Tuesday, March 26, 2013

BABY LED *WEANING*

WEANING? I am not ready to wean my baby I hear you say? Well it's not that. In the UK wean means to "add food" not "stop breastfeeding" (like it means here and in the US) I have seen this referred to and have been put off by the word weaning. But the local baby health nurse told me about it  and it's about not pushing a spoon full of mushie food into your babies mouth. It's about letting them feed themselves. So they are given, say a piece of steamed veg to suck on rather than mushing the food up. Its about teaching them to chew first rather than swallow first, the swallow will come later. 

Rom Pom* is just over 5 months and we have just started giving her something to suck on. The first thing she tried was a lamb chop bone. I can't begin to explain the sheer ECSTASY on her face when she was sucking on that lamb chop bone!! Yes it is really messy, the small piece of banana today was mushed all over her, the bouncer and all her clothing, but she sucked a lot of it too. Celery was good for mushing into her gums and a nice change from my shoulder, hair, arm that is usually chewed or sucked on in the rare moments when it is not my breast! 



oh so cute

So you are thinking: won't they choke? In a nutshell no, because the baby is in control of when the food goes in they are less likely too. You can read more here and here

It makes sense I think. I think we will probably do a little of both... I still feel like she won't get enough food but apparently she will...? I am assured she will.

What do you think? What did you do with first food for your little one? Have you tried baby led weaning?
*not her real name, its close, but it's what we call her at home. 

11 comments:

  1. Such a cutie! I think baby led weaning makes total sense, I will definitely be doing it when the time comes! My partner is a total foodie though, he's already bought the little containers to freeze the baby's food, so I think we'll be doing a little of both.

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  2. So glad we had this discussion on twitter. It has been so much better since I decided to try this, a bit of toast, avocado and a banana and more importantly no screaming! I did buy one of those mesh feeding things today for pear etc, only because with 3 other kids at dinner it will be easier.

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  3. There is so much new information about just about everything since I had my little guy. I'll definitely look into this, and will be interested to see how your little treasure goes, little Rom Pom, cute!

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  4. I used this technique on both of my kids (now 4 and 2 1/2). It worked a treat and I will be using the same approach when my baby starts on solids too. I am really happy with how my two older children eat now and I put that down to the baby led weaning approach, that their introduction to food was to whole foods and they learnt to discover and eat at their own pace rather than forcing mush down their throats. They say that the food in the beginning is about discovery rather than nutrition anyway. Also it is so much easier that they feed themselves rather than having to sit there spoon feeding (although obviously they remain supervised...). Good luck to you and your cutie!

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  5. Yay for BLW! We found it to be great - one of Leo's first foods was also a lamb bone. Meat on a stick - what's not to love? (apologies to vegos). We ended up doing a combo, some spoon feeding for stuff like yoghurts and soups and some mush (mainly to keep my Mum calm when she was looking after him!) but mostly 'finger food' that he did himself. Worked really well for us - so much less work than constantly pureeing stuff too!...but yes, slightly messier.

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  6. I only just heard of this terminology a couple of weeks back on Little Tin Birds page (http://www.littletinbird.co.uk/)...

    but what I really wanted to say was "eep, she's cute and getting so much like Busy now!"

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  7. Oooh-eeee, Rom Pom is cute!
    I never did try the baby led weaning thing, maybe I'm too much of a control freak about the mess. I admire you for doing it though. Go the celery!

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  8. My 3.5 year old did this all by herself. There was no way I could feed her mush - she had to feed herself. It was months before she would even try yoghurt, which I was sure she would love (and did).

    I trusted her, she got enough food. They really are so clever, these babies of ours, and know when they are full.

    Enjoy the mess. The best things I made/bought were those bibs with sleeves on, they are essential in my eyes!

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  9. Baby-led weaning is brilliant. Have you read the book by Gill Rapley? I found that really helpful.

    The idea of 'Food is for fun until you are one' is a good one to keep in mind - at first your baby is just learning about flavours and textures and the social aspects of eating. She'll be getting everything she needs from breastmilk.

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  10. That's so interesting and does make a lot of sense. Wish I'd heard it when mine were still bubs. I can't believe how much she has grown Cath! : )
    x Alisa

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  11. Totally the way to go, I did this with my three youngest children after struggling with my first. It was a far less stressful event, in face the first thing my eldest son ever ate was garlic bread! He's a strapping man now LOL!

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what a nice person you are- taking the time to comment in this busy hectic world...Thank you!!