NHS Weaning Guide

[Louisianablue2000]

I've just received my NHS weaning guide for DD2 (she's nearly 4 months) and it's BLW in all but name. The picture on the front cover is of a baby spoon feeding itself, the next photo is a baby chewing on a carrot stick, the next is having a slice of cucumber, you get the idea. Out of the 16 images of small babies eating only three are being spoon fed.

It's full of advice like 'wait till your child can sit up and is putting toys and other objects in their mouth' 'allow your baby to feed themself, using their fingers, as soon as they show an interest' 'give your baby a range of foods and textures to eat' 'don't force feed your baby' 'let your baby touch the food in the dish' 'some babies prefer food they can hold to mashed foods, so offer your baby finger foods from the beginning' 'give your baby the same food as the rest of the family'

As far as choking goes it has classic BLW advice: avoid apple, raw carrot sticks, small round foods like grapes and cherry tomatoes and fish with bones. It also says you should be BFing or offering a pint of formula a day until at least 12 months so so much for people who say you have to drop feeds once they get over 6 months.

I think we've won!

[shye]

When Eden was 5 months old we attended a 'weaning session' run by the local HVs...and they were completely pushing non-purees and finger foods!

There is hope!

[Pagea]

Hooooraayyyy!!

When do Gill and Tracey get their MBEs then?

This new book was clearly too late for the Mum I met at playgroup today who proudly announced that her 5m old is on purees "it all comes back out again but I have to just keep trying to get it in" *sigh*

[TPM]

[Louisianablue2000]

[Noir]

Yay, It was only a matter of time...but then good ideas that sensible people know are he way of the future sometimes take rather a lot of time to catch on. Possibly says a lot for the lack of sensible people out there. At least the one writing the new booklet seems to be one. Now how long do we reckon it'll take for most HV's to catch on and start going along with the advice? At least until they use up the old stack of weaning guidelines to be sure...like they're evidently doing with the red books with the old growth charts in!

[PerpetualMadness]

Yay!

[hardlyadocatall]

My HV had mentioned baby-led weaning to me, and at our "weaning chat" when ginger monster was a bit over 6 months she used me to run a Q&A for the other mums! Not the same HV round here now so will be interested to see how things have changed. Not impressed by the new one so far...

[dizzymoo]

The current Child Health Promotion Plan states that weaning should be delayed til 6 months, so combine that with the WHO guidelines for encouraging finger foods from 6 months and you possibly have the answer - can't you tell I've been reading nonsense for today's interview

[hardlyadocatall]

Just been reading Emma's Dairy (got the Bounty one from my MW, but my husband brought me ED back from work for the freebies) - it's still all purees and the usual nonsense. Can't actually remember the ages mentioned, though I'm sure it's in line with guidelines in that respect. Still, a bit depressing that the guide produced in conjunction with the Royal College of General Practitioners is so old-fashioned!

[sparkling]

Our hv weaning talk was pro-blw, they showed us Gill's DVD and had a handout with the guardian article. Several people I know decided to find out more and are doing blw BUT after saying lots of good stuff she concluded - 'but you'll want to spoon-feed as well because it's more maternal'

[Pagea]

[hardlyadocatall]

I may not be alone in this, but I kind of fell into BLW having not really made up my mind since the ginger monster never let me near her with a spoon and always wanted to feed herself!

[noramum]

[dizzymoo]

Lol, now that I have a job with a Health Visiting Team, I plan on brain-washing everyone....mwah ha ha haaaa!