.

Today the director, who also works up in the baby room, made the comment that she had to put her foot down with DD because she was going to choke, that she was stuffing too much in her mouth and that the pieces I sent were too big. The director has said similar things before, that DD will probably be a choker, they've had them before and her eating so fast is why they think this.

DD was eating banana, which had been quartered and cut into 1.5 to 2 inch sections. At home she eats a banana whole I don't cut it up any more.

Any thoughts on this. I guess I was thinking that with the gagging practice she had from the beginning she isn't any more likely to choke than any other child.

We aren't in a position to change Daycares right now, just looking for opinions or wed address for info to back up my position that DD is fine.

Thanks


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## rrs (Jul 11, 2007)

Subbing. Carter will be six months at the beginning of next month, and we plan on doing BLW.

As a side note, he actually has had his first solid. Sunday while we were eating, Justin was holding him. Carter reached up and grabbed the toppings from Justin's pizza, and stuffed them in his mouth. He got jerk chicken and cheese. Of course he's got a milk protein allergy







. I promptly took it away, and he ate dinner with me and the "safe" food.

Generally I would accept that incident and the fact that he has already surpassed all of the appropriate milestones as an indication to start solids. However with his milk and soy allergy, I'm delaying.


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## ssharon (Jan 19, 2008)

Any opinion from you other self-feeding people on introducing peanut butter/nut butters? I have introduced many foods very early with the self-feeding (compared to what the guidelines suggest). With my first I went by the guidelines and did not introduce peanut butter until 2. With my second (9 mo old) I am considering trying it earlier. I am just wondering if anyone else tried it earlier. I know peanut butter is supposed to be more allergenic so maybe I could even start with another nut butter. Any thoughts?


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## lnitti (Jun 14, 2004)

dd2 is 7 months and we'd like to start self-feeding.

with dd1 we used a hook on high chair so that dd1 was right at the table. Is that still possible with self feeding or since there is not a tray, will we loose most of the food to the floor? What are the recommendations for high chair for self-feeding?

Also, I guess I'm not really sure what I'm doing. so far, dd2 enjoys eating peas and corn and sucking on other stuff too, but I'm worried about safety and knowing what size pieces to give her. big enough she can't put the whole thing in and choke and small enough to eat as is, but what about the in between sizes. What about spoonable foods? How does she learn how to spoon it herself? do I just not use those foods? What about plates/bowls? She has no concept of leaving them on the table.


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## gibas23 (Apr 2, 2008)

my 5.5 months old ate a whole bowl of rice cereal today. Her first solid food. I am so proud of her.

She has been salivating over our food whenever she is watching us having dinner or lunch for a couple of weeks now. So I figure let's try giving her some rice cereal to see if she is ready for solid and she does, yay... I am gonna give her some more tomorrow and finally, I can open up the sealed Fresh baby food kit that I got a long time ago to start making homemade baby food for her.


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## lnitti (Jun 14, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *gibas23* 
my 5.5 months old ate a whole bowl of rice cereal today. Her first solid food. I am so proud of her.

She has been salivating over our food whenever she is watching us having dinner or lunch for a couple of weeks now. So I figure let's try giving her some rice cereal to see if she is ready for solid and she does, yay... I am gonna give her some more tomorrow and finally, I can open up the sealed Fresh baby food kit that I got a long time ago to start making homemade baby food for her.

I don't think this thread is about feeding babies baby cereal and baby food


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lnitti* 
.
with dd1 we used a hook on high chair so that dd1 was right at the table. Is that still possible with self feeding or since there is not a tray, will we loose most of the food to the floor? What are the recommendations for high chair for self-feeding?

You could use the table... I prefer to have a tray, as not only does it help contain the food, it's easier to clean! If space is an isssue I think fisher price makes a high chair without legs that sits on a kitchen chair. Like this

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lnitti* 
.
Also, I guess I'm not really sure what I'm doing. so far, dd2 enjoys eating peas and corn and sucking on other stuff too, but I'm worried about safety and knowing what size pieces to give her. big enough she can't put the whole thing in and choke and small enough to eat as is, but what about the in between sizes. What about spoonable foods? How does she learn how to spoon it herself? do I just not use those foods? What about plates/bowls? She has no concept of leaving them on the table.

Generally I either give DS the whole thing, or I give him things cut like french fries. He has apple wedges (I leave the skin on), sweet potato "fries", whole green beans... I don't worry about choking. Babies have a very sensitive gag reflex, and gagging is a way they protect themselves from choking. If DS takes a bite that's too big, he gags it all back up. He is learning really fast to take smaller bites! (DF is amazed by this. "He's eating like a real person!") It doesn't bother me when DS gags. If it worries you and you aren't comfortable with it, only give whole foods (the whole apple) or bite sized bits.

As I mentioned up thread, if a sppon is required we give DS the spoon to self feed. I dip the spoon in the applesauce or whatever, and hand it to DS. Sometimes is goes in his mouth, sometimes he eats the other end, sometimes he smears it in his hair.







It's all good fun.

We don't give him plate/bowls yet. He doesn't get it at all.

Hope this helps! Good luck and have lots of fun!


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

Rostik is now self-feeding apple slices, steamed carrot sticks, and steamed broccoli. He seems to like the carrots and broccoli best.

MIL is concerned that he is not chubby enough. He is in about the 30th percentile for weight, and above 50 for height. He is meeting all his milestones (early). He is full of energy. He is very sturdy and healthy. She keeps pushing DH that we need to spoonfeed purees to force Rostik to ingest more, because he is not eating enough. We shouldn't let him choose for himself how much to eat. It is WRONG. Babies can't make that kind of decision for themselves. We're the parents and have to make him do what is best for him. Blah blah blah.

She talks to DH, who isn't as firm in his certainty about self-feeding as I am. Then he comes to me and asks questions. If he were hungry, wouldn't he want to nurse more often than every 3 hours? Wouldn't he nurse longer than 10 minutes? Would he be so energetic? Does he LOOK like he is starving?

MIL fed DH exclusively cream of wheat cereal from 4 months on. She says he refused breastmilk after having tasted one can of formula. What happened to forcing your kid to do what is best, huh? At least she nursed SIL to a year.


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lnitti* 
dd2 is 7 months and we'd like to start self-feeding.

with dd1 we used a hook on high chair so that dd1 was right at the table. Is that still possible with self feeding or since there is not a tray, will we loose most of the food to the floor? What are the recommendations for high chair for self-feeding?

Welcome

We go this booster seat since it had a tray (it's on the small side) and it can go under the table so DD can eat at the table just like us. We do both. We were considering the highchair Twinklefae mentioned, but it came down to a cost issue for us at the time. The booster seet has traveled with us several times and works nicely for that. Either way tray or table if DD really wants, food ends up on the floor.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lnitti* 
Also, I guess I'm not really sure what I'm doing. so far, dd2 enjoys eating peas and corn and sucking on other stuff too, but I'm worried about safety and knowing what size pieces to give her. big enough she can't put the whole thing in and choke and small enough to eat as is, but what about the in between sizes. What about spoonable foods? How does she learn how to spoon it herself? do I just not use those foods? What about plates/bowls? She has no concept of leaving them on the table.

Also like Twinklefae, we have offered french fry shaped pieces, large chunks or spears. We also give diced food, DD sometimes likes to eat and play with her pincer grasp. DD has recently (the last month) started eating apple slices. We don't leave the peals on things because DD will eat them (edible one or not) and she has struggled in the past with the peel, we've started leaving some on the apple slices and she is getting better with them.

We have offered bowls and plates, DD doesn't really get it and we take them away when she starts banging or trying to throw them. When the food is really good, she will lick the plate









Quote:


Originally Posted by *ssharon* 
Any opinion from you other self-feeding people on introducing peanut butter/nut butters? I have introduced many foods very early with the self-feeding (compared to what the guidelines suggest). With my first I went by the guidelines and did not introduce peanut butter until 2. With my second (9 mo old) I am considering trying it earlier. I am just wondering if anyone else tried it earlier. I know peanut butter is supposed to be more allergenic so maybe I could even start with another nut butter. Any thoughts?

We haven't introduced any nut butters yet, but I eat them all the time and I don't wash up and sterilize myself or the dishes before DD handles them so she's probably been exposed - I've been thinking about offering but I worry too, I read/ heard someone say that under two they can't tell you if they are starting to have a reaction - itching, hard to breath etc.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Twinklefae* 
Generally I either give DS the whole thing, or I give him things cut like french fries. He has apple wedges (I leave the skin on),

How does yur LO handle the peel? DD will eat or try to eat any peel, avacado, melon rind, banana and apple.. Should I worry about her eating the non-edible (well that we normally don't eat) rinds/ peels?

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Twinklefae* 
As I mentioned up thread, if a sppon is required we give DS the spoon to self feed. I dip the spoon in the applesauce or whatever, and hand it to DS. Sometimes is goes in his mouth, sometimes he eats the other end, sometimes he smears it in his hair.







It's all good fun.









:
DD has also been dipping her spoon into food and spooning foods out for herself - sometimes she is more succesfull than others

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Lady Lilya* 
Rostik is now self-feeding apple slices, steamed carrot sticks, and steamed broccoli. He seems to like the carrots and broccoli best.

