Baby Led Solids chatter #6

With the gagging I read gill Rapley's book and she explained a babies gag reflex is nowhere near as far as back as ours it's on their tongue so they will start gagging very early on as a reflex to expel food which may cause a problem. That made me feels heaps better. Dd has only been going for about 2 weeks and she is gagging less and less. What I've found is if dd gags on something she doesn't gag on it the next time she tries it. She is picking up how to move things around in her mouth super fast. Last night she had beef stroganoff with us and munched on a couple of pieces of casserole beef and didn't even gag on it at all. She stuck a whole strawberry in her mouth yesterday, moved it around, figured that wasn't going to work and spat it back out. I think it helps that she's my 3rd, I'm so more relaxed. Interestingly she has so far gagged much less than my boys ever did who started on purees


Little miss today 2 weeks after starting bls ate a whole piece of watermelon. Actually ate it and swallowed it. I was so proud.

Hello girls! I thought I'd pop in and have a read. We have just started BLS with the twins - double the mess! I think it's going well, considering we have only been doing it for a couple of days. I was quite hesitant to start them on solids - they have just turned 6 months but were 5 weeks prem so I wasn't sure of the go with that, but DD1 solved my dilemma by grabbing DS's sandwich and having a munch :D. She is a lot more ready than DD2 who is the smaller of the two. We have tried apple, banana, Cruskits, carrot and toast with varying success. My BLS book turned up yesterday , thank goodness, because I'd done 2 days of rice cereal and pureed apple for DD2 because she didn't seem very interested. After skimming the book, I realised it's nothing to panic about. She happily munched on a piece of toast this morning so we were both happy! I am so glad the book turned up because I never considered checking their mouths for leftover food - both had big chunks of toast stuck to the top of their mouths this morning - eek!

I think my big problem will be reassuring myself that 'food is fun' and they don't really need it for hunger at this stage. I shudder to think of how much I used to shovel into DS's mouth when he was a bub.. He is crap eater now - getting better, but still solids were not enjoyable at all with him.

Is there any foods besides nuts etc, and honey that you you stayed away from? I know with DS there was a certain amount of food that books said not to try until certain ages. A friend of mine borrowed all my books on puree's and I am resisting the urge to ask for them back because I know I will start reading them and confuse myself, and probably get out my blender to start mushing stuff up.

I put some photos on Facebook yesterday and recieved 3 private messages off people suggesting that it was dangerous to feed them big chunks of food :rolleyes:. Ahhh well, DH and I are happy with how it is going so I'm fine with it!

Awesome work doing BLS with twins. It might be messier but less work on your wrists spoon feeding them when they are fine doing it themselves! I held off on nuts, honey and eggs but i think this was more from info from my MCHN.

have fun!

My DD will eat almost anything but has always been a grazer. Recently she must have been preparing for a growth spurt, she just ate and ate for 2 weeks! She ate almost as much pasta as DH one night, and then fruit and yoghurt! Breakfast was 3 vita brits plus toast. She then went back to grazing again, but yesterday was hungry again so maybe she has more growing to do.

Hey everyone :) Thought I'd join in here as we're planning to do BLW with DD. She's four months on Sunday so we're not planning on starting yet, but wanted to join to get ideas and info to back up what we're doing - the solids pressure has started already!

There's a local GP telling the girls in my mother's group that new studies say babies should start solids at four months to avoid allergies, and almost all of them are Tizzie Hall followers, so they're following the feeding schedule in her book - starting with rice cereal at 4 months. Then there's MIL, who calls DD 'fatty' and thinks she's too hungry and needs to start rice cereal. I've had good comebacks for all of these so far (just facts etc) but it's getting really annoying!!

At the moment DD is really interested in what we're eating - she watches very intently. She can sit ok, but not for long periods on her own, she needs to be propped up. And while she can grab things, she's not too precise and doesn't do the pincer grip yet.

Reckon I might go back through the thread, but has anyone got any tips as to how we'll know she's definitely ready?

