I just wanted to write down how much fun we have been having since ditching the puree and stepping messily into the world of baby led weaning.
After some internet reading of what kind of food she should be having, and a chat to Chris at the Maternal and Child Health centre we started with ‘squishy’ foods. Really ripe mango (more fun to squish than eat), super juicy pears (a HUGE hit and she nearly consumed the whole pear), nectarines (more pear please) and some watermelon (“really mum? you don’t even like watermelon”). We have now broadened out to broccoli and carrot (steamed to mushy), mashed potato, strawberries, banana and sugar free banana bread. The mash potato was such a hit Frankie thought she would share it with Lola our ever attentive staghound by letting Lola lick it of her hands - and she was in fits of giggles.
A few things to be aware of when you start letting your baby control what goes in her mouth:
- The Mess. All those other mothers on the internet warning you about the mess really are not kidding, it is A-MAZING how much mess half a strawberry can make. Luckily we have two very eager dustbusters in the form of our two dogs. This helps immensely as the floor cleaning is pretty much sorted - I’m not sure much of the food makes it to the floor as both dogs wait for every discarded morsel. I got Frankie a cover bib like this one from Ikea which I think will be invaluable for winter when nude eating just isn’t an option.
- SLOOOOOW. There were times with the puree that Frankie was obviously hungry and a lunchtime could be all done and dusted within 15-20 mins. With her feeding herself and the exploration that comes along with it I don’t expect to have her out of her high chair before 45 mins and really, it’s just until she has either thrown all her food overboard or has found something non food related to do (usually yelling at the dogs or playing with the straps on the highchair).
- So Much Fun. Seriously it is so much fun watching her fist trying to grasp the food in her little fist and then the look on her face when she puts the food in her mouth. Yesterday’s lunch for me was smoked trout so Frankie got a taste. Once she had tasted it and worked out she liked it she was like a little animal, gnawing away at her fist with the fish in it and sucking all the flavor out.
- I eat better. Usually Frankie gets what I’m having (or a version of it). So mashed potato now has less salt and butter, more mashing. I make more vegetables. I actually eat lunch. I eat more fish and WAY more fruit.
Now I’m fairly lucky in that we don’t have many allergies in our family so I haven’t avoided feeding her anything except peanuts (they give my husband a headache oddly and who wants a baby with a headache). I also have been doing some reading about the recent research that avoiding foods can increase the chance of allergies.
Some more reading on BLW:
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