Did You Do Baby-Led Weaning?
As we are rounding the corner on Tate’s half birthday, it is becoming all too evident that Tate is getting ready for solids. His eyes light up when Steve and I sit down to eat, he follows every bite with a longing gaze, and he is getting grabby with plates and utensils.
I have decided to wait until he hits the six month mark to try him on solids. Why you may ask? Well partly because the WHO (World Health Organization) says so, but also I think it’s mostly because six months sounds like a very respectable age to start trying solids. Don’t you think?
We’ve assembled the high chair, and Tate joins us at the table for dinner with only a rattle to chew on. The next step is to just start feeding him, right?
Except there is more than one method of doing it, which shouldn’t surprise me, it seems that nothing is simple in this parenting gig.
I have heard some things about baby led weaning, and from what I understand, it is all about providing the baby with solid foods that they can eat, and allowing them to lick, suck, and handle the food on their own. Essentially, they learn to feed themselves, at their own pace. Sounds good to me.
So, I have to ask. What methods did you use in introducing solids to your little one? Do you have experience with baby led weaning, or another method you want to share? This momma is all ears.
I introduced table foods at the same time as purees, but it wasn’t true BLW because we did still give him purees. We still do, occasionally, to make sure he gets enough fruits & veggies if we don’t have the real deal on hand.
BLW all the way! I do recommend at least one of youtake infant CPR though. In the beginning my kid needed assistance clearing her airway maybe 5 times. Only 2 of those were really dangerous choking. But you will have more peace of mind.
Now she’s nearly 8 months and I’m not sure what to do next – can I give her meat even though she has no teeth and won’t be able to break it down before swallowing?
My twin mommy friend did BLW, and I am jealous. Her kids never had that gross jarred food.
As for nutrition, until age 1, it mostly comes from milk/formula, so they should be allowed to go at their own pace. Until age 1, food is just for fun!
I was gung-ho for BLW, but my baby wasn’t! We started around 7 months, and she just wasn’t interested. When I tried some purees, she scarfed ‘em down, though, so it turns out that my baby led us to jarred and frozen food
My first born, no, as I’d never heard of it and had no understanding of how much chewing can be achieved with no teeth, just gums. My second born, yes (partially) and it was terrific. I would likely abandon the purees altogether if I were to have a third! (I made most of my own purees so it would be a huge time saver.)
Well, you’re a little far away from weaning anyway. Depending on how well he takes to food, he may need breast milk for a long while yet.
I let my son wean himself, if by that you mean crying and forcing him on the breast for a month at 14 months. He was ready to be done with breastfeeding I was NOT.
And don’t forget that doctors advise that babies at that age need extra iron. Commercial baby cereals have it added, but if you make your own, talk to your doctor. I didn’t know that iron deficiency can be a serious issue and can cause serious problems. I figured that I was breastfeeding so the baby was getting everything needed But apparently that may not be true after about six months for all babies.
We did BLW, somewhat unintentionally, with our first. We tried to introduce solids at 6 months and I’m pretty sure the whole puree texture grossed her out. I more or less exclusively breastfed until 8 months with T sucking on Baby Mum Mums, gnawing at pealed peaches, and playing around in tomato sauce for those two months. I was also always on edge about chocking, but I think she’s generally more sensitive than the average babies about the feel of things in her throat. The big commitment is to extend breastfeeding. But it sounds like your little guy might be ready.
I want to BLW, my only fear is the choking…and having to explain it to my mom…she is already asking….UGH
@ Anne: anytime you introduce solids to a baby, it’s considered weaning, whether it’s with purees or table solids.
I introduced solids at around 5 months
We introduced our DS using BLW. He loved it, able to eat the same food we were eating. He is now 8 months and will eat pretty much anything we put in front of him. He loves different flavors.
He now eats a hybrid of BLW and purees due to daycare’s need to start giving him solids and only being able to give him purees. He does well with both of them, and just in general loves food. I am glad we introduced him to table solids before purees because I think weaning him off of the purees will be easier than introducing table solids at 9 months or so.
The chances of them choking are actually more likely with purees than with solids due to them not being in complete control of what is going into their mouths.
I say go for it!
We did BLW, it was great! The first few weeks are a bit nerve wracking as they gag a lot while adjusting to solids. We found the Baby Led Weaning Cookbook to be helpful. It has a nice summary at the beginning and lots of ideas, suggestions and recipes.
