Infant led weaning

[Junglemum]

Well DD is 6months now, she has been very interested in food for a few weeks. I gave her a little rice cereal as i was advised but something about the cereal didn't sit right with me, perhaps because it is fortified with iron, which is known to cause constipation.
So, i have just stuck to the vegies and fruits. The first few times i was a bit of a chicken and gave her chunky mash and then things like banana and pumpkin in a mesh bag. She loved it, and now i am jumping in the deep end, putting my choking fears aside, and going finger food only. She has an awsome gag reflex so i shouldn't worry!
She cant seem to get enough. loves anything i put infront of her.

So my question today is.......... should i limit the amount she gets. She cries if she's finished and wants more but i feel like she is having quite alot for a little baby....

Tonight she is having brocolli spears and pumpkin bits. What are you offering your baby?

[MantaRay]

Ange, it is hard to know whether it is too much or not as they are all different. The important thing is to make sure that the milk intake doesn't drop off, as that is where the bulk of her nutrition comes from until 12 months. If she is eating that much and still drinking as much milk, then all is good. Otherwise I would cut back a bit.

You sound like you are doing a great job with food. You are right that rice cereal is not necessary. I don't think you need much advice on what to give LOL! Pretty much any vegie steamed is great for finger food, and so is melon, later on you can do sandwiches, cheese, cherry tomatoes, more meats, omelette (after 12 months I think it is for egg?), etc. In fact the way you are going, she will likely be eating the same meals as you by 12 months which is the way it should be. Great work!

[Junglemum]

Thanks Mantaray!

She was funny with the zucchini last night, ate the flesh off and spat the skin out!!!! Cheeky.

She still has milk b4 food and is still on 5 feeds in 24hrs. Loves her milk. Thanks for advice and encouragement.

[Willow]

Ange - thanks for posting this. I've been pondering the whole solids thing a lot today.

With DD I did the 'traditional' rice cereal, pureed vegies etc. But we started a bit earlier, about 5 months I think (I was hoping solids would help her sleep through the night......not making that mistake again!) but this time, considering he will be 6 months and appears to be sooooo ready for food, I just instinctively thought, let's skip the slop and go straight to vegies. I spoke to his paed about it last week and he said that was fine. He asked me why i didn't want to give him rice cereal and i said "cause I look at it and think...what IS that??" - oh so eloquent LOL! But really, no wonder most bubs don't rate it!

I've just been reading about baby lead solids (BLS)...I'm not sure I'm 100% down with it (I will admit to a bit of eye rolling while reading it just seems these days everything needs to be 'anti establishment'...just my opinion of course), but after reading up I'll be doing pretty much what you've done. Skipping the purees and going straight to mashed steamed vegies and fruit and once he has that down, straight to finger foods.

[Junglemum]

I will admit to a bit of eye rolling while reading it just seems these days everything needs to be 'anti establishment'...just my opinion of course

ROFL! i tend to agree. I read alot of stuff and take from it what i think is important and the rest goes in one ear and out the other.

Lu is going really well with her food, although with this virus she has wanted me to feed her which i don't mind while she is sick. But i feed her little chunks of stuff and she chews it up. I am amazed at the difference in the way she takes her food. If it is smooth and pureed she basicly uses her tounge to push it to the back of her mouth and swallows, not much chewing. But if i give her some cooked finger food, she bites and sucks it, chews and then swallows it. (Then rubs it on her face, in her hair and all over the high chair and floor! )

She has coughed up a few chunks, got me in the eye with a bit of brocolli yesterday. but no choking as yet!

I find some veg like carrot, are a bit hard for her to chew. so i still mush that with a fork..... but pumpkin and apple bits are the fave's around here!

GL with it all, be interested to hear about any differences you find in the two kids.

[Spring Angel]

I waited until 6 months when DS was well and truely ready. I only gave him fruit and veges the first few weeks and he flat out refused rice cereal.

I give DS some finger food but his strike rate isn't great and not too much actually goes in so I try to do a bit of both. So for instance tonight I gave him

Chicken breast (I minced it at home)
Mushroom
Zucchini
Brocolli
Sweet potato
Pasta

I chopped it all up but didn't puree it, he still needed to chew to get it down and then I gave him some cooked pumpkin to self eat.

