Without wishing to moan too much, I should perhaps point out that I had about ten days maternity leave before I had to attend to some of my work commitments... sometimes it's easier to do things yourself rather than have someone fill in for you.

However, I work from home so actually it's easy enough to work at night (although you will often find me skiving here or on Mumsnet). I fear that I'll have to access some childcare soon, however, as Babybear is dropping naps all over the shop. You'll know all about it when I do, I'm quite sure that there will be a suitably outraged 'you will not BELIEVE how much they are asking' post. But of course you probably will know...

So on that note, I asked the prolific and deeply lovely Dizzybint to write down her experiences of starting nursery and BLWing with Dizzybaby. She's happy to answer any questions that you might have, the darling woman.

"Dizzybaby started nursery at nearly 8 months old.  She goes two afternoons a
week, from 1pm until 4.30pm and she's in a room with other babies aged 0 to
12 months.  It's one of the big chain nurseries, and I have to say I went in
with the assumption that they wouldn't go for the whole BLW idea. 

The chain had Annabel Karmel do all the menu plans, she's even been in person to DD's nursery to meet the chef and help him cook meals for a day.  As you go in there is an enormous photo montage of her visit... a great selling point for most parents!  I thought to myself 'well they are so not going to be up for BLW... are they?'

At the settling-in sessions the nursery nurse took all DD's details, how
much milk, what naps, etc etc... then the food questions came up.  I'd
already flummoxed her by discussing expressed milk storage and Doidy cups and
a few other things so I though 'what the heck let's do the BLW chat too. So
it goes 'have you introduced lumps yet?' 'Well no, she has proper solid
food, we haven't done purees.'  'Right.  so will you be starting purees
soon.'  'No we haven't done it that way, she just has normal food like we
have, no purees, no lumps, just normal food.' 'So she won't have purees she
just has finger food?' 'Yes, but it's anything really, not just finger foods
like bread sticks, she eats normal food, but with her hands.'  'Right.' 

So she goes away to get the week's menu, shows me it's divided up into 3 types
of food; puree, mash, and toddler food.  She says to me 'So basically you
want her to have toddler food?'  'YES!'

I then explained a few more things, about leaving her to do it herself, not
handing food to her, just put it on the table she'll eat if she wants to
eat, or not as the case may be.  We go over the week ahead's menu to check
DD will be able to handle the food.  If it's something really tricky then
the chef makes her sandwiches, it's very rare but happens now and again.  And if
it's something new she hasn't had before I try her with it at home first.

So at tea time all the babies sit round the table with DD at the top.  She
tucks in while the others are spoon fed, helped, handed food, coaxed etc
etc.  DH picks her up and sometimes they're still having tea, he's sees how
they do it.  I also spent the day there for a special 'take your Mummy to
nursery' event for Mother's Day last week, so I saw tea time and lunch
time then.   They were giving bananas out to the babies that day.  For DD they
just peeled it and handed the entire thing over whole.  For the others they
chopped, mashed, squished, held it to their mouths, spooned it in, all kinds
of things.  I think they must like that they don't have to 'do' much to feed DD.

I've had a very good experience of BLW at nursery.  I don't think they know
it as BLW, they just see it as 'toddler food.' No big deal, less work for
them.  The choking thing was never an issue, I'm happy that all the staff
have done first aid courses and could handle it if it happened, it's just as
likely to happen with one of the 4 year olds as my BLW 10-month-old.   I see
DD as paving the way for all the other BLW babies who'll be joining the
nursery as I'm sure they will.  I just hope the sight of an enormous Annabel
Karmel doesn't put BLW mums off the nursery!"