BellyBelly Member
Okay, I've decided we are going to try BLS... (read as: DS doesn't have the patience for mum with her probiotic and flax seed oil laced mushy stuff and has been chucking tanties). So where do I start, what are the rules, where could I hide the probiotics (a-retentive much!), what are the best foods? You get the idea.
BLS n00b in training....
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Let bub eat from your plate, the foods that you and your family eat.
Bigger pieces are easier for bub cos they can grab them and manipulate them more easily. They can't release their grip very well when they start, so the bit that is in their hand they can't get into their mouth.
Either put food on bub's tray or hand them pieces of food, but don't put it in their mouth.
You want bub to be sitting up - this way if they can't get the food down, it falls to the front of their mouth and out. Gagging is ok, even though it can sound scary.
Trust your baby- trust they will eat what they need.
Early fav foods here were potato / pumpkin slices dry roasted in the oven, cucumber sticks, watermelon, mango, pasta, strawberry, toast.
Other favs orange, mandarin, nectarine, pastizzi
My LO is pretty handy with a spoon now but can also eat a surprising amount of yogurt and other wet foods just using her fingers.
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OOhhh Yeddi, it's so excitingI give DD probiotics - we use the powder type and just mix it in with whatever. I'd start with vegetables, long ones steamed with a handle like broccoli, carrot and maybe some beans? It's heaps of fun and the best part is, there are hardly any rules. Just don't spoon feed or try and help your baby and let them do the learning.
BellyBelly Member
Okay, I know this is going to be a weird question but... do you see big chunks of partially digested food in their poo or do they soggy it up enough gumming it? I guess I'm worried about vitamin deficiency if 1. He's not eating as much as he has been, and 2. What he does eat passes through without being fully digested because he's swallowing chunks because he has no teeth. Also, are we meant to take more vitamins like iron and vitamin C to pass through the milk?
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Babies' gag reflex is stronger and closer to the front of the mouth than adults. Just becasue you are giving them chunks of food doesn't mean they swallow it as chunks. Has your bub ever bitten you with his gums? there is a fair bit of force in there without teeth and they get pretty good at breaking down the food.
Breastmilk provides all that baby needs at this stage. eating solids is more about learning how their mouth and hands work and experimenting with different tastes.
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Yeddi that's an interesting question - DD has just started eating blueberries, and I have discovered that they are obviously going in whole and coming out whole!! She mushes up some of them but she's definitely swallowing some whole and they don't get digested. I too am wondering if she's getting any nutrition from them (after all, blueberries are $$ so why buy them if she doesn't get any benefit? though she does love them!).
We recently had our 8 mth check up with the CHN, it was a relief CHN not our normal one. She asked "Is she doing well with solids" and I said "Yes!". Then I mentioned BLS, which she had not heard of, but pleasingly she thought it sounded good! I was surprised, had expected the opposite. She did tell me that I could "feed her up" as bit as she is on the 50% for height and the 25% for weight - she wasn't concerned, just said we could give her a bit more more, more dairy and snacks etc. Which I had just started doing anyway, so all good
BellyBelly Member
I wonder if you squished them first, a bit like how you have to crack a snail shell so the chickens eat them (bad analogy I know), then it might work out better...
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Mrs P - that's fab news, I love hearing positive BLS/MCHN stories
Yeddi - we don't see big chunks anymore but in the early days we did. We'll see corn these days but that's pretty much it.
I totally agree with Hoti - it's really the babies learning about their mouths and hands and tastes first and then the eating comes after that. I <3 BLS as it seems like a natural process to me...........figure it out first and then do it.
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are you sure they're actually going through completely undigested?? it may be that the skin is not digesting, but the actual "guts" of the blueberry is, and the skin is filling with fluid further on down the digestive tract. it happens with sultanas (they increase in size lol) and corn (the innards are digested, but the "skin" of each kernel isn't - it just fills with fluids and appears to still be intact)
we were told solids (rice cereal) would help with reflux but i let my gut guide me and went with BLS. DD has never had moosh/pureed food - she isn't a fan of mash (if granma makes it) but is fine if i do. she will eat just about anything. preference for food with stronger flavours (she will opt for curry over creamy pasta). we have always let her guide what she eats and when. she has a healthy and varied diet for sure!
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BG - good point, I haven't inspected the 'used' blueberries too closely ha ha! I'm still buying them for her anyway. Even though they are currently $6 for a 125g punnet, she just loves them so she's eating about a punnet every 2-3 days.
starangelk - you are so right! I did once try a savoury raffertys on pasta for DD and she was not keen - when I tasted the sachet I could see why. I have some frozen sweet potato puree from when we did a week of puree before I got the BLS book, so I might try that with some ricotta mixed in and see how she likes it! Pesto is a good idea too.
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