Thanks :)

Hi kaytee

I remember reading somewhere that when the child is able to get the food with precision, purpose and intent from in front of them into their mouth, then they are ready :dunno: I guess the with purpose part really sums it up, not like when the jam a toy in their mouth iykwim.

HTH

My baby is nearly five months old and I just started by putting some rice cereal in one bottle, then gave him some another feed, ex gave him choccie ice cream! lol, I gave him yoghurt, and just then some egg.

I'm just giving him a wee amount of what I am eating basically. The very first time he grabbed the spoon, and he did actually try and feed himself a bit, but was also using it on his gums. Today again I gave him the spoon, I have to watch him though as that is something he can choke on.

Kaytee - we waited until the girls were 6 months before we started, mainly due to the fact the girls were premmie and totally not ready before then, but also in the Gil Rapley BLW book, there is some really interesting points on when to start, and why babies were always started on solids (or puree) early (4 months). It is worth grabbing a copy if you can. It basically says that the 'true' sign of readiness (as opposed to people saying stuff like they need food if they wake at night, are big babies, small babies etc) is if they can sit up with little or no support, can grab things and accurately bring them to their mouth, and if they are munching on their toys and chewing, rather than just sucking on them.

BLS with twins is an interesting journey so far. C is a total 'whole' food girl - could not get a spoon past her lips if I tried, so thankgod BLS seems to work for her. I would of freaked out if she was DS and tried to ram food down her throat. She is a complete mess monster - Weetbix on the wall, avocado sandwich under the fat rolls on her chin :), most food chucked over the side of the highchair. M is a different story - she is our little baby and like to be fed from a spoon first, and when she has had enough, she will have a try of something she can grip onto. It's all very cute. I do feel like I spend my day revolved around food and sitting down with the kids eating!

DH's parents came around the other night and freaked out at the sight of the girls eating stalk of broccoli. MIL said they would choke to death and any food should be mashed up and mix with custard. Hmmm.. I really don't love her 'helpful' advice.

Definitely I agree with Gil Rapley.

I don't give bubs much in the way of solids, more that I just decided it wasn't worth the ongoing conversations with my Mum and my ex (and hearing ex's family comments 3rd hand). So I decided it doesn't hurt for him to have the odd spoonful of puree in the next month or so, when he's not with me. lol.

Of course my ex gave him his first taste of chocolate ice cream!

It's the same with his nappies, I am using 50-50 MCN's and Flats, my Mum uses Flats, and my ex uses sposies but just for fun sometimes I only pack flats for him lololololol.

Hi katee I have doneBLS with all mine. I too wait for them to be able to sit unaided and feed themselves. This means my girls were 9 months and son 7 months.
Best advice, enjoy the process

Thanks for the welcome and tips everyone :) I've ordered Gill Rapley's book, it looks really interesting. Based on what you guys have said I'm pretty sure she's not ready for solids yet. She can sit for short periods, and she grabs a lot of things. She does want to grab food if I have it, but she wants everything I'm holding - phone, keys, remote, whatever. And all of it would go in her mouth, so I'm not sure that she's specifically trying to eat food you know? She still has a very strong tongue thrust reflex, everything gets chewed on, sucked and spat out - she can't even suck on a dummy properly - so I'm pretty sure she couldn't actually swallow any food anyway.

I'll definitely keep an eye on this thread for ideas when we start :)

Enjoy the bls journey kaytee :)

This thread hS been quiet.....I was thinking this morning dd is now at the age where most kids are eating finger foods and no longer eating purees so no more bls? What's everyone elses take on that?

we started DS with CLS at 6 months, and he picked and played and sometimes ate loads, other times just chewed and played and didn't eat anything ...

He only got his first teeth a little shy of 12 months, and now (at almost 17 months) still only has 5!! But he eats like a horse most of the time :)

We just popped him in the high chair, sat there with our food, and let him watch and try and play, and figure it all out ... as soon as he seemed to "get" that food could be eaten, and made him full, all bets were off!!

