Baby Led Solids Chatter #3

Sami, that's great news that you have had even more reassurance.

WRT day care, if they won't let your DS have the toddler food, then you can always send your own food and tell them to feed him that instead. Also, don't worry about a bottle. Neither of my boys drank from a bottle but happily drank EBM from a sippy cup at day care. They were both able to drink from sippy cups from around 3 or 4 months, and I introduced straw cups not much later. So there are some options for you. And even if you don't have much luck at home, they are more likely to drink when they are thirsty and you're not there. So don't worry hun.

Georgi - Jett loves tomatoes! Funny cos neither DH or myself like them! But he will happily slurp away until it is all gone. I think it depends on your bub. Some babies do find the high acidity an issue and become quite unsettled or often get a rash around the mouth, but then others like Jett have no issues. So my opinion is give it a go and watch for any reactions! It is the same with citrus fruits.

The book I have has food ideas, such as the out and about food ideas I mentioned earlier, but not really recipes. It actually says that it doesn't deliberately, and from memory I think the reasons were that there are other books available with food ideas, and BLS is all about giving your bubs the same food that you are making for yourself. As long as you are eating good healthy food then it should be just perfect for bub. So have a look on the net, or through your own recipe books and find some ideas that sound yummy to you and go to town. Remember that bubs need to learn about a lot of different tastes and textures so you shouldn't need to modify too much for bubs.

Speaking of textures - Jett was given soup today at childcare. I was a bit concerned when they said it was soup fo lunch. I really didn't want him to be spoon-fed, but wasn't sure how else he was going to eat it. But luckily the carer had the great idea of putting lots of bread in there as that is what she did with soup when her kids were learning how to feed themselves. Apparently he had a ball getting his hands in there and squishing and squeezing... and he ate heaps of it too! So there is another idea for everyone - soup is not off the menu!!

MummyTummy - The paediatrician is going to make a complaint against the MCHN. The doctor was appalled by the things she said. Since then I have found out that the MCHN has said the same or similar things to other mothers! I've heard quite a few stories now of breast fed babies who don't gain much weight. Now I'm starting to finally think that maybe that's just normal! :) Oh and the paediatrician wrote me the most wonderful letter. She knows how worried I've been about Maya and she wrote a letter to remind me that Maya is doing fantastically well and what a great job I'm doing. How nice is that. :)

Georgi - I've offered Maya tomato now - both cooked and raw and she hasn't had a problem with it. I think it would be fine to give it a go.

I've noticed that a lot of you are cooking with eggs in recipes. Did you give your babies egg to try first? I've read that some babies have bad reactions to eggs. So I wasn't sure if I had to offer it on it's own first or not.

MUMMYT - DH & I eat very plain. Mainly cause DH doesn't like ANYTHING! We normally have grilled steak with salad or chicken stir fry with crappy jar sauces so I wouldn't want BJ having such a boring diet. Plus, he eats earlier than us so I am happy to prepare his meals seperately, but I do run out of ideas. Good idea to look into normal cook books :doh: something so simple, why didn't I think of that. Thanks for the info on tomatoes. I will try them tomorrow

TANYA -That's also good to know Maya has tried tomatoes. I first tried BJ on eggs in that zucchini slice that I make so he wouldn't of eaten a whole egg, then just kept an eye on him. OMG, how nice is your paed to write that letter. Wow, i'm impressed

BJ is now getting so much more effecient at eating. He now finishes his meals in around 30mins, sometimes less :clap: At the moment he's loving the spiral pasta that I use pureed veges as the sauce then grate some cheese through it. He gobbles it all up so fast! He's also LOVING yoghurt now. So funny, considering he gagged so badly when he first tried it.

