I have been asked by many people about Baby Led Weaning.
For the “Dictionary” definition, Baby Led Weaning is this:
an alternative method for introducing complementary foods to infants in which the infant feeds themselves hand-held foods instead of being spoon-fed by an adult. The BLW infant also shares family food and mealtimes and is offered milk (ideally breast milk) on demand until they self-wean.
“Weaning” can be confusing. When I thinking of weaning, I think of gradually getting your baby to stop nursing on the breast or bottle, and graduate to a cup. This type of “weaning” is different. It’s introduction to solid foods.
For a little background, I have 3 children. My first was the stereotypical “Gerber” puree baby. We introduced ALL pureed foods for 3-5 days before introducing the next food. He had NO real solid food until close to his first birthday. We thought we were following “the rules”. The trouble with this, we have found out, is he is SO PICKY! He is our pickiest eater. He is not a fan of textures and doesn’t like any type of strong flavors.
Our second child was born 19 months after our first, so we were way more relaxed and flexible with him. He was half and half. Half purees, half solid real food. He is much more adventurous with his food choices and is a very good eater.
Our third baby is 9 months old. At 6 months of age, we automatically introduced her to solid foods. We followed the Baby Led Weaning idea from day one. She is a very adventurous eater and we are always so amazed at how well she eats at such a young age, and the foods she will eat. All-in-all, I’ve done both purees and baby led weaning. I’m constantly asked about my experience with Baby Led Weaning. So, I thought I would put together a list of tips, if you are considering BLW.
For the “Dictionary” definition, Baby Led Weaning is this:
an alternative method for introducing complementary foods to infants in which the infant feeds themselves hand-held foods instead of being spoon-fed by an adult. The BLW infant also shares family food and mealtimes and is offered milk (ideally breast milk) on demand until they self-wean.
“Weaning” can be confusing. When I thinking of weaning, I think of gradually getting your baby to stop nursing on the breast or bottle, and graduate to a cup. This type of “weaning” is different. It’s introduction to solid foods.
For a little background, I have 3 children. My first was the stereotypical “Gerber” puree baby. We introduced ALL pureed foods for 3-5 days before introducing the next food. He had NO real solid food until close to his first birthday. We thought we were following “the rules”. The trouble with this, we have found out, is he is SO PICKY! He is our pickiest eater. He is not a fan of textures and doesn’t like any type of strong flavors.
Our second child was born 19 months after our first, so we were way more relaxed and flexible with him. He was half and half. Half purees, half solid real food. He is much more adventurous with his food choices and is a very good eater.
Our third baby is 9 months old. At 6 months of age, we automatically introduced her to solid foods. We followed the Baby Led Weaning idea from day one. She is a very adventurous eater and we are always so amazed at how well she eats at such a young age, and the foods she will eat. All-in-all, I’ve done both purees and baby led weaning. I’m constantly asked about my experience with Baby Led Weaning. So, I thought I would put together a list of tips, if you are considering BLW.
Start soft and mushy. I first start with easy to mush foods. I would test them in my mouth by pressing the food between my tongue and the roof of my mouth. If it mushed well, I fed it to her. My favorites to try first: Bananas, mashed potatoes, cooked carrots, canned pears, canned peaches, just to name a few. I then moved on to less mushy foods like: steamed broccoli and cauliflower, strawberries, blueberries, ground beef, soft breads, etc. At 9 months, my daughter is eating things like shredded chicken, cooked green beans, kidney beans, sliced olives, pastas, shredded cheese, pretty much anything and everything that is easy to eat with no teeth. Just remember to ease in. Watch them. As they get the hang of it, move on to more difficult to eat foods.
2. Don’t Freak Out! Gagging Is Normal.
Like any parent, my first fear with baby led weaning was “My baby is going to choke!” However, you will be very surprised with your baby. They have a natural (And strong) gag reflex. They know when they are going to choke and take care of it by themselves. There are times I have had to pull food out of my daughters mouth because she shoved WAY too much food in there and gagged, and once I pulled her out of the high chair and helped her spit some food out, but 95% of the time she will gag, spit the food out, and take another bite. Gagging is normal. They will gag. It’s scary at first, but they know what they are doing. Always, always, always, keep a close eye on your baby at meal time. Don’t feed your baby foods on-the-go, and make sure they are sitting up straight and securely while eating. Baby Led Weaning is natural. There was no Gerber jarred foods hundreds of years ago, and all babies learned how to eat. So, don’t freak out! Your baby will gag, and it’s okay. Just always keep a very close eye on them the whole time they are eating.
3. Bigger Is Better
Most advice given for introducing foods is “Pea Sized” portions of food. I’ve learned, bigger is better. A 6-7 month old baby hasn’t mastered the thumb-finger grasp yet and can’t pick up the food. They fully palm an object to pick it up. Larger foods they can bite pieces off of seems to work better. For example, if you are going to introduce watermelon, cut a larger (1 inch by 3 inch) piece they can pick up and gnaw on. If it’s veggies like broccoli or a green bean, give them the whole piece of broccoli or green bean. The only foods I cut small are circular foods like sliced cooked carrots. I cut those in half because those do pose a big choking hazard.
4. Get Ready To Get Messy!
Baby Led Weaning is fun. But, it’s MESSY! They will get food places you didn’t know you could get food. During bath time, I found food behind my daughter’s ear. How does that even happen? BLW is messy. Make sure you have a good, easy to clean high chair, lots of bibs, or strip that baby down to a diaper. My daughter HATES bibs. We have finally given up on them. We would Velcro it on, she instantly pulled it off and threw it on the floor. I have learned to strip her down to a diaper before meal time and then wipe her down with a wet dish cloth afterward. With all the mess, it leads me to #5.
5. Don’t Worry About How Much They Are Getting IN Their Tummy
Baby Led Weaning is a full experience for your baby. Seeing the real food (Not a puree), feeling the food, hearing the noises as they squish it between their fingers, smelling the food, and tasting the food. They will play with every piece, squish it, wipe it all over their tray, taste it, throw it, examine it, and hopefully at some point swallow some. Don’t fret if you feel like they aren’t getting enough food in their bellies. At the beginning, they are just learning and they are getting most of their nutrition from breastmilk and/or formula, so don’t worry about them fully getting nutrition from the food. Your baby will master eating quickly. You will be surprised how much they actually do eat.
6. Have Fun With It
Last but not least. Have fun with it. It is a new experience for your baby. Sit back and enjoy the new skill they are mastering. Don’t get too nervous with it. If you are uncomfortable with certain foods, don’t feed it to your baby. Remember, you are the parent, you get to choose what they put in their mouths, not anyone else. Don’t feel pressured by other people. Follow your instincts with feeding your baby. Enjoy Baby Led Weaning!
You are awesome!
If you have any other tips, or have any questions or need advice, I would love to hear them!! Leave me a comment!
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