Hi. I haven't been on here for a while and changed my name, which will just add confusion (I was formerly *Tanya*). Anyway, I was having trouble getting my DD to eat meat and she's doing better now. I think she hates onion actually. I made meatballs recently without onion and she gobbled them up. I want to try slow cooking a stew without onion too and see how that goes.
I have a question about cups, not sure if this is the right place to ask though so feel free to point me somewhere else. I am trying to get my DD off bottles and onto sippy/straw cups. She does drink from both sippy and straw cups but only little sips. She'll drink a lot more from a bottle. I think the problem is that the milk/water doesn't come as quickly when she has to suck a straw or drink from a sippy. Can anyone recommend a fast flowing cup?
i didnt give DD1 raw apple for aaaaaaaaaaaages til i knew she was ok with it, i started steaming segments for less and less time so they slowly got firmer but still not in that raw state
I'm one who did things differently. While I cut the apple into quarters, I never took off the skin and I never made any effort to soften it. She was having it from about 7-8 mths. DD loved and still loves raw apple. I stopped cutting it into quarters when she was about 18 mths so she would wander around eating a whole apple at that young age. She never, ever choken on apple. The one and only time she had a real choke was on mandarin pieces. She got a stringy bit lodged and after a few hearty splutters she brought it up, held and looked at it for a minute and then stuck it right back in! Went down the second time without any problem.
As long as you're around and know how to respond in a choking situation I can't see any problem with giving her apple just as it comes. That's part of the fun of BLS!
We also did raw apple in quarters/eighths with skin on and have never had a problem. I don't think it is too hard at all. And as for the skin, Jett used to use the skin to nibble the apple away from but now he is happy to eat it as is. I haven't given him a whole apple yet, not because I wouldn't, but because I know he will only take a couple of bites before dropping it. But then he would want more..... so less wastage if it is cut up IYKWIM!!
The only raw thing we have avoided is carrot. That I think is a bit too firm and a choking hazard. So he gets them lightly steamed instead!
Heaven - I've been thinking about trying a Nuby sippy cup. I'm just getting sick of buying cups that don't work for my DD.
As for apple my DD wouldn't eat cooked apple so I started with grated apple, then moved to thin slices and now I cut them into small pieces. After reading other responses I might try cutting them into quarters.
Oh, I forgot to tell you about our sippy cup experiences.
Like you, Jett just didn't seem all that keen on sippy cups. Little sips and that was it. I bought all sorts of styles, with sippers, straws etc to give them a go. Finally we found one - I think it is a Nuby Sports Bottle, it doesn't have a straw, but has a silicone tube - kind of like a bottle (not a pop-top style) and he seemed to like this one. It is taller than the ones for his age, I think more for toddlers, which means he struggles to hold it up by himself but I don't mind. Once he learned to drink well from that we have tried all the others again and he is happy to use all of them except one. And it was literally one day to the next where he didn't like water, to loving it. So I say just keep persisting, because one day it will jusst click. I have heard a few stories like this.
Another piece of advice I was given - when I was at my wits end, was to take the valve out of one of the cups (I think Avent Magic Cup) so the water was free flowing. It will no longer be spill-proof, but it will give bubs an idea of what to do. I tried this and we had a few splutters, but it may be something else for you to try.
Hi there... Another one that hasn't posted in here for quite a while. I still read your posts, just happy plotting along.
I would love to hear your experiences with cutlery. Jennifer I know your LO has been effectively using it since a young age. I am wondering how to get BJ to use it properly. I have been trying to teach him how to use a spoon, though today, I used a plastic fork which seemed to be a little better. When I left him to it he would pick up his food with his left hand & try to put it on the fork before putting it in his mouth. Is this a good start? It was very cute to see.
Also, I still put all his food on his tray. I have tried to put a plate down but he just picks it up to look under it & waves it around.
At what age should I expect this to come together?