I made those pancakes last night, ready for breaky this morning, but poor BJ didn't get any breaky. He has been off his milk a little. He didn't have much for his two feeds last night, then slept all night and hardly had any when he woke up, at 7am. So I decided not to give him breaky in hope that he'll have his milk. He had a good feed next time so he got lunch. I think he made up for it at dinner tonight anyway. He ate his pasta with vege sauce & avocado, plus half a pear! Now I hope he'll have his milk before bed tonight :pray:

ETA: WHAT ABOUT BEETROOT? CAN ANYONE SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE?

I tried to post the other day but couldn't get the post reply button to work!

Georgi - you can always prepare your meals and then take a portion and put in the fridge or freezer for BJ to have the next night. That way you aren't making anything extra or separate at the time. You may already be doing this...

As for beetroot, I have to admit that isn't something I have tried. But I read somewhere that you could try roasting it? My opinion is just try it, don't try anything new that day and just see how he goes.

I hope BJ is back on to his milk and solids by now!

Tanya - You sound like you have a wonderful and very sensible paed. That letter is probably something most mums need every now and then. If only you could nominate her for some award for going above and beyond her job! And also for making a complaint against your MCHN. I still can't get over that, and as I suspected you are not the only one she is saying it too. Just too too too scary!

As for eggs, we first tried it as scrambled eggs. I think it doesn't matter if you try it on its own or in a recipe for the first time, as long as it is well cooked (no runny whites or yolks) and you introduce it on a day where you don't introduce anything else that is new you should be fine. As for bad reactions, it is like all the other "risky" food. Do your research and decide for yourself whether you think early or late introduction is the way to go for you. I personally believe that if there is no direct allergies in the family (direct being Mum, dad or sibling only) then it is fine to introduce at a time that suits you. Others of course believe in waiting until they are older, but only you can decide what is right for your child.

Ok, I had better run. I am at work so have to make sure I get something done today, although I know I would much rather hang around on BB all day!!

MJ has had some beetroot in a juice that i made.
If you are going to try just remember that it stains everything, and i am not referring to outside, poo can be a reddish colour and can look like there is blood in it - so dont freak out :)

SAMMIE Good tip about the beetroot staining. I didn't think of that

MUMMYT Yes, I am making up BJ's meals & freezing them. Or, I'll give him the same meal a few days in a row

I gave BJ some tomatoe on Saturday, and he was fine. He liked it too

I have some new recipies..... BJ loves them

Salmon (or tuna) Patties
(these are the ingredients I used but really you could use any veges)

3 x 85g tin Salmon in spring water
1 med Sweet potato (boiled then mashed with a little milk)
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 carrot grated
1/2 onion grated

Combine all ingredients & roll into finger patties, bake at 180 degrees for 30mins or until golden brown

Beef Rissoles

250g mince beef
1 carrot grated
1/2 onion grated
1/2cup bread crumbs
1 egg

Combine all ingredients & roll into finger patties, bake at 180 degrees for 30mins or until golden brown

I gave BJ some wholemeal crumpet this morning. With a bit of butter & vegemite. He didn't seem to like it very much. I'm not too sure whether he just wasn't hungry. I took it away & offered some banana, which he ate, then some avocado, which he ate most of. So I guess he didn't like the cumpet. I will try again though. He also wasn't keen on Philly cream cheese on cruskit. I gave this to him for lunch today. He ate it, but didn't chow it down like he does with avo on cruskit. Maybe he's just having an off day.

Georgi - Those recipes look good. I'll have to try them.

MummyTummy - Thanks for the tip of scrambling eggs. I gave that a go and there was no reaction. So I assume that means Maya is fine with eggs. :)

Maya has been quite sick over the last few days and was a bit off her food, but now she suddenly seems to be eating more than she did before she was sick! Last night I cooked up a batch of lentil and meat hotpot that's in the Baby Love book cos it sounded so yum! I added some veges to it. Then today Maya and I ate it for lunch mixed with rice. :) It was a bit hard for her to eat with her hands though and it ended up everywhere - she probably ate 10% and the other 90% was all over her, the chair and the floor. :) But she had fun.