YES! I’ve done it with both of my boys. I found this article very helpful and forward it to anyone who is thinking about BLW. http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/03/13/baby-essentials-that-arent-part-7-baby-food/ Best of luck to you!
Baby #1 and #2 led the way for all feeding. Baby #2 definitely likes feeding himself more than the first. He is 11 months now, I’m still nursing 2-3 times/day and making all my own baby food this time around too, but the good thing, since I’m more confident with BLW with Baby#2, I’m introducing more and more not so typical baby things. This means making less “baby food” and he’s eating more of what we’re eating. You have to remember to be creative and think outside the box. I steam carrot wheels until they are super soft and tender and he loves them and loves feeding himself. I did a beef stew in the crock pot and the beef was so tender that I could easily mash it with a fork and tried giving it to him and he loved it. So now I’m doing more in the crock pot and letting him feed himself (things like beans are really good). If you’re not too keen on introducing meat as yet, you can get wheat germ (I recommend toasting it first) and slipping 2 tbsp into your baby’s pureed foods for that extra protein.
My son just isn’t always ready for table foods. He’s never eaten anything from a jar, but at 11 months, he still prefers purees for at least half of his solids. He also has no interest in learning to eat with a spoon. He’s way into drinking from a cup, though!
with my niece when she was like 4 months old she was like wanting what all the grown ups had so we made some homemade purees just very small simple ones that are the basic ones they say to start with she loved it we waited until she was 6 month then tried more mashed up items by 8 months she was already talking some so when i try to mash her food for her she will scream no no no mine so i got to the point there i take very little small cubes of food and set out for her minents later she was feeding herself and acting like a grown up she even is learning that she has to take a few slips of her bottle to help the food go down getting very good at and being a trained chef now that she is enjoying more soilds but with my other friends kids it was a lot harder for them to learn to get their kids to love food but i showen them so tips and i think the top tip i can give someone is dont give up some kids are picky some kids will eat anything just listen and watch how the kid reacts to food
My son just isn’t always ready for table foods. He’s never eaten anything from a jar, but at 11 months, he still prefers purees for at least half of his solids. He also has no interest in learning to eat with a spoon. He’s way into drinking from a cup, though!
I think you should just watch what works for your baby. If they’re watching you intently while you eat, but they don’t want table food, purees are probably the way to go.
We’ve been doing BLW with our daughter since she was 6 months. It’s been almost six months since and it’s going great! She eats nearly everything, all sorts of seafood, meats, veggies and fruits. She hates baby purees- I don’t think it’s so much the texture as it’s the general lack of flavor.
I make the same dinner for all of us. Just leave out any added salt or sugar. She loves garlic, onions and even mild (poblano) chiles.
Makes it really simple to eat out at restaurants with her- as we just share nearly everything we eat (we just ask for no salt to be added). Bonus: she feeds herself.
There are a few drawbacks: it’s messy, really, really messy. It can take a lot longer for a baby to eat on their own in comparison to feeding them bite after bite of cereals and purees.
Also, as someone mentioned earlier, for your own piece of mind- take an infant CPR/first aid class. My husband and I took a class right before we started our daughter on solids.
Lastly, always remember– choking is silent, gagging makes noise– a horrible, horrible noise, but as long as there’s noise, don’t freak out.
I’ve also been doing elimination communication (EC) with her since she came home from week one. A lot of people don’t understand any of this and they’ll offer their opinions.
It’s just so amazing to me how much babies are capable of if you just allow them to do these things on their own. I also feel like it gives them a developmental and communicative head start.
I strongly recommend the Baby Led Weaning cookbook. The introduction contains all the information you’ll need to get started.
We started with purees but BLW ended up working a lot better for us. Our little guy was very independent and didn’t want anything to do with being fed with a spoon. After doing BLW I can’t imagine doing it any other way.
It’s seems most people are all for the baby-led approach. I am not. I believe in watching and listening to my DS and still being the voice of reason. I don’t believe a new baby’s body and digestive system knows how to digest chunks of food, that why we adults have teeth to chew the food into more digestible bits. Choking is an issue for sure, but also making sure they’re getting the nutrition from the food they (or us) put into their tiny little mouths. Think about a piece of ice. A large piece might take, say, 20 minutes to fully melt, whereas one that’s been smashed with a hammer will start to disappear within seconds. With babies, food moves quickly through them and the smaller the pieces, the nutrients are more easily absorbed. My DS is just 5 months now and I was planning to wait until the 6-month mark as well (because of a concern for the development of food allergies) until I read an article that said pediatricians agree that rice is a safe starter food for infants less than 6-months. I was going to give him the packaged kind of rice cereal when I read the ingredients list “skim milk” and 6 other ingredients I couldn’t pronounce. I choose to make my own because I was under the impression that it’s best to introduce these tiny new systems to one food at a time, not “rice powder, skim milk” and 6 other ingredients I can’t pronounce. Maybe instead of asking how and when to introduce new foods, we should be asking, no, demanding to know exactly what we are putting into our babies.
