Monday, December 10, 2012

My view on "sleep training"

Before I had Harper, and before I even got pregnant, I heard about mother's letting their children "cry it out" to learn how to fall asleep on their own. I never thought much about it until I had a child of my own.

There are many different ways of "sleep training." The most common is the "cry it out method" of letting your child cry until they learn to fall asleep in their crib on their own. There are many versions of the "cry it out method." Some mothers will stay in the room, some will leave, some will rub the child's tummy or back or sing without picking the child up.

What is my take on it? It is not for me. 

I believe a child cries for a reason, whether it be to be held, nursed, rocked, or just to be close to his or her mother or father while falling asleep. Why would you want to teach your baby that his or her cries do not affect you? That you will not comfort him the way he or she needs to be comforted?

I want Harper to know that when it is time for her to sleep, I will be there to guide her into her sleep and help her to see that it isn't a scary or upsetting time, but a peaceful transition. I may not always be successful at this, but that is my main goal. I do not want Harper to ever think I will not respond when she cries, or that I will leave her when she is distressed and needs me. She is only a baby and will only be for a short time.

I treasure the time I get to spend nursing, rocking, or singing Harper to sleep each night and for her nap each afternoon. These are such precious moments that as a mother, I can never get back. I would rather take an hour or more to let Harper fall asleep easily than listen to her crying out for me and to not respond. We are always willing to spend more time on meaningless things instead of loving and cherishing the time we have with our babies. If you are considering the "cry it out method," take a minute and consider what you are really showing your baby. Is it worth it in the end?

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Wash Routine

Whenever I get asked about cloth diapering, I ALWAYS get asked, "how do you get the poop off? does it just go in the washing machine too?"

I decided to do a post on my wash routine and how I "get the poop off" as they say, haha :)


I wash every 2-3 days and I wash them in Tide Original.
I have tried using All Free and Clear and to be honest, it is CRAP. It is a useless detergent in my opinion.

I store my diapers until wash day in a Planet Wise Large Wetbag, they can be ordered online and I LOVE them. I have two, since one will be in the wash I needed another while that one was washing. I also have one small one for my diaper bag, however it only holds 2 diapers and is useless if you are gone on a full day adventure, but for short outings it works great!

Alright so when Harper poops, I of course change her and then put the diaper aside until I have time to clean it properly. When Harper goes to sleep is when I normally will clean them out. I take my wetbag into the bathroom and I do the old "dunk and swish" method. I know for most this completely freaks/grosses you out, but it works for me. I then put the poop-free diaper into my wetbag with the other diapers until wash day. You can also order a diaper sprayer which attatches to the back of your toilet and it looks a lot like a kitchen sprayer and you just spray the poop off into the toilet. These cost around $30, but people swear by them!


When it is wash day, I dump all of the diapers into the washing machine and do a warm/hot rinse with a little detergent. When that is done, I put a half cup of detergent and put it on the HOT cycle and run it.

When that is done I rinse them again this time in cold water and then put the inserts into the dryer and hang everything else up to air dry.

It seems like a ton of work, but it really isn't! I hope this has helped anyone with questions about a cloth diaper wash routine! Do not be afraid to ask me more questions, I love answering them :)



Friday, October 12, 2012

To vaccinate or not to vaccinate, that is the question...

I've been doing some research lately on vaccinations. Harper is about to be a year old which means going to the doctor for a check up and the dreaded shots. I'll be honest, Harper has had all of her shots since she was born, but I saw another mother posting about her son not being vaccinated and decided to research for myself and what I found was astonishing.

Everyone seems to go with the flow when it comes to vaccinations. No one really thinks about what exactly is being shot into your child or how it was made.

I bought a book I saw on amazon that seemed like a good choice when it comes to informing yourself about vaccines. It is called The Vaccine Book by Dr. Robert W. Sears. It lists all of the vaccines and tells about each one; how it is made, what's in it, the side effects, why you should get it and also why some people decide not to. It gives a clear picture of exactly what is going into your child and how it got there.

