London Ladies Lunch

Hi Everyone! Sorry for the delay in posting this weeks blog we've been playing tourists of London!

I ended last weeks blog hinting I'd be getting my 'bake on' (how to make baking sound more hip...London has got to me). I was keen to bake something easy and simple that could be frozen,
something G-R could eat if we were out and about, a lunch time food. I settled on a Cheese and Broccoli Muffin recipe from the Baby Led Weaning website. I was slightly nervous about baking as although I consider myself a bit of a baker the last experimental cake I did was a disaster...either raw or too much banana (we couldn't tell?!?).

With my apron on and my sous chef G-R in her high chair with toys a plenty to throw around the room I began...and how easy it was. I would highly recommend this recipe, for adults perhaps a tad mild on the cheese front but for babies, well the picture below says it all.

My best friends baby boy (a Boxing Day baby with a smile that melts your heart) also tried some and loved it. What a lovely feeling, making something and knowing your baby and others love it.

Out and About

Baby Led Weaning is not all about staying in, the safety our own high chair, under mat, an array of
bibs etc...well quite frankly we'd never see anyone or go anywhere if all G-R's meals were at home!
This week we've gone from one extreme to another. Sunday was G-R's first Sunday roast experience, she loved having bits of beef and seasonal vegetables and had it not been for a skipped nap I may have shared some fruit salad with her...alas dessert was skipped for the sake of our fellow diners ear drums!

London 

With work being done at home we decided to play house at my parents place in London. This allowed me and G-R to become culture vultures with a trip to the Tate Modern and British Museum. Before the Tate we meet a friend and her gorgeous little girl who is one, and with both the little ladies in high chairs we shared some of our lunch. I learnt a valuable lesson here... pack more snack bits for G-R or even order something for me that she could share, the haloumi wrap I had (though a gift from the flavour god) had a lot of spice so I decided to steer clear of sharing it. She did happily tuck into a flat bread and blueberry cracker. I did feel for the waitress who saw us packing up to leave and had to embark on the mega floor sweep from not just one BLW child but two!

On Tuesday, feeling more organised off we went to the British Museum. After G-R slept through most of the Greek pots and European Clocks we stopped for a mid afternoon snack. Happily and loudly she snacked on some pear whilst I had a cheeky brownie. As I've said in previous blogs, a sign that little miss is happy with the choice of food is when she is chatting away...anyone who has been to the British Museum will know the central area is very echoey...a good job we weren't too close to any priceless glass wear!


So my top tip for any BLW mums and dads...pack some snack bits. Some chopped up cucumber (great for teething), fruit like pear or apple (not to messy but easy to eat) goes down a treat either as a snack or to add to a meal you are sharing.


We are still really impressed with how G-R is doing and it is really enjoyable. Four weeks in and I've realised that not worrying about food being slipped off the high chair tray or food being rubbed in her hair, eyes, nose etc and just sitting watching her is simply wonderful. Baby Led Wonderful...that's awful, sorry....less puns more chat next week!

Hannah

More pancakes please!

Since our last blog it's been a great week of Baby Led Weaning (BLW) with Georgia-Rose (G-R) trying more new foods, developing new techniques and finding some foods hilarious (who knew chicken was so funny!).

We started the week having a sleepover at my parents place, here G-R has a small seat with a tray rather than her high chair so with our floor mat packed I was keeping fingers crossed that this wasn't going to be the night G-R learnt how to throw food! (Bet my mum can't wait until G-R starts eating Spag Bol!)

We decided to try out tomatoes. I'd read that some babies react to raw tomatoes with red blotches around their mouths, not necessarily a sign of allergy in the long term I understand. With no blotching to be seen G-R delved into the tomatoes skin and all, (sucking them dry and then munching the skin), giggling away. Although some tomatoes ended up on the mat it was G-R doing her cleaning technique, telling us she has finished eating by
arm sweeping any food on her tray off and onto the floor!

This is the week I wanted to start adding more textures, we've focused on lots of fruit and veg which she loves but our aim is that she'll soon be eating smaller portions of our meals.

***let me stop here a second*** some parents who are going down the BLW route offer smaller portions or versions of their own dinners from the get go. This is our intention soon but at the moment it's a rarity rather than the norm. Again here there is no right or wrong way...we're just doing it our way and touch wood at the moment it seems to be going well.

