Baby-led weaning

[Fuschia]

my twins are two and 75% blw with some mush, then from about 8m 100% self feeding. I am a bit lazy so it suited me well!

They eat very well, esp the girl...

and yes, they learn about how much fits in, though they do still sometimes chew and eject fibrous foods or spit it out if they have overfilled their mouths

[Keef]

Our daughter did a lot of BLW, although admittedly, we have let it slip a bit, as it seemed harder work than mush, and sometimes you just can't be arsed.

She would pile loads in, and store it in her cheeks like a hamster. I think it is normal. Another problem is that she just throws a lot of it around, but I think that playing with the food is part of it, as it's meant to help with fine motor skills, and she is good at picking little things up with thumb and forefinger.

[Fuschia]

Think upon it as baby science. You could probably pay ?8 per session for an official activity where your child gets to roll peas around their tray, put carrots down their vest and smear yoghurt on the wall beside them....

[Mellors]

Yes to the "hamster pouches"! My 18 month old (who was fully BLW) doesn't do it now, so I think they must just grow out of it. When she did used to do it she would eventually just spit it out (usually to be found somewhere bizarre much later), she never choked.

[snowboarder]

I don't let my 11.5 month old have enough food at once to stuff in! One piece of pasta (etc) at a time or else the lot goes on the floor it seems!! (particularly the bowl)

We BLW under sufferance tbh - he won't let me spoon feed him. Randomly he will let me pop food into his mouth if I too am using my fingers...baked beans are a joy....

[Mellors]

Have you tried the stick on bowls snowboarder? I loved them with "the Phantom Food Flinger" as No 2 is called.

[snowboarder]

Yeah - he just gets totally obsessed with getting the bowl off the tray and he's really strong, so usually manages it! For some reason he's ok in the morning with shreddies in stick on bowl but not with anyhting else, so I drip provide!

[apenn]

Many thanks, Ladies. I also had a look on the BLW website forums and there were several posts on the same topic. I never thought of "drip feeding" because the book gave me the impression that there should always be a selection in front of him, but I put fewer things out last night and he definitely put less in at once.

Again, thanks to all!

-A