The vaccines that Harper is supposed to be getting next are the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella), varicella (chicken pox), Hep A, PCV (pneumococcal), and the flu shot.

I not only read up on each of these with the book, but I also researched them online and on their manufacturers websites and I recommend all parents to do the same. It might surprise you what you will find. I'm going to post a little about one of these vaccines, MMR, from the book and see what y'all think.


MMR Vaccine:

How is the MMR vaccine made?

"The measles and mumps viruses are nourished in cultures of chicken embryo cells. The rubella virus is nourished in a culture of human lung cells (cells that originally came from an aborted baby). All of these tissue cultures are contained in a solution of saline, amino acids, vitamins, glutamate, serum (the liquid portion of the blood) from a cow fetus, sugar, gelatin, neomycin (an antibiotic), and synthetic albumin proteins. Note: This albumin used to be human albumin, filtered out from donated human blood units. Around 2007, this was changed to synthetic albumin.

The human cell cultures and cow fetus serum are tested to make sure no errant infectious germs are present. Then the three viruses are removed from the cultures in batches and put into the vaccine solution. They are alive but weakened so they won't cause an actual infection when injected."

What ingredients are in the final vaccine?

-The three viruses
-Saline solution
-Synthetic albumin proteins
-Residual cow fetus serum
-Neomycin
-Traces of chick embryo proteins

What are the known severe reactions?

-panniculitis
-vasculitis
-inflamation of the pancreas
-diabetes
-thrombocytopenia
-elevation of the white bllod cell count
-severe anaphylaxis





Now I'm not sure about you, but I am not okay with the way this vaccine is made, or what is in the final product. From the research I have done, I have decided to not get Harper vaccinated anymore. This may be controversial to some people, but this is a post to get some facts across and recommend that EVERYONE do their research before getting your child vaccinated. You do have a choice when it comes to this. Just make sure you made an educated one.




Tuesday, September 25, 2012

One year already?

Harper is almost a whole year old, I can't believe it! Most people are surprised that I am still nursing and now I am about to embark on a new stage of breastfeeding, breastfeeding a toddler.

I've never put a time limit on how long I would breastfeed. I believe it is up to Harper and will let her decide when she wants to self wean. This is not the norm around here and when I tell people this I am always getting "Ohhhhh.." or "Mmmm..." I really wish that more people would understand the importance of the relationship/bond you can have with your child through breastfeeding and also the important benefits of continuing as long as your child wants. There is NOTHING like it, nothing I can compare it to.

Continuing to nurse into and through toddler-hood is so beneficial for your baby. Harper is still 98% breastfed and doesn't really eat solids yet, so all of her nutritional needs are met through breastfeeding even though she is 11 months old. 

Breastfeeding can help protect your toddler for illnesses by enhancing his/her immune system. When your child has an upset tummy, breast milk is about the only thing that will actually stay in the stomachs without making them more sick/upset.

The longer you breastfeed, the more omega-3-fatty acids, or DHA, your child is getting, which means a smarter child in the future.

If you are a fan of delayed or no vaccinations, breastfeeding for at least two years significantly lowers you child's chances of getting any of the sicknesses that are "prevented" by vaccines.

Your breast milk will never loose any nutritional value just because your child gets older, it will always have all of the same nutritional benefits whether you are nursing a 1 month old or a 24 month old.



On top of benefiting your child, which is enough reason to continue in itself, it is also beneficial for the mother as well.

It significantly lowers a mother's chance of getting breast, ovarian, uterine, and endometrial cancers

It also reduces a mother's risk of developing cardiovascular disease



And to top everything else off, breastfeeding a toddler is NORMAL. Yes, you read that right. It is completely normal, natural, and beautiful.

Breastfeeding Harper has been one of my greatest and most beneficial accomplishments. I am so excited to continue this normal, natural, beautiful journey with her. 







