April Starters

[Meggles]

My little guy is 6 months old in a couple of days and we'll be celebrating with his first ever solid food!

I'm super excited. He's only 5 months adjusted, so we'll see if he's "ready" to take to it or not, but he's been shoving everything he can grab into his mouth so we'll give it a try anyway

Who else will be starting this month?

[Meggles]

Okay, so I got so excited and couldn't hold off two more days - he just had a strip of chicken from our chicken curry. I washed it under water to get a lot of the flavour off in case it was too spicy, but when I put it in his hand (he wasn't quite sure whether to pick it up off his tray or not) he shoved it straight in his mouth.

We got the hilarious grossed-out face, the involuntary shudder and some funny faces but it was great. Took video and photos.

I'm so excited to continue this journey

Check out this face - still with a little bit of chicken stuck on his lip.
http://i.imgur.com/i7ILFl.jpg

[ChristmasTreeFairy]

It looks as if he's having fun!

I don't mean to be a nag, but could you put the photo on Flickr or some such and post a link to it? We don't post photos on here, something to do with bandwidth or something technical like that.

Hope he continues to enjoy eating!

[ariom2]

I don't want to be an april starter but sort of am (well sort of march) because he's been swiping and going beserk round food since about 19 weeks. I've been doing don't offer, don't refuse so most days he has nothing, but when he's getting upset we'll get him something easy. He had a banana to suck on today, but it's the first thing since last weekend. I'm hoping to hold out to 1 may (he's 6 months on 10 may) before starting proper, but we'll have to see.

[EmmysMommy]

Well I started last Saturday which was technically March but we've just completed our first full week.
Giblet just has breakfast & dinner at the moment & has a munch of everything - nothing's been refused yet! We're still pretty much sticking with 'finger' shapes of fruit, veg & meat/fish, though she's had toast, rice cakes with cream cheese/smear of jam & cheese too.
Was really excited to start, but took a massive knock when I met up with some mummy friends last week - they can't understand why I'm not feeding my daughter & letting her go 'hungry' which ended with me in tears and doubting myself
She's 6 months today - my baby's growing up
C xx

[bubwaah]

Hello all
I'm a newbie to the site and newbie to weaning and I hate the idea of spoon feeding. I particularly like the idea of BLW as it makes so much sense to me. My boy is 26 weeks old, he can't 100% sit unaided but he's fine in the snug seat or siting on my lap. Highchair is a bit tricky at the moment. 2 weeks ago I tried him with some brocolli while he sat in the snug seat but it was brushed off the tray onto the floor. I gave him a piece and he did go to put it in his mouth but that was it. Then I didn't try again for another week butI've tried more things this week e.g. banana, carott, a chip (I was out and he was grabbing!) and he managed to bite a bit off and spit it out, my mum has tried mango too. He gets it to his mouth and he plays around with it sometimes bites a bit off then spits it out. I take it from the book this is normal and usually happens for a few weeks before they start to swallow food? Although my Mum gets the whole BLW approach she's not 100% convinced it's right as she's too impatient and thinks he's desperate to eat the food but I have to keep telling her he's learning to chew. She also puts the food in his hand and puts it his mouth and I have to keep telling her not to do that! A problem I have is the timing of it all. I find it hard to quickly steam some veg after his milk feed and nappy change and get him to try something before he gets tired for his nap. I usually try once a day is that ok? Any advice appreciated. Many thanks.

[bubwaah]

Oh forgot to say my boy has cows milk protein intolerance too and is on Neocate. So I have to be very careful what he can try!

[MoggyMog]

Hello

We will be starting next week, my girl is 26 weeks next Sunday. She's had a few bits here and there already and is very keen to get things into her mouth but not really down with swallowing. She will bite your arm off for a suck of a plum!

I'm not entirely looking forward to starting, I'm quite worried about bits of food breaking off in her mouth and choking. Hopefully I will get over it!

