starting solids: purees vs baby-led weaning

Goodness, time flies. Layla is six months old next week and I decided to try her on solids the other day - she keeps looking longingly at our food when we eat and has grabbed for Zak's sandwiches a few times, so that's my sign to start! I did the same with Zak and he took to it like hungry boys do to any kind of edible substance. Layla didn't quite get off to the same start - her reaction to her first mouthful was priceless, so I had to capture it on camera. Despite the dry retches, gags and horrifed faces, she kept it down and kept opening her mouth for more! The next was much better - we got smiles, no gags and she even grabbed the spoon off me and gave feeding herself a go. Too cute.

Just like we Zakky, I started on the usual organic rice cereal with tasty breast milk and I'll prob dig out the blender soon to start pureeing the carrots and pumpkin again once she's got used to thicker cereal. A bit of apple can come afterwards (always best to start on the savoury rather than the sweet) and then it's dabbling in everything else.

While this is a pretty stock standard way of introducing solids to your child, I was interested to hear from a friend of mine about a newish feeding fad called Baby-Led Weaning (or BLW). Basically this is letting your baby (from six months) feed themselves what you're eating. They're not exactly going to pick up a knife and fork and start hoeing into a steak, but they'd get it in finger-food form, suck and taste it, and when they're ready, they'll begin to bite into it and chew a little. No purees, no spoons, but lots of mess. I've never heard of this before and to be honest, I just can't imagine my little Layla sucking on a piece of meat as her first non-boob meal. Or feeding herself a carrot stick. But maybe in a month or so I can see her sucking on some melon or banana. But I think I need to introduce the first tastes the good old fashioned way first - via a mushy mix.

As always, there will be people who'll swear by it and those who pan it, so what are your thoughts? Has anyone out there has tried this? How did you go? What do you think about it vs traditional methods? Is it encouraging the child to put everything and anything in their mouths? You can find more about it here - the author of this site has also written a book on it. Would love to hear your thoughts as usual.

welcome to... layla's room

Baby items on display are kept to a minimum but baby shoes are too cute to hide away!

If you've come from renovate + decorate, you're probably over this room! But in case you haven't, here is Layla's nursery end of our bedroom. While I'm waiting for pics to come from others for nursery tours, I thought I'd show you Layla's. It's changed a little since she moved in: we had to move the cradle away from the middle window because it was FREEZING against that wall, so I moved the dresser over and popped my cane chair in the corner. The window has also become a shelf for her soft-toy pressies and I had to dig Zak's mobile out of the cabin to keep her entertained. You can see what it looked before here

Who sleeps here: Layla Belle, 6 weeks, NSW Central Coast, Australia
What was your initial inspiration for the room? The fact we were bunking together - I wanted it to be anything but babyish. But I think the chalkboard artwork of my (somewhat doctored!) pregnant silhouette kind of summed up what I was thinking for the space: something grown up in a neutral, serene colour palette without forgetting that a baby will live here too.

Layla's end of our bedroom

How did you build on this inspiration? I stuck to all-white furniture and kept the baby stuff to a minimum, making sure whatever is on display is as eye-pleasing as possible and not too out of character of the room. I used hits of classic black and white in the storage boxes, fabric-covered canvases and picture wall (not shown - in our side of the room), and painted the back wall a purpley grey. I didn't know the sex of the baby either, so wanted something gender neutral that would still work after they left. That said, I'm pretty sure we'll wallpaper that wall or do something else once she's out of our room.

What's your fave piece in the room? The baby! But besides Layla, it'd be the wallpapered dresser. I love it and think it's perfect for a little girl's room (good thing she turned out to be a girl then!)

My fave piece: the wallpapered dresser

Best bargain? Hmm, everything really: the cradle was given to me by my aunty, the wardrobe is on loan from my brother-in-law, the dresser was originally Zak's and all the artwork I either made myself or bought from Etsy. I didn't spend much - saving up for a new kitchen!

Biggest splurge? Probably the contents of her wardrobe!

The new Etsy prints on the wall (and Layla in her cot!)

Any handmade touches you did yourself? Yep: I drew the chalkboard silhouette; painted and wallpapered the dresser; revamped the cot; painted the stencil on the window, customised the MDF "L" and made the artwork on her cradle.

How would one get this look? Create uniformity with white furniture but break it up with a surprise piece such as a great vintage wardrobe, cool coloured chairs or in my case, wallpapered dresser. Don't use anything commercial or too nursery-like and keep the colour palette subtle and serene. A few homemade touches create interest and make the room unique which is a nice change from catalogue-looking rooms.

I made this little black felt Bambi silhouette as black and white are the best stimulants for newborns.

Nursery buy you can't live without A musical mobile for the newbies. I'd forgotten how handy it was until I dug it out and popped it above her. She loves it.

What's next for this space? Once Layla is about six months old, she'll probably move in with Zak. I'm already planning what I want to do with a combined boy/girl room. I'll probably turn this end of the room into an office and little sitting room seeing as my office space is about to be demolished to open up the kitchen and dining area a little more.

Layla's birth story

First mummy and me pic - excuse the lack of clothes: she was so quick I didn't get to wear my bright pink labour nighty!