Sunday, August 12, 2012

Spaghetti, Eggs, Juice, and more!

The is an update on our BLW that I have been meaning to do for a while!

Spaghetti:

Messy messy messy! haha! but so fun!

Process: noodles and a teeny bit of sauce, cut up into bite sized pieces and put onto her Bumbo tray. I also would put some on a baby spoon and let her feed herself with that too

Result: Harper loves the spaghetti and has had it I think two more times since the first time. Definitely a success!


Eggs:

Process: Scrambled eggs on her tray on her walker, very simple!







Result: Eh, Harper is not a big fan of eggs. She mainly squishes them up and throws them in the floor, haha!



Juice (Fruitables, Fruit and Vegetable juice):

Harper only gets breast milk and never drinks from a bottle so this was a little difficult and took a while for her to even figure out! haha! I tried a sippy cup at first, but that didn't work so I let her drink a little bit from a bottle and she definitely loved it! I will try to introduce the sippy too because I don't want Harper using a bottle at 12 months.

Oh and she didn't know how to hold it herself, since she has never had one, so I had to hold it for her haha!
She only drank about an ounce though ;)


Chicken and Rice:


Process:  Boiled chicken cut up into tiny pieces and cooked white rice





Result: The rice was a little too sticky and stuck to Harper's hands, face, legs, and everywhere else. She ate a few bites but not a whole lot at all. I think the stickiness threw her off a bit, haha!



Well those are the few new things Harper has had recently! BLW has been relatively successful recently even though she really still does not eat very much at all. :)


Friday, August 10, 2012

Fluff Stash

I got to take a picture of my cloth diaper stash this morning and there is only one missing, it's a Best Bottoms green cover and medium insert, which Harper was wearing. I am very proud I was organized enough to get one! haha!


Alright so starting from the top left we have

a Kawaii OS pocket
a Three Monkey's Diapers (WAHM) OS pocket
a Bumkins OS stuff it pocket
a Best Bottoms OS AI2 with medium insert
a Best Bottoms OS AI2  with medium insert
a Rockin' Robbies (WAHM) OS AI2
two Planet Wise wet bags, one large, one small

next row we have,
a Best Bottoms OS AI2 with medium insert
a diaper I made it's an AI2 OS
a Best Bottoms OS AI2 with medium insert
a Best Bottoms OS AI2 with medium insert
3 Overnight large Best Bottom inserts
5 medium Best Bottom stay dry inserts (the rest, 12 in all, are in the diapers shown and the one on Harper ;))
12 large Best Bottom stay dry inserts



Wow, that took longer than I thought to type out! Well there you go, there is our stash! I also have ordered 3 Alva baby OS pockets that should be here soon.


Thursday, August 9, 2012

The Big Latch On

Just wanted to share that Harper and I were in the local newspaper for participating in The Big Latch On this past weekend! It is an event across the world were mommas get together and "latch on" at exactly the same time! I think there were around 8,000 people in all who latched on! How awesome is that? :)


I am the redhead by the way ;)

Go Breastfeeding Mommas!

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Breastfeeding


  I have made it my goal to breastfeed for at least two years and met my goal of breastfeeding exclusively for 6 months! Breastfeeding is a huge part of a mother and baby relationship. There is absolutely nothing like it and as they say, breast is best! I could not agree more.

Every mom, and dad, have a ton of decisions to make before bringing a baby into the world. How they choose to feed their baby is one of these choices and is so important. Breastfed babies in general are happier and healthier than formula fed babies.

I believe that every mom should try to breastfeed. No, it's not easy in the beginning, but if you try you will see how amazing breastfeeding can truly be. You can not get any closer than having your child breastfeeding and holding them so close and knowing there is no place in the world they would rather be. It is such a special, personal bond that a mother and baby can share.

On top of everything it is the most nutritional for your baby hands down. There is no argument that breast milk is the best nutrition for your new baby.