It's just so great watching that whole process - and now he's recently learned to use a spoon/fork - but he will eat such a broader variety than the kids who started on purees, because he's been eating all the different things we've been eating over the past 11 months! He's used to different flavours and textures and temperatures, etc, and it's just awesome.

He has his favourite things of course (he loves slow cooked casseroles and pastas and noodle based stirfries and yoghurt and grapes) but he'll try basically anythying.

DD is 6 months today, which means we are now ready to start introducing solids, and I am very excited to be doing BLS again! We did BLS with DS (not from day one, I didn't even know about it then), and it was so easy and lots of fun watching him learn to eat.

I am in the process of re-reading Baby-led Weaning by Gill Ripley, and once DD has recovered from her cold we'll introduce some food. Probably an assortment of steamed veggies to begin with. DD is more than ready to start solids - I have a feeling she's going to be a very good eater!

Looking forward to chatting with you all :).

yay and good luck, sterla!!

we have found DS becoming somewhat fussy over the past few weeks - no idea whether it's teething or what, but he will totally reject different veggies on different days.

sometimes he'll just shake his head, or put them to the side (and then back in his bowl when he's finished all the bits he likes) but other times he'll sweep them all right off his plate, or slouch down into his high chair, or fling them right across the room!!

le sigh.

Hi all

DS is a way off starting solids yet, but I'm already reading into BLS and I really want to give it a go. Can anyone help me with a few things?

So... first is know when to start. I wait until he's showing interest in food, grabbing and holding things, and sitting upright unassisted, is that right? Do I worry about how old he is, so wait until he is six months even of he's showing signs of being ready earlier? Or wait longer than six months if he doesn't seem ready?

Also, what to feed him. I know about chip-sized foods he can chew on, but what about wet foods? Can I give him things like weetbix or mashed potato, and will he just suck it off his fingers? And when you're out and about or over someone's house, so you still do BLS, even though it might be messy? Or do you just do purees etc from a spoon in more social circumstances?

Look forward to chatting with everyone! Thanks for your help!

timing depends on your child, but we found DS was good to go at 6 months.

grab a copy of Gill Rapley's book - it's only about $14 including postage from the book depository.

as for wet foods, we served them onto his tray (a bowl would have gone flying within seconds!) and let him grab a hand full at a time, or moosh it onto his hand and suck it off.

as he got a bit older, we introduced bowls and forks and spoons, which he uses now.

and as for eating out - we still do it. we just take LOTS of terry flats and wipes and an empty plastic bag, to be sure we can clean up after him :)

we have a Heinz unbelievabowl (i think that's what they are called) that has a suction base to keep the bowl on the tray/table. It has worked great for my LO.

We officially started when DD was 6 months old. She had grabbed a couple of things earlier (an apple and a strawberry)that i was holding and had a suck. At 6 months, we started by putting a few things on her highchair tray to play with/eat. It wasn't until 8 months that she really started eating. Between 6 and 8 months, some days i wouldn't offer any foods and other days i would offer a few times. If we were eating, she was often on our laps and if she was interested, she might try whatever was on our plates.

You can do wet foods, it is amazing how much they can get in just using their fingers. Offering 'dippers' can also help e.g. yogurt with fruit or dried fruit to use as dippers. Or cucumber sticks or other vegies with dip.

We never did purees at home or to be socially appropriate. There are less messy foods you can do when you are out, cucumber sticks, snow peas, baby tomatoes cut in half, baked potato slices, rice crackers....

HI ladies,

I have a question. my 13 month old DD (who is BLS) is now refusing to use a spoon. SHe used to feed herself yogurt, weetbix, mashed veg (would never let anyone else feed her, miss independence), and we had even been using a fork for dinner, pasta, etc, but now she is refusing to use the spoon and dipping her fingers in. Did anyone else's LO do this, and when do they go back to the spoon?