Baby Led Solids Chatter #4

Aw Megan :hug: I can understand how that has rattled you. Especially if he is getting worse the more he tries. Breaking it up shouldn't be a problem - is he feeding it to himself in the smaller pieces or do you have to help him with it? Is it just chicken that you have tried? Steak is harder for them to break off then chicken or lamb, but of course if he manages it is more likely to be big chunks. I found DS mostly just sucked the steak whereas the others he would bite/break pieces off, but we also didn't have any issues either. And of course you can give him a chunk of steak that is too big to shove in his mouth all at once. The other thing you can feed him is mince-based meals?

He managed the smaller pieces no problem at all. He's the same with mince - doesn't have a problem picking up the smaller bits and getting them into his mouth, so we don't need to help him. I don't think he would want us to help him, he's becoming very independant! lol
He had a large piece of steak a few nights ago and that was ok because nothing broke off, he just sucked it dry, but I think I'm just nervous now about giving any large pieces of meat incase a piece could break off and get stuck.
He has fish occassionally which is fine. I think I might just have to give the chicken and lamb a miss for a bit until I get some courage back!
Thanks MT :)

If he can feed himself the smaller pieces with no trouble then there is no problem with you breaking his chicken and lamb up in to safer sized pieces. And all the good stuff in steak is actually in the juices anyway so sucking it dry is just as good as chewing and swallowing. Do what you have to do to get your confidence back first though!

Moi - I've been trying to think of what snack things that we do, but we don't really have morning/afternoon tea... if we do have snacks it's normally fruit, a cruscuit, an arrowroot biscuit or something... the other day we were eating rice crackers with dip that Edward really liked too, but mostly we just have breaky, lunch and dinner...

Megan - don't forget also that even though it sounds like DS is doing all the right things with food, you are the expert of your son so if you don't feel comfortable giving him something then don't, there's no failing when it comes to BLS - to me it's all about trying different things, and re-trying them later on if they don't work at first - these babies have a habit of changing soooo quickly so don't worry about things like this 'coz next week he'll probably be munching down a t-bone steak or something :lol:
but like MT said, it's all just experimenting, for both of you.

Have you tried doing something like meat balls with the mince? it might just be that in-between consistency that's soft enough, and easy to break off, but still solid enough to start practicing biting/chewing - just an idea.... Edward sucks most meats, but meatballs, sausages, pork dumplings or just really really tender meats (like slow-cooked) he seems to do really well at biting and chewing.

I froze some yoghurt today - went down a treat - Edward's first tooth poked through yesterday so i think it was just the thing to cool the gums :)
Any experiences with BLS while babies are teething? do they tend to go off harder foods or anything if gums are sore, should i be doing anything differently (i can pretty much just hear my own advice - DS will tell me if he does/doesn't want something right?!)... I think he's very clever for growing a tooth :)

moi - thanks! i'm in kingston council. some things not so good, but so far i've been really happy with my mchn centre & their philosophies.

alimoy - thanks for posting that info, it's really helpful!

MT - our DS' do sound similar! it's amazing how they just instinctively seem to know what to do. i thought i'd try porridge yesterday & was going to hold the spoon for DS but he just grabbed it & it went straight in his mouth!

megan - that would have freaked me out as well! sounds like your DS is loving his meat though!

i probably should have read info on strawberries first, but DS had one yesterday & liked it so much he had a second. he totally demolished them...and covered himself & DP in strawberry juice in the process. we were with friends & we were all fixated on him as he just went for it :lol: we offered some carrot, pumpkin & sweet potato tonight but got some real no thank you type faces. oops, probably should have held off on the fruit until we'd tried vegies. guess we'll just have to try again!

sloane - Yes I was going to guess you were in the Kingston council. :) That's where I go though I don't live in that council.

Alimoy - I don't remember when I introduced morning and afternoon teas. I think it was when Maya was around 1 ish. But I mainly do fruit too so was hoping for some new ideas. When Maya has been teething she does go a bit of her food but I continue to offer normal things.

Maya is still not very good with meat and she won't eat mince for some reason. I wonder if she just doesn't like the taste of meat.

