BLS the right way to go?

Ok from what I understand, BLS is about letting the baby decide what she eats, by placing a variety of finger foods on her plate, rather than shoving spoonfuls of mash into her mouth.
I've been offering all kinds of veges in chip shapes for about 10 days, none of which even nears her mouth, but that's ok, I know it takes time.

BUT today I allowed DH to let her taste some pumpkin soup off his spoon and she loved it and kept grabbing at the spoon for more. As this was restaurant soup, not home made, I didn't let her taste any more, but if this was at home, am I meant to let her have more?

I'm just really confused about the reasons why to avoid spoon feeding, especially when she seems so keen?

We started on purees but went to BLS as its so much easier (physically, not always mentally... it frazzled my nerves for a while!).

I don't think it's about avoiding spoonfeeding, more about avoiding pureeing. The idea is that when babies are ready they are capable eaters (and also remembering thta not much is needed at this stage so even though not a lot goes in it's not a huge issue). So giving them finger food and allowing them to feel the texture and the consistency gives them the knowledge about the food so they know what to do with it when it gets to their mouth. So pureeing they only get smooth, and when you introduce lumps they struggle because the only thing you've given them is smooth puree so one, they don't know its coming, and two, since it's a shock because they don't know its coming the struggle to deal with it. They also get to know food, and the shape it really comes in. Like a lamp chop or a carrot stick or mashed potato.
This is how I saw it anyway.

But obviously since it's soup, it has to be eaten by a spoon, and since she's quite young she'll probably need to be spoonfed until she gets the coordination to fill and spoon and get it to her mouth with success haha.

HTH :)

we did a mix of BLS and spoon feeding. even now some days she will prefer eating off a spoon, or other days she won't want to be spoon fed at all. You could spoon feed her, but you don't necessarily have to puree. I always just mashed it up a little, then gradually did it less and less until now she eats what we eat.

Yes, babyled solids is the way to go - it's what most of the world's population have done from time immemorial. it's not a "new fad' But, you have just fallen for myth 101 - that Babled solids is a dogma that only allows baby to feed herself finger foods. Nothing could be further from the truth. When baby is developmentally ready (around 6mnths- can sit up and is reaching for foods) then you can give her whatever it is that your family is eating. You don't *have* to give her liquidy mush - she can cope with soft peices of family food. Babyled solids is all about socialising your child - helping her, giving her a taste of what you are having, exposing her to a range of textures. And more than that, making meals a social event.
from personal experience, when my 17 yr old was a baby we were *instructed* to feed farax at 4mnths. Many babies just weren't into it - getting all they needed from breastmilk and not wanting or needing anything else. We were in a lather of stress cooking and pureeing food and then having them spew it back at us - terrified we'd have to report to the health nurse. And there was a whole list of things that babies couldn't eat - *eggwhites from xmtns but the yokes from Y months. no dairy/meat to be honest it was so complicated I just can't even remember it. My subsequent children just about had to write me a 3 page submission outlining why they would like to join the family in eating solid food. (BTW - this is a joke) Or when they ripped the vegimite sanwhich out of my hand and stuffed it down their throat I had to take their claim seriously - they reached that age at varying times - but I had the confidence to watch the baby not the calendar, or the book (who didn't know my baby) solids was a whole lot less stressful. Now I see the pendulum swing the other way - it's apparently a polarisation - at one end many mothers are instructed to do as I was 17 yrs ago - at the other end there is a complete misunderstanding of "babyled' - and it's more of a battlground than ever! Relax! it's just not meant to be this hard. If she wants dad's pumpkin soup - cool. if she wants a banana - excellent. if she wants the breast fabulous.

If she obviously wants it then it's all good. I think the key thing with BLS is that the baby leads the way - it's not so much about what or how they eat.

Have to agree with PPs. If she wants it, let her have it. We did BLS with DS. Every now and then I'd get a little stressed about what he was or wasn't eating and amounts etc but then I'd just take a deep breath and remember that this is a relaxed, no fuss way to feed him and that anything (bar nuts and other choking hazards) was really ok. Trust your DD. She knows what she needs (and likes!).

I did BLS, but I don't think fingers and yoghurt would have gotten much down!

I spoon fed my DD her yoghurt, which she L.O.V.E.D. - seriously, she would have sold her soul for yoghurt. I gave her another spoon to hold at the same time. I've heard of others who load the spoon and let their baby guide it. BTW, I have video of my DD spoon feeding herself butter chicken followed by yoghurt at 11 mths of age (very neatly, I might add, DD didn't believe in wasting food ;)), so those early spoon handling efforts obviously paid off.

Because they are used to managing their food themselves I think you tend to find that whatever foods require a spoon you'll generally have baby trying to help out anyway!

The idea is as Barb said, they have what we have. So if you're having soup - give her soup, and of course you'll have to do the spoon bit for now! She'll probably also enjoy playing with a bread roll and dipping it in, just like you do.

Thanks so much ladies for clearing this up for me. Gosh, i never knew solids would be so confusing. I definitely need to just relax and go with the flow! Looks like I'll be making pumpkin soup tonight!