What is it? Why do we do it? Why do we talk so much about what it is and why we’re doing it??
Baby led weaning- often abbreviated as blw- is just another method of introducing solids to a baby when they’re about 6 months old.
A few years ago I saw a video on Instagram of a 7 month old baby holding a full chicken leg in their hand and attempting to eat it. I was not pregnant at the time, nor was I a mom yet- so of course I felt strongly opinionated about this topic and was very judgemental. I grew up around a lot of kids and watched many children grow from newborns to teens. I knew the right way of feeding infants. My thoughts on the video I saw: What kind of parent would give solid food to their S E V E N month old baby that isn’t in puree form??? Why aren’t they spoon feeding their poor baby?? Don’t they know that their baby doesn’t have teeth? Don’t they know that their baby could choke? This parent is wild and potentially harming their child!!!
Do you know what parent feeds their seven month old solid foods that are NOT puree’s? ME!
A few months after having Soliyah, it was beginning to dawn upon me that I would have to start introducing solids pretty soon. In my typical fashion, I began to research! How to introduce solid’s, best first foods for baby, best baby food processors, recipes for puree’s, best way to prepare baby food, how long baby food can be stored in the fridge, store bought pouches vs. making your own puree’s…and then I came across baby led weaning and another baby eating a chicken drumstick.
Baby led weaning is a way to introduce solids to a baby in solid finger food form. You can also give your baby puree’s as a part of this process if you’d like- but you don’t have to. My favourite part of baby led weaning is that it teaches your child to become an independent eater. They are picking up the food themselves and putting it in their own mouths- no spoon-feeding necessary. It also helps with gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination. My least favourite part- the mess it creates. Be ready to drape your baby in a cape and give them a bath immediately after their meal.
However, it isn’t as simple as just placing food in front of your baby in any form. There is a lot of research to be done if you choose this method. It’s important to figure out how to best serve foods to your baby at specific months in order to prevent your baby from choking, while also making sure that the food is presented in a way that works for their current motor skill. For example, at 7 months old, a baby has not yet mastered its' pincer grasp. This means that most food placed in front of them will need to be cut into thin strips. It is also vital to research which foods are okay to give at which ages. At 6 months old, a baby does not have a strong immune system nor is their digestive system fully developed to process all sorts of food yet. Further, common allergens are introduced in specific ways as well. The most current research on food allergies illustrates that exposure to common allergens early and often is the best way to prevent allergies from developing- but you also have to watch for reactions. I urge you to do the research.
My biggest concern while researching this method of introducing solids and contemplating trying it on my own little human was the choking risk. It was something my husband and I discussed heavily, researched, and spoke to other parents about. We came to the following conclusions about blw:
1. Choking hazards for a baby eating solids via blw vs. puree’s is pretty much the same IF you research how to properly present food to your baby. For example, things like grapes and cherry tomatoes should NEVER be placed in front of your baby without being cut into 1/2 or 1/4 pieces. Even with my daughter being 21 months, I still research how to appropriately present food to her.
2. Researching how to properly present food is foundational for safety and success.
3. You should never walk away from your child when there is food in front of them or if there is still food in their mouths. Watch them closely the entire feed.
4. Babies have a strong gag reflex. They will gag- it’s a safety mechanism. A baby gagging can be scary and cause you to panic. We watched many videos of babies gagging while eating to get comfortable with the idea. I’ve tagged some Instagram accounts that post these videos on my Instagram post if you want to see some of them.
5. If your baby is gagging- you need to stay positive and encourage them through it. If you get frightened and panicked, they will panic too.
6. Research choking symptoms, and think about taking a baby CPR course.
7. Studies show that infants who are introduced to solid’s via blw are less picky eaters and are willing to try more foods as they grow older.
8. Research allergic reactions so that you can quickly recognize symptoms. Also, keep some baby Benedryl on hand.
Even though I’ve now completely scared you and turned you off of baby led weaning, I have to say I am very glad we chose to go down the baby led weaning route. Was it nerve-racking? Yes- but it quickly became easy. Did people look at us like we were crazy when our 8 month old was chowing down on hard-boiled eggs and strawberries? Yes, but she was happy and so were we. I love that we were able to eat the same things and we didn’t have to stress about finding things to blend together in a food processor. I could steam some broccoli, slice a banana, or feed her some of the saag we were already eating and be done. In addition, we found some great feeding utensils and open cups from ezpz fun that made it possible for Soliyah to feed herself with a spoon at 6 months old.
If you're debating how you want to introduce solid's to your baby, here's my advice: You have to start them on real solids at some point- so why not from the get-go? If you're willing to do the research and prep work, I truly believe it's worth it.
Feel free to message me or comment if you have more questions or input! Don't forget to subscribe!
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