Hope everyone had a good Christmas. :)

hi guys just thought id join in as i have started BLS with my daughter about a month ago after she hates pureed stuff...

she has eaten a bit of everything, she is a human garbage disposal and despite having no teeth eats every scrap of food i offer her with no gagging incidents so far. she has tried

xmas ham
chicken
avocado
potato
sweet potato
carrot
scotch finger/arroroot biscuits
hot chips (naughty i know)
bread/ toast with spreads
cheese sticks


geez alot more probably but i cant remember
im avoiding eggs cause ive been told to, as was gonna avoid peanuts but XP gave her bread with peanut butter (not knowing not to) and she has been fine since with it. cant believe she likes everything i give her and eats it all!

Just popping in to say hi... have been lurking for a bit now :p
AR started solids this week, a bit earlier than I planned but she definitely seems ready.

So far just pumpkin, broccoli & cruskits... not too fussed on the purees.

She did have some pureed fruit last night & DH said
'oh, I'd much rather her have that than the pieces of pumpkin...she was gagging!'
:lol: she actually wasn't gagging really at all, I've seen her gag worse on her own fingers. I just said nah, it's normal :D....

Hi Ladies, thought I would join in. We've just started DS on solids on Christmas Day. He had a carrot, I didn't think he swallowed any but when we changed his nappy the next day there were definately a few little pieces in there. The next day I gave him carrot and zuchini but he didn't want to put in his mouth. Same the day after so I offered him some avocado on a spoon which he loved! He must have ate 2 tsps of it all up and I mixed a little carrot in with it which he enjoyed. I guess we'll keep going, but at the moment I must admit it seems he is more eager to eat with a spoon (I let him feed himself, just put stuff on the spoon for him) than with his hands, so I suppose I will just keep giving him both finger foods and mashed foods and let him do it the way he likes.

Would love to hear ideas on others early foods. Today I was going to offer him carrot, avocado and zuchini, then tomorrow I thought we might try broccoli. Also, what sort of bread do you give you LO?

miss e - i've been wondering about the whole putting food on the spoon for them & letting them feed themselves myself. that's the way i've been giving DS yoghurt but was wondering whether it's still considered BLS?

jas - hi! how did the cruskits go? i bought a packet today but haven't tried them out yet!

tattoo_mama - sounds like your DD is loving her food!

moi - they are pretty good, aren't they. i didn't realise you could travel to a different council, that's great :)

after giving DS things hapahazardly, we've started giving him breakfast each day for a few days - just yoghurt, which he's loving. i poached some pears this afternoon so thought i might try them tomorrow. i'm thinking we should do maybe another week like this & then maybe introduce another meal? or would that be too soon? would love to hear what others have done :)

Sloane - Follow your baby's lead! If you think he is ready for another meal then introduce it. He will reject it if he doesn't want it. Jett very quickly moved to 3 meals a day. They don't have to be large meals either. Basically what we did is offer him some food every time we were eating. Sometimes he would eat, sometimes not, and it would be varying amounts each time. But that is the whole point of BLS - let them show you what they need. They won't overeat if they are feeding themselves, and at the same token they won't starve themselves either. Just so long as you are keeping up the milk feeds they will be getting enough of what they need right now.

Food on a spoon - not an issue at all. Most people doing BLS do this. But remember that it is also about experimenting with texture so allowing them to feel the food with their hands and perhaps feed themselves this way is also important. DS now can use a spoon and a fork quite proficiently but still often chooses to eat yoghurt and custard with his hands. But he is quite skilled at it, better than I would be so again this is following his lead. So when it came time to start offering the sloppy foods I would load up a spoon and allow him to take it and feed himself, but he would also want to touch the food and suck it off his hands. It was certainly a very messy experience, but one that every child has to go through when they learn to use cutlery - no matter what age they are! Eg - how are you supposed to know that sloppy food falls off a spoon when you turn it upside down unless you've had lots of chances to experiment?

Alot of people don't like the idea of the mess of BLS, but they really become less messy as time goes by and by the time most of those people start trying to offer messier foods with cutlery they have to go through the messy stage anyway. Better to get it over and done with I say!