So back to those textures...we've tried out pasta, we went for fusilli as it's easy to grip and this was a winner! A sign of a winning food seems to be her chatting loudly as she eats and giving us lots of food filled smiles.

Chicken...G-R's first meat! With a bit of flavouring she loved this, it shredded easily in her mouth and it's one of the meals she has eaten the most of! I've never seen the cats look more like vultures though, circling below her in case she dropped any!

Pancakes! One of my favourites, and one of the many reasons I am married to my fabulous husband...he makes amazing pancakes. Selfishly I was keeping fingers crossed she would like them so I could ask for them more often...luckily like mother like daughter. Pancakes are not just for Shrove Tuesday!

A Sandwich...G-R and I went to my sister in laws Baby Shower and whilst I was eating the yummy buffet food, G-R tucked into a bit of cheese sandwich sitting on her Oma's lap (Nan). Another winner and she loved the audience watching her!

Gagging and Choking

One thing that has reduced is the gagging, although she still does it she looks less bothered by it and gagging is turning into little coughs here and there. I was made aware of how scaring (scary) gagging can be though when whilst watching G-R eat and then gag two family members both panicked saying 'she's choking!'....we calmly reacted reassuring them she was just gagging. It reminded me of the YouTube clip I was sent by an NCT tutor which is worth a look to understand the reaction.

Of course on the flip side babies can choke, which I can only imagine is terrifying. I came across this St John ambulance video for choking babies which is well worth a look.




We're really enjoying watching G-R develop, pull faces at new tastes, giggle at different textures. Not so much a fan of the new smells but it comes with the territory lol!

Next week I'm going to get my apron out and using some BLW recipes I've found to do some baking...wish my luck!

Hannah

The Theory, The Broccoli and The Cats

Let me start by saying thank you! Its quite a nerve wracking process, writing a blog then publishing. Especially given maternity leave has caused my brain to turn into mush, a little bit like the mush create by Georgia-Rose (G-R) when eating soft fruits! I've received some lovely comments, suggestions and compliments privately about the first post...no pressure for this one then!?!

I wanted to start this post with the science bit so to speak. If you are a Big Bang Theory fan imagine me doing my own version of 'Fun with flags'.

What is the difference between Baby Led Weaning (BLW) and any other type of weaning?
My bible for BLW is 'Baby-led Weaning' by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett (2008) so using their book as a reference...

BLW is as it sounds, letting the baby lead the way when it comes to food, placing them in front or within reach of solid finger food and letting them pick it up and if they are ready putting in their mouth. They control when they do this, how they do this and how much they want.

Weaning as it's more commonly known is often approached with baby rice initially (mixed with breast or formula milk), building to puree's, then onto a lumpy purée and onto finger foods.
As I said in my first blog I'm not going to preach about the best way, the right or wrong way. As parents we choose what is the best approach for our children. My husband and I decided that BLW was our favoured approach for G-R for many reasons, the main ones being...she has two teeth already (this isn't a necessary for BLW but does make difference), she has been really good with her hands and her pincer movement (imagine a crab here!) is great too. However the main reason is G-R herself has always led us...she chooses when to have milk, she told us (not with words!) when she wanted to move her bed time and with all her grunts and screeches tells us when she wants something or doesn't as the case may be!

How is it going?



This week we've tried all sorts...Monday was peach day, Tuesday broccoli, Wednesday
Sweet potato, Thursday more peach and an organic baby wafer, Friday Apple and baby sweet corn, Saturday crumpet and pear, Sunday crumpet and banana (with an attempt at mange tout) and today so far pear again.

Top tip...broccoli and nappies...let's just say broccoli is that gift that keeps in giving!

So we are now up to two meals a day...well let me clarify, these aren't meals like us adults imagine with a plate full of food, it's a few bits that G-R can choose to pick up and eat.

Overall we're doing well, the contents of her nappy show us she is eating a nice amount of food. Last week for the first time G-R dropped a breast feed, an afternoon one, with all weaning types this does happen gradually and although she hasn't done it since it was an insight for me and my body about how it will feel. A few issues this week is that by spending the weekend with family we now take even more of the house with us, so I felt bad taking over other peoples living rooms. On the other hand though our family loved watching her eating, she went into show off mode and was smiling at everyone with mouthfuls of food!

Our other issue...two of them. One named Bibi and one named Gizmo, our cats! G-R gets so distracted by them as she is eating that eating takes a fair while to get started. One of those small things we all need to get used to. Not sure they will stick around once she starts throwing bits of food at them!

