My oh my!
It has now been 2 whole months since N started her BLW journey. It’s getting easier to feed her (she’s feeding herself actually) but I have to admit that I have gone against the rules here and there – I’ve spoonfed her baby cereal and porridge on a couple of occasions. #Whoops #Succumbed
But recently I had a sudden burst of inspiration (I’m a member of 2 BLW Groups on Facebook – local and international) for recipes and ideas and just watching other little babies munching their way through meals has been extremely encouraging. I’ve been busting in the kitchen creating all sorts of meals for her and to see her actually eating them is so so worth it.
N is 8 months now and she has tried so many different kinds of foods and flavours already. Her gag reflex has improved (these still give me the shock of my life and sometimes it’s hard to appear calm for her), her pincer grip is developing rather accurately and her chewing is also getting good practice.
She’s been having mostly 1 meal a day (lunch), and occasionally she gets breakfast. She still nurses a lot so I’m not worried. Anyway, research says that up till they turn 1 year old, milk is still their main source of nutrients so really, food is just for fun to learn and explore. My next mission is to introduce cutlery and I’m so excited! She’s also a huge fan of water, so much so that sometimes I worry she’s taking too much. I have to hide her sippy from her or else she’ll whine until it’s in her hands, lol.
I still get comments from people to 1) feed her more, 2) spoon-feed her because “she’s not eating much”, and 3) give her rice/porridge, but it’s getting easier to politely ignore them. I’ve also gotten used to having to vacuum and mop her eating area after every meal, har har har.
If your bubs is hitting the 6th month mark soon and you’re planning on going the BLW route, here’s a few tips I have for you:
- Always make sure he/she is ready for solids before attempting to feed (sitting up, showing interest in foods, etc)
- Appliances I find handy in prepping BLW-friendly foods: steamer, blender, small pan for baby-sized pancakes, freezer cubes (to freeze batter for other days), a crinkle cutter, and lots of zipbags. I have a Beaba Babycook machine that I use to steam and blitz so that’s been really useful.
- Lay the area underneath the highchair with a piece of plastic for the first few weeks. That’s the messiest period to me.
- Learn the difference between gagging and choking. Learn how to give back blows or even baby CPR just in case. Gagging is a normal reflux action that all babies need to master.
It’s been a good 2 months and I’ve no regrets doing BLW at all!