Baby Led Solids chatter #5

[HotI]

being pegged - I think I fried our MHCN's brain ... she thought she had me pegged (exclusively breastfeeding, followed by BLS, clothbummed bubba, etc) and then she found out I'm a full time career lady who went back to work when DS was 9 weeks old ... she looked like she was going to have an aneurysm, due to being unable to match up her different prejudices ...

Love it!

[Cassius2]

DS is currently loving curry and plums. sometimes together.

haha! i love this! DD1 (who is 3.5 STILL likes to eat a spoon of flavoured yoghurt followed by a dinner chaser...it grosses me out no end haha)

[*Beema*]

I am back again, thanks for the info

DD1 is over 6 months now, we have tried some sticks of sweet potato, she ate 3 peas that I kinda squished a bit, but she isn't reaching or grabbing anything or actually showing any interest in it. Our GP would be keen for her to get onto solids sooner as it will help with her reflux as she is now on the max of Losec and Gaviscon every feed, but I can't force her and he admitted that she might not be ready and that some babies are ready at four months others take longer, as long as she is still gaining weight on milk it is ok

She has been sick with croup so haven't worried the last few days, but just wondering how often do you try, give it a week, or every few days and if she isn't grabbing at anything is it worth me holding it near her mouth for her to suck on?

TIA

[starangelk]

I think try often Beema, we just basically offered her food whenever we ate and did it that way.

[Yeddi]

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....

[HotI]

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.

[starangelk]

OOhhh Yeddi, it's so exciting I 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.

[Yeddi]

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?

[MummaSue]

Our GP would be keen for her to get onto solids sooner as it will help with her reflux as she is now on the max of Losec and Gaviscon every feed, but I can't force her and he admitted that she might not be ready and that some babies are ready at four months others take longer, as long as she is still gaining weight on milk it is ok

Beema, I was also told that solids would help with my DD's reflux and I found the opposite. By doing BLS, you're letting your baby instinctively do what is right for them. My GP told me that I had to be more "forceful" with DD - ie shoving a spoon in her gob but I am so happy that I've stuck to my guns and continued with true BLS. DD's reflux went away of its own accord with the help of some chiro and we were able to reduce the losec slowly. For me, I found that solids helping reflux was a myth.

[HotI]

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?

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.

[Mrs P]

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

[Yeddi]

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...

[starangelk]

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.

[peanutter]

DS ate more dinner than me tonight - an entire tub of vegies and pasta!

and then 3 strawberries, and a whole bottle 1/2 an hour later ... my mega boffa boy so proud.

[starangelk]

That's fab nutter!

I was really proud on the weekend too. One of my girlfriends didn't do BLS and she wasn't anti about it when speaking to me but just kept saying how she struggled with the idea of not knowing what they were really eating. Her DD is about 3 months older. Anyway on the weekend we had the girls in their highchair and without exaggeration my DD ate about 4 times the amount hers did. I was so proud - hee hee hee.

[Mrs P]

peanutter - that is awesome!

starangelk - love it! Some of my girlfriends are also very unsure about BLS. I have to keep myself in check so I don't "go on" about it too much. I just say that we're very glad we did it and it works well for us.

AFM - new food - grapes, cut in half. Loving it! Oh and corn kernels.

I posted under Children's Medical Conditions about DD's apparent sensitivity to tomato She loves spag bol, lasagne etc so I am quite sad that I can't give her any! Well, basically I just want to stop giving her tomato for a few months and then see.
Any suggestions for non-tomato pasta sauce ideas??? I'm a bit stuck for ideas. Maybe ricotta??

[starangelk]

Yep ricotta and pesto - one of our faves around here. Or we even do greek yoghurt and pesto, yum yum.

I think here's where our lack of puree understanding will come in but I am pretty sure you could just do anything and puree it up to make a pasta sauce, what do you think?

[briggsy's girl]

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!).

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!