Bottles and BLW
Thursday, September 07, 2006
It's been awfully quiet dead here since the first post. I guess the start was surprisingly smooth, and I had nothing to write! We went holidays for nearly a month, I got a big translation project and I've been struggling to keep the main blog running.
However, my BLW enthusiasm is back stronger than ever! While I don't have so much to write about what Lukas is eating every day, I discovered today that I have lots of opinions about BLW… Some of which mightn't interest the readership of our new.browne blog, so I thought I'd resurrect this thing. Meanwhile…
Aitch had written about going BLW on bottle-fed babies in her blog, and of course I can't help commenting. I had so much to say about the lack of breastfeeding support in the UK, that I'll leave post my rant about after this, but first things first.
She took up the subject because on the Dutch BLW guidelines page it says that BLW isn't recommended to formula-fed babies and that you should consult your health visitor before going BLW.
In my experience, when it comes to discussing BLW with your health visitor, they are most likely to advice you against it, regardless whether you breastfeed or not. My health visitor managed to convince me that BLW must've been the reason for my budding post-natal depression - what b*llocks.
It took me a couple of weeks to come to my senses though. Fair enough that giving him more solids helped me to overcome the exhaustion caused by the constant breastfeeding of the toddler-sized baby, but I should've known that the point we are now would've been as easily achieved with finger foods. In fact, Lukas eats more now that he's back to finger food. So much for the health visitor's advice then.
It'd be nice if you could as _someone_ about BLW and formula-feeding, though. Surely babies can learn to control their own feeding at 6 months too? I think the warning is just a precautionary measure more than anything else, but one that shouldn't be overlooked.
The whole idea might seem so revolutionary to some that maybe the note was necessary so that it wouldn't come across as totally irrational and irresponsible. I don't think so, but it's easy to see why someone might. Many people like to stick to “the way it's always been done” and for some new approaches like this are difficult to digest. And by this I don't mean only grannies and mother-in-laws! :)
Mothers who are actively search information about what's best for their babies are often more aware of their babies' wants and needs. Hence whoever is open-minded enough to try BLW, has probably already allowed their child to develop a more independent feeding rhythm.
I can't wait until research results are available and we have some more credible and reliable information about the method that I can back up my arguments with when discussing the topic with people I know.
No-one I talk to has even heard of baby-led weaning before I have brought it up. The only reason I know there are other people BLW is because of the Yahoo B-LW group and the likes. For the moment we just have to rely on peer support from the BLW online gang.
However, my BLW enthusiasm is back stronger than ever! While I don't have so much to write about what Lukas is eating every day, I discovered today that I have lots of opinions about BLW… Some of which mightn't interest the readership of our new.browne blog, so I thought I'd resurrect this thing. Meanwhile…
Aitch had written about going BLW on bottle-fed babies in her blog, and of course I can't help commenting. I had so much to say about the lack of breastfeeding support in the UK, that I'll leave post my rant about after this, but first things first.
She took up the subject because on the Dutch BLW guidelines page it says that BLW isn't recommended to formula-fed babies and that you should consult your health visitor before going BLW.
In my experience, when it comes to discussing BLW with your health visitor, they are most likely to advice you against it, regardless whether you breastfeed or not. My health visitor managed to convince me that BLW must've been the reason for my budding post-natal depression - what b*llocks.
It took me a couple of weeks to come to my senses though. Fair enough that giving him more solids helped me to overcome the exhaustion caused by the constant breastfeeding of the toddler-sized baby, but I should've known that the point we are now would've been as easily achieved with finger foods. In fact, Lukas eats more now that he's back to finger food. So much for the health visitor's advice then.
It'd be nice if you could as _someone_ about BLW and formula-feeding, though. Surely babies can learn to control their own feeding at 6 months too? I think the warning is just a precautionary measure more than anything else, but one that shouldn't be overlooked.
The whole idea might seem so revolutionary to some that maybe the note was necessary so that it wouldn't come across as totally irrational and irresponsible. I don't think so, but it's easy to see why someone might. Many people like to stick to “the way it's always been done” and for some new approaches like this are difficult to digest. And by this I don't mean only grannies and mother-in-laws! :)
Mothers who are actively search information about what's best for their babies are often more aware of their babies' wants and needs. Hence whoever is open-minded enough to try BLW, has probably already allowed their child to develop a more independent feeding rhythm.
I can't wait until research results are available and we have some more credible and reliable information about the method that I can back up my arguments with when discussing the topic with people I know.
No-one I talk to has even heard of baby-led weaning before I have brought it up. The only reason I know there are other people BLW is because of the Yahoo B-LW group and the likes. For the moment we just have to rely on peer support from the BLW online gang.