MIL is concerned that he is not chubby enough. He is in about the 30th percentile for weight, and above 50 for height. He is meeting all his milestones (early). He is full of energy. He is very sturdy and healthy. She keeps pushing DH that we need to spoonfeed purees to force Rostik to ingest more, because he is not eating enough. We shouldn't let him choose for himself how much to eat. It is WRONG. Babies can't make that kind of decision for themselves. We're the parents and have to make him do what is best for him. Blah blah blah.

She talks to DH, who isn't as firm in his certainty about self-feeding as I am. Then he comes to me and asks questions. If he were hungry, wouldn't he want to nurse more often than every 3 hours? Wouldn't he nurse longer than 10 minutes? Would he be so energetic? Does he LOOK like he is starving?

MIL fed DH exclusively cream of wheat cereal from 4 months on. She says he refused breastmilk after having tasted one can of formula. What happened to forcing your kid to do what is best, huh? At least she nursed SIL to a year.

DD loves Broccoli too!

As far as the MIL goes stick with it, keep explaining, maybe she will come around. At least your DH is asking questions so that you can keep educating him.
I say maybe above because in the past I have said they will come around - I've been proven wrong - MIL called just last week, talked to DH and wanted a baby update, she asked if DD was eating solids yet, real food?








Since DD turned 6 months old (so ~ 6 mo now) DD has been given peices of cooked regular food. She has eaten broccoli, a whole pear 1/2 and various other foods infront of MIL, in addition to e-mails from me that state we aren't doing jarred purres or baby cereal (store bought). We spent a week with them where DD was eating solid "real" food from our plates.
So I have no clue where that came from except, MIL fed DH solids, jarred purees, starting at 2 weeks and he was eating chocolate ice cream at 5 months







It might explain why she wants to keep feeding DD cookies.
And I know she really wants to see DD dig into a chocolate birthday cake







and do the crazy baby with a cake thing on her first Birthday. I have a feeling DD wouldn't overly excited to have that "real" food infront of her, how is it any different to a BLW baby than any other meal they get?


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

DS doesn't have top teeth yet, so right now he doesn't generally eat the peel. It make a good backing for his bottom teeth to scrape all the flesh off the apple.


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

I explained and explained, and even sent her a link to an article. But a few days later she showed up with jars of organic baby food.

I have said that I will offer him purees after first exposing him to a variety of NATURAL textures. I had given a list of what I wanted to offer before purees. We are making one new food available each saturday morning, in addition to the foods he has already experienced. So, now we are less than 2 weeks from when I said I would offer purees.

I don't think he is ready. He hasn't mastered what he has had so far. He is grawing on them enough to break little pieces off, and then the pieces float around his mouth and he doesn't know what to do. His eyes water from the sensation. He opens his mouth, sticks his tongue out, and makes a cough-like sound. He gags on occasion. After a while, some pieces end up swallowed, and others fall out. He tries to catch them with his mouth.

I'm considering postponing the purees, but I am concerned that in 3 weeks we are going to a wedding and leaving him for 6 hours with the ILs. (There is nobody else I would consider leaving him with for that long.) I'm not confident I can pump enough for his needs during that time. I'm not confident he will take well to any delivery system other than nursing. He has very little experience with a bottle, and that was many months ago. He has not been willing to experiment with a sippy cup yet. So, I kinda like the idea of having a variety of methods of satiating his hunger until I get back. If MIL has the option of spoonfeeding him purees, that might help. I just don't want him crying with hunger for 3 or 4 hours.

The only real issue I would have with MIL feeding him in my absence is that I would want her to offer him as much BM as he wants first, and then solids as a supplement. She would probably do it the opposite, in an attempt to "compensate" for what I have been doing "wrong" all along. But for 2 feedings it isn't that big of a deal, and not something worth making a battle over.


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## amyleigh33 (Nov 2, 2006)

busy to post much & nak but dd had pb as early as 8 m/o b/c i put it or hemp protein in smoothies and she insists on having whatever i do. so she's had hemp nut too







:
i was planning on waiting longer but having no reason to suspect allergies in our family i just did what i had to do to get her to stop yelling at me ...


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## lnitti (Jun 14, 2004)

Quote:

Generally I either give DS the whole thing, or I give him things cut like french fries. He has apple wedges (I leave the skin on), sweet potato "fries", whole green beans... I don't worry about choking. Babies have a very sensitive gag reflex, and gagging is a way they protect themselves from choking. If DS takes a bite that's too big, he gags it all back up. He is learning really fast to take smaller bites! (DF is amazed by this. "He's eating like a real person!") It doesn't bother me when DS gags. If it worries you and you aren't comfortable with it, only give whole foods (the whole apple) or bite sized bits.
oh dd has gnawed/mushed on green beans, but can't really bite any off to actually eat. But she makes me nervous when she shove the whole soggy (from mushing it) green bean in her mouth like its an accordian. There is no way she could eat it like that (I don't think anyways!), but it seems that she would be likely to choke on it that way.

Quote:

As I mentioned up thread, if a sppon is required we give DS the spoon to self feed. I dip the spoon in the applesauce or whatever, and hand it to DS. Sometimes is goes in his mouth, sometimes he eats the other end, sometimes he smears it in his hair.







It's all good fun.

We don't give him plate/bowls yet. He doesn't get it at all.
If you are offering spoonable food, then wouldn't that be in a bowl?


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## lnitti (Jun 14, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ubelle* 
DD loves Broccoli too!

We've done broccoli and cauliflower too. dd mostly sucks on them, but then when big chunks come off and into her mouth I worry.

Isn't there a certain size that would be the most likely to cause choking (and I don't mean gagging, but actual choking)? Shouldn't I avoid food piece of that size?

She did chicken once - sucking on it and eventually pulled off a tiny piece. She gagged on that and vomited (breastmilk vomit). Not real nice, but I can deal. I do worry however when other people see her experimenting and say won't she choke. What happens if I say no, then she gags and vomits again? Or what if she does that all over someone else table (like MIL) at a family dinner. I would think other people would be grossed out.


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## littlecindy (Feb 14, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lnitti* 
dd2 is 7 months and we'd like to start self-feeding.

with dd1 we used a hook on high chair so that dd1 was right at the table. Is that still possible with self feeding or since there is not a tray, will we loose most of the food to the floor? What are the recommendations for high chair for self-feeding?

Also, I guess I'm not really sure what I'm doing. so far, dd2 enjoys eating peas and corn and sucking on other stuff too, but I'm worried about safety and knowing what size pieces to give her. big enough she can't put the whole thing in and choke and small enough to eat as is, but what about the in between sizes. What about spoonable foods? How does she learn how to spoon it herself? do I just not use those foods? What about plates/bowls? She has no concept of leaving them on the table.

high chair doesn't really matter. the table would work fine. the spoon feeding comes later. or at least i'm not messing with it. sometimes he is spoonfed purees at daycare. but generally if it requires a spoon we don't give it to him. instead of applesauce, he gnaws on a whole apple. instead of rice cereal wet he gets cheerios. etc.


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

We do wedges, but we sometimes "rip things up" a bit once we reach "choking hazard" size. For example, dd2 loooooves broccoli. But after a few minutes of chewing the edges she will cram the whole thing in and gag. Over and over and over until it's a nasty blob of gooey broccoli mush that she just keeps trying to swallow.







So sometimes we'll wait till she has reached the mushy phase and then tear the broccoli down a bit so she has "fresh" surfaces to work on.

But dd2 is now almost 11mo and I'm not "worried" about her eating more solids... and she's been self feeding from our plates for a few months now. We do offer her a spoon when there's something like applesauce, but we only give her a very small portion of a scoopable food so no matter what the mess isn't huge. I think dd1 got the hang of using a spoon around 12-14mo.


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lnitti* 
If you are offering spoonable food, then wouldn't that be in a bowl?

Yes there is a bowl or cup for us when spoonables are offered, but I typically hold the bowl until DD gets tired of being spoon fed, then I hand over the bowl and she plays withthe sppon and figer paints/ eats whatever the spoonable food is. Very messy and not for the feight of heart but DD get frustrated with me faast during spoon feedings

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lnitti* 
Isn't there a certain size that would be the most likely to cause choking (and I don't mean gagging, but actual choking)? Shouldn't I avoid food piece of that size?

DD has eaten whole banana for several months now, and that is farly large, but mushy, I usually use the whole grape test if it's that size and hard/ firm I cut it or break it up, but if it's a mushy food I let her have at it. But that's just me, I've been told she's going to choke one of these days but I don't really believe it - I don't think her chances are any high than anyone elses.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lnitti* 
... What happens if I say no, then she gags and vomits again? Or what if she does that all over someone else table (like MIL) at a family dinner. I would think other people would be grossed out.

When it's family (grandparents aunts etc) or REALLY good friends the vomiting probably won't be huge issue - yes it's gross - but they will probably be concerned for LO safety - then you can point out that it was gagging not choking and that it is important to learn. The vomit part is from experience DD has been sick both with family and friends and they didn't worry overly aboutthe vomit at the table - some families may be different though.


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## Narn (Nov 7, 2007)

Some fun pictures:

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/b...thief/Pear.jpg

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/b...hief/Apple.jpg

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/b...ef/Avocado.jpg

I love this thread!


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## Narn (Nov 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SparklingGemini* 
Since most of us are sort of "skimming" over the allergen and one food for so many days rules has anyone giving strawberries prior to the _official_ suggestion?