Miss E - Early foods - anything you like! I know that doesn't give you specific ideas, but honestly, if what you are having for dinner is healthy offer it to your baby at the same time or offer leftovers the next day. And as for bread we give wholemeal bread. Just avoid seedy bread as they can be a choking hazard food.

Tattoo Mama - we didn't avoid nuts or eggs or dairy. It is a personal choice here - depends on which school of thought you subscribe to. I personally subscribe to the thought that neither DH or I (being the only direct relatives of his - there are no siblings yet!) have any food related allergies so there is no need to hold off the introduction of any of the foods in the hope that he doesn't develop an allergy. I did also heard recently that they are no longer advising the delay of allergy food introduction as they are having no less incidences than before they advised on the delay so there is no scientific reason for holding off. But that of course is a purely personal choice and only you can do the research and decide which path is the right one for you and your family. Honey however is still a risk and shouldn't be introduced until after 12 months.

Jasp - :hello: Good to see you in here!

Things are moving pretty slowly here with DS and food. I'm trying my hardest to trust my instincts and follow his lead, I guess I get a bit disheartened when you hear so many others rave about how quickly their kids caught on, and were shovelling food in. I know he'll catch on when he's good and ready I guess fielding questions about why we're doing BLS was hard enough, let along the questions like "but aren't you letting him starve?" or "shouldn't he be getting food to grow?" Its a tough job this mum gig LOL!

We've put a variety of veg options out for DS each night, we've just gone with dinner times. So far we've tried potato, pumpkin, sweet potato, carrot, cauliflower and beans. We've also tried watermelon, pear and banana and also some yoghurt. DS is a funny little thing. He's more engrossed in the bowel, spoon, the high chair tray, the straps on the high chair, or just banging things around. Most bits of food he does pick up and put to his mouth, but the whole texture thing isn't really working for him right now. He sorta looks at me as if to say "WTF what on earth is this mum?!?!" Any bits that he does get in he moves around his mouth and just pushes them straight back out again. Not much is going down thats for sure. He has a great time squishing it all between his fingers, and most of it goes south and he ends up sitting in it all. I have mushed up a few things for him just to see if he'd do anything different, and it certainly goes in but he still spits it out.

I guess I just needed some encouragement to know its ok to just continue like this until he really decides he's ready. He's nearing 7 months so I guess I just need to put all of those conventional expectations aside and remember its up to him.

Gotta run

mummytummy: XP has irritable bowel syndrome and i have severe hayfever allergies ( get hives when the pollen count is extreme) so i wanted to avoid allergy foods, but XP had no idea and DD is still alive, lol! and she may have had a bit of my omlette so theres eggs i spose...strange how honey is a risk, ive never heard of anyone being allergic to honey? just bees?

MT - thank you for that! i definitely think DS is ready - he had breakfast today & then later in the morning i was eating cruskits with avocado & gave him some & all that was left was a tiny bit of soggy cruskit :lol: and thank you re-spoon feeding as well. i was hoping that it wasn't wrong to just give him the spoon with food on it at this stage. he does love running his fingers over the spoon but most does seem to go in his mouth :lol:

lollybaby - it sounds like your DS is really enjoying the exploring side of the whole experience. i reckon at 7 months there's no need to stress about him eating yet. i know that even though my DS is going along okay with some foods, he def still struggles with others (like pears which he found hard to pick up) & he really wasn't into pumpkin & sweet potato. what about if you changed to breakfast or lunch? i just started with breakfast cos it fit into my day the best & it's also when DS is probably at his most alert...i thought that might make him the most receptive to the whole experience, if that makes sense?

Sarah, I think we might try breakfast here too, dinnertimes are too hectic atm - we need to get ourselves sorted & in a routine. But to start with while we are introducing food, mornings will work I think.

Tattoo_mama I think the problem with honey is the bacteria that can be in it? I've never heard of anyone being allergic either :dunno:

lollybaby, I don't get what other people's problem is with BLS - if they aren't getting it down by themselves, they won't get much more (if any) down by being forcefed :rolleyes: he's only young yet, he'll work it out...trust yourself & him, sounds like he's doing fine :hug:

You can be allergic to honey - but it's rare. The reasoning behind not giving it until 12 months is because it has a lot of bacteria in it (or the risk of having a lot is there).