She seems to be chewing a bit more now, though she tends to shove too much into her mouth still and then can't chew!

Georgi - Those recipes do sound good! I like the finger sized bits too - good thinking 99!

SJ - Good tip, must remember that if I ever feed him beetroot!

We tried couscous tonight - he tried some of it, but most of it ended up on the table, high chair, floor... etc. He also had some roasted potato and he kinda licked at the beef schnitzel bit I gave him.

We had tinned soup for tea last night and DH's had some large pasta tubes in it. We gave Liam some and he demolished about 5 of them! Loved it! We're just giving him a bit of everything we eat now and he tries most things, but still doesn't eat heaps. However, I've noticed a change lately - he will eat first, play later. He used to play first then try and eat. So maybe we ARE getting somewhere!! :dance:

I made the banana and pear piklets (sorry can't remember who posted the recipe) and Maya loved them. I also made the zucchini slice (thanks Georgi :), which is yum but I haven't given it to Maya yet. That'll be her dinner tonight. :)

I am making salmon cakes tonight too .... I am not doing f/t BLS - more try to give him some food I know he will eat first like my slow cooker casserole etc - and then give him somethign to do himself whilst we all eat too - like the salmon cakes, but he just looooooooves chewing on a corn cob - and gets us through dinner. Zander is still not eating much at all so that is our compromise I suppose.

Salmon cakes
415 gms of salmon, 1 cup mashed potato, 1 cup of jatz bikkies or cornflakes crushed, 1/3 cup of whole-egg mayo - mix, shape into little cakes bake on 180 for 15 mins - less if you make them smaller :)

I found a new MCHN in a different council and the new council is all for BLS! :) The MCHN signed me up for an info session on BLS next week. I thought it would be interesting to go see what they say, even though I'm already doing BLS.

Tanya - that's awesome! Make sure you report back as I'm sure we'll all be interested on what they had to say.

I went to the talk yesterday on BLS run by a local council and it was really good! I wish my council had run something like that! I think every council should run it. I didn't know about BLS back when Maya was much younger and it would have been great to go to something like that before Maya started solids.

What I really liked is that they weren't pushing BLS on people, just telling people what it is, how it works, how to do it and what the benefits are. Oh and also discussed people's fears of BLS. They said there's no reason to start with pureeds - no research has been done to support offering pureed food. And they also said that there's been no research done into starting by offering one food at a time.

I got a handout which I saw is a print out from wikipedia. If you are interested in the article go to wikipedia and search for Baby-led weaning.

Sounds great Tanya!

Does anyone else find it odd watching other people spoon feed puree/mush to their bubs now? I can't seem to get over how it doesn't look 'right' to me anymore! (Not that I'm criticising their choice, just how it's something I'm really not familiar with). I've watched DD feed herself for her entire life, so the idea that we'd do it for her is a bit odd. Grandma/MIL tried to feed her something on her fork last week and I told her she was perfectly capable of feeding herself!

I've got a couple of questions:

1. When did you give your baby a bowl or plate? I put Maya's food on the tray of her high chair. But should I be giving her a bowl or plate instead? I have tried a couple of times and she sucks on the bowl instead of eating the food. :lol:
   
2. Maya eats quickly to begin with and then slows down but continues to shove food in so that at some point her mouth is full. Then she just stops eating but has a mouth full of food. I assume it's when she's no longer hungry but is still interested in putting food in her mouth. I'm not sure what to do about it. I try leaving her in her high chair until she finishes it. But she will get annoyed and can sit there for a very very very long time without any progress on the food but getting very frustrated. I worry about taking her off to play with a mouth full of food. Isn't it a choking hazard? Any ideas?

Thanks.

