BLW and child care

[those3words]

DS is turning 6 months and we are just starting BLW.  For right now we are just giving him solids at home.  But, I would like to start packing foods for him for lunch in the next month or so.  I occasionally visit the child care during my lunch hour.  While I think they are fantastic in many ways, I noticed that another baby in the class is supposed to be BLW - but often there is someone actively feeding her.  Usually, it is a floater (because it is lunch hour - often they are rotating breaks during this time) or a sub. 

Anyone have experience communicating BLW preferences to child care?

Any recommendations on how to go about BLW at day care?

TIA.

[chubs]

You could pack a note or write directly on whatever you put the food in that baby is to eat at their own pace and feed THEMSELVES. Do the caregivers understand the concept of BLW? You could go in and talk to them about it.

[MapleMe]

Initially I sent things that would be hard to feed to a baby without shoving it into their face, like orange slices, steamed parsnip rounds, frozen apple wedges, etc. Now that I know that DC "gets it" I also send preloaded spoons that they let her have fun with.

[rockiesnugget]

When you are ready to send food to daycare, talk to them about expectations then write down items that you want them to remember. I would send finger food style foods and if you visit during your lunch hour then you can maybe give him hummus, applesauce or something similar and let them see him feeding himself.

[billyhorrible]

We didn't start sending in food for my son at daycare until he was around 7-8ish months and had a firm handle on the BLW stuff (was ingesting not just letting it fall out). I'll have to see if I can find it, but I found some kind of 1 page, 2 sided pamphlet on the internet about what BLW was and what to expect. I gave it to his providers and talked to them a little bit about the fact that it didn't matter how much he ate, he was primarily to still be drinking the BM, and just to put the food on his tray.

They LOVED it. They loved the fact they didn't have to feed him, it was actually easier on them. They also got a kick out of the fact that he had such a varied diet.

[soadchik]

Our daycare lets us highlight what is okay to feed DD from the toddler menu. State regulation or something has strict rules about food preparation, so since they can't know how we prepare food at home, we can't bring in food unless it is pre-packaged or it is something they fix at the center. So.. I usually highlight what DD can eat. If there isn't enough that she can eat on a particular day, I send a puree pouch with a choomee top so she can still feed herself with that. It seems to work for us for now.

Our daycare is pretty small though... There is also another baby that is older that does BLW, cloth diapers, etc.. so we weren't the first family to request it.

[jcrewgirl]

I sent this email to the Director of DD's DC. A copy is in her file and a copy also on her board in her room.

[Insert DH's name] and I give permission for the Infant Room teachers to give [insert DD's name] the solid foods we provide for her and supervise as she eats that food.

Per our telephone conversation, we are doing baby-led weaning (BLW). BLW is a somewhat cheesy term for just letting an infant self-feed. You cut food up into manageable sticks and offer it, they eat. It’s really pretty simple.
The key difference between BLW and traditional weaning, when you think about it, is in the order that children learn to eat. With a puree, they learn to swallow first and then chew, which works fine until they meet a lump. With BLW, the babies learn to chew first and swallowing might come some time later.

It’s ‘baby-led’ in the sense that you let them do what they need to do while they’re learning, and as the parent (or teacher) you resist the urge to get wound up in knots about how much they’re eating, whether they like the food you thought they’d like and whether it’s smashed into the nearest curtain.

Additionally, [insert DD's name] needs to pick up the food herself. We never put food in her mouth for her. This is important as she will learn to control the food as it moves backwards in her mouth. [Insert DD's name] may gag and that is okay. There is a difference between choking and gagging.

Here is a link to more info on BLW: www.babyledweaning.com/

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me. Thank you for being willing to work with us. I am sure that having the consistency at school and at home will be very helpful.