I haven't been in here for a while, but visited to see about finding the recipes for DS who is having far too much salt for our liking. We want to make some mini muffins or slice or something as his favourite foods are cheese and tomato sauce :redface:

He won't eat fruit at all and most veggies are ignored or just mucked around with. The only time he'll eagerly eat veggies is when they're mixed into a curry :o or a pasta sauce. Curry is actually his favourite! But I want him to eat the veggies in their plain state - but he's just not interested. :( Any hints??

AliMoy - have you seen the SA thread? We had a meet-up in Adelaide today. If I'd known about you - I would have invited you! :wall:

lollybaby, things are also moving slowly here with DD being 7.5 months old. Somedays she is shovelling food in and reaching for it, more often than not it is played with, and other times it is ignored completely. I am going by the saying that has been used in a lot of the BLS threads...'food is fun until they are 1'! :D To be honest, there are some days where I don't give any solids...sometimes her mood just doesn't seem to want to sit there and eat. I don't think her weight has suffered at all...she is still having her full formula feeds, and her clothes are getting on the tight side.

I have a MCHN who was horrified when I mentioned that DD has tried wheatbix (she opened up a cupboard with boxes of farax and said that is what I should be feeding her, and it is available at any supermarket, in the baby aisle!). I have the 8 month check up in a couple of weeks time...do I mention that she has tried all sorts of different foods and be prepared for the argument, or just say that the feeding is going well?

tattoo_mama - :welcome: Sounds like you are doing really well with the BLS. I wish Maya would eat everything I gave her but I know that she is less fussy than babies who have had pureeds so I know BLS was the right way to go.

jasp - :welcome: Yeah they do tend to gag a bit at first but then get the hand of it. Now Maya is much more likely to choke on her water when she drinks too quickly than any food.

Miss E - :welcome: I also started Maya with a spoon by putting things on it and giving it to her. Then at some point she got interested in using the spoon herself and now she's getting better and better at using a spoon on her own. I give Maya wholemeal bread.

sloane - I didn't know you could change councils either at first and I can't remember how I found out. But I had to change when the MCHNs in my council were telling me that Maya was too small and I had to fatten her up with chocolate and cream. :rolleyes: The new MCHN has been so supportive of me and Maya is very small for her age but she's also very healthy! With introducing foods we just introduced them whenever, we didn't follow a plan.

lollybaby - Your DS is still so young in terms of food and the majority of his nutritional needs would still be coming from milk. Part of introducing solids is about exploring at this age.

elliskirsty - What about finding a new MCHN who is supportive of what you do? That's what I did and it made a big difference to me.

Maya is doing really well with a spoon now. Still having trouble but actually scooping food on to it and getting it to her mouth every now and then. My only concern with her still is that she doesn't really like meat. Even mince meat! So I worry about her iron content.

Jasp I agree, I don't see why its such a confronting concept for people. I tried giving some mushed up stuff to DS on a spoon and he still didn't get any of it down so I don't know what people want me to do.....no way am I jamming anything down. Clearly, his just not ready from a developmental perspective. I went back to Gill Rapley's book last night (after some choice comments from MIL) and its really given me a lot of confidence back.

Elliskirsty, thanks babe....we have a MCHN who also poo-poohed the idea of DS self feeding so I'm choosing to just tell her what she wants to hear and be done with it. I don't need that stuff from someone who hardly knows me or my baby.

I'm thinking about trying food with DS at brekky and lunch times for a few days instead of dinner times just to see what happens. He's really unsettled at nights ATM (I think we have some teeth on the way).

MOI - Have you tried making rissoles with Beef & Pork mince mixed together? Pork is higher in iron than chicken. You can add some pureed apple in to make it sweeter. Add some grated carrot, zucchini, breadcrumbs and an egg, mix together & shape into thick fingers. Put onto a baking tray (best to line with baking paper) then bake in the oven for 20 - 30 mins. Very nutritous and really easy for them to eat. You can even spread them with avocado before serving. This is one of BJ's faves.