TANYA There's no way BJ would eat off a plate. Like Maya, he would pick it up & try to chew on it. He also fills his mouth right up & doesn't swallow. Though he doesn't keep it there as long as Maya does, by the sound of it. Have you tried giving her some water in a sippy cup? That's what I do. It helps him swallow it, or spit it out. I know it sounds a bit daunting, that it might force the food down & choke, but it hasn't done that to BJ at all. Hopefully someone else will have some advice for you

Tanya - are you in Kingston? I went to their talk just before MJ started solids and although i was already leaning to BLS, it convinced me!

MJ started using a bowl and plate at about 8-10mths i think - and alot when on the floor, but like with everthing she understood after a while... it is a messy way of feeding but so much fun!
I wouldnt let her get down with a mouthful, i would let MJ spit the food into my hand, she soon understood how much to put in so that she could chew it. Its a bit of a stage i think...

Jennifer - i cringe when friends tell me how they have started on farex... and yep its a weird concept to me really, seems so much more natural this way :)

Georgi - yeah I have tried giving her water in a sippy cup but when her mouth is that full she can't even sip the water. LOL

Sammiejane - I'm just outside of Kingston. But I am now going to a health centre in Kingston because my local one is terrible! So yes the BLS talk was at Kingston.

How did you teach MJ to spit food out?? Maya doens't know to do that. She'll just sit there and sit there and sit there.. with her mouth full to the brim. Neither chewing nor swallowing nor spitting anything out. She goes all quiet and sits there. Then gets frustrated. Usually I eventually stick my finger in her mouth and scoop the food out (which she really hates and I think is a horrible thing to do but don't know what else to do).

The other interesting thing is - she doesn't do it with all foods. Only some foods. So some meals she will eat until she's had enough and then either play with her food or push it away. But with some foods she'll just keep shoving it in there until her mouth is really full and she probably can't chew at that point.

Hey Everyone!

Sorry I have been MIA! I have gone back to work and so any spare time I have I spend with Jett which leaves little or no time for BB :(

Jennifer - I agree with you about watching people spoon feed mush. I get quite fidgety - I just want to tell them to let them have a go themselves!!

Tanya - I give Jett a bowl or plate most meals. His bowl is a suction one which just didn't work when we first began, but now he understands what the bowl is for it is just great. I started using a melamine plate but found that he found it much easier to use one of the ceramic plates we use. It is heavier so it doesn't slide around so it is easier for him to pick the food from it. After a while he starts to lift it and drop it which is his signal for when he is full enough to just keep picking and playing. At that point I just slide the food from the plat on to his tray and leave him to it.

I have no real suggestion about the mouth filling - maybe it is just a phase and eventually she will figure it out? What are the foods that she always tends to do it with? Does she chew and swallow any of that type of food or just fill her mouth from the get-go?

I have recently bought a full childrens cutlery set for Jett in stainless steel (I find the plastic ones just seem a bit light) and have it sitting there for his meals. That way when he is ready to start copying Mum and Dad he has the implements at hand. He confidently uses a spoon already, but still finds the fingers far more rewarding!! Especially with yoghurt and sloppy foods! Lots of fun! I still love watching him eat and discover food and feeding himself. He just has an absolute ball. He now weighs over 10kgs, which makes him in the 'average' range for weight. Considering when we started solids he was on about the 5th percentile! BLS has been an absolute success for us and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone to try!

I also caught up with a friend the other night who I hadn't seen for quite sometime. She has a baby boy about 2 months younger than Jett. He is her second child. When we said that we just feed Jett what we have she started chopping it up in to small pieces until I said no, he has it the same way we do too. It really piqued her interest because she is still feeding puree and making it all herself, and her DS didn't seem all that interested in eating. She hated every minute of it and was so over it. She decided then and there after I explained all about BLS to put some of the roast on his tray and leave him to it while we ate. He had a blast and ate everything on the tray so she had to give him more. She couldn't believe it and couldn't stop thanking me for telling her about it. She had never seen him that interested and he is also in the 'underweight' category, so she is thinking that this might catch him up a bit. She was just so greatful, she would never have known about it if we hadn't gone round for dinner. Just made me feel all warm and fuzzy!