A lot of new moms do not have sufficient support to be successful at breastfeeding. It is imperative to have a support system behind you to breastfeed exclusively. The first two-three weeks are extremely difficult and if a new mom tries breastfeeding, most will stop within this time frame because of no support system. People will tell them "Oh just give them a bottle" when it gets hard and this is NOT helpful even though they are trying to be. If you push through those first few weeks, you can push through anything, trust me.

If anyone ever has any questions about breastfeeding please contact me! I would love to help you achieve your goal of breastfeeding your baby! It has been one of the greatest decisions I have made in raising my daughter.




Monday, July 23, 2012

Cloth Diapering

I have been wanting to cloth diaper Harper for a while now and we finally are! I'm so excited to share this adventure with all of you too :)

I did a lot of research after hearing that a disposable diaper can last in a landfill for 500 years. Yes, you read that right 500 YEARS. One baby also uses around 5,000 diapers before being potty trained so think about that. 5,000 diapers for each child who uses disposables for 500 years a piece for each diaper. Just sitting there. Pretty disgusting right?

Also, the price of cloth diapering is much less than that of disposable diapering. You might need to make a big investment in the very beginning, but in the long run you will save a lot more money and you will be glad you did.

There are lots of different types of cloth diapers such as: prefolds, all in ones (AIOs), all in twos (AI2s) , hybrids, fitted, one size, and pockets.

Prefolds:

Prefold diapers are made of a very absorbent material (cotton, bamboo, hemp) and are just a big piece of it. You have to hand fold these, pin or use a snappi to put onto your baby and then put a cover over them since by themselves they are not waterproof. These are great for newborns because you can pretty much fold them in a ton of ways to fit the shape of your new baby. 

AIOs and AI2s:

These do not require a cover and are the easiest(in my opinion) to use. AIOs have everything you need all together in one diaper. Just snap or Velcro onto your baby and you're ready to go! They do take longer to dry and this is a huge turn off to some parents.
AI2s have two separate pieces that you usually snap together to form the whole diaper. It's a cover and an insert (usually cotton) that snaps in and then snaps out when you are ready to wash them. In some, the outer shell can be used for multiple diaper changes because it is made of PUL(waterproof material). They don't take as long to dry

Pockets:

These also do not require a cover. They usually fasten with velcro (hook and loop) or snaps. There is a pocket on the inside of the diaper where you stuff the insert (absorbent material) and then remove when washing. The outside is usually made of PUL (waterproof material) and the inside is a soft absorbent material. 

Hybrids:

Hybrid diapers have either an insert of cloth or an insert of a disposable material. The main hybrid out on the market right now is the g diaper. The g diaper has a flush-able insert. You can also put in a cloth insert. The flush-able insert is biodegradable. These hybrid diapers usually close with velcro (hook and loop) or snaps.


 Fitted and One Size:

Fitted diapers are exactly what they sound like. They are fitted in different sizes to fit your baby. Most in simple small, medium, and large. If you get fitted diapers, over time you will have to buy all new diapers since your baby will grow.
One sized diapers are just like it says, one size. These can be used from as small as 5-6 lbs all the way up to around 36lbs.




Have I lost you yet? ;)
There is so much to look at and figure out when it comes to cloth diapers, but in the end it is all worth it! I recommend getting a few of each to start and then decide what you like and stick with it! These are also lots of shops on etsy.com and hyenacart.com where work at home mom's sell homemade cloth diapers. Sometimes you can find them for cheap and they always have the cutest fabrics and patterns!

Now you are probably wondering what kind of cloth diaper we are using.
We decided on the Best Bottoms cloth diaper. It is an AI2 diaper with a snap in insert. So far we love them! They are also one size so I will not have to buy all new diapers as Harper grows. The inserts are different sizes however, but that's okay!

A great website for buying cloth diapers is nickisdiapers.com
The owner of nickis diapers, Nicki, created the Best Bottoms system ;)

Maybe I haven't quite convinced you to choose cloth diapering for your little one, but at least now you are slightly informed! To close, here is a picture of Harper in her Best Bottoms diaper and pictures of a few of the Best Bottom diapers we have. :)


This next picture also has a picture of our Planet Wise wet bags. Great for wet diapers!