We did strawberries last week. I bit off the bottom half of a strawberry and gave Faye the top half with the leaves to hold on to. She seemed to like it. Got a little strawberry mush in her mouth.


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

carrot

dueling apple slices

The broccoli ones are still in the camera.


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## Bunnybee (Jan 16, 2007)

I also am not doing the "one food for 3 days" thing b/c my DD seems not to have food allergies and neither do dH or I. So, DS has had a lot of new foods the last couple days (egg, beef, chicken) and now has little bumps on his face! I'm wondering if it is a reaction to fod or just the warmer weather? I feel so bad that I may have contributed to him losing his perfect skin!


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

I just find it easier to add a new food to the offerings on a Saturday morning. So that's what I'm doing for now. If he was showing more interest, I would accelerate it. If he reached for our food, I would only hold it back if I thought it was really dagnerous.


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## Narn (Nov 7, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Bunnybee* 
I also am not doing the "one food for 3 days" thing b/c my DD seems not to have food allergies and neither do dH or I. So, DS has had a lot of new foods the last couple days (egg, beef, chicken) and now has little bumps on his face! I'm wondering if it is a reaction to fod or just the warmer weather? I feel so bad that I may have contributed to him losing his perfect skin!

This happens to Faye sometimes. I think it is drooling with food remnants that are irritating the skin.


----------



## Bunnybee (Jan 16, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Narn* 
This happens to Faye sometimes. I think it is drooling with food remnants that are irritating the skin.

You know what? I thought of that too. The right side of his face is worse and I think I didn't clean him too well after eating avocado a few days ago, and remembered he smeared that side more, lol! I thought it would be gone by now though!


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

DS today self-fed himself cat food. He just started crawling a few days ago. Today he found the bowl, dumped it over, sat in the midst of it, grabbed handfuls, and licked them.


----------



## Bunnybee (Jan 16, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Lady Lilya* 
DS today self-fed himself cat food. He just started crawling a few days ago. Today he found the bowl, dumped it over, sat in the midst of it, grabbed handfuls, and licked them.


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## Faliciagayle (Sep 9, 2007)

Regarding rashes: I think that's what happened to my DD, she got a huge drool rash on her upper chest - right where her chin hits her chest. I don't remember what she was eating when it happened, tho









I think it was Arwen who mentioned her baby liked Matzah, so does my girl! Good thing, too, since it's Passover right now.

Here are some pics

First taste
Best when experienced with the whole body
banana day


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

One of the cats observed the event. She looked puzzled. I imagine her thinking "I had thought he was a human, but maybe he is a cat after all."


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## Devaya (Sep 23, 2007)

Hvent been on this thread for a while, its great to see what all the babies have been up to! and great pics!

DS is now eating miniature (baby) apple-flavoured organic rice cakes (well, eating equals mostly sucking and playing with it, but 'chewing' (no teeth yet) n swallowing the odd bit!), dried organic mango (this is a popular one!), and as of this morning, tahini! He was grabbing for my rice cakes with tahini so i tried a bit with him. The tahini moustache was something to see ! he seemed to enjoy it.

i keep meaning to do more cooked veg, but just have been so busy and by the time we cook dinner he is in bed. he is showing more interest now - a couple weeks ago i posted that he wasnt, so i held off for a little bit.


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## CanidFL (Jul 30, 2007)

People are looking for this thread. Since I bumped it, I will give an update.

DS is loving food. He is really into watermelon right now. I think it's because the cool rind feels good on his teething gums. He only has one tooth so the others must be getting ready to poke up. He is also very into corn on the cob. We cook it on the grill and he gums it forever.

Here are some pics

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...h/STP81050.jpg

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...h/STP81032.jpg

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...h/STP80994.jpg


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## Shami (Oct 9, 2007)

This is so much fun! My girl has eaten or experimented with watermelon, sweet potato, broccoli, zuch/squash, pear, apple.

My question is...
when the food is slippery and I am soooo tempted to help her get to it. Am I defeating the purpose of her learning process. Possibly pushing her before she is developmentally ready?

tia


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## tbone_kneegrabber (Oct 16, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Shami* 
This is so much fun! My girl has eaten or experimented with watermelon, sweet potato, broccoli, zuch/squash, pear, apple.

My question is...
when the food is slippery and I am soooo tempted to help her get to it. Am I defeating the purpose of her learning process. Possibly pushing her before she is developmentally ready?

tia

This is my question. Ds wants the food. When he gets it he loves it. Sometimes its just too slippery. And he gets frustrated, but if i help him out, he's happy. Is that so wrong?


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## mama_daba (Dec 7, 2004)

my son has now had food twice. the first time yam and he managed to probably eat some and then we waited over a week because i felt he wasn't really ready and last night he had some carrots. he managed to get some in his mouth and then he spit it out after a while. i am worried about allergies so not letting him share whats on my plate. i really like doing this baby led. he wants to play with food and eat when he see's me and dp eating and emotionally he is totally ready to stick his hands in the food and he shows all the signs of being physically ready but i'm not so sure he is and that he isn't actually eating sorta of tells me i am right about that.

does anyone feel sad about starting solids? part of me was cheering inside that he didn't actually eat any carrot. i love breast feeding and i love providing nourishment for him and i know that right now food is for playing and experimenting but i feel sad about it as a sign that he is growing up. i dunno it is also fun and exciting i don't just feel sad.


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## lesliesara63 (Dec 18, 2004)

I've read bits & pieces of this thread and am very interested. DD hasn't started solids yet other than when I let her lick an apple and suck avocado off my finger one day. What foods do you start with? With my first dd I mainly followed what was in Dr Sears book. She never had thin purees, just kind of thick ones from 6-8mths and then food after that. I'm just not sure how to get started.


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## CanidFL (Jul 30, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *moonfroggy* 
does anyone feel sad about starting solids? part of me was cheering inside that he didn't actually eat any carrot. i love breast feeding and i love providing nourishment for him and i know that right now food is for playing and experimenting but i feel sad about it as a sign that he is growing up. i dunno it is also fun and exciting i don't just feel sad.


Yeah it didn't hit me until a LLL meeting last month where the topic was introducing solids. They started by saying as soon as your baby wants solids and starts eating solids, you are in the weaning process. I got all teary and in my head was thinking "no way!!! Not my baby! We are not weaning" lol it was so silly. They went on to have a very great discussion about how you start the weaning process at 6 months but it can last for 2 or 3 more years. It's all child driven. So yeah, I was sad at first but now we are having so much fun with food and I know he loves the milk more then food so I still feel good.

About the slippery food. I will put the food in DS's hand if it's really slippery and he keeps dropping it. He has a pretty good grip though and doesn't need much help. I never actually put food into DS's mouth though.


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## HeatherB (Jan 30, 2003)

Hi, mamas! My DS is over 7mo and hasn't had any solids yet at all. I've been waiting as he's been spitting up more and has had some unusual stool patterns lately, so I'm trying to figure out if he's got a sensitivity to something or if we just haven't been seeing the chiro enough.

But, there are days (like today!) when it seems perfectly natural to hand him a bit of what we're eating, even though he's not had anything before. He's hit all of the "readiness" milestones of sitting, crawling, has two teeth, etc. He's been grabbing for plates and food for a while, too!







(But I didn't think that red beans and rice should be his first meal, despite his having a handful of it!







)

A question - on the 1st page of this thread, there was a link to a European breastfeeding site that no longer works. Is there an updated link available?


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Shami* 
My question is...
when the food is slippery and I am soooo tempted to help her get to it. Am I defeating the purpose of her learning process. Possibly pushing her before she is developmentally ready?

I have helped DD pick up slippery foods, especially when they seem stuck to the plate or tray and all she is managing is to push it around. But I ussually just help her get it to her hand. She needs alot less help now, she has grown so much.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *moonfroggy* 
does anyone feel sad about starting solids? part of me was cheering inside that he didn't actually eat any carrot. i love breast feeding and i love providing nourishment for him and i know that right now food is for playing and experimenting but i feel sad about it as a sign that he is growing up. i dunno it is also fun and exciting i don't just feel sad.

It was a struggle to start solids for me and I think I actually cried a few times. I have a very enthusiastic eater and I really limited her food intake at first because I wasn't really ready, which probably isn't the right thing to do, but I didn't realize I was holding back until a few months later. I never refused her food, but I gave her really tiny amounts, probably less than she was willing/ wanting to eat. She would nurse before hand and after too.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *HeatherB* 
A question - on the 1st page of this thread, there was a link to a European breastfeeding site that no longer works. Is there an updated link available?

Yup here it is

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Lady Lilya* 
I thought this was a very good comprehensive article. It explains the safety and the philosophical concepts, along with some how-to.


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## Shami (Oct 9, 2007)

nak

thanks to those who answered the slippery food question

how do you intro fooods that require a spoon?

like oatmeal

do you wait until until they can do it or put it on tray for play?


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Shami* 
nak

thanks to those who answered the slippery food question

how do you intro fooods that require a spoon?

like oatmeal

do you wait until until they can do it or put it on tray for play?

We put it on the spoon and then hand him the spoon. Mostly, it goes in his mouth from there. He really likes having a spoon.


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## spmamma (Sep 2, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Shami* 
nak

thanks to those who answered the slippery food question

how do you intro fooods that require a spoon?

like oatmeal

do you wait until until they can do it or put it on tray for play?