Good for you! :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

It's so heartening to show someone a better way, isn't it? Must have been very exciting to see him clean it all up! :dance:

MUMMYT That's a really fab story. Thanks for sharing. It great to hear those things

TANYA I bet you can't help but laugh at Maya when she does that. I tend to have a giggle when I read your posts. She's so cute

BJ is just loving his food atm. It seems that he can't get enough. Although I gave him some plain meatballs yesterday that he just didn't really hoe into like he normally does. I still have leftovers today so i'll try again, maybe he just wasn't real hungry at the time.

Hi - I'm completely new to this thread. I haven't read back sorry (there's a lot there to read lol), so forgive my ignorance :).

DS is 5 months today, and after a discussion with the child health nurse, we are thinking that he may be ready for solids. He is showing all the signs - particularly in that he is waking up a lot more through the night and wanting to feed much more often. I keep reading that 6 months is about the time to start, but DS really seems ready now... so we're going to give it a shot.

The child health nurse mentioned something to start him on, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was - it was a word I hadn't heard before. Is there a food that is recommended to start bubs on? I'm so new to this, it's quite overwhelming all the information that's out there.
Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated :).

Hi Sterla,

Your health nurse probably suggested Farex - baby rice cereal. This thread is Baby-Led Solids thread which goes down a different path of feeding to that recommended by most MCHN. BLS is about giving your baby the same food that you eat and letting them feed themselves right from the start. That's it in a nutshell anyway, there is a little more to it than that. It isn't the kind of feeding that is for everyone, but I know I can personally recommend it and everyone else in here probably does too. But it is something you really need to do your research on to feel comfortable with because it isn't the 'norm'. Have a read back through our threads for a starting point!

I can tell you how we started on BLS though. Jett was about 5.5 months, same deal as you, wanted more and more feeds that persisted over a week, was totally interested in grabbing the food off our plates and shovelling it in to his mouth and putting our spoons in to his mouth too. So I started before the recommended 6 months, but I have no doubt that I actually started at the right time for him, he has not looked back since. I started by cutting carrots in to fingers and steaming them so that they still held their form when he was holding them but they were soft enough for him to suck. I tried this with a few vegetables and he just loved these interesting tasting toys!! A couple of weeks later he hit 6 months and I just started giving him a little bit of everything we ate in a shape that was easy for him to hold. This also included meat, not just fruit and vegies which is the food path you will be recommended to follow by the MCHN. He has not looked back since, and as per my post above he started off on about the 5th percentile and is now around the 50th and is just loving his food!! The babies get a great sense of empowerment for being able to control their intake of food, by holding it and feeding themselves. It is a very messy experience, but it is nothing that can't be cleaned up and the kids seem to have a ball, even if they don't seem to eat much. And of course the mantra here is "Food is for fun until they are one" meaning that their milk is still the most important nutritional food they can have until they turn one. So the emphasis is not how much they eat, but trying the foods and learning about the tastes and textures themselves. It should be a positive experience for both Mum and Bub. Jett is currently learning about gravity with his food!! Anything he has had enough of gets held over the edge of the high chair and he drops it and watches to see what happens when it hits the floor!! :rofl: We are lucky, we have a furry vaccuum cleaner that comes in and cleans the floor after he has finished!!

I know there is more to tell you about this, but I have to get back to work.... maybe someone else can tell you their story and fill in the gaps I have missed!

Thank you so much for your reply MummyTummy :)

I'm sorry, I didn't even know there were so many different ways of starting solids! It's great :D. I'll definitely have a read through BLS.

Thanks again for your reply.

Hi girls!! I'm new to this thread - I just have a couple of questions!

