Starting solids? - Baby Led Solids Chatter #2

[Sammiejane]

Hi Bekz, just be prepared for the mess, but basically what ever you were planning to give your DD for dinner, dont puree it, give it whole... things like brocolli have a natural handle, but if you cut things into 'soldiers' they are great to grasp.
Molly Jane gets everything on her highchair tray and chooses what she wants to eat and like Roquen says she grabs it looks at it then shoves it in her mouth!
Lots goes on the floor to start with and all over the face, but they are learning and MJ can find her mouth really well now and we get a bit less mess. She loves the experience of feeling the food and then deciding when to put it in her mouth

enjoy

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Wow Roquen, good on you, that's great! And Jordan must love it!
We have slowed down a bit as DS had been sleeping less on solids. He will eat if we are eating but only because he screams otherwise... I often wonder if I hadn't offered him food how long it would have taken for him to show interest himself.

Bek - as SJ said, beware of the MESS! But it is so much fun, and it is so very clear that the bubs enjoy it.

[jenjams]

hi Bekz! Hi Ash! Hi Vic! Hi everyone else.
DD has been on solids for a couple months now. She loves pretty much anything that comes her way. We do a mixture of BLS and puree stuff. Last night we have her an assortment of vegies and she loves to smear them on the tray.
I agree Ash, it is so much fun. Vegemite sandwiches are great too, DD gets them everywhere and does manage to swallow most of what I give her.

[The[cookie]Doctor]

hi Bekz! Hi Ash! Hi Vic! Hi everyone else.
DD has been on solids for a couple months now. She loves pretty much anything that comes her way. We do a mixture of BLS and puree stuff. Last night we have her an assortment of vegies and she loves to smear them on the tray.
I agree Ash, it is so much fun. Vegemite sandwiches are great too, DD gets them everywhere and does manage to swallow most of what I give her.

Thats basically what we do, kinda of depends what are eating.
Realised yesterday he doesnt actually like avocado much on its own, but loves it on bread or toast.
I'm thinking of buying a lamb cutlet for him to munch on because ive seen pictures of QM's Punky and i think thats definitely the kind of thing alex would enjoy!

[QueenMab]

Ash - Yeah, she loved that cutlet... DP was eating them infront of her & she cracked it until he gave her one, I think it was the first real meat she's had, she chewed it with gusto for ages then started to bash her car with it lol, so Daddy took it off her (too eagerly if you ask me ) & you should have seen her face when he bit the rest!! She couldn't believe he ate her lamb cutlet lol.

Jen - Yhullo! Love that ticker pic!

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Ash - Yeah, she loved that cutlet... DP was eating them infront of her & she cracked it until he gave her one, I think it was the first real meat she's had, she chewed it with gusto for ages then started to bash her car with it lol, so Daddy took it off her (too eagerly if you ask me ) & you should have seen her face when he bit the rest!! She couldn't believe he ate her lamb cutlet lol.

Alex is like that too. If you are eating and he doesn't have any, oh boy...!!! I walked into the bedroom last night with a nutella sandwich and alex has just woken up and his face was priceless. I had to go back to the kitchen and eat it

[QueenMab]

Eeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwww..... nutella sanwich!!!

[Jennifer13]

Just a reminder to all posters that this is a Baby Led solids thread. This is described on the first page:

What is BLS?

Baby Led Solids (BLS) is also known as Baby Led Weaning or Infant Led Weaning. It is way of introducing solids. Instead of starting with pureed foods, it involves starting with finger foods. Traditionally purees were introduced as a first food, as babies were starting solids at 3 months or so. Now the recommendation is to start solids at 6 months, and by this age babies are capable of feeding themselves finger foods.

If you are not following this method (ie you are introducing solids before 6 mths, using purees/rice cereal/etc) then please refrain from contributing to this thread.

You are welcome to share other experiences on introducing solids that doesn't fit the Baby Led solids method HERE.

[[M]umma[M]ia]

I have always been told if you are letting them feed themselves with a spoon its still BLS.

[Nelle]

I suppose everyone will have a different definition hey Hollye. I'm guessing for the purpose of this thread though, we go by the above definition, so there's no confusion?

Could you make more messy food like rice solid somehow? Like...I dunno...add egg and bake/fry it into sticks somehow? I have no idea...

[[M]umma[M]ia]

well she will be having toast, i just wanted to start her slow thats all. I dont make the rice cereal all runny like normal, otherwise it slides off the spoon before she gets it in her mouth.

[Jennifer13]

The point of BLS is not that you can't use a spoon, it is about letting your baby lead the way. If you are spoon-feeding purees and rice cereal before 6 mths and before they are capable of feeding themselves with finger foods, that is not BLS. BLS is a certain way of introducing solids and it isn't for everyone. Much like infant-led breastfeeding and no-cry sleep solutions, they each have certain guidelines. It's best to find a thread that replicates your preferred method, so that you can share your experiences with parents who are in the same situation.

Babies rarely have the coordination to spoon feed themselves at 6 mths. Most can't really do it adequately at 12 mths!

[Visitor8]

umm ashton was only 3 weeks off 6 months and it was still BLS
...

[[M]umma[M]ia]

Mia has had arrowroot biccies aswell and is MORE than capable of feeding herself. So this IS my preferred option.

better go... little darling needs to catch some zzzzz's..

[sushee]

Okay ladies,

you're getting in a tizz over something simple: the definition of BLS is when the child feeds him/herself right from the word 'go'. Spoonfeeding a child pureed foods or cereal as their first solid food is not techinically BLS. That your child later learns to feed themselves solids after this spoonfeeding happens is fine, and completely your prerogative (I spoon fed Charlie myself) but it's not, in fact, BABY-led solids.

If anyone has any further issue with this, or needs me to explain the definittion in more detail, please PM me.

[[M]umma[M]ia]

ok cool. so i am doing BLS because Mia is feeding herself.

so.. as i was saying, not sure if anyone seen.. but do you put anything on the floor under the highchair to help clean up the mesS?

[Arimeh]

Hollye - we use her muslin wraps that we don't use anymore. I collect everything and throw it over the balcony for the dogs (makes sure they are getting their daily dose of vegies!)

Then I just wash it at the end of the day with the rest of the washing.