We skipped the spoon with things like applesauce and put a small pile on DD's tray. She picks it up with her fingers and self-feeds. A bit messy, but she has no clue what a spoon is for and if we handed her a spoon with food on it the spoon (and food) would likely end up on the floor.


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## Ubelle (Nov 3, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Twinklefae* 
We put it on the spoon and then hand him the spoon. Mostly, it goes in his mouth from there. He really likes having a spoon.

Us too, DD loves having 2-3 spoons going, she hates giving one up unless she knows she will get one immediatly in return.

Some times she just likes to wave them around too

Now DD takes the spoons and makes attempts at scooping out of the bowl she is pretty succesfull withthe right consistency. We got her a suction bowl to help this endever.


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## Shami (Oct 9, 2007)

They make suction bowls? That's waaay cool.
Thanks for the tips.
Having more than one spoon is brillant

Can you tell I'm kinda clueless?


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## HeatherB (Jan 30, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ubelle* 
Yup here it is


Thanks for the link! Very helpful! I've been discussing it with my DH this evening and love the concepts. So glad to have stumbled upon this!


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## spmamma (Sep 2, 2007)

DD gobbled up a bunch of TJ's Spicy Hummus tonight. She loooooved it and was upset when it was all gone!







:

The best part? She had a hummus beard... I wish I had my camera with me at the time!


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## Polliwog (Oct 29, 2006)

P was sick for her first birthday and didn't want to eat much. Her big brother and I were eating the four-flavored tub of hummus and mini pitas. P pulled the tub over to her and dove into it. Her favorite was the spicy one. I've got some great pictures. Red eyes, drippy nose and a face full of hummus.


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## littlecindy (Feb 14, 2008)

adrian had hummus for the first time this weekend too. trader joe's garlic lovers. on their mini whole wheat pitas.


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## Shami (Oct 9, 2007)

mmm hummus

when did you all start wheat products?

is it one year?


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## spmamma (Sep 2, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Shami* 
mmm hummus

when did you all start wheat products?

is it one year?

I think DD tried wheat products around 8 months. We don't have a history of wheat allergies, so I haven't worried about it. That being said, she really only gets teeny tiny bits of bread here and there.


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## Shami (Oct 9, 2007)

Giving bread kind of scares me.

It doesn't mush up like sw. pot. or watermelon.

what kind of bread product did you give first?


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Huge hunk of organic french bread (he loved the heels) - they just gnaw and gnaw on it, it gets gradually softer, they maybe consume a little of it, but it seems to feel great on teething gums!


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## spmamma (Sep 2, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Arwyn* 
Huge hunk of organic french bread (he loved the heels) - they just gnaw and gnaw on it, it gets gradually softer, they maybe consume a little of it, but it seems to feel great on teething gums!

We've also given DD bits of French bread. Unfortunately, I've never been able to give her big hunks of anything. Even when she didn't have teeth, she'd bite off huge pieces and either gag on them or get them stuck in her palette.

So, we've always given her tiny pieces that she can pick up with her fingers. So... maybe she didn't really get bread until she was about 9 MO (I said 8 MO before) since that's when her pincer grasp developed.


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## Shami (Oct 9, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *spmamma* 
We've also given DD bits of French bread. Unfortunately, I've never been able to give her big hunks of anything. Even when she didn't have teeth, *she'd bite off huge pieces and either gag on them or get them stuck in her palette.*
So, we've always given her tiny pieces that she can pick up with her fingers. So... maybe she didn't really get bread until she was about 9 MO (I said 8 MO before) since that's when her pincer grasp developed.

The bold part...that's what I am afraid of regarding bread. Arwyn, how old was your babe?


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## littlecindy (Feb 14, 2008)

adrian's had a bit of wheat here and there. a bite of my scone or grilled cheese. at 9 months i've started giving him a bit more. like the hummus on pitas. i'll still give him gluten (& egg) free things if i can find them. like frozen pancakes and waffles, etc.


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## GMum (Apr 25, 2008)

Hi, I've been lurking here for a week or so, reading with interest because our DD, Neva, is 5 months old and has been showing a real interest in food. She has shown all the signs of readiness including sitting up on her own. We tried to hold her off until she was 6 months. We gave her a bowl and spoon to play with, sat her in her chair etc etc.

Then, the other day I was eating a banana and she lunged at it, managed to get chunk on her hand and took it straight to her mouth...and swallowed!

So, yesterday I figured I would give her some food to play with. I mashed up ( roughly mashed) a bit of avocado and put in on a tray with a spoon. She tried eating with her hands, swallowing little bits just fine, then she figured out the spoon and put the spoon end into her mouth ( I had loaded a little bit on the spoon). She couldn't get enough after that and kept trying to get the mush on the spoon. She actually ate ( swallowed) quite a lot, and really had a blast ( so did we).

DH and I totally agree with CLW - it fits our philosophy. Shovelling spoonfuls of food into a baby's mouth never seemed right to me so I am so glad I found this thread!. However I was too nervous to give her whole, non-mushed avocado because she is only 5 months. But, it went so well, again today that I think I might try some bigger pieces of banana tomorrow. DH's family have a history of allergies so I have to intro one food at a time and thought of spacing a new food a couple of days apart.

I'm so glad I found this thread. Especially because I felt a little wave of sadness when I saw Neva eating. When I read others had felt the same, I felt much better.

I'm sticking around as I learn and experience more!







:


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Shami* 
The bold part...that's what I am afraid of regarding bread. Arwyn, how old was your babe?

I'm trying to remember... Naked Baby started eating around 7.5 months (didn't really swallow anything then). At Thanksgiving (around 8.5 months?) he gnawed on a turkey thigh that had a little meat on it. At one point he got a chunk off, and gagged it back out. It was a little nerve wracking, but I just watched him, and learned that if he doesn't want something in his mouth, he can get it back out just fine thank you! His first french bread heel was, oh, maybe a month later, probably less. We delayed wheat a little just because I don't think gluten is particularly good for us, but we eat so much I wasn't going to deny him it entirely for long. But it was a little stale, and whole, and he wasn't ABLE to get a big chunk off, just gnaw little bits.

There was a short time when between when he was able to bite big chunks off apple slices and when I trusted him to only do that if he meant to, maybe a month, when we didn't give him apple slices, but that was about it for food restrictions due to choking fears.

But every child is different. I do believe that, in general, babies who are offered whole foods from the beginning (not spoonfed mashes or only offered tiny chunks for months first) handle it better, _but_, again, every child is different. And, every parent is different in what they're OK watching. I was "ok" (again, scared, but able to sit and watch calmly) with Naked Baby gagging on a really big chunk of turkey, and other people might not be, and that's ok. I do think gagging is a good skill to learn, but not at the cost of parental heart attacks, y'know? So everyone has to figure out what they're comfortable with, not just do something because someone else thinks it's a good idea.


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## Shami (Oct 9, 2007)

Thanks Arwyn. My dd isn't even seven months yet so I guess i'll wait a bit.

Way to go...reminding me to do my kegals. I hate kegals!


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## Devaya (Sep 23, 2007)

hi everyone. was just wondering if any of you ever feel like your baby isnt getting enough food this way? (dare i say it???) I dont want to undermine BLW at all, and am still doing it, but my baby is seeming hungrier lately and the constant bfing is getting me down. plus the night wakings continue and even worsen....sigh...rather than letting him cry im considering giving some sort of thing like baby rice (yes, i know...) or just some form of food that will actually get something down him. at the moment i give him some mushy stuff and let him feed himself with the spoon. (messy, but some gets down). any thoughts anyone??


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## mama_daba (Dec 7, 2004)

devaya do you think your baby might be going through a growth spurt? whenever my lo goes through them he nurses a lot more often. so far i think all he has actually eaten with baby led is a few bites of carrot. he mostly just plays with his food and gets all his actual nurishment from me but he isn't even 7 months old yet and all he needs at this point for nurishment is breast milk so i don't worry about if he is eating enough. if he was eating more and he started to nurse less i might worry though. i don't want to do anything that might lead to a nursing strike or early weaning.


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## Devaya (Sep 23, 2007)

thanks moonfroggy. i guess it might be a growth spurt, i've lost track of when they're supposed to happen! i wouldnt want to encourage him to nurse less, but everytime he's had a growth spurt in the past, its gone on for weeks! people have been remarking that i look tired and not well







DS also plays with his food mostly and only gets a couple of mouthfuls down. I know that's normal, but i guess I just get a bit desperate sometimes! It's hard when only one other mum i know is doing this type of weaning, and everyone else has puree's and three meals a day and so on. Thank god for this forum!


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## ians_mommy (Apr 5, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Shami* 
Giving bread kind of scares me.

It doesn't mush up like sw. pot. or watermelon.

what kind of bread product did you give first?

nak
Rice bread...it is wheat and gluten free. I found it at Whole Foods.
I toast it and cut it in fourths..DS loves it!
It is crispy on the outside, but mushes up real nice as he gums it.
I have tried some and it is really quite tasty.


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## LeslieB (Feb 17, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wasabi* 
Has everyone read this link? http://www.borstvoeding.com/voedseli...uidelines.html


So I went in search of this great article so I could print it out for my friend, and AHHH, the link doesn't work anymore!!!







: So I was wondering if anyone knows if the article is anywhere else on the internet or might have a hard copy they could PM me.