HEAVEN - I really only started giving DS raw apple a couple of months ago. I did, and still do, peel it, core it, and cut it into wedges. He has never gagged or choked on it
Jett is used to the spoon. He was given one at most meals right from the start. He got the hang of it really well maybe around 8 months, but still preferred to pitch it overboard and just use hands. We have brought out the fork on a number of occasions (we actually have stainless steel childrens cutlery so they look quite similar to Mummy and Daddy's ) and he has always just ignored it and then pitched it overboard until 2 weeks ago. Suddenly the fork is the best thing ever! He doesn't tend to stab, but scoops really easily with it and anything eaten with a fork is instantly tastier!
I just looked at my book on the subject for the same reasons as you. It says to give them a fork and spoon when they have been eating for a while and just leave them to it. If you are eating meals with them, then eventually they will want to copy Mum and Dad and experiment with the cutlery, which includes experimenting with gravity!! But the more time they are allowed to experiment the better they will get with it.
And I thought this quote from the book (Baby-led Weaning by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett, p 178-179) was especially useful
"But don't be surprised if, the first few times, he turns the spoon upside down and loses everything on it - or flings the food across the room when he waves his arm. Your baby doesn't know this is going to happen until he's done it a few times - and even then it will be a long time before he understands that it actually matters if food is thrown around! So expect some mess - or, if the weather is fine, let his early experiments with spoons happen out of doors! When your child does start to use cutlery (rather than just play with it), he'll be very slow. So take a deep breath, and be patient. It can be agonising to watch a young child attempt, time after time, to get a piece of food on to his fork or spoon and then, oncehe has managed it, to see it fall off on the way to his mouth. Your baby will do this many, many times before he masters cutlery. Try not to interfere or 'help' him too much - however hard it seems to be for him - he'll learn faster if he is allowed to work it out for himself. Your baby's personality will dictate how quickly he gets frustrated and goes back to using his fingers for the rest of the meal, but if he's the patient, tenacious type, meals could take a really long time."
It sounds like you are doing just great and for the moment there is nothing you need to do further. Keep allowing him to put his food on the fork (at least he knows that is where the food is supposed to go before getting it to his mouth!!) And enjoy watching him learn these new skills!
I've been giving DD a spoon the last few days when having yoghurt and yesterday she actually dipped it in. I didn't think they could use utensils for ages but reading your posts maybe she will get the hang of it sooner.
What does everyone do when out and about?? Not sure what to give DD when we're out coz it's so messy and she ends up with food all over her!! Any ideas??
Well, after lurking here and occasionally posting, I have finally taken the plunge and have started my DS on BLS (mostly) full time. Because I was spoon feeding him three meals a day, I have started off gradually. At the moment I give him food to feed himself before breakfast and dinner, then spoon feed him afterwards if he's interested, but lunch is all food he feeds himself. Eventually I'd like to cut out the spoon feeding altogether.
DS is doing really well feeding himself. This morning I gave him half a banana, and from what I could tell he ate 3/4 of it - not a bad effort considering we've only been doing it for a few days.
I've also started offering more foods than I was with spoon feeding. This week he's tried lots of new foods, and has loved them all!
I haven't really been feeding DS what DH and I usually eat, cause we don't always eat the best foods - but have been offering him a few different foods at each meal.
I'm still sort of getting my head around BLS, and still want to get a copy of 'Baby-Led Weaning' - but am happy with how we're going so far.
At restaurants and cafes I always give Jett some of what I am having. Otherwise I take things like sandwiches with me and whole pieces of fruit.
Even though it is messy, I have never encountered a problem while out. At cafes etc I spread out a few napkins on the floor and just let all the food drop to the floor. Then at the end wrap it all up and gather a few extra napkins and scoop up all the debris that missed and put it on the plate. Most waiting staff tell me not to worry about it, they'll do it and don't be silly that is what they are there for etc. I do often wonder if they are so nice about it because I do make the effort to clean up.
If you are more worried about clothes etc we have a few 'puddle feeders" from the ABA. They basically look like an art smock with a catcher pocket on the front. They protect him completely from the mess and then when I take it off him I just turn it inside out and wrap it up containing the mess on the inside. They wash and dry really easily and pack down nice and small for going out.
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I want to try slow cooking a stew without onion too and see how that goes.
- but have been offering him a few different foods at each meal.
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