Just curious how others feel about this.
So I'd like DD to decide how and when she starts eating, but I'm wondering at what point do I let her grab food from me. She's not really ready yet and lacks the coordination anyway, so it's a hypothetical -
Do you wait till 6 months or allow them to go for it if they're able to earlier?
Is there a minimum "cutoff" where you won't allow them to try food?
I think if the child is ready, as in able to sit up, and able to grasp food then they are ready to try. I found both my girls were ready to try and grasp food at around 5.5-6 months. I think that's one of the great things about BLS, they can only eat food when they are actually physically ready.
I think for me personally, about 5 months I would let her stick something in here mouth, but Charloote didn't really start eating til well over 7 months, even then, not much.
I think she tried some pumpkin soup around 5.5 months, on the end of a spoon and globbed it around before pushing it out with her tongue. They're all differentm but I wouldn't offer any younger than 5 months, and would actually *start* solids before 6 months.
DD started actively grabbing for stuff around 5 1/2 months, but that could have been because we realised she needed to be introduced to food/meal times more as she was getting closer to 6 months so we included her more, itms? She was able to sit in the highchair with support around her too so she joined us more at the table...... but the real eating didn't start for months.
My DD grabbed a strawberry when she was 5.5 months and grabbed my hand that was holding an apple and brought it to her mouth and licked the apple at about the same time. i didn't stop either of these, she had a taste and that was all. We started giving her foods to try at 6 months, but it wasn't until 8 months that she started swallowing food.
I didn't offer any food or deliberately put it in front of her before 6 months (and i think i will do same next time), but if baby grabbed something i think i would just watch and only intervene if it was dangerous or baby was having difficulty. I don't think i actually have an age limit cos their skills will determine their ability to get the food and then work it in their mouth etc
I have been told, and have been taught that it is recommended from 17wks if bub is ready!
In saying that every baby is different and no one can tell you or critise you for doing what you think is right!
DD2 started to make me feel guilty about eating in front of her at 4mths and would try and grab for the food, from 4.5mths she has been on solids and haven't looked back she is handling them just fine.
Thanks guys. That's basically what I was thinking - she can't so she won't anyway, even if she does happen to grab something edible.
DS left a piece of apple on the computer desk a few weeks ago and she was trying to pick it up. I left her to it - she couldn't get a grasp on it. She got so frustrated though that she actually face-planted the apple to try and latch on I was a bit worried that she might have smacked her face on the desk, but she seemed fine. Anyway, I removed the apple after that
Personally, I didn't let my DD attempt anything until 6 months because this is what I feel comfortable with, she never even tried to before then though which helped. I definitely wouldn't have been offering before 6 months but again, that's me. I don't see the rush but do understand you wanting to let your baby lead, sometimes though you have to be the one in charge due to safety. I think before 6 months there is so many other different textures and learning to be done that the extra stimulation from food isn't needed (and obviously the nutritional aspect isn't required yet either) so would rather wait and be sure. That being said, even so, my DD didn't start swallowing till just before 9 months so in reality, I guess it wouldn't matter too much had I let her lead because they really do seem to know what they are doing! It is hard but for me, waiting just sits better and I think in the end, you just need to do what you are comfortable with.
Yeah, well that's what got me wondering. I wont' be giving her anything before 6 months and she clearly does not need any extra nutrition My DS did grab and eat at 5.5 months, so we'll see. she is determiined and gets cranky when we eat. Seh thinks she wants it
Basically just curious how others thought about it
Gill Rapley wrote an interesting article on this. She basically said that she recommends waiting until 6 months. True enough that babies won't eat before they are ready, but she says that the temptation is there for adults to help a child with food if they are sitting there with it and often babies end up having food put in their mouth. Even when the parents will resist the temptation to jump in, other adults - relatives or family friends who might be around - might not realise and do it. So I guess it depends on your situation - if you only did it at home then I think doing it earlier would be fine.
I was SO adamant about waiting until 6 months. There was no way I was going to do it earlier, no matter who said what, or did what.
Then Tuesday night came, and my DD was grizzly, so she sat in my lap. We were having rice paper rolls for dinner, and she leaned over, grabbed a piece of avocado and started sucking on it. She held it for ages, before discarding it in favour of cucumber. I was shocked, excited, proud, sad and happy all at once. I was only up to Rapley p27, so I did some speed reading to catch up!
Last night we had another go, and she was this mad conveyor belt of potato and broccoli.
I hadn't expected her to do this - I thought it would be just like the book (and all the other assorted stuff I'd read) says, that she'd watch, then play, then lick, then chew, then maybe eat. She skipped straight forward to chewing and eating - the proof was a bit of potato skin in her nappy this afternoon.
So I guess you just know when it's time, cos you're the mumma and you know best, right?
All that said, we are holding off on any kind of wheat based or gluten containing food until at least 6 months.
We started at 5 months despite me "knowing that the book says" 6 months. I figured she was really wanting it and that she could just start the play part early. Like Audax, we were surprised to find bits of food in her nappy! I don't really like the age guideline - I think the ready and willing thing is much better.
I think P was about 6months, but was showing interest from about 5months. We never put food 'in front' of him that early but just let him reach if he wanted. It was a little while before he would actually swallow food, but now at 11months he eats non-stop.
I've found that it has also developed his fine motor skills quicker.
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I was a bit worried that she might have smacked her face on the desk, but she seemed fine. Anyway, I removed the apple after that
My DS did grab and eat at 5.5 months, so we'll see. she is determiined and gets cranky when we eat. Seh thinks she wants it
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