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## rrs (Jul 11, 2007)

Does anyone have problems with gagging? Carter gags frequently while eating (just banana, thus far). Sometimes, after he's done eating (as much as 30 minutes later), he'll gag forcefully a few times and then vomit. I don't think its due to an errant piece of food, as I always check his mouth afterwards (yeah, I'm paranoid).


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LeslieB* 
So I went in search of this great article so I could print it out for my friend, and AHHH, the link doesn't work anymore!!!







: So I was wondering if anyone knows if the article is anywhere else on the internet or might have a hard copy they could PM me.

Here you go.


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rrs* 
Does anyone have problems with gagging? Carter gags frequently while eating (just banana, thus far). Sometimes, after he's done eating (as much as 30 minutes later), he'll gag forcefully a few times and then vomit. I don't think its due to an errant piece of food, as I always check his mouth afterwards (yeah, I'm paranoid).

Honestly, I would stop checking. If you're doing a finger sweep, that could actually be triggering the gagging, or making it worse. Gagging leading to vomiting, or a very distressed baby, is problematical. Gagging, even significant gagging, otherwise is normal and beneficial, and some babies just seem to be more gagful than others. If your baby is gagging and then reaching for more food when they're done, or wanting to go play, I wouldn't worry about it. If they get upset and cry (not just have tears from the gagging, but are really upset), then it's something to want to avoid, in my opinion.

I also found that gagging was more bothersome to Naked Baby with soft foods, because it was that much harder to get things out that he didn't want. We actually avoided really mushy foods (like _really_ ripe banana) for a few weeks, until he'd had more practice eating and gagging.

I always feel compelled to end these posts with a disclaimer about your mileage may very or something.


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## joannejoanne (Mar 16, 2007)

We wanted to do BLW and at 6 months started offering finger foods to our DS. He tasted a few (pear, cheerios, banana, toast finger) and then decided he did not like them at all. And since then he will not try foods. He is 11 months old now and still exclusively BFing. I offer him foods fairly regularly but his response is always the same: pick it up, look at it with disgust, throw it on the floor without tasting it.

I am not worried at all right now but I am wondering at what point I should start to worry if he continues to be so disinterested in solids.

Anyone have a similar expeirience?


----------



## lnitti (Jun 14, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Arwyn* 
Here you go.


Is there a printer friendly version of this at all?


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## lnitti (Jun 14, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Arwyn* 
Gagging leading to vomiting, or a very distressed baby, is problematical.

My baby is 8 months and she frequently gags and vomits. It is problematical for me, because then I get all sorts of criticism about what I'm feeding her - you know the whole "she doesn't have enough teeth to eat real food", etc.

Is the gagging and vomiting an indicator of a problem? does it mean she really isn't ready? Cuz she gets really mad if I have food and don't give it to her. psychologically, she is beyond ready

What can I do to help her get past this vomiting thing?

She vomited at a family dinner and people were grossed out and then I had everyone criticizing us. Even my husband is having some trouble with this. Especially given that of the few times he's actually been around while she was eating, she has gagged and vomited at least half of those times.


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## LeslieB (Feb 17, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Arwyn* 
Here you go.

YAY! Thanks!!!!


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## puddle (Aug 30, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *joannejoanne* 
We wanted to do BLW and at 6 months started offering finger foods to our DS. He tasted a few (pear, cheerios, banana, toast finger) and then decided he did not like them at all. And since then he will not try foods. He is 11 months old now and still exclusively BFing. I offer him foods fairly regularly but his response is always the same: pick it up, look at it with disgust, throw it on the floor without tasting it.

I am not worried at all right now but I am wondering at what point I should start to worry if he continues to be so disinterested in solids.

Anyone have a similar expeirience?

My 11-month-old is basically exclusively BF too. She wants to eat solids, but when anything reaches the back of her tongue, she gags until she pukes to get it off her tongue. I think she has a strong texture aversion. I'm leaning towards giving up on BLW because, while I love the idea of it, I don't think it works for my DD with her apparent texture issues, and I haven't been able to find any information about doing BLW with babies like her. She's nursing about 18 times a day now (I counted yesterday) and really really wants to eat solids. She loves yogurt, but just can't swallow anything with more texture than that. Not even applesauce or oatmeal.


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## CanidFL (Jul 30, 2007)

I fed my baby mold









So I was putting DS in the high chair while I got the table set and gave him a piece of bread to keep him happy. I sat down and he was munching away and it was almost gone. I grabbed a piece for myself and noticed that the whole bottom of the loaf was moldy!!! Like black and white fluffy mold growing all over. I feel so horrible. He is fine and didn't seem to care but I am so mad at myself.


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## Bunnybee (Jan 16, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *CanidFL* 
I fed my baby mold









So I was putting DS in the high chair while I got the table set and gave him a piece of bread to keep him happy. I sat down and he was munching away and it was almost gone. I grabbed a piece for myself and noticed that the whole bottom of the loaf was moldy!!! Like black and white fluffy mold growing all over. I feel so horrible. He is fine and didn't seem to care but I am so mad at myself.

Awww, poor mama. I'm sure he will be fine!


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

Bread mold is supposed to be very nutritious! (I just never was brave enough to try it.)


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## HeatherB (Jan 30, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Lady Lilya* 
Bread mold is supposed to be very nutritious! (I just never was brave enough to try it.)

Ick.... But glad to hear it! I once, whilst half-asleep, gave my DS moldy bread... I looked at it and thought it was fine, but obviously my eyes don't work well when I'm asleep! I was fully awakened a few minutes later by screaming, as my DH - totally freaked - was trying to remove any bits of moldy bread from the 3yo's mouth.







No ill-effects, then. We'll just chalk it up to good nutrition.


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## CanidFL (Jul 30, 2007)

Glad to know I'm not the only one and that it can be nutritious! I never would have guessed lol.


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

I've heard that Beano is essentially bread mold. It has an enzyme that helps digest beans.


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## amyleigh33 (Nov 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wasabi* 
<snip> http://www.borstvoeding.com/voedseli...uidelines.html <snip>

This link doesn't work anymore. Does anyone have a current link for this article (I've read it before & want to share it with others) or one for an equally excellent primer on BLW/self-feeding?

Thanks!


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

Here.


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## Faliciagayle (Sep 9, 2007)

Regarding bread: it's actually my babe's favorite food. Her first wheat product was matzah at Pesach - 6.5 months old. Now she loves when I give her bread crust. I try to make it organic, whole, etc etc but I honestly only give her bread when we're out so I doubt it's any of those things...









Many mamas have expressed concern that their babe's are still mostly EBF, I don't have any good advice to add except that my girl is still 95% EBF at 8 months. I give her food every day ~ sometimes she's into it, sometimes she's not. It stresses me out at times, but I figure she's doing what she needs to do.

I wonder, how many of us are first time moms?
Does BLW work as well when you have other kiddos to look after? Does anyone have any insight to offer?


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

I'm a first time mom.

My baby loves bread too. And meat.

He is almost 10 months old. He still is basically entirely breast fed, but he is starting to show more enthusiasm about eating solids, and it is showing in a change in his poop the last few days.

But he still NEEDS to nurse every 3ish hours.

-----------

On Sunday, FIL showed up here in the morning and right after a nursing he took Rostik to their house (5 mins drive away) to play. 3 hours later, I called for him to come get me so I could nurse Rostik. MIL said she had made some puree of chicken and veggies and whole wheat pasta, and he ate that and wasn't hungry. Another hour and a half later, I was feeling very full and uncomfortable, so I called them again. When I got there, he nursed very enthusiastically. In fact, when I walked in the house, I walked past where he was playing to put something down, and he saw me but thought I wasn't going to stop and nurse him, so he started crying.

I figure we can try stretching it to 5ish hours like that on June 14, when I want to go see my friend's play. But in general I don't want to be unavailable to him for that long again until he REALLY can go a whole feeding on solids.

-------

BTW, yesterday I made a pot roast. He LOVED it.

I was feeding him bits of the meat from my fingers (because there was so much on his tray already that the chance of him happening to pick up some of that meat himself and try it was very low). Then I saw he liked it so I wiped the other stuff on the tray to the back where he can't reach it, and put some more bits of meat down on his tray. But he very quickly got frustrated that he couldn't cram it into his mouth fast enough because he doesn't have the coordination yet, so he started screaming until I resumed putting the pieces directly into his mouth.

Then I offered some of the gravy on his spoon. He is very hesitant about the spoon in general. He likes it to teeth on, but when someone offers it to him it usually has some kind of unwanted mush on it. He doesn't like mush. MIL makes him some bland mushes. I usually dip the spoon in mushy things and hand it to him, but this gravy was too liquidy, so I had to hold it. Anyway, he opened his mouth for the spoon, but cringed at the same time, expecting something unpleasant. But once he tasted it, he was very excited. He opened his mouth and leaned in to get it again and again. He ate in that one sitting probably more solids than he had eaten in the whole rest of his life!

I'm going to have leftover pot roast for lunch. I have to figure out how to make it so he can self-feed the gravy. If I leave him to do it himself, he will be frustrated about the slow and clumsy progress, but perhaps somehow we can do a combo in order to motivate practice with him holding the spoon.


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

Rereading my post, it is clear that I haven't been strict about the self-feeding. He self-feeds 99% of the time.

After about 2 months of self-feeding, MIL was insisting that he was starving to death. We had an upcoming wedding (that we went to 2 weeks ago) and I knew she was going to try to force him to eat purees while we were gone, so I wanted to acquaint him with the general proceedure. That is how the spoon appeared in his life.