This might delve into the "too much information" category and also the "all about me" one, but I thought I'd share Layla's birth story with you. Partly because I know people like hearing the gory details (or is that just me?), but mainly because I find it so bloody hilarious and have been telling anyone who'll listen anyway! I thought I might make it a regular feature so if you want to share your own - and your baby pics - fire me an email at bgraham@acpmagazines.com.au and I'll post. It never ceases to amaze me how completely different births and pregnancies can be. And how, no matter HOW the baby gets here, everyone pretty much feels the exact same way as soon as it's out into the world: exhausted, relieved and euphorically happy. So, here goes...

Six LONG days after my due date came and went, I woke up at 5.30am on June 11 to some low tummy pains. They weren't across my stomach like a normal contraction or Braxton Hicks, but "down there" so I wasn't sure if it was labour or some other weird crampy thing. They were relatively mild so I went back to sleep. Zak woke me up at 8am and I got up and did the normal nappy, play, breakfast routine at which point they started up again - about 15 minutes apart. A bit stronger, I now assumed it to be the real thing, but still worried about the fact it was so low down (and SHOOTING into my back pain which I'd had for the final few weeks of preg). I started banging my heel on the floor each time I got one and called my midwife who suggested I come in if I wanted to. At 1pm, I was being monitored in the same delivery room I'd had Zak in, eating a very yummy rice pudding and raving very George-Costanza-in-Seinfield-like about the brilliant parking space we got right outside the hospital. At around 2pm, my midwife, Terry, did the internal and told me I was 4cm and gave us the option of going home if we wanted. Not looking forward to another drive later on with more painful contractions (they are somehow worse in the car!) and a little reluctant to give up our parking spot, we decided to stay.

Steve prepared for another long night on the couch (last time I was 4cm, it still took another 10 hours before Zak arrived) and had his mobile phone seconds clock at the ready, timing contractions which had been about five minutes apart since we left home. I felt I was managing the contractions really well with my little stress balls and banging heel and was completely normal and relaxed in-between them. They were getting a little stronger each time, but were nothing compared to how I remembered them towards the end of my labour with Zak. I tried not to think about how much worse they'd get and added a new birth skill to the mix: ahh-ing on each exhale which seemed to make the pain magically disappear altogether.

Suddenly, they were two and a half minutes apart. And a bit stronger. I hopped in the shower with my h0t water bottle held to my pelvic area and the hot water running on my back (which was more painful than the contractions!) I was in there a few minutes and my waters broke. Next contraction I lost my mucus plug. I was feeling it a bit more now and so Terry ran a bath for me. Next contraction I yelled out "I'm pushing" expecting her to tell me to stop cause surely there was no way this was it? They weren't strong enough, close together enough and I wasn't exhausted enough for this to be time to push, surely? Terry asked if I could feel the head. I thought so. Next contraction she basically pushed me out of the shower and towards the bed. Steve ran around turning taps off everywhere, a second midwife appeared from nowhere and I just managed to crawl onto the bed on all fours when I took a deep breath and pushed out Layla's head. JUST her head. A screaming, hairy head. Contraction over. I was completely normal again, just with a little crying head hanging out of what felt like my bottom!!!!! A two-headed freak. I started laughing - as you would. It was the weirdest thing ever. And I can't imagine how it must have looked. You don't get that view! For about two minutes poor Layla was half in, half out crying and I started to wonder if I was ever going to get another contraction to push the rest of her out. But sure enough, it did and she slid out rather painlessly and I was back to being a one-headed freak.

It took several minutes to figure out what she was (sex-wise, we knew she was human) as the umbilical cord made it difficult to get her to me. I was still on all fours so she had to be passed through my legs, under my body and then I managed to turn her over to see she was a girl! It was nice being the first one to know this - Steve saw first with Zak and told me and I got to do it this time. And it was all over - quick, rather painless, drug-free and surprisingly highly amusing! I hadn't heard of that happening before although I'm sure it's pretty common. But it was a great birth - the sucky part was getting the local for the stitches I needed but even then, I put my birth skills to good use again while this time focusing on my new baby girl which is the best kind of distraction ever!

I know second babies are meant to be easier, but I still thought it'd be a lot harder work. I kind of feel like I cheated or something!

lovely little layla

Just a few hours old

Proud parent moment: my daughter, Layla, born last Wednesday. So far she's settled in beautifully - has slept up to six hours at night and appears to be able to sleep through anything (ie, Zak slapping her on the head, screaming and laughing in her ear and playing footy/cricket/anything ball-related in front of her cradle). I'm hoping this all continues as I've done the hard yards with a non-sleeper - Zak cat-napped for half an hour only - but she showed signs of following in her brother's footsteps today, and was awake for the best part of five hours. Fingers crossed it was a one-off!!

As for Zak, I was worried he'd not take to her very well, but seems happy enough - just a bit whingy and had a very large screaming match this evening. I'm thinking the past week or so has caught up with him - late nights, me not at home, visitor after visitor, overstimulation, new person in the house. Did anyone else have this problem? How did you cope?
bx