I understand this thread is about BLS. We just started our 5.5mth old DD on mashed banana and baby rice cereal and she's being spoon fed. She loves it!! Took to it really well and enjoyed it. 3 days now. I'm interested in doing BLS also but not quite yet.... I don't feel she's ready for that. Is it possible to do a combo of spoon fed purees and also some BLS aswell in a few weeks time?? Do people do that? :doh:

There is soooo much info on solids it's all a bit confusing what to do!!! :)

This week and next week we are just going to focus on pureed and spoon fed though.... banana, apple, pear and sweet potato. But maybe in 2-3 weeks time we could offer her some cut up foods aswell and do some BLS?? How do i know she is ready though?

Sterla - You are very welcome. Yes BLS is not widely known, so unless you hear about it you generally won't know it is possible.

Shanti - Welcome! What an interesting question "How do I know if she is ready?" The answer is YES she is ready. She is ready as soon as she starts solids. If you have started her on spoon feeding and she is taking to that well, then she is ready to try BLS. BLS is recommended from 6 months, but I started at 5.5 months and yes you can do spoon feeding and BLS if you want, but only because that is your decision to make and you have to do what makes you comfortable. But please don't base it all on your little girl and wondering if she is ready because babies love to do things for themselves and love to play with their food and feed themselves and they are very capable of doing it. If they can lift a toy to their mouths to suck on it they know exactly what to do with a steamed carrot finger. Hand-eye coordination is developed and they even learn to chew very soon after starting, something that spoon fed babies don't. They learn fantastic fine motor skills by learning how to handle their food and what grasp works best with which food. They enjoy eating the same things you do at a pace that suits them. Spoon feeding tends to override this which leads to an increased chance of fussiness later as they try to assert their independence.

Another plus is not worrying about pureeing food, or carrying around little jars with you. When we go out Jett just has some of the food from my plate, so we both win, he enjoys the same food as me and I don't eat as much :lol:

Sterla and Shanti - A good book to read on BLS is "Baby-led Weaning" by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett. I got my copy from the Australian Breastfeeding Association, but my friend saw it in Borders also so you should be able to find it out there. The library may have a copy also. A really good read because it explains it all so well and really gave me the confidence to trust myself and DS with feeding the BLS way. Feel free to ask any questions you have because starting solids is a bit daunting!

Hi STERLA & SHANTI (new name hey Ren lol) - This is how we started BLS. DS started at 4.5months corrected age, 6 months actual age, on Farex. We started very very slow as I wasn't keen on starting him, just felt pressured by DH & our GP also suggested we start. He was only having a quarter of a teaspoon to start. Once he hit 6 months corrected I started puree fruit & vege. I had read about BLS & stalked this thread so I begun giving him soft fruit to hold & feed himself as his dessert after I spoon fed him. Then, he begun to refuse the puree & spoonfeeding. So that's how our full time BLS began. It was very difficult at first as he was gagging alot on his food & it FREAKED me out. Though all the ladies in here reassured me it was ok & he would get over it... Which he did in just a couple of weeks. But as he was refusing to be spoonfed, I had no choice but to persist. He wasn't eating anyway! Things improved very quickly & it wasn't long before he was eating chicken tenderloins. I still prepare foods that are easier for him to eat, like rissoles, pasta & things he can pick up easily, but both DH & I love the fact he can sit in his high chair & just eat & eat & eat.

So that's our story...

Thanks MT & Georgi for your posts :D

I think we'll stick with what feels right for the next 2 weeks and that is... purees and spoon feeding and then (in 2wks time) after each spoon feed we might offer a soft piece of fruit (small pieces) or steamed vege like broccoli that she can pick up herself. That's a good idea. See where that leads us.... DD picks up toys with both hands and brings them to her mouth so after what i've just read perhaps she is ready! Thanks! But for now... I do enjoy spoon feeding her ;)

SHANTI You are best off to give her fruit cut lengthways to start with. It's too hard for them to pick up small peices. I'm sure you've seen the pics of BJ (on FB) eating long peices of cucumber & rockmelon, they were his first BLS foods. With the cucumber, just cut off the skin close to the seeds, it's really easy for them to eat. He never gagged on cucmber seeds. Good luck. You'll see BJ in action on Sat. I'll bring his lunch along

Shanti I do the same. Spoon feeding and finger foods :) Most of the time now he doesn't have anything from a spoon.