Oh wow! I love the chatter going on in here!!

Tattoo_Mama - sorry I thought I mentioned that the problem with introducing the honey is actually the bacteria in it, rather than it being an allergy food. :doh: Fair enough on holding back on the allergy triggers. But I just mention it as it is a personal choice that only parents should decide as to the right path for them.

Nettie - yay! you're back! We need more long termers in here!! I feel like I am the only one!! I don't know what happened to everyone else!

Lollybaby - :hug: Hang in there! I can't remember who but when I first started BLS there was a long termer in here who said her DD didn't really start eating until (I think) 10 months but then one day she realised that half the food on the plate was missing!! So it can take them a while, but like EK said "Food is for fun until they are 1". But I understand that it is hard when you have parents or PILs or MCHN that are breathing down your neck telling you you are a terrible mother and are starving your child blah blah blah etc. But yep - keep reading that book. It is the best confidence booster, gives plenty of ideas and expectations that are realistic. And of course we are always here for you!

EK - Hard one... I don't know. When I made the decision to do BLS I went to my MCHN full of facts and ready to defend my decision, only to find that she was very supportive and cheered me on!! I know other people that went to their MCHN and got told to do BLS and they came away going "Really? I think I should get a second opinion". No wonder there are plenty of confused mothers out there with so many varying opinions coming from the MCHN! I think that you know your MCHN, so follow your instincts on which path to take with her. I would personally probably tell her as little as possible, and only what she wants to hear.

Moi - Not sure what else you can try with Maya and meat. Maybe she is a natural born vegetarian? I have a distant cousin who is one despite the rest of her family eating meat. Never liked meat and so never really ate it (except when she was forced to as a child). The only time she wanted meat was when she was pregnant herself. I'm kind of similar, I don't eat red meat, I can't swallow it. Weird, because I can eat chicken, but lamb and especially beef will not go down no matter how much I chew it. What do vegetarians do to keep up their iron content?

Georgi - Great recipe! Might have to try that one!

NETTIE I've got heaps of recepies for you! What about Zucchini slice? 3 grated zucchini's 1 grated carrot, 1 onion (chopped or grated) 1cup of SR flour (i always use wholemeal), 1 cup grated cheese & 5 eggs. Combine all & bake in oven for 40-45mins

Carrot muffins -
2 & 1/2 cups SR flour (I use wholemeal but if you use white, sift it 1st)
1tsp bicarbonate soda
2tsp ground cinnamon
1/3cup sultana's
3 medium carrots grated
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
2tbs oil
225g can pineapple pieces
You can add some honey or soft brown sugar for sweetness

cook at 180 for around 15 - 20mins, depending on the size of the muffins

Hey - i seem to have stopped getting the email updates - thought it had all gone quiet! so have just done a quick read to get back up with it all!

Georgi - i make exactly the same zucchini bake - it's DS's FAVOURITE (for now at least!)

I'd never heard that about honey - DS has had honey on toast a couple of time, think i'll take that off the menu options for now though.

Nettie - ah cool, i'll stick my head into the SA thread, always great to catch up with other mum's :)

I never went to any MCHN appointments - we had the first couple with our GP (who was also the Ob who was around for the birth - or she made it shortly afterwards anyway!) I get cross just looking at the CYH website so thought it best to just avoid them, although i did almost make an appointment a while ago because i was in a particularly argumentative mood and just fancied having an argument :) - but i always prefer to take the road of having the research on the top of my head for the times people question BLS rather than not saying anything - you never know who you might inspire to look into 'alternative' ideas.
I'm a firm believer in the fact that I am the only expert of my baby and i don't need somebody telling me that his healthy by what numbers he pulls up on the measuring tape and scales or checking his milestones on a chart - i know he's perfect and if i have any concerns i go to the GP that i know and trust.

that being said - around what age have people's babies started reducing BM feeds? and do they just do that on their own accord? and is that when monthly cycles are likely to kick back into gear? is it more likely to be later if you do BLS? not that i'm keen to get it back again but it'd be nice to know that everything is good to go back to normal again one day.