And finally a picture of Harper in a cloth diaper I personally made :)

Thanks for reading!






Thursday, July 12, 2012

Tutorial: Felt Flower Clip



I make this felt flower clip often because it is SO easy and so cute!

What you will need:


- felt of the color of your choice
- scissors
-a cup or something with a round bottom to trace
- a pen/sharpie 
-something to bare down on (like a book, desk)
- needle and thread (any color, you won't be able to see it)
-glue gun
-clips (you can get them at Hobby Lobby)


Okay to start trace out six circles on your felt using your pen and the bottom of a cup (or whatever you have found)
It will look like this when you are done tracing:


Then cut out all of the six circles


One of these circles is the bottom of the flower. 
Next take a circle and fold it in half and then in half again


Next sew this circle onto your bottom circle only sewing the very middle, like so:


Then do this again three times with three more circles, fold in half, fold in half again, then sew to the middle


Then take the last circle and fold just like the others and sew into the middle of the whole flower.
Its easier to do this if you go ahead and put your needle through it to keep it together and then sew to the bottom like so:


Then you will have your flower finished!


Next you need to hot glue the clip to the bottom of the flower


And Vuala! Your felt flower clip is ready to be worn :)

 


And this is Harper wearing one I made :)

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Bow Holder For Harper

Okay This has nothing to do with BLW, but sometimes I can be a little crafty (haha) and I'd love to share some of that stuff on this blog too!

My most recent creation is a bow holder for Harper's many bows! It only cost me about $2.00!


Alright so what you will need is

-Empty Frame
-Ribbon
-Hot Glue Gun
-Scissors


(The ribbon I got at Hobby Lobby, they have a "ribbon scrap" bag for $1.99! Search for it, it's worth it! Also, I got the frame from my sister therefore it was free!)


1. Cover the outside of the frame with ribbon/fabric using the hot glue (or you can paint it)

2. Use different sized ribbons and hot glue them across the frame to the back. Place them wherever you want! You can also do them longways instead of sideways

3. Use some more ribbon to make a bow for the top and hot glue it on!

4. Put your bows on!


And that's it! So simple and cheap. I've seen these things for sale for $20 and they are half the size of the one I made


Hope you enjoyed my tutorial! :)

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Green Grapes

 Just a short update about today, thanks for reading!

Grapes were interesting today. We had a few green grapes so i got some and ate the outer layer myself. Then I held them up for her to bite a piece off (she has two teeth now! :))

They must have been a little sour so Harper made the funniest face! She kept coming back for more though.

Technically I did not let her hold them herself since I knew she might just shove the whole grape into her mouth. I did rip a few pieces off and handed them to her to eat. I'm not sure she REALLY liked them, haha. This is something I will try again with sweeter grapes

Monday, July 9, 2012

A Very Long Awaited Update :)

Wow, I have not updated in so long! There have been so many things going on and on top of all of that, Harper wasn't taking to solids too well in the beginning. She didn't seem interested so we held off for a few weeks and started back and it has been going great!

Since my last post Harper has had, cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, green beans, mango, organic puffs, yogurt, eggs, and so much more! She has definitely come a LONG way and knows exactly what to do with her food! She chews like a champ :)

Now as far as most vegetables go, I give them to her raw.

Cucumbers:

These I have done two different ways and both work great! The first way was to cut them into wedges and then the second way is to just slice it like you normally would for a salad and things like that. Cucumbers are Harper's favorite!

Also, we don't do "meals" yet or anything like that. Harper is still mainly breastfed. However, if we are out to eat, she does so well if she gets something too :) Cucumbers seem to always be at restaurants! haha! Whether you pull them off your salad or ask for one sliced up (they don't mind, trust me!), it's great to be able to easily give her something and gives this momma time to eat herself! ;)



Carrots, Bell Peppers, and most veggies that can be eaten raw:

So simple! Just wash, cut, and eat!