Blw was the best bit of baby advice I got. It was a brilliant and easy transition for us with no choking issues, it’s incredible how little bubs manage food by themselves and bring forward any food that’s not yet ready to swallow. I intended to wait till 6 myths but my daughter had other ideas…so 5 months it was.
When our second child was born a friend gave me the BLW book, which I read, mocked and tossed. I just thought it sounded so ridiculous! I made my own baby food with our first and really enjoyed that whole process. But my son had other ideas. At five months he reached for chunk of avocado on my plate and popped it in his mouth. A couple of days later he pried a banana from my hand and ate it. He had no interest in being fed purees if I or my husband was holding the spoon. He basically began to feed himself as soon as he started on solids. Yes, it’s messy, yes, it’s a bit nerve racking at first but if you are truly letting your kid lead – whether that means they feed themselves or you help them with a spoon – you’ll all be fine. Best of luck with this new chapter!! Let the laundry begin….
We did BLW with our first and will do it with our 2nd. I highly recommend it but it works best if you have a dog to clean up the mess!
I did BLW with both kids. I can’t imagine any other way. My second son, Max, showed a lot of interest from 4 months. It took him a long time to actually eat anything he put in his mouth. Most of it was spat out and flung across the room. Now he’s 13 months and just nursing 2-3 times a day, eating all kinds of food, almost fully weaned, and flinging his food significantly less. I think jarred baby food is so disgusting. I felt sorry for my kids whenever I offered it to them.
Some babies even gag on the purees. I did a combination as some of the mums mentioned above. I started with fruit and veg purees but would also offer something for them to hold and gnaw on if they preferred. My first was happy with the purees, my second preferred breast milk up until she was 10 months old, at which point she started eating more consistently. My third was happy with either but again, the first few months were just about getting used to having something solid (compared to breast milk) in your mouth. I think it depends on the kid. Sounds like yours is ready! Have fun with it
Both my babies were big. Like off the charts big. They both needed a few extra calories at 3.5 months. So we started with rice cereal, mashed bananas & mashed avocado.
But I’m a fan of the idea that if babies are putting stuff in their mouths, at least some of what they put in their mouths ought to be food. Baby #2 will be 9 months in 2 days. We started her back at 4-5 months with rice rusks and teether crackers just to let her practice her aim. I’d help her get something into her mouth if her aim was so bad that she was getting frustrated and upset.
As her aim got better, I increased the variety of what I was willing to let her have a go at. There were a lot of meals where I was feeding her applesauce while she tried to feed herself cottage cheese. By 8 months she was pretty much just eating table food, even though she’s still only got 2 teeth. Although, I still help her with stuff like yogurt and applesauce.
I loved BLW, although I still fed her a lot of the stuff we were eating because I didn’t want it to be a huge mess. We started around 5.5 months because she was SO desperate for the food we were eating. She’s a great eater.
I didn’t hear of BLW weaning until after we had done purees for about 2 months, but we started doing it then (about 8m) and she loves it! She explores her foods really well and quickly picked up on the skills she needed. She is 10m now and only has 2 bottom teeth but she does really well chewing. We haven’t ever had a choking incident, perhaps because she was a bit older when we did BLW, but I’ll start with BLW at 6m with my next baby. My suggestion is to just buy the BLW cookbook, not the other book. The cookbook gives you all the info you need, plus recipes!
Whether you are are nursing or bottle feeding all you do is add solids to their diet. Am I missing something? I would start with oatmeal or rice first and then move onto veggies. I went easy on the fruit at first because I wanted my boys to establish a taste for the greens first.
My biggest piece of advice is nurse or bottle feed first THEN offer the solids. trust me. You still want the majority of their diet from milk. Then as they get older and closer to a year it slowly transitions to more solids than milk.
one more thing, I guess. I have never heard of BLW but it sounds like they are making this whole thing more complicated than it has to be. I mean follow your kids lead as far as what he wants and is interested in but I think kids naturally learn to feed themselves at their own pace anyway. Personally until the child is older I would think the parent should have more control of the feeding.