I'm so proud of how he refuses to eat purees from the spoon from MIL when he doesn't want to! HE is in charge of eating.  to MIL who thought he would never figure out how to eat unless we forcefed him purees from a spoon. On Sunday evening we had a BBQ, and the baby tried to taste everything that was passed in front of him, including an empty plate that he grabbed and stuck in his mouth, and FIL's fingers.


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## HeatherB (Jan 30, 2003)

Well, I've been saying we'd start soon, and soon we did!







: We went out tonight for a late dinner to a yummy wings place, and DS (who's been sick and teething) woke up sooner than we'd expected. So we grabbed a high chair there and ordered fresh carrots and celery, which were kept soaking in cold water - perfect for teething! The cuts were a great size for him to hold and not a worry for me for choking, especially as he was very interested in sucking on them and not in biting them. I think he may have gotten a tiny bit of carrot off, as he made a funny face at one point, but seemed mostly like he was surprised by having something back in his throat.









So, of course, we have pics... Not great ones as I can't find my real camera and only had my phone with me, anyway, but something, at least, to commemorate the moment.









http://gallery.mac.com/hvbarrett#100...w=mosaic&sel=0

He really liked it, and it went really well! I'm thrilled!


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## wholewheatmama (Oct 22, 2005)

Hey everyone, I'm new to the thread! My LO is almost six months, and I'm contemplating starting solids soon with BLW.

I'm sorry if this has already been addressed (I'm only a few pages into the thread so far), but does anyone have any info/experience on a latex allergy/avocado connection? We have a family history of probable latex allergy manifested by eczema exacerbation, and my LO unfortunately has eczema. I had assumed avocado would be her first food, but I am hesitant now.

TIA!


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## matey (Sep 15, 2006)

So, I have been reading, I have gotten through the first 7 pages. I like the concept, but know that ds is not ready (he is 5 1/2 months old). He cant sit unassisted at all, he has started to watch me take bites, but only at close proximity. I think he is interested in it like he is interested in my MIL's dog. The movement is interesting. So, I think I will just lurk and learn, and wait and EBF for now.

Lot of great info, thanks so much mamas!


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## stickywicket67 (Jan 23, 2007)

first of all
all the pics of the babies eating their real food are so dang cute!!!









so, since age 6.5 months we've been giving Mr. T heels of French bread and letting him gnaw on apples while on our lap. he's also had carrot and celery sticks, avo and banana (not that into either), asparagus spears, green beans and cucumber wedges. i tried giving him a wedge of chicken this week- didn't like it. he is 8.5 months now and i wondering how frequently we should be offering him "food". we've been rather inconsistent with the BLW. he'll have something to gnaw on maybe 4 out of 7 nights a week. i don't generally offer him grown up food during the day. he doesn't really eat lunch with us because i eat lunch after dh takes over and i'm at work and dh eats lunch before he takes over while he is at work. he gets 3oz. of expressed bm while i'm at work from 2pm-6pm.

he nurses every 2-3 hours throughout the day and he still night nurses 2-3 times in an 11 hour period. (ftr-i'm not in a hurry to wean him.) i pump once in the afternoon while i'm at work. when i'm off work i nurse him a couple times during that same span of time (4 hours). confused yet??

anyway-how frequently do you all offer food during the day? should we be doing it with more regularity?

tia


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

Wake up around 7ish.
Nurse while still sleepy and in bed.
Play for a little while while mama does previous day's dishes and prepares breakfast.
Around 8, sit in high chair and eat solids while mama eats her breakfast.
Play some more while mama does housework or plays with me.
Around 9:30, nurse some more.
Play a little while more, then cuddle with mama until nap at around 10.
Wake up at almost noon and nurse some more.
Play.
Around 12:30, solids again while mama eats lunch.
More play.
Then solids again at around 2:30 while mama has a snack.
Nurse again around 3.
Cuddle with mama and have a nap at around 3:30.
Wake up around 5 and nurse again.
Solids at around 6 while mama eats dinner.
Play until papa comes home around 6:30-7.
Mama takes me walking outside to keep me calm during my fussy time until shortly before 8.
Nurse again and then go to sleep at 8ish.

Some nights, nurse twice. Some nights nurse every hour.

Roughly, 4 solid feedings during the course of the day. Not much ingested. Nursing half-hour before and again after a 1.5-hour nap. Naps about 3 to 3.5 hours apart. So, nursings alternate being 2 hours apart, or 3 hours apart.

This is the schedule he has naturally fallen into the past week or so. I never count on them to stay the same very long.


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## mama_daba (Dec 7, 2004)

we only offer food once or twice a week right now he seems less into food than he used to be. i think he had been very curious then he tried it and was like oh ok now i see what you are doing give me some milkies and a toy. he nurses at least every three hours often hourly and sometimes more but when he is nursing more often they are quick snacks between playing


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## stickywicket67 (Jan 23, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Lady Lilya* 
Wake up around 7ish.
Nurse while still sleepy and in bed.
Play for a little while while mama does previous day's dishes and prepares breakfast.
*Around 8, sit in high chair and eat solids while mama eats her breakfast.*
Play some more while mama does housework or plays with me.
Around 9:30, nurse some more.
Play a little while more, then cuddle with mama until nap at around 10.
Wake up at almost noon and nurse some more.
Play.
*Around 12:30, solids again while mama eats lunch.*
More play.
*Then solids again at around 2:30 while mama has a snack.*
Nurse again around 3.
Cuddle with mama and have a nap at around 3:30.
Wake up around 5 and nurse again.
Solids at around 6 while mama eats dinner.
Play until papa comes home around 6:30-7.
Mama takes me walking outside to keep me calm during my fussy time until shortly before 8.
Nurse again and then go to sleep at 8ish.

Some nights, nurse twice. Some nights nurse every hour.

*Roughly, 4 solid feedings during the course of the day.* Not much ingested. Nursing half-hour before and again after a 1.5-hour nap. Naps about 3 to 3.5 hours apart. So, nursings alternate being 2 hours apart, or 3 hours apart.

This is the schedule he has naturally fallen into the past week or so. I never count on them to stay the same very long.

what solids do you offer during these times? is he interested in them? sounds like we have a very similar routine. my lo wakes up bewteen 7:30-8am and goes to bed around 9 pm. i also take him to work with me for two hours starting at 12pm - there's no place to really *feed* him there (except nursing which we do around 12:30pm) although i do give him bites off my apple if i have one or sometimes a bagel/mini baguette to gnaw on. (oh and







to the last two sentences of your post.







)


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

It depends on what I am eating myself.

For breakfast, if I am eating something I don't really want to give him (egg, or something heavily dairy, or a peanut butter sandwich) I will often blanch him some veggies and give him some fruit too. I keep the wings when I make a whole chicken, usually once per week, and break them into joints. I will usually add a joint of chicken wing to the tray. If I am eating something good to share, I give him what I am eating.

For lunch, usually some of my lunch, and whatever is still around from breakfast.

Snack is whatever is leftover from lunch and breakfast.

Dinner is whatever I am having plus the leftovers from the other meals.

----

Carrot sticks and broccoli trees kept in a baggie in the fridge blanch pretty quickly. Also, I wash, then freeze, packages of blueberries, and then take out a few each day and rinse them in boiling water from the tea kettle for about 30 seconds. And he also loves when I take the heel of the bread and cut it into strips for him. (I haven't held back on wheat because he started reaching for bread and pasta and pancakes and stuff, and seems to love them, and hasn't had any bad reactions.)

He loves meat most of all. Chicken, lamb, beef. He is so happy to have bits of meat from my lunch and dinner. (Usually I cook double for dinner and reheat the next day.)


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## littlecindy (Feb 14, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wholewheatmama* 
Hey everyone, I'm new to the thread! My LO is almost six months, and I'm contemplating starting solids soon with BLW.

I'm sorry if this has already been addressed (I'm only a few pages into the thread so far), but does anyone have any info/experience on a latex allergy/avocado connection? We have a family history of probable latex allergy manifested by eczema exacerbation, and my LO unfortunately has eczema. I had assumed avocado would be her first food, but I am hesitant now.

TIA!

i didn't know avocado was connected to latex. but i read banana was. and my DS reacts HORRIBLY to banana. not eczema or a rash, but his stomach. and my husband has a latex allergy. avocado doesn't seem to bother him.


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## wholewheatmama (Oct 22, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *littlecindy* 
i didn't know avocado was connected to latex. but i read banana was. and my DS reacts HORRIBLY to banana. not eczema or a rash, but his stomach. and my husband has a latex allergy. avocado doesn't seem to bother him.

Interesting. I think I'll start with something other than the latex allergen foods and then very cautiously try one and see what happens. My LO hasn't clearly demonstrated latex allergy but hasn't had much exposure to it yet to really be sure. Her eczema could be related to any number of things. And we're not quite ready to start solids yet anyway.

FWIW, here is a quote from the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology on the subject:

"Latex allergic people also can have food allergies. The foods causing this problem include: apple, almonds, avocado, banana, carrot, celery, chestnut, hazelnut, kiwi, melons, papaya, pear, raw potato, stone fruits (such as peach, plum and cherry) and tomato."

Lots of good stuff on that list.







Hopefully we won't have to avoid it all.