[Suz]

Well after a bit of slobbering and spitting over the last week. We officially consumed food tonight! She is only 24 weeks but so keen she gets upset if you don't give her any. So tonight at the family Easter meal she had lamb, broccoli and butternut, but mostly lamb! Hadnt fully appreciated how bad the mess would be, shopping list now includes a full sleeved bib or 2 and something quotable for the floor. Do think baby went up in my parent's dog's estimation though!
Don't think I will offer every day as had wanted to wait out the full 6 mOnths but will have to play it by ear I guess. No point in being baby led of I ignore her lead!

[ariom2]

I've heard recommended cheap shower curtains for the floor, then you can tip loose stuff into the bin amd wash sticky stuff. I'm going to get a few for this time.

[EmmysMommy]

I use newspaper for the floor - easily scrunched & thrown away, but then most of Giblet's food ends up next to her on the seat of the highchair for the first few times so I don't know if anyone would want to hand back food that's been on a newspaper!

BLW on hold today - Giblet's got a little D&V today so 5 changes of clothes between us so far! She's been very listless & sleepy & very pale this morning, so I'm praying for a restful night and a better day tomorrow.

C xx

[MoggyMog]

We started again today with some parsnip. My girl is very good at picking things up and getting them straight in her mouth and this time around she swallowed everything that went in.

I am not enjoying it at all, I'm so worried she's going to choke. I know it's not at all common for them to but I can't snap out of it for some reason.

[mistertom]

We are officially April starters although little mistertom did swipe a bit of food off my plate a few times before april. Despite being all for the baby led way in theory I have found it difficult to let him eat what we eat and worry about choking the whole time. I am getting less worried each meal but still feel a little anxious. Also struggling a little with meal ideas, probably as i'm worried he will choke. What are we all eating.

here's to exciting times ahead!

[LucyL]

Looks like we're jumping on board here! With Tiger being so jolly desperate to get hold of food I thought we'd hold off until he was sitting and then give him a try to see if he could actually manage, and if he couldn't, wait another couple of weeks since he's still a bit little (well, ok, he's huge, but you know what I mean :P ).

Well, no waiting needed it seems! Offered him a mango yesterday as his first "official meal", and he was all for it, managed to suck a good bit of it off and I couldn't find it anywhere afterwards so I assume he swallowed it (not that I'd know really I guess, being pretty much baby-poo colour!). Then a banana for breakfast, which was mostly mushed and licked off fingers. He was asleep for lunch so didn't bother, then for supper he had a stick of carrot (not much success, mainly just managed to break it into bits - must remember to cook a little less next time) and toast crusts with apple and date spread (huge success, wolfed it down, a little gagging but it didn't worry him at all, swallowed what seemed like huge amounts!).

I was honestly expecting perhaps a bit of sucking and maybe some gagging/spitting out, which would have convinced me he didn't really need to be eating anything just yet. But he's actually doing it! Eating a great deal more than I expected, like a pro! I guess when they're ready they're ready... I still feel a little guilty for not waiting for the "magic" 6 months, but he has really convinced me it's time to go for it.

Actually, seeing how he has been attacking this food, and with his appetite in general, I am even more glad we discovered BLW - I would seriously worry about overfeeding him if we were doing purees as I'm sure he'd just happily take whatever was put in his mouth. At least now he'll have to work for his food!

Ok, will stop writing an essay now, just so surprised and pleased at our success!

[misschief]

Hi everyone can I join in?
It's second time blw here and I have forgotten everything! I was really excited about doing blw but as the 6month mark loomed closer I got all nervous!?! Anyway I started by giving ds2 a ripe pear. He played about with it on the tray of the bumbo,(which he is too big for already) then he lifted it to his mouth and went crazy sucking his face was so funny! I've just been giving him fruit n veg so far over the last week and it is amazing the difference 1week makes! He wasn't really interested at the start, missing his mouth etc etc but now he tasting stuff bringing it right up to his mouth. No real eating yet defo just playing, messing and I'm loving it all over again yes the mess and all!

I'm hoping that starting blw again will kickstart us all eating healthy and doing more home cooking etc really hoping that it might somehow lure my once wonderful lil eater ds1 back from the 'I no like it, want an ice pop ' abyss
Looking forward to this blw adventure with you all