Last night it was broccoli, peas and corn, and chipolatas. Ashton LOVED the sausages, they were the perfect size for his hand. It was cute watching him eat the peas and corn now cos he is good with his 2 finger grip :)

MummyTummy - A suction bowl might be a good way to start. That way M can't pick it up and try to eat it. :lol: Thanks for the suggestion. I've also shown friends how I feed M and they can't believe that she can eat by herself! Actually my mother came round the other day while I was feeding M lunch. She'd never seen M eating before. M was having avocado on toast, cucumber pieces and cubes of cheese - popping them in her mouth and eating them. My mother was so shocked and said "OMG she can eat those things already?" :)

For now my solution to M filling up her mouth is not to give her the foods that she does it with. I just don't know why it's some foods and not others? For example I made a minestrone and was giving her the bits of veges, meat, beans and pasta and she'd just shove it all in and not chew.

Georgi - Yes sometimes I just have to laugh at M.

sterla & shanti - Welcome. There's an article in wikipedia that would be a great intro to baby led solids. It also has links to other great sites. Just go to wikipedia and search for baby led weaning. Or PM me if you can't find it.

I started Maya on sticks of banana and cooked sticks of carrot. At first she had trouble picking them up and getting them into her mouth. She'd often squish them too much. Now I cut her food into bite sized pieces and she can pick them up and pop them straight in her mouth.

I think I've worked out that it's meat that M has trouble eating. She just stores it up in her mouth. Any ideas on ways to prepare meat that she might find easier to eat?

I also haven't tried giving M sandwiches. I assume that would be a great food for taking out. I was wondering what kinds of things I could put in a sandwich that would still be easy for her to eat. So far I've only thought of avocado.

Hey Tanya. Jett can also be a bit fussy with meat, but he doesn't store it in his mouth!! Mince meat is usually pretty good because it breaks up easily in their mouths. You could also try slow cooking the meat to make it really tender. Jett loves meatloaf too....

Is it all meat or just red meat in particular? The reason I ask is that still to this day I can not swallow red meat. I don't know why - I chew and chew and chew and chew until the meat is white but I can't swallow it. Chicken I am just fine with.... A doctor told me that it is quite common and it is something to do with the chemical make-up of red meat which I kind of have an allergy to (not a real reaction allergy, just means that I can't swallow it). And indeed I have met at least 6 people, all female, who have the same issue. :dunno:

Hi ladies,

Hope you don't mind me jumping back after so long!! I'm after some advice...if your LO doesn't eat something you've made, how many different things do you offer before you give up?? DS is generally a pretty good eater but lately he has been refusing alot. Or do you just stick with the same foods?? I feel guilty when he has had much to eat.

Any ideas/suggestions would be great!! :)

Hi there, I've just started my 5 month old DS on solids. He is having organic millet cereal and that is all at this point. Im wondering at what age is best to start BLS. Is 6 months recommended? Also before that is it better I just mush vegies for him rather than puree? I have two DD's but just pureed all their food.
Im giving DS all organic foods at least until he's one and will not be introducing wheat or dairy before then either. We have a DD with allergies and I've just read up on this as a way to introduce solids (both BLS and no dairy/wheat) to let their system develop a bit more.
Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. We only started solids last week and are on one meal a day xo

MummyTummy - Maya has trouble with all meat. I think maybe because it's not moist enough? She also has trouble with pasta, but can eat that better than meat. I hadn't thought about making a meat loaf. I made one this week and she's been having some of that. She is still having a bit of difficulty but she is managing it.

hippiemummy - I find that if Maya refuses to eat something she'll eat it if I put it on toast. It's weird but it works. :dunno: Maybe cos it's easier for her to pick up?

