Who can give me some good info on baby lead solids??

[lilima]

I am interested in looking into this.

What age can you start, and where do you start??

TIA

[AliBaby]

I'm interested as well.
Also how safe is it in regards to choking, etc?

[[M]umma[M]ia]

From the babycenter website -

What is baby-led weaning?

Baby-led weaning (often abbreviated to BLW) means forgetting baby pur?es and weaning spoons and simply letting your baby feed himself. Many parents unconsciously choose baby-led weaning, particularly with second or subsequent children. Babies love to copy their older siblings and try to grab food from their plates and are often much happier if they are allowed to feed themselves.


Why is baby-led weaning becoming popular?




Since the 1960s the recommended age for introducing solids has moved from three to four and now six months, but the way in which we introduce solids is still geared towards a three month old. Parents and carers traditionally wean their children on to single fruit or vegetable pur?es or baby rice, moving on to other pure?d foods as their babies become older, finally introducing mashed foods and foods containing small lumps after several months.

In 2003 the UK government changed its advice in line with that of the World Health Organisation (WHO) about the recommended age for babies to start solids. It now advises parents to introduce solids into their baby's diet at around six months. At six months old, most babies have strong necks and can sit up if they are supported. Their hand-eye coordination has developed to the extent that they can reach out and start to grasp food and grip it in their palms.

Although the Department of Health advises parents to start the weaning process at six months with mashed foods, it also recommends including finger foods in your baby's diet as soon as your baby is ready to do so (DOH, 2005). Some parents feel that their baby is ready straight away.


What are the benefits?


Gill Rapley, a health visitor for 25 years and now deputy programme director of UNICEF UK's Baby Friendly Initiative, has a personal interest in baby-led weaning. She believes that babies who are allowed to feed themselves by being offered a selection of nutritious finger foods can easily join in with family meals from the start, and are less likely to refuse foods or become fussy eaters as they grow older. She considers that many childhood feeding problems stem from a child's unwillingness or inability to accept foods which require chewing, and that these problems become apparent when babies move from pur?es to "second-stage" foods which contain lumps. She also suggests that the baby food industry puts unnecessary pressure on parents to introduce pur?ed foods into their babies' diets at an early age (Rapley, 2006).


How do I do it?


Parents who have used baby-led weaning recommend using foods that are shaped like a chip, or have a handle, such as cooked broccoli spears. This is because small babies have not yet developed a pincer grip and can only clasp foods in their fists. If you would like to try baby led weaning, offer your baby a selection of nutritious finger foods suitable for your baby's age when you and your family are eating and let him join in. At first he might just play with the food, or he might grab pieces of food with his fist and start to suck on them. Carry on breastfeeding in between mealtimes. As your baby gradually eats more solids, the number of breastfeeds will start to decrease.


Won't my baby choke?


Parents (particularly those who have weaned older children on to pureed foods) understandably worry about the possibility of babies choking or gagging. Gill Rapley argues that as long as babies can sit upright, the fact that they can handle their own food and move it to the back of their mouths means the risk of choking is minimal. However, it is important to remember that babies should never be left unattended when eating.


Is baby-led weaning suitable for both breastfed and formula-fed babies?


Most parents who have tried baby led weaning have breastfed their children and see it as a natural extension of the breastfeeding process. Breastfeeding babies usually feed on-demand and breastfeeding is very much an active process, with babies needing to work hard, using their jaw and tongue to latch on properly and get at the milk effectively. Research has shown that breastfed babies seem able to regulate their calorie intake according to their needs (Gillman et al., 2001). It makes sense for babies who can regulate how much breastmilk they drink to also regulate their intake of solid food.

However, there does not appear to be any reason why a bottle-fed baby couldn't be weaned onto solids in this way. If your baby is formula-fed, you should offer him several drinks of water in between milk feeds and at mealtimes. Breastfed babies do not need to be given water because breastmilk is a drink as well as a food.


Are there any disadvantages to baby-led weaning?


Not all foods can easily be made into baby-friendly finger shapes so your baby's diet may be rather limited, unless you are very inventive. Helen Pegg, BabyCentre's health visitor suggests that you include at least some mashed foods when you starting the weaning process. This allows you to give your baby a more varied diet.

One thing that all advocates of baby-led weaning do agree on is that it is a very messy process. Your kitchen will be showered with food – invest in a splash mat to put under your baby's highchair and accept the mess!



Are there any reasons why I shouldn't try baby-led weaning?


If you have a family history of allergies, digestive problems or food intolerances, or if your baby was born prematurely, do talk to your health visitor or GP before starting. If your baby has special needs and has impaired chewing skills or fine motor skills, he might not be able to feed himself successfully, and so baby-led weaning would not be suitable for him.

http://forums.bellybelly.com.au/foru...atter-3-a.html

[Junglemum]

i did bls with DD1, lots of internet searching gave me loads of info. Sorry i don't have it all, but it was easy to find.

Ali- we have never had a choking incident. As long as you are offering appropriate food that has been cook appropriately, then it is perfectly safe!

Meg- You can start when you think they are ready for solids. we started with sticks of soft cooked veg.

[[M]umma[M]ia]

Start at about 6 months. U can start on things like soft steamed vegie fingers .. anything really as long as its soft (not mushy soft) and they can pick it up and hold it.

[sterla]

I'm interested in incorporating BLS, especially as DS seems to want to try and feed himself with a spoon anyway .

[kelebek]

We did BLS with DS at about 5.5 mnths, in hindsight he could have waited a couple more weeks but we were excited being first time parents and all. He was sitting up by himself, he did have a pincer grip and was very interested in what we were eating.

I read about BLS in a few of those parenting magazines, also read about it on here and searched for video's on You Tube - which showed babies having food such as carrot sticks/brocoli etc.. as thier first food for the first time. This reassured me about the whole choking thing and convinced dp and so we have never given him mush. We started with steamed brocoli florets, avocado, banana and even fingers of cruskits (as they just melt into nothing so to speak) we never had a choking incident. Babies do have a gagging reflex so as long as the food is soft it can't get stuck in the osephaugus it either has to go down or up, if that makes sense?! DS did gagg a couple of times as he loves to take big bites but he simply brought it back up, chewed/gummed it some more and swolloed again.

I am truly glad we have done this as he eats anything, loves his vegies, salad etc... My sister still freaks out when I give him some cuecumber and her children are 7 and 9

[lilima]

Thank you for all the info.
As E is 6 months in a week or two, I may give it a go.