Oh, one more thing - big news. Edward grew some teeth for Christmas - he's so clever, two little chompers, bottom front - didn't seem to affect his solids at all - he's just eating his way through the world, thank god for vegie patches or i'd be broke.

that is all... hope everyone had a great Chrissy and New Years :dance:

We are still going here. She is now mostly eating what I am, sometimes a lot and sometimes barely anything. We cut our 7th tooth over the weekend and the 8th seems to be following closely behind... she is going to have a full mouth by one at this rate haha.

Infinity -- DD wasn't interested until about 8months and even now it is a bit hit and miss. Try not to stress :hug:

We are still having heaps of breastfeeds... at least 6 a day, most times up to 8 including a few overnight. I'm thinking of starting to offer less and letting her tell me when she wants as she never refuses an offer haha.

Sounds like you are doing great Jitterbug! 7 teeth already? :O Jett got his bottom two teeth at 7 months exactly and then didn't get anymore until after he was 1!! He did get quite a few in quick succession though, but he still only has 8!!

AliMoy - yeah the honey catches a few people out. It isn't a traditional "allergy trigger" food and so people don't think any more about it. Sooooo much to learn and remember! In regards to feeds and cycles etc. I got my cycles back before Jett had even started solids so I can't really help there. Dropping feeds, I can't really say when it happened. It just sort of evolved. By the time I started back at work when he was 9 months old I vaguely remember he was having 4 or 5 feeds over 24 hours. He very quickly dropped down to 2 or 3 just before he turned 1and would go all day without a feed when I wasn't around. But of course when I got pregnant (he was 13 months) he dropped me flat!! But alot of those feed adjustments happened because everything had been upset. Suddenly he was in childcare and although it is onsite at my work and I could still feed him personally he was too distracted by his new world to feed effectively. Because I was demand feeding him it did evolve naturally and I think it was the best thing for us at the time.

Alimoy, I have noticed a big drop in feeds about 2 weeks ago here. It didn't happen gradually either, it was quite sudden. He was still having around 7-8 feeds in 24 hours when he was 8 months and now he's having 4-5 each day. Usually early morning, mid morning, mid afternoon, before bed and maybe a middle of the night feed. He's actually slept through 3 times this week.
Sorry can't help you with your question about getting your cycle back... mine came back regularly when DS was 3 months and I was still feeding 8-10 times per day! It seems to vary so much from person to person. Some people get it back when they stop overnight feeds.

Just a question about the Gill Rapley book - for those who have it, did you buy online or at a bookstore? I have checked all my local bookstores and they don't have it and will take 3 weeks to get it in. Hoping to get my hands on it a bit quicker than that if I can.

Megan I got my copy from the Australian Breastfeeding Association Shop. They are in Malvern. I have seen it in Borders a couple of times too.... but I think they are a little more hit and miss.

I got mine through www. fishpond. com.au/ (just remove the spaces) - cheaper than online with Angus & Robertson and Borders inc postage. I got it in about a week in the mad rush just before Christmas too

Thanks girls, off to check out both options. :)

Georgi - I've never tried using pork mince (or pork) because I HATE the taste of pork, but realised that Maya might like it. Today I made a meat loaf with beef and pork mince, so fingers crossed she'll like it. If not I will try the rissole recipe you posted before I give up on using pork mince. I also like the sound of the carrot muffins. They would make a great morning or afternoon tea food. :) You are full of great recipe ideas. :)

MummyTummy - I should add that Maya will eat meat as long as it's all puréed up and mixed up with other things. I made a bolognaise that she wouldn't eat at all, until I puréed it and then it stuck to spiral pasta which she ate no problem! So I have no idea what that's all about? It just worries me that she won't eat pieces of meat - like chops or roast, because by this age she should definitely be able to manage it. She will eat little bits of roast chicken sometimes but she won't eat much of it.

MOI - The pork mince tastes much better when mixed with beef. It's a good mix actually. I need to be creative with meals & BJ gets 'over' eating the same thing. DH bought me a childrens cookbook for chrissy so i'm looking forward to trying all the different recipies. Just let me know when you're ready for more, I'm happy to share!