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## littlecindy (Feb 14, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wholewheatmama* 
"Latex allergic people also can have food allergies. The foods causing this problem include: apple, almonds, avocado, banana, carrot, celery, chestnut, hazelnut, kiwi, melons, papaya, pear, raw potato, stone fruits (such as peach, plum and cherry) and tomato."

Lots of good stuff on that list.







Hopefully we won't have to avoid it all.

my husband eats many of those, but i'll have to ask if he has any reactions. none that i know of.

interesting, though, my DS reacted pretty badly stomach-wise to papaya too.


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## wife&mommy (May 26, 2005)

Has anyone here ever had the baby suck the food to the back of their throat? My DD seems totally ready for solids in every way, but when I tried with large wedges of avocado she picked them up and put them to her mouth sucked on them and it went straight to the back of her throat, she gagged. Fine, but then a piece came off and again she sucked it to the back of her throat (like sucked the piece off). I tried food on a spoon and she sucked it off the spoon. If for some reason she doesn't suck it she will chew and then swallow but the majority of the time she wants to suck on it and since we've had an incident with that twice I'm not really too keen on continuing it. She is crazy over food though and has met all the milestones for starting and will be 6mo in 2 days so I'd like to start giving her more foods but not sure how to do it safely with a baby that sucks on EVERYTHING!


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## mama_daba (Dec 7, 2004)

could you give her like a whole apple or something where she probably can only get a really tiny peice off anf only if she works really hard at it? my son seems to chew best when i give him a whole peice of fruit. i think having to work at getting small peices off with his mouth helps him chew.


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## wife&mommy (May 26, 2005)

My son has an apple sensitivity so I don't want to do apples yet but I could do a pear. I've thought of that but just figured it was too much for her to handle. Thanks.







s


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## iris777888 (Apr 3, 2007)

We started giving our son pear right at the 7 month mark with good success. If they can't hold it for size or weight, you can cut it in half or cut some off the sides and it works the same.

Cucumbers are another thing that might work well, you can gum them but sucking doesn't really get much off. We used to cut them into long strips. If you have a crinkle cutter that works even better because the ridges make it easier to hold on to once it gets slobbery.


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## dfunk98 (Jul 14, 2005)

hey all. my ds is almost 8 months and we've just started solids and baby-led solids. so far, he's only tried bananas with really no success. he gags and makes faces and sometimes spits it out. how do you all feel about introducing new foods? neither myself, dh nor dd have any allergies, but ds did have a sensitivity to dairy in my diet, which he seems to have outgrown, as i can eat it now w/o a problem. i'm just really confused bc i made all of dd's purees 3 years ago so i'm kinda stuck in that mindset, but i'd really like to do baby-led solids just for ease of prep and transition to "real" food.
oh, and he has no teeth, but is crawling and sitting up.
and how big am i cutting the foods, cooking, etc.? i need a primer. any books anyone can recommend? i'm really at a loss.

thanks.


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## newmamma_aug07 (Mar 27, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dfunk98* 
hey all. my ds is almost 8 months and we've just started solids and baby-led solids. so far, he's only tried bananas with really no success. he gags and makes faces and sometimes spits it out. how do you all feel about introducing new foods? neither myself, dh nor dd have any allergies, but ds did have a sensitivity to dairy in my diet, which he seems to have outgrown, as i can eat it now w/o a problem. i'm just really confused bc i made all of dd's purees 3 years ago so i'm kinda stuck in that mindset, but i'd really like to do baby-led solids just for ease of prep and transition to "real" food.
oh, and he has no teeth, but is crawling and sitting up.
and how big am i cutting the foods, cooking, etc.? i need a primer. any books anyone can recommend? i'm really at a loss.

thanks.

i have found this site to be VERY helpful with food ideas/recipes. there is a whole section for "finger foods"
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/


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## mom2cash (Sep 24, 2007)

Hey I can't remember the last time I posted an update here so I will now...

Cash is at nearly 10 months now eating tiny bits of solids almost every day. Like probably no more than a teaspoon or two of tooth scrapings and sucking the juice out of fruit but I'm just glad he's interested! This is a huge leap from eating absolutely no solid food a few weeks ago. I have to admit I was starting to doubt BLW a little when I went to a new ped (which I won't be going back to) that kind of freaked out on me because he wasn't eating three meals a day. She even hinted he would never learn to talk or eat if I didn't push it







So ANYWAY I ignored her and he is starting to become much more interested on his own. We're holding off on quite a few things because of family history of food intolerances/allergies but he eats millet bread, melon, cherries, green beans, pluots, and any other fruits or vegetables that don't have butter on them from my plate and today I offered him a tiny mozzarella ball but he refused it (which is funny because I'm nervous about giving him yogurt or cheese anyway so I'll just hold off for now). Just wanted to give a little hope to all of those nervous first-time BLW'ers who wonder if their kid will EVER want to eat solid food... mine finally did







!


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## wife&mommy (May 26, 2005)

*


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## Nantucket (May 2, 2007)

Hello Mamas! It took me a while to read the entire thread but lots of good info... my DS is 6 mos and we've tried a few different foods but I've got some questions...

How much food do you give the LO?... When we did avocado, we ended up giving him the entire thing eventually because pieces kept dropping to the floor.... do you guys help them keep it on the table?... or help them hold it at first and put a little bit in their mouths... (although everything ends up in there eventually.... LOL) Is there a video of a baby actually doing BLW?... curious....

I kind of wavered on BLW because DS bit off a "chokeable" (word?) of asian pear yesterday, and I freaked and fished it out... is it better to cut up firmer foods like apples and pears and leave whole softer foods like avocado, banana, etc?


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

I use a high chair with a large tray that has a lip. He usually doesn't knock much off. When he isn't hungry anymore and is bored he will drop stuff off for fun.

When DS hadn't yet mastered the pincer grasp, I gave him firm things in sticks or wedges too big to get into his throat. He mostly licked and gummed them, getting off juices and miniscule amounts. Then, when he started getting a pincer grasp, I diced things up to about the size of a raisin, and he would just chew on them a while and then swallow them. (btw, he still has no teeth)

When he had sticks and wedges, occasionally he would break off a piece that seemed chokable, and I would just take that piece away and let him resume with the larger pieces.

As for how much, I try to give him several choices in a variety of food groups. If he seems to be focusing on one food more than the others, I assume he has an instinct telling him to pursue a particular nutrient, and I give him more of that, but slowly, to encourage him to work on the other stuff a little. Usually at some point he will decide he is done and fuss to get out of the high chair So, I don't really give him any set quantity. Some days he wants almost no solids, and some days he eats a huge amount.


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## indigosky (Sep 4, 2007)

My DD is 7 months old, and we started BLW a couple weeks ago. She looks so happy every time we let her taste/eat our foods! Most of what we give her she enjoys playing with, tasting, and spitting out, but once in a while she gets gung ho about something and swallows a fair amount.

My question is, so far there are entire "types" of foods we've been avoiding giving her: dairy, eggs, citrus, tomato, etc. I'm not sure if there's any good reason to be avoiding any of these, or if I just have these messages in my head from the old-style puree-feeding approach. No food allergies in the family except DP is allergic to shiitake mushrooms, and some dairy tends to give me gas.

So, did the rest of you hold off on allowing you LOs to try those foods? Or if you were eating it, you let him/her have some?


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

I held back on some things a little while. But at almost 11 months we are letting him have almost anything he wants. We still haven't given him any red berries, seafood, or things with peanuts.

We have no food allergies in the family either.


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## Artichokie (Jun 19, 2007)

:


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## matey (Sep 15, 2006)

I have a friend who is very interested in this whole process, what are some good links I could give her to better explain it?


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

Amanda,
http://www.borstvoeding.com/voedseli...uidelines.html


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## wildflower18 (Jul 22, 2007)

So we're not doing strict self-feeding, but apparently much more than others with children our age. He often doesn't seem to eat much, gets distracted and wants out of the high chair when we self-feed him at home. We've tried eating at the coffee table, but that doesn't offer much more success either. He's certainly not starving by any means and is still near the 75% for weight.

Last night however, we were at a friends house later than expected and they offered for us to stay for dinner. So they made a double of what their son was having which was rice cereal (which our son has never eaten from a box) and jarred food - mixed veggies and peaches with granola. All a pasty mix with no texture - yuck. But DS loved it and ate it all up and then some. :-( I couldn't spoon it in fast enough.

Just needing some support to say that I'm doing the right thing and not starving my LO by offering him whole foods on his tray that he can feed to himself.







:


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## mtnjeni (Apr 17, 2008)

I think that if your LO was hungry, you'd know. At least, that is the case with my DD. If she is unhappy (hungry, tried, frustrated), she lets me know. And, if he's at the 75% in weight, it sounds like he's getting enough to eat. That said, the sweetness of the food you gave him the other night and the fact that you were supplying it so easily might have lead to his stronger interest. Granola is pretty sweet, and some jarred foods do have preservatives, etc. that might make them yummier than whole foods (kind of like how potato chips are more addictive than slices of real potatoes).

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that you should trust your own instincts and trust that your child will let you know if he isn't happy. That is really all we can do anyway.


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## rosie29 (Aug 18, 2004)

Sub and bump!

I'm about to start letting DD self-feed, and looking for tips and support! Happy feeding!