He is loving his food, I too worry about quantities but I am trying to take his lead. I agree, as long as they are still having enough milk it shouldn't be a problem. DS still feeds at least 6 times in 24 hours including overnight but I'm hoping he drops one feed soon.

[Willow]

Spring - I think L would hoover it down now if I gave it to him but I really want to wait till 6 months...only a few weeks to go!

I'm planning on doing what you're doing with Ollie, sounds like he's doing great.

[Smoke Jaguar]

I have to say I have been reading and watching (the DVD) about baby led weaning and nodding my head furiously in agreement. The 'establishment' just hasn't ever really suited my child (turned his nose up at mashed food, so never offered it to him again) and I'm glad I took it was a large grain of salt or two! Your own instincts seem to be in fine working order
And please don't believe anyone who tells you to give the breastfeed after the solids (like Babylove's Robin Barker, she makes me groan). If they fill up on solids, which have a limited nutritional value because they don't have the stomach space for a balanced 'meal', they won't have room for the milk, which has a great broad spectrum nutritional value on its own. At least with milk first, you know they've got all the vits and mins they need and the rest is 'filler' that provides more of a few great vitamins and minerals. Probably like us with dessert - best to have the meal and top off with dessert than to fill up on cake and have a mouthful of vegies!
Like MantaRay said, you don't need advice, just affirmation of what you're already doing!

[Junglemum]

spring- Lu's strike rate can be a bit off, if she is tired she gets frustrated, more ends up in her eye than her mouth!

[Missbanana]

Hi,

My DS stopped BF when he was about 9mths old, totally his own decision, it was a bit sad, but in the end i was happy he made the choice. He was eating solids at about 5 1/2 mths and was well ready for it. He has eaten and loved everything we have given him. We did start on kinda puree, but never slop, but within a few weeks he wanted chunks. If we gave him any kind of puree type food he would spit it out. He now eats everything. Everything we eat for dinner, so does he now. It is great. He even eats indian curries that I make. The only thing is now no meal is ever safe, he will have whatever he can off your plate!

I used to worry about how much he was eating as sometimes i would make his dinner thinking that there is gonna be leftovers but he will be screaming at me at the end of the bowl, until he got more. But then the next night it would be different. So I reckon that they no when they are full, and as long as they are getting the milk first and then solids, all should be good.

i havent seen the dvd that you talk about and by the sounds of it I am not missing out on all that much. I think women need to put more trust in their own instincts. I no i do!

[Smoke Jaguar]

Sure, if you already trust your instincts, then why read a book or watch a DVD? Lucky you that 'they system' hasn't knocked out all the confidence you have in your abilities!
If I weren't studying what I am then I wouldn't be reading half of what I have on these things that come instinctually.
'Establishment' (for want of another word) rules have really eroded women's trust in their instincts and what used to be common practice (before infant welfare became so damn regimented and procedurised!) that a lot of us have no models for parenting instinctually. How many women are in Mothers Groups where they discuss what the nurse told them to do in a given instance? So, the books and DVD's that say each child is different and you know that child best definitely have their place today and hopefully, books and nurses who think they have formulaic answers to 'problems' will be obsolete again!
Anyway, DS is still eating like a 12 month old, according to what the MCHN nurses opine Not to worry, if he's got enough energy to keep me going all day, then I think I'm taking care of his nutritional welfare just fine Finger foods are still his staple and he LOVES cauliflower and chewing on chicken limbs!

[Smoke Jaguar]

Sure, if you already trust your instincts, then why read a book or watch a DVD? Lucky you that 'they system' hasn't knocked out all the confidence you have in your abilities!
If I weren't studying what I am then I wouldn't be reading half of what I have on these things that come instinctually.
'Establishment' (for want of another word) rules have really eroded women's trust in their instincts and what used to be common practice (before infant welfare became so damn regimented and procedurised!) that a lot of us have no models for parenting instinctually. How many women are in Mothers Groups where they discuss what the nurse told them to do in a given instance? So, the books and DVD's that say each child is different and you know that child best definitely have their place today and hopefully, books and nurses who think they have formulaic answers to 'problems' will be obsolete again!
Anyway, DS is still eating like a 12 month old, according to what the MCHN nurses opine Not to worry, if he's got enough energy to keep me going all day, then I think I'm taking care of his nutritional welfare just fine Finger foods are still his staple and he LOVES cauliflower and chewing on chicken limbs!