ALIMOY - The original recipie I had for the zucchini slice also had oil & salt & pepper.. But I leave those out for DS. He loved it for ages, then got over it, now loves it again. They can be so funny can't they

I tried some new muffins the other day. The same as the carrot recipie, but add grated apple & zucchini with a few tablespoons of honey. They have been a hit. It makes 12 all up so I just freeze them.

I'm also please to announce that DS can use a spoon to eat now... Yay.. That means I can give him a wider variety of food.

I've also found a better way to keen minamal mess... I have bought some cheap, home brand, garbage bags. I cut the join off at the bottom, then cut it down the centre to make a mat that I put under DS's high chair. It's great, all I need to do is wrap it up at the end of the mealtime & pop it in the bin.... Save's having to clean up the mess on the floor! Not real good for the environment I guess, but makes my life easier

Hi there everyone.
I am singing the praises of BLS (BLW) to everyone I know! I am astounded at how well DD eats! It's just amazing, and my Mum who was not very keen on the idea to begin with, is very impressed.
Last night for example, I made hubby and I a Chicken and mushroom risotto bake, and Allira ate 3/4 of hubby's bowl. It was fantastic and something DS NEVER would have done. I am feeling alot more confident about Allira's eating habits as we go into the future.
She still has no teeth, and is nearly 8 months old, but they will come. It's just odd because DS had teeth at 5 months.... and he probably still would have been on puree mush at Allira's age.

I know I haven't really posted much in here, but I LOVE reading all of your posts, and seeing what everyone is doing, and getting ideas ( I'll be trying that zucchini slice this week on DS, who has a complete aversion to all things fruit vegie and red meat, but I'm sure he will just LOVE that slice!).
So thank you thank you thank you! I am so glad I went the BLS route with DD.

Awesome Niadla - it is impressive watching them eat isn't it!! My Mum was the same, very unsure of the idea but once she watched him eat for a few weeks her views turned around around and she was telling all her friends about it!! (For their grandchildren!!)

Moi - I wonder if she is like me? I can't eat the chunks of red meat but I can eat mince and processed red meat. A doctor once told me that it is quite common to not like red meat but be ok with processed meat - apparently the processing removes a particular chemical in the meat which makes it ok. But that is particularly a red meat/white meat kind of thing. Otherwise I would guess it is a texture thing for her. All I can suggest is keep offering, but provide other foods that can cover the iron content and nutrient side of things. Puree if you want or can be bothered, but try not to get hung up on it. Plenty of people do well with no meat and I am sure she will flourish just as well!! :D :hug:

Georgi - What is the kids cookbook you got?

niadla - :hello:

georgi - that succhini slice sounds great! i'll have to give it a try! and wtg your DS with the spoon! :dance:

jitterbug - it's good to hear that someone else's little one would never refuse a feed! i'm sure my DS would feed every hour if i offered :lol:

not having too much success with vegies here - zucchini has been the main success. i've tried roasted & steamed pumpkin & sweet potato & not much interest. same with steamed carrot. i tried mashing roasted pumpkin & letting him feed himself with a spoon but nope to that as well! i have the AWW healthy babies cookbook so i'm thinking about trying a few things from that - it has a vegie burger recipe that i thought might be good (leaving out the bun for now). it also had some polenta fingers that sounded good.

his fave still seems to be feedng himself yoghurt!

Maya put the meatloaf I made in her mouth, then spat it out and threw the rest of her meatloaf on the floor. :wall: I am just so sick of trying all sorts of different meat meals just to have her spit it out and throw it on the floor. :(

Georgi - It was very similar to your rissoles recipe, so I don't think the pork helps.

MummyTummy - Maybe she is like you? Though she doesn't eat mince meat unless it's pureed and she doesn't really eat chicken either. She will eat processed meats like ham, but I didn't think that was as good for her and not sure about the iron content. So it could also be a texture thing. She does seem to like pureed soups a lot. So maybe I did too many pureed type foods and now she's not used to other textures?

I just worry that she won't get enough iron and protein.

MT - It's The Australian Womens Weekley healthy babies.. Maybe the same one as Sloane is talking about. It's just a cookbook really. No different to adult food

SLOANE - It sounds like we have the same book. Is it the one with the teddy cookies on the front?