Yogurt and Eggs:

For this one i cheat! I guess I cannot call myself a TRUE BLW momma because I do feed her yogurt and eggs every once in a while on a spoon, but i do give her to opportunity to feed herself with the spoon. Just know that it is VERY messy! With eggs you can also just put some scrambled on their highchair or bumbo tray and let them go at it.



Organic Puffs:

Harper eats Happy Baby Organic Puffs. The sweet potato and greens kind. She really loves these and they are so simple, just hand them to her and she knows what to do. Her pincer grasp is keen now :)


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Day Three: Asparagus & Banana

I haven't been able to post lately since Harper has been sick. Since she has been sick I haven't really been giving her anything, but this is from a few days ago and I haven't been able to post it yet!

Setup: Same as always!

Process for Asparagus: My sister and I had gone to the store to pick up some more fruits and veggies for Harper and happened to see some asparagus. We decided to cook it for dinner too! I just took two pieces and steamed them for about 7 minutes.





Result: At first she made the craziest faces when she put it in her mouth. She got used to it though and chewed on the pieces for a good bit. I think she liked it!


Process for Banana: Now banana is a tricky thing to give a baby. It's so mushy and slimy so it was hard for her to hold. I decided to cut a banana in half, skin and all, and then peel some back but leave the skin on the bottom. Don't worry I washed the skin very well before hand.






Result: This was her favorite food yet by far! She didn't want to put it down! It was too funny. :)


Hopefully Harper will feel better soon and I will be able to give her some more things! 

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Day Two: Carrots, Apples, & Toast

Sunday's are always a bit hectic so Harper was mostly eating on the go!

TIP: Before we left this morning for church, I cut up some apple pieces and threw them in a small mason jar with a lid and threw that in her diaper bag. Then when we were out eating after church, I had something to give her just in case they didn't have anything there. Definitely helpful!

Setup: For the carrots, we did the same setup as yesterday. Bumbo, tray, bib, etc. When we went out to eat after church is when I gave her the apple piece and she was in a highchair with a bib and then for the toast she was just sitting on the couch, haha.

Process for Carrots: Steamed in the steamer until pretty soft (about 10 minutes), but not as soft as that sweet potato yesterday! Oh, and they were baby carrots, so they were perfectly sized.




Result: She did really good with them and could hold them well. She mainly just gnawed on them for a bit and then got bored. Over all it was good though!


Process for Apples: The same as pears, washed, cut, and given raw.





Result: Of course she enjoyed them and she got a few pieces off, but spit them out. She loved just sucking on them.


Process for Toast: Well her GiGi was eating a piece, so we just tore off a crust, no butter, and handed it to her.



Result: She really liked it, but she did get a huge chunk off that I had to fish out of her mouth! I think she would have done better with a more toasted toast, if you know what I mean.


Definitely a successful day!  


Saturday, April 21, 2012

Day One: Sweet Potato & Pear

Alright, so today was the first day of BLW for Harper! Yay! We learned a lot today.

Setup: We used her bumbo with her bumbo tray because I don't see the need in wasting money on a high chair at the moment! I put one of her old receiving blankets under it just in case.

Process for Sweet Potato: I had bought a Baby Bullet and steamer before I knew about BLW, so I decided to keep the steamer and use it. I cut up some sweet potato into different shapes, sticks, wedges, and just randomly cut pieces. Then I steamed them for about 10 minutes

Result: The sweet potato was kind of mushy and the wedges I cut didn't work out so well. I'll definitely remember that the small stick method is best for sweet potatoes! The sticks she could easily pick up and stick in her mouth. She got a few pieces off and made some funny faces, but all in all I think she enjoyed it.