Mumma2three - I'm not sure if there is a recommended time to start? But you don't have to start with mushing veges. You can start with sticks of cooked veges.

Hi Everyone, as usual I have been having trouble finding the time to jump on here!

Tanya - It might be something that she will need to grow out of then. Like you said not moist enough, then her mouth dries up which doesn't aid swallowing!! Just keep offering small amounts and see how she goes!

M23 - Best time to start BLS is 6 months. By that time bub should have lost the tongue thrust reflex (which pushes food out!) and are more open to the idea of swallowing food. We personally started at 5.5 months, but Jett was very ready - stealing food, desperate to put our spoons in his mouth and wanting to feed from me every couple of hours for over a week. Other babies don't start eating until 7 or 8 months and that is all completely fine too. The mantra is "food is for fun until they are 1" meaning that BLS is not about how much they eat, but introducing them to different tastes and textures and letting them experiment with it themselves. Tanya is right - you don't mush veges, just offer sticks of food - we started with steamed carrot sticks, and let them explore these tasty new toys.

HM - I offer food to Jett and if he doesn't eat it then that is his choice. There is usually a reason they are refusing and it is usually only temporary. So a typical meal for us is meat and 3 or 4 veges, followed by dessert and/or fruit. Most of the time he eats it, but sometimes certain things that he normally likes just don't cut it and it pitches it overboard. It could be lack of hunger, tired, not wanting that particular food etc. So the easiest solution is to just offer as varied a diet as possible, different foods, tastes and textures. Eg, Potato - chips, mashed, boiled, baked, with different herbs etc. If he is particularly active at the moment it might even just be because eating is getting in the way of 'doing stuff' and he will grow out of that phase very soon! He won't starve himself as long as he doesn't feel the pressure of having to get a certain amount of food down! And don't feel guilty, you have given him a great start, and he won't starve himself!

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Hi ladies,

Hope you don't mind me jumping back after so long!! I'm after some advice...if your LO doesn't eat something you've made, how many different things do you offer before you give up?? DS is generally a pretty good eater but lately he has been refusing alot. Or do you just stick with the same foods?? I feel guilty when he has had much to eat.

Any ideas/suggestions would be great!! :)

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DD will not eat broccoli but I give her one "tree" every time we have it. Because one day she may decide to pick it up & eat it
But generally she has whatever we are having for lunch or dinner because I dont want to be making 2 or more meals at every mealtime

Hi everyone, I'm new in here!
We decided to try DD with some solids yesterday! I was wanting to wait until 6 months but we decided that she was ready now. She is showing all the signs, can now sit up unsupported and the biggest thing has been her frequent night waking and increased feeding which has been going on now for 3 weeks!! So, not just a growth spurt I assume.
Anyway, we put her in her highchair and gave her some pieces of cooked carrot and cauliflower and also a piece of banana to try. Wanted to give her a few different things so she could pick herself. She's really good at picking up everything and putting it in her mouth and is also developing the pincer grip but she had a bit of trouble picking up her food coz it was so slippery!! It just kept slipping all over her highchair and she was chasing it around, lol. Anyway, she finally got hold of some carrot and had a bit of a suck on that, then some cauliflower. None went down I don't think, just sucked on it. (is this normally how they start??) Then she got the banana and sucked on that and a piece came off in her mouth, she gagged on it (I secretly was freaking out but remained calm in front of her, phew). Anyway, she spat it out and had a horrible look on her face and kept shivering and making yucky faces like it was really gross iykwim. LOL. She also kept gagging, well not really gagging, I can't explain it. There was nothing in there to gag on I don't think but maybe like she just wanted the taste of the banana out of her mouth? I don't know what she was doing but it made me uneasy anyway, lol.

Anyway, how did I go? Did I do it right?? lol. Do they usually just suck on it at first? Is she supposed to know how to chew yet? What do I do now? Just keep offering her some cooked veges once a day to explore?