Yes! I did. 6 months on, first time leaving the Wee One for any extended period of time. It went well. Him looked after the Wee One and she went to sleep with no hassle. I've found out that the realisation that the Wee One doesn't need only me is quite devastating. I'll get over it! I'm very proud of her, made the night easy on Him, because she's an actual angel.
I wasn't in charge of dinner last night, and haven't had a proper chance to speak to Him about it because I arrived home so late everyone was tucked up in bed. I've decided, therefore, to dedicate this entry to the most controversial aspect of Baby Led Weaning:- Gagging.
The first time I experienced the Wee One gagging, it was nothing to do with food. She had discovered just how awesome her own hands were and was shoving them down her throat with glee and relish. That reddish face, and the retching motion, not fun to see and induced instant panic in the onlooker. Within a few days, I realised that rushing her to the sink and rubbing her back were making it worse. Paying close attention to her, the moment would pass relatively quickly, without her losing her breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack. I also noticed she was never ever upset during these instances. It was only me flapping!
It's been around 2 months since the first round of gagging, and it passed, the Wee One obviously realising her limit of where she could put her fingers in to. But when starting food, I'd obviously forgotten what I'd already found out. Of course there is also the other added issue of choking getting added into the mix. Being very lucky to be involved with Inverclyde Happytots, I was able to take a short First Aid course run by the British Red Cross prior to any food passing the Wee Ones lips. It definitely eased my mind knowing what I would need to do if the worst happened. I would highly recommend seeking out a course like this if you are interested in trying Baby Led Weaning, however, I've no doubt that no matter what path you choose a course like this would be invaluable. I hope I never have to use anything that I learned.
When food has eventually made its way into the Wee One's mouth, there have been gags. I think if you can try to distinguish between gagging and choking, it will make life easier. I know what my Wee One gagging looks like, I've been lucky so far that choking is not something I've had to identify. We've only had one full on puking incident, and I truly believe it's been down to over reaction on my part. Loosening up again has resulted in the offending object being brought forward and expelled from the mouth.
I suppose what I'm trying to say is that Baby Led Weaning requires you to trust you baby and to trust their natural instincts. I've read in various places that the gag reflex in babies is much further forward in babies than in adults, and it makes perfect sense why! It's a pre-choking mechanism, and boy does it work! This first week has been wonderful, and I cannot believe just how much there is to learn all over again. I suppose I thought the education was over after the bringing the baby home and surviving the first few weeks! But no! New curve balls ever coming in to surprise you and make you second guess your abilities and decisions.
I'm coming to realise it'll never stop.
Try not to get too big too quickly my angel.
No comments:
Post a Comment