MOI - Hmmmm, what about Spag Bol? Fry garlic & onion in a bit of oil, add mince & brown meat. Add grated veges & include grated pumpkin as this sweetens it a little, add a tin of tomato soup (salt reduced) & simmer for 15 mins. I add in cooked wholemeal spiral pasta or wholemeal penne. Grate loads of cheese in & mix it all up. DS absolutely loves this one. I portion it up & freeze it. It freezes well

NIADLA - That's fantastic that you enjoy BLS so much. DH & I are so glad we started DS this way. We'll certainly be doing it with the next bub too

hi all, we have discovered DDs fave food is prunes!!! which is great cause she has alot of constipation problems and refuses to drink water/juice.

she seems to eat more than me (no joke, she has 3 meals a day and i have one) but i spose its cause of my PND im very lazy, usually she has a combo of the following: plastic cheese stick thingy, cruskit, prunes, cooked pasta, ham, carrot sticks, sultanas etc.... whenever i go to the fridge i just get something out and give it to her, this prob isnt a very good way of doing it but hey she gets fed :)
and she hates cucumber i gave her a few slices and she licked them, pulled a face and chucked them on the floor....she freaked me out with her prune (pitted) she puts the whole thing in her mouth and sucks/chews til its gone!!

Looking for some ideas. We've started with BLS (okay only 3 times since Christmas Day but hey got to start somewhere). I'm still Bfing DS (about to turn 6mths tomorrow). He has really dry skin/ dermatitis and has been prescribed a pro biotic and another tablet (which I need to grind up for him to take) BUT the little ratbag spits most of it out when trying to give it to him (I need to give it too him 2x a day). I had tried mixing the pro biotic with cooled boiled water and we would get about 1/2 swallowed (so gave up on it for a while). The other tablet was only prescribed today after it was discovered that it hadn't gone through my milk to him.

I need to have some suggestions on how to try and get the stuff into DS without him spitting it out or getting overly upset when having it. The naturopath suggested mixing it with honey (manauka because it apparently doesn't have bacteria in it - not too keen on this just in case as it's recommended that honey not be given before at least 12mths) or pureed pear or apple - I don't want to buy pre-made stuff and I don't have time to do this.

I'm thinking of trying to mix the powders with breastmilk to see how that goes but don't quite know what to try if that doesn't work.

(I'm also posting this in the general baby &toddler section to see other suggestions)

Still not actually eating anything? I came on here ooh I dunno a cple months back for some advice on how to stary BSL. We've kind of ended up doing things 50/50 but the 50% finger food still isn't actually being eaten. I'm not sure what to do, DD is 8 months old now (1 month prem) she will try anything I give her in either form but will only eat pureed stuff, anything on a spoon with lumps in gets "filtered" & the lumps are promptly pushed out! Finger foods will always be given a whirl, she will touch it taste it & suck on it but as soon as something gets broken off & in the mouth she will spit it out. Everyone said it takes a few weeks for them to actually start eating something but its been a couple months now. Any tips?

She will have porridge for brekkie, if she takes a small portion I will offer her toast. Lunch is generally pureed but I offer her a small sandwich ( I have tried doing this the other way round BTW, sandwich 1st then puree but same outcome), evening meal would be puree & some steam veg or a piece of chicken to try. We had some success this week with macaroni cheese, i had to blend it as the pasta was way to big but she ate the whole lot little lumps & all. Do you think I should just keep plugging away like I'm doing? Snacks are things like crackers & baby biscuits which get sucked to death & then discarded. I've tried small pieces of fruit but she's totally uninterested.

Shuold I be worried or do you reckon she will just start when she is ready? She still has not teeth & is teething badly so perhaps puree is just easier for her at the mo???

georgi - that's the one! some of the recipes sound yummy! i'm looking forward to when DS is just that bit older & i can make some of the dinners.

CAH - sorry no real advice because we're just starting out here. when you give your DD puree, does she use the spoon herself? my DS loves using a spoon, although i do put the food on the spoon for him. have you tried just doing the BLS & no puree?

leckert - have you tried with the BM?

tattoo_mama - sounds like your DD is going along really well & loving her food!