My last post, M. was only five months and not ready for solids but I was trying to learn about baby-led weaning and stuff. I started him on solids at 7 months as he had begun showing signs of readiness (grabbing food, trying to eat things, put them in his mouth, sitting up...etc). My plan was to do the baby led weaning thing so I started with some baked, soft, sweet potato cut into wedges. Since then I have also tried a few other things, gave him a bit of chicken, little bread, some hummus...etc, and it has been hard to say the least. For one, he is not too interested in really eating it, plays with it a bit, gnaws on it and then throws it away, then when he did find something he was interested in eating we started with the dreaded gagging.
I read all the stuff, I know I am not supposed to freak out, but we can't help it, as soon as he starts gagging, I freak out (even if its just inside), I get very nervous, doubt myself, and want to go swipe a finger and pull the piece out and even though my dh knows its ok and understands he is supposed to leave him, when it happens, a lot of times he ends up picking him up out of the seat trying to get him out. I don't think I can handle it lol. He gags every time he eats the finger foods, and a couple times he's been biting off bigger pieces than I think he can handle and it just sits their in his mouth, making me more nervous. So, I haven't been giving him much solids, mainly just breastmilk but I feel like I am failing trying to get him to do the baby-led weaning thing. Like maybe I am wrong and I should have just gone the way of purees and mashes?
But the thing is, from a logical standpoint it makes SO much sense to me, so logically I don't want to do purees or anything like that because it does not make as much sense. I want him to develop a good appetite and appreciate foods as they are, to eat what we eat, to have him learn to chew before he learns to swallow. It doesn't make sense to me that when babies are getting their nutrition from breastmilk and really only need solids for 'fun' and learning rather than actual nutrition or filling, to shovel a bowl of baby food puree into their mouth as 'filler'.
I have also given him some of that YoBaby baby yogurt and he actually LOVES that. Today he ate almost a whole container (4 oz) by himself of that and he was clearly enjoying it. This just made me second guess attempting the blw thing even more.
Any advice, my dear sisters?
ETA: He has two teeth by the way mashaallah. Not sure if that matters .
Edited by musaafirah, 09 April 2010 - 06:30 PM.