Do You Baby-Led Wean? : Part 1 : Baby Steps with Solid Foods March 11 2014
Maybe you've heard the latest new trend in feeding your baby and possibly you haven't yet. I'll save most of the details into the origins of Baby Led Weaning for later.
I want to first share my experiences with feeding our two children as they have grown. For reference, they are now 3 1/2 and 18 months.
We navigated our way to baby-led weaning methods partly by accident with our 2nd child and her stronger attachment to Mommy (and mom's milk)! We starting trying to introduce some baby food purees and mesh food self-feeders at around 7-8 months, as she seemed interested. No Dice.
Gags, spit ups and wasted food later we waited and then later, tried again. Our results were repeated.
With our first child, I spent hours making baby food purees and freezing them for "the bottom-less pit" who gobbled down a couple of cubes of purees a day! With our second, by the time we all got home, me from my full-time job, got everyone fed and maybe bathed, making baby food purees was not a priority like with the first born... Especially not if it was going to all go to waste!!!!!!
By around 9-10 months we amped up our efforts in this department (as it was Summer Break and I just resigned from teaching). I did a little more research and stumbled upon some baby-led weaning information.
Miracle of miracles! My little 10 month nursling was not alone! Other people (especially with 2nd children and beyond) experience the same behaviors.
Up until 10 months she had only been breastfeed, bottle-fed while I worked, and offered purees by spoon. She would always gravitate towards and grab at our food, hence our baby-led weaning origins.
So simple.
Some babies, like our first child, are bottom-less pits and will eat anything and everything that you put in front of them as young children. Others, as with our second child, observed what we were eating and was NOT satisfied just eating mush.
Carolina's favorite foods to HATE as an INFANT:
Mashed Bananas ... SO messy!
Apple puree, Pear puree, Carrot puree
Green Pea puree .... utterly gross!
Mashed Sweet Potato (she literally gagged and spat as soon as it hit her tongue!)
The Carolina Food Blog:
Raw Carrot shaved by her 4, 10mo old teeth
Apple shaved but only succesful with no peel!!!
Broccoli- not over cooked, definitely not raw, but just right in for baby bear
Pastas- usually with a cheese accompaniment
Chicken/Beef/Pork- (appropriately sized) 14months
Cheese- Our love of cheese is overbearing now and began at around 14 months
Berries- Strawberries raspberries, & blueberries
Cheese- Yep..Still on the cheese kick
Crackers/Veggie Sticks- getting better with chewing 15/16 months
Orange- the more segmented like a raspberry and the less "skin" the better
Crispier Potato Wedge/Sticks- crunchy and easy to hold and carry around
Bananas- only about a 1/4 of a banana at a time (1st child would eat the whole thing at this age)
PB&J- one day she got a hold of sisters sandwich! Success!
Juice- Orange Juice. no other juice will suffice apparently
Cheese... She now requests it by name not just by sight/seeing it. 16/17months
Yogurt- 18 months....more dairy... Really?!
I think you get where this is headed and all of this food was HEAVILY paired with Mom's milk.
Girl knows what she wants!
We know still "on demand" nurse a few times during the day (and sometimes its a DEMAND!) once of those feedings is usually to nap and we always nurse to bed. (and sometimes a couple of times a night too depending on mood and teething status)
We will probably nurse longer than with older sister but we take baby steps.
What are your experiences with feeding your children? breastfeeding, formula feeding, purees, baby-led weaning?
Any and all! Share with us!
I want to first share my experiences with feeding our two children as they have grown. For reference, they are now 3 1/2 and 18 months.
 |
| The Nursling and I |
Gags, spit ups and wasted food later we waited and then later, tried again. Our results were repeated.
With our first child, I spent hours making baby food purees and freezing them for "the bottom-less pit" who gobbled down a couple of cubes of purees a day! With our second, by the time we all got home, me from my full-time job, got everyone fed and maybe bathed, making baby food purees was not a priority like with the first born... Especially not if it was going to all go to waste!!!!!!
 |
| 1st Born loving purees @ 9/10 months |
Miracle of miracles! My little 10 month nursling was not alone! Other people (especially with 2nd children and beyond) experience the same behaviors.
Up until 10 months she had only been breastfeed, bottle-fed while I worked, and offered purees by spoon. She would always gravitate towards and grab at our food, hence our baby-led weaning origins.
So simple.
Some babies, like our first child, are bottom-less pits and will eat anything and everything that you put in front of them as young children. Others, as with our second child, observed what we were eating and was NOT satisfied just eating mush.
Carolina's favorite foods to HATE as an INFANT:
Mashed Bananas ... SO messy!
Apple puree, Pear puree, Carrot puree
Green Pea puree .... utterly gross!
Mashed Sweet Potato (she literally gagged and spat as soon as it hit her tongue!)
The Carolina Food Blog:
Raw Carrot shaved by her 4, 10mo old teeth
 |
| Starting Slowly with Solids |
Broccoli- not over cooked, definitely not raw, but just right in for baby bear
Pastas- usually with a cheese accompaniment
Chicken/Beef/Pork- (appropriately sized) 14months
Cheese- Our love of cheese is overbearing now and began at around 14 months
Berries- Strawberries raspberries, & blueberries
Cheese- Yep..Still on the cheese kick
Crackers/Veggie Sticks- getting better with chewing 15/16 months
Orange- the more segmented like a raspberry and the less "skin" the better
Crispier Potato Wedge/Sticks- crunchy and easy to hold and carry around
Bananas- only about a 1/4 of a banana at a time (1st child would eat the whole thing at this age)
PB&J- one day she got a hold of sisters sandwich! Success!
Juice- Orange Juice. no other juice will suffice apparently
Cheese... She now requests it by name not just by sight/seeing it. 16/17months
Yogurt- 18 months....more dairy... Really?!
 |
| 1st Born aka The Bottomless Pit |
Girl knows what she wants!
We know still "on demand" nurse a few times during the day (and sometimes its a DEMAND!) once of those feedings is usually to nap and we always nurse to bed. (and sometimes a couple of times a night too depending on mood and teething status)
We will probably nurse longer than with older sister but we take baby steps.
What are your experiences with feeding your children? breastfeeding, formula feeding, purees, baby-led weaning?
Any and all! Share with us!