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## Luca'smum (Apr 1, 2005)

Sub and bump as well. We've been doing BLW for a couple of weeks. She has had lots of different fruits and veggies as well and rice pasta and egg yolk. How long after starting do you let them eat mixed up things like the rest of the family eats? I made vegan pancakes and I was thinking of giving her some. I am sorry I haven't read the whole thread - perhaps my question is answered somewhere in there.

Kelly


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## Calm (Sep 17, 2004)

Subbing...


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## accountclosed2 (May 28, 2007)

I'll join this thread! DD is 6 months old, and we are starting BLW now. I'm really keen on it, but do have some worries.

DD has had weight issues (slow weight gain, and we're supplementing with donated breastmilk in an SNS). Therefore our Well Baby providers (Plunket) have been pushing for an early start on solids. I wanted to wait at least until 6 months, as that is what Plunket and Ministry of Health generally recommends anyway. Our Plunket people are a bit concerned that BLW will mean DD is actually eating less solids, again a weight worry. Also, they want all babies to have a lot of solids from 6 months, due to the iron. Several of my friends have been in trouble for that. Our Plunket people are really nice, and have supported me while I fought for breastfeeding, so I don't really want to argue with them.

A bigger issue, however, is that we are getting less donated breastmilk (a friend's child is weaning, so we will soon be down to one donor. Solids would of course be useful to replace that, although we are using less donated breastmilk now than we used to.

I am also worried about choking, with any sort of solids, I guess.


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## iris777888 (Apr 3, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Luca'smum* 
How long after starting do you let them eat mixed up things like the rest of the family eats? I made vegan pancakes and I was thinking of giving her some.

We waited a few months, until our babe had already tried most of the foods individually that would be in the the combinations. But with something like pancakes or bread it's a bit harder, since you're not going to try flour, then baking soda, etc. individually. We just tryed to give him the most stripped down recipes first, then build from there. So like once we knew he could tolerate pancakes (vegan here too, very basic recipe), he could probably tolerate muffins with similar ingredients. A few months in, we started giving him what we ate even with combo ingredients he'd not had before, figuring we had weeded out most potential problem foods. We still waited a bit on a few things, like peanut butter. We went mostly according to the chart at http://www.borstvoeding.com/voedseli...ma/engels.html.


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## butterfly_mommy (Oct 22, 2007)

Do you give your breast fed baby water when they are eating solids? My DS is 7 mons old and we just started to slowly introduce solids last week baby-led style any way this week I gave him a sippy cup with some water in it and as he wanted my cup. Is this ok, he has no problems gaining weight (he is 25 lbs 10 oz on just BM) and I have no problem with supply. I only give him the cup when we are sitting eating at the table, otherwise I offer him the breast and he only takes a very small amount.


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

Yeah, you are supposed to offer the option of water when you offer solids. DS usually doesn't want to drink water when I am giving him solids (he likes to nurse shortly after) but he drinks it when he is at MIL's house and she gives him solids.


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## Calm (Sep 17, 2004)

I'm so excited for some silly reason about the whole solids thing. But we're only at five months so I've got a month or two to go yet. I'm just reading and learning at this stage so I'm all prepared. Can someone tell me what BLW is, I think I have it sorted. Is it feeding solids when they're showing readiness, and feeding whole foods not purees? Cos I'm hoping to do that. What else is BLW? Any good sites? I've got one, this one:

http://babyledweaning.blogware.com/b...odBasicsMonth1

She is a good writer, amusing.


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## lnitti (Jun 14, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AislinCarys* 
I'll join this thread! DD is 6 months old, and we are starting BLW now. I'm really keen on it, but do have some worries.

DD has had weight issues (slow weight gain, and we're supplementing with donated breastmilk in an SNS). Therefore our Well Baby providers (Plunket) have been pushing for an early start on solids. I wanted to wait at least until 6 months, as that is what Plunket and Ministry of Health generally recommends anyway. Our Plunket people are a bit concerned that BLW will mean DD is actually eating less solids, again a weight worry. Also, they want all babies to have a lot of solids from 6 months, due to the iron. Several of my friends have been in trouble for that. Our Plunket people are really nice, and have supported me while I fought for breastfeeding, so I don't really want to argue with them.

A bigger issue, however, is that we are getting less donated breastmilk (a friend's child is weaning, so we will soon be down to one donor. Solids would of course be useful to replace that, although we are using less donated breastmilk now than we used to.

I am also worried about choking, with any sort of solids, I guess.


I would think if there are weight issues, you would not want to force early solids. breastmilk and/or formula are much more calorie dense than any solid food and a baby would gain more weight on those than on solids. I can understand the iron issue, but once you start iron fortified foods, it makes a baby less able to absorb the iron in breastmilk as well as before.


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## Melly24 (Mar 30, 2008)

Hey all I'll join this thread too!

DD is six months and not all that interested in the solids I have offered her so far (avocado, brocolli..) so we are waiting a couple more weeks then I'm going to offer again.

I love the idea of BLW. It makes so much sense to me.


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## Calm (Sep 17, 2004)

I think this is one of those threads that took off grand and slowed down. I think I missed it's hey day.


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## pixiepunk (Mar 11, 2003)

DD1 (who is now 5) is the one who taught me about BLW







i got all geared up to make wholesome, homemade pureed babyfood when she was 6 months, and she wanted nothing to do with it! and while she was interested in food starting at like 4 months (in terms of grabbing my plate, etc), giving her a spoon and a bowl and a sippy cup with water in it to play with at the table was all she really wanted. she really didn't eat any measurable volume of food until she was at least 8 months old. and even then, it wasn't nearly the amount that other kids her age who were spoon fed ate. But since she was in like 90th percentile for height and weight, i wasn't too worried









DS (now 3) was the same way, and i just followed his lead. I plan to do the same thing with my DD2 who is now 4 months.

I am super anal, though, about what i introduce and doing it for 3 or 4 days before intro-ing something else because we have major food allergies on both sides of the family. My dad is deathly allergic to most kinds of fish, my brother is allergic to peanuts and sensitive to dairy and other foods, and two of our nieces on DH's side have some food allergies/sensitivities too. So i don't do eggs or dairy or wheat until 12 months and wait on nuts and seafood until 2.

Family does annoy me about it sometimes, though. MIL in particular is just a lunatic. She was so mad at me for not letting DD1 eat mashed potatoes (with butter and cream in them) at Thanksgiving when she was not even 6 months old!







thankfully we live about 7 hours away from her so we don't have to deal with it too much!


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## Teenytoona (Jun 13, 2005)

I'm ever so glad to see this. I've gotten through about 12 pages by now and am feeling FAR more confident about what and how to feed DD. She's been demanding food, by the use of the grabbing and her token word to consume: "AH!" and I've been sort of here and there with how to feed her. We have tried chopped up banana and avocado, but those result in frustration for her as they're too small, I think. So, I've mashed them up a bit and then she gets mad that the spoon isn't a constant source of food (like a bottle or boob) and screams in frustration. So next try will be bigger bits of food for her to pick up and attempt to eat. I like the french fry analogy. For meat, did you folks feed your babies a thicker french fry of beef (or chicken/turkey?) and did you start that as early as 6, 7, or 8 months?

Incidentally we did discover, this past weekend, that seedless watermelon is both a great teether and wonderful texture/carving toy. Messy fun for hours!


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## Calm (Sep 17, 2004)

How does it work as a teether? My wee'un is teething and having troubles, poor sod.


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## accountclosed2 (May 28, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Teenytoona* 
So next try will be bigger bits of food for her to pick up and attempt to eat. I like the french fry analogy. For meat, did you folks feed your babies a thicker french fry of beef (or chicken/turkey?) and did you start that as early as 6, 7, or 8 months?

Gill Rapley's recommendation is chip (chunky fry) shape for veges, but a chunk - sized about like baby's fist - of meat.


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

Yeah, we did sticks first. Veggies into sticks. Meats in the way that the grain ran the long way of the stick, so he couldn't really break off a piece and choke on it. At that point he was just getting the flavors, and getting the hang of holding onto them.

WHen he got his pincer grasp, we switched to dicing everything up small. That is when he suddenly got a huge apetite. That really confirmed for me what I read about blw: that their coordination develops at the same pace as their digestive system.


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## Teenytoona (Jun 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AislinCarys* 
Gill Rapley's recommendation is chip (chunky fry) shape for veges, but a chunk - sized about like baby's fist - of meat.

Oh thanks! I was wondering about that.

Well I think DD has finally ingested something - a bit of my peach that she yoinked. Does it seem that new foods make defecating a little more work for the baby? Today she was struggling to go and she usually doesn't have that problem, just a grunt and then a smile (which is almost a mocking- now you gotta change me smirk, really







)


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## Melly24 (Mar 30, 2008)

DD actually swallowed some banana today! Was so very cute. Everytime she swallowed a little bit she looked at me and gave me a huge smile!

I gave her the whole thing with the skin peeled halfway down, then cut the peeled skin off with scissors so she could hold onto it easily. But then she dropped it and wanted it back, but I obviuosly didnt get it back to her quickly enough so she got frustrated and the more frustrated she became, the harder for her to grip it. So I ended up holding it in front of her and she would lean forward and take a little nibble, swish it around, swallow, then smile!


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## rosie29 (Aug 18, 2004)

Hi Mamas,
I thought I'd start a fresh new thread for those of us doing BLW now. This thread is an oldie but a goodie, and a teeny bit intimidating to those of us just getting started. Please come join me!


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