Sweet Potato is MESSY! It got everywhere and when I took her out of the bumbo there were pieces everywhere! It was too funny

Process for Pear: I cleaned off the outside of the pear really well and then cut off some slices into sticks. I gave the pear to her raw







Result: She loved it! She could easily pick up and hold the pear pieces (they were slightly slippery though). She didn't get any pieces off, but the pear was really juicy and she definitely got a taste!


In the end she was very sticky and messy, haha! I ended up giving her a bath right after, but it was definitely a successful day!




Saturday, April 14, 2012

What is BLW?

Hello everyone! I'm Mallory and I decided to do this blog about my daughter's and my own journey in BLW. Thanks for reading!

You're probably all wondering what BLW is and what this blog is all about. Well my daughter, Harper, is turning 6 months old in one week. Most people know that at six months, or sometimes sooner, people will begin to give their baby baby food. This is normally in the form of a purée of some sort, banana, sweet potato, peas, you get the point. Well BLW stands for Baby Led Weaning. It's a form of feeding your baby that does NOT include puréed foods. You give your baby table food.

Now I know most of you are now thinking, are you crazy Mallory? But you don't know all of the facts and research I've done on BLW to come to this decision. Here are some things to consider:

1. In BLW, a baby feeds itself. Yes that's right, you don't have to spoon feed your baby! In BLW, a baby picks up it's own food that is offered to him/her. He or she feeds themselves with no help from a parent! The baby is given fry shaped pieces of different foods to try. The foods can be anything from a simple banana to chicken!

2. He or she learns how to chew food BEFORE swallowing. Most babies are given puréed food by their parents on a spoon and put into their mouths which they then, of course, swallow instead of chew. A BLW baby learns how to chew up their food before swallowing. Now you're probably wondering, won't they need teeth for that? Well...

3. You would be surprised how strong baby gums are. Plus, a baby gets its front teeth first which are not used to chew. Baby gums are perfect for chewing on bananas, sweet potatoes, and so forth. ( and now you know I'm not talking about puréed ones either ;) )

4. Hand eye coordination: BLW incorporates hand eye coordination. A baby learns to bring food to its own mouth to eat, not for you to bring it for them.

5. You're probably thinking,won't she/he choke? Well if you ask this, you need to remember the difference in choking and gagging. Gagging is when a babies gag reflex pushes the food to the front of the mouth so the baby will spit it out instead of taking it into is wind pipe. Now, yes, your baby will gag. Choking is rare. You actually have a greater risk of your baby choking if you feed them puréed food. (interesting huh?) When a baby doesn't chew then swallow, he/she is way more likely to choke on something!

6. Your baby will WANT to eat! We all know the typical "airplane noise" a parent makes when trying to feed their baby. In BLW, since a baby feeds itself, it wants to eat! It's a fun experience for them and not something to stress about!

7. The baby can eat when you're eating and what you're eating. There's no picking out a time each day for your baby to eat so that you can feed them. Your baby will be eating breakfast when you are! Your baby gets to now be a part of meals instead of just watching. On top of that, wouldn't you love to be able to not have to cook extra "baby foods" and just have your baby eat what you're eating? Well in BLW, if you're eating healthy, that's exactly what you don't have to do! Say you're cooking a stir fry. After its cooked, just pick out a few veggies, let them cool a bit, and offer them to your baby! Could it get any easier?

8. Since the name "Baby Led Weaning" sounds as if a baby should wean itself from breastfeeding, think again. Harper will be breastfeeding just as often as before! You should not stop unless that is what you want to do. Breast milk should still be a baby's #1 source of nutrition



If none of that convinces you, do your own research! There are tons of BLW websites and even youtube videos. You shouldn't automatically feel like you have to feed your baby what everyone else is. Read up and make the decision for yourself!

Now I'm not saying there is anything wrong with puréed food because there's not! I'm just writing this blog to inform and document how my own daughter does with BLW to help others who might want to try it out! Each day, once she starts, I'll try to post a picture of her eating and how it went. I hope this will help some one out or just be entertainment for someone. :) Thanks for reading!