Thanks again for reading, I'm looking forward to writing week three and all the fun and game a BLW will continue to bring us!

Hannah

Baby Lead Weaning, blogging why? 

On Friday my daughter, Georgia-Rose (known in the blog as G-R) hit the big six months old mark. What a mark to reach, full of so many "she is ready for..." moments. Time to go in her own cot, first hair cut now allowed, no need to sterilise everything and the big one...food time!

We've been a bit of a lucky dream team so far, breastfeeding exclusively and sitting pretty at the 91st percentile (her not me!). As six months approached and two front teeth appeared alongside the 'I want to put EVERYTHING in my mouth game' I knew our decision to steer towards Baby Led Weaning (BLW) was a good one, a hopeful one and a fun one.

I first came across the term and approach whilst working for a charity alongside one of the authors of Baby Led Weaning. Although it was quite a while ago now I recall thinking what a great idea, letting the baby go for it perhaps not even having purée food. Now at this point let me please say that we are three days in and by knows means am I an expert nor a preacher about what is right or wrong, let's face it becoming parents is enough of a challenge, a good one of course, without us ganging up or judging each other. So my reasoning to blog is simply to share, to chat (perhaps too much sometimes) and if I'm lucky show how BLW has worked for us. At three days in I can't say it has yet...

So let's begin!

What did I buy or do to prepare?

Attend classes...my NCT ladies and I arranged a private session on weaning and I then had two (a
repeat) sessions at my local Children's Centre. This helped make that decision about going towards
BLW rather than purée etc.  I'd recommend looking up sessions at your local Children's Centre or
through NCT as it's a great place to hear recommendations and ask questions, I really valued that as well as talking to family and friends.

I'm such a list person, I'd been building up my BLW needs for a while. This included...

• A high chair
• An under high chair mat
• Beaker for water
• A microwave steamer
• Some bibs (long sleeved and no sleeves)
• High chair antibacterial wipes
• Baby wipes
• Food! 

Now that list is by no means a bible but for me to feel like I was fully ready (sorry as ready as I could be with a cheeky six month old) that was what I needed to get.

Day 1 - Banana & Water

Why banana for G-R's first ever food? No idea...we just liked the thought of it! I'd researched (good old Pinterest) the best way to cut the banana for BLW and keeping the skin
on partly allows baby to hold but also push out, a bit like a Calipo ice lolly, the banana.

My clever little girl grabbed it and put it straight in her mouth, food ready...I think so! The faces she was pulling were some of her best. Overall success, I'm sure she won't mind
me sharing that the next day her nappy told us that she had eaten some so a great first meal! Not always a guarantee with BLW

Day 1 also bought with it water for the first time and also the first of the many beakers we are going to try. Tommee Tippee one not so fab, water everywhere and not in her mouth. Day 2 I bought a new cup!

Day 2 - Carrots

So my name is Hannah and I confess I've never steamed vegetables before...how is this possible? So having got the husband (who had also never done it) to Google 'how to use a microwave steriliser' we embarked on our second food of carrots!

Although G-R again grabbed with ease, eating was not so easy on this one. A new tactic of daddy also eating a carrot helped and straight in the mouth with nice chunks being moved around her mouth. These little chunks also triggered the first 'gag'. Through the NCT session we were sent a you tube clip that showed a baby gagging, this helped knowing it was a natural reaction and to not automatically assume she was chocking.

Water, having bought a new beaker, another Tommee Tippee but with a straw for 6months plus and non spill we tried again. No joy, so my husband tried giving her some without the lid...success! So I shall be purchasing a Doidy Cup to help this.

Day 3 - Cucumber




Taking off the edge of cucumber although practical did make Day 3 a tough one. G-R struggled to pick up the slippery vegetable so we did intervene by handing her bits. Once she had hold she gripped on and using those two front teeth again took some nice chunks, and today we saw her chewing. The look of concentration was fantastic, however we didn't last that long with food time as grumpy tired baby girl took over from curious eating girl.

Water again by beaker without the lid...G-R also used this exact moment to do her blowing bubbles mouth movement, creating a nice waterfall down her bib.



Day 4 and beyond will bring challenges, mainly practical ones. Day 1-3 has fallen over the weekend so more flexibility and having the husband here too! This week we're off out and about so adding G-R food time into the mix will be interesting!

Hope you've enjoyed the read, see you next week

Hannah