The Ultimate Guide To Baby Led Weaning for Beginners

What is Baby Led Weaning?

Baby Led Weaning means letting your child feed themselves (self-feeding) when starting solid foods. The term was originated by Gill Rapley, a former health visitor, and midwife. The idea is to hand your baby age-appropriate pieces of food and if they like it they eat it and if they don’t they won’t. 

As the saying goes “Food before one, is just for fun“

Rather than force-feeding your baby food they don’t want, let your baby enjoy learning about food at their own pace. With a puree, they learn to swallow first and then chew, which works fine until they meet a lump.

Current research supports that delayed experience with eating lumpy foods leads to poor food acceptance as the child gets older. With Baby Led Weaning or BLW, your baby will learn to chew before swallowing. 

Baby-Led Weaning Benefits (Pros) and Cons of Baby Led Weaning:

Advantages (PROS) :

There are so many benefits of Baby-Led Weaning including:

• Babies learn to enjoy food
• Encourages the use of motor skills and hand-eye coordination
• Use of all their senses, sight, touch, hearing, smell, and taste including different sizes, colors, shapes, textures, and flavors.
• Gripping foods of different sizes and textures improves dexterity
• Baby Led Weaning encourages your baby to chew food first and then swallow. 
• Builds confidence and self-esteem
• They learn to make their own judgment through decision making.
• Appetite control- making your baby less likely to overeat which may prevent obesity as they get older.
• Sharing food with your baby will save you tons of time and money! (Pre-made jarred baby food is not cheap and preparing pureed baby food is very time-consuming.)

Disadvantages (CONS):

The only disadvantages I found with baby-led weaning was the fear of the possibility of choking (which can also happen with purees) and explaining baby-led weaning to friends and family. When I explained BLW to my mom she didn’t understand. She had never seen a baby eat solid food until they were much older. Once she watched her granddaughter eat her steamed veggies and chicken she became less anxious.

I constantly remind her and other family members that she is my baby and I know what’s best for her. Try not to let anyone make you feel bad about your parenting decisions.

You know what is best for your child and that’s all that matters.

When To Start Baby-Led Weaning?

Experts including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) now recommend:

The best time to start solid foods is around 6 months. By 6 months their intestines have developed the necessary digestive enzymes to absorb solid food.

Signs that your baby is ready to eat:

• Able to sit up by themselves
• Grab and hold onto objects
• Has developed the fine motor skills to self-feed.
• Development of a pincer grasp (baby picks up food between thumb and forefinger, not palm and fingers) typically happens at around 6 months, but sometimes as late at 1 year.
• Willing to chew, with few or no teeth.
• Shows interest in your food, and may try to grab it and put it in his mouth.

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Baby Feeding Gear & Essentials

The Baby-Led Weaning Book will give you the recipes and confidence to create exciting, enjoyable mealtimes that encourage little ones to develop at their own pace.

these items made our experience with baby-led weaning easier and less stressful.

Bumkins DC Comics Wonder Woman Sleeved Bib

We use this sleeved bib during breakfast and when we eat in public so I don’t have to give my baby a bath and wash her clothes after each meal.

• 6-24 Months – The crumb catcher/catch-all pocket helps contain spills. Adjust fit with back tie closure and adjust sleeve length with elasticized cuff. Measures approximately 14” across the chest, 13” from neck down and 32” from cuff to cuff.
• Waterproof, wipeable, stain and odor resistant, fabric that’s both durable and soft, yet lightweight and comfortable.
• BPA-free, PVC-free, vinyl-free, phthalate-free and lead-free.
• EASY-TO-CLEAN – The fabric is wipeable and machine washable. Turn pocket inside-out to wash. To extend the life of bibs, hang dry.

Silicone Bib – Cloud Island™ 2pk

These cute and colorful silicone have deep pockets at the front to catch food, keeping them and your tabletop free of mealtime messes. These flexible silicone bibs are Bpa and Phthalate-free, and dishwasher safe, so you can wash it quickly.

Graco Table2Table Premier Fold 7-in-1 Convertible High Chair

• 7 growing stages even include a toddler table and chair: Infant high chair, fully featured, infant booster, portable toddler booster, toddler youth chair, toddler table & chair, seat two children simultaneously
• Infant high chair reclines to provide a comfortable space for baby; Infant Booster brings baby right up to the table
• This highchair becomes a toddler-sized table and chair; Toddler Chair and Booster Chair allow you to seat 2 children simultaneously
• Foldable Highchair allows for compact storage; 5 height adjustments provide the best fit for your dining table
• Tray attached to legs of Highchair when folded for storage. Wipeable plastic tray, footrest, and frame. Use only household soap or detergent and warm water. Use only household soap or detergent and warm water

Munchkin 4 Piece Silicone Trainer Spoons

It took me a while to find baby utensils that my daughter couldn’t choke on. Most baby utensils are long and thin and my baby loves to shove everything in her mouth so these small spoons are perfect. They have a choke guard, fit in diaper bag or purse, and are easy for my baby to grasp. I preloaded one of these spoons and put it on her tray and she fed herself on her first try!

• Pack of two silicone toddler training spoons
• Unique choke guard doubles as spoon rest
• Super soft silicone is gentle on gums
• Dishwasher safe
• BPA free, 6+ month

Crinkle-Cut Knife

Easily make your own crinkle-cut fruits and vegetables with a textured non-slip grip and corrugated blade. I use this knife to make pieces of fruit or vegetables easier to grip and hold for my babies small hands.

Zyliss Peeler

Peel veggies in half the time with this smooth-glide peeler. I like to peel the skin off of vegetables because my baby has gagged on vegetable skin.

OXO Good Grips Silicone Steamer

I use this silicone steamer basket to steam vegetables like zucchini, carrots, and broccoli for my baby. It folds up making it fit in many size pots and easy to store. It’s also dishwasher safe and easy to clean.

Baby Food Safety

Choking Hazard:

If your baby gags, remember that it’s their way of moving food around in the mouth and don’t freak out.

Gagging is different from choking.

Some parents have found that making exaggerated chewing faces and noises reminds the child to get back on track.

Before feeding your baby for the first time you, your significant other, and anyone who will be feeding your baby need to learn how to perform the Heimlich maneuver on an infant and Infant CPR.

In one study on baby led weaning they found “Baby-led weaning was not associated with increased risk of choking and the highest frequency of choking on finger foods occurred in those who were given finger foods the least often.”

Allergies:

Introducing allergenic foods before 6 months to breastfeed infants is safe and may even reduce the risk of food allergies.

The top food allergens in order of most common to least in North America are:

• Peanuts
• Tree nuts
• Shellfish
• Soybeans
• Fish
• Milk
• Eggs
• Cereal Grains

It’s best to introduce one allergen at a time and then wait two days before introducing another common allergen helping you to quickly narrow down the culprit.

WHAT DOES AN ALLERGIC REACTION LOOK LIKE?

An allergic reaction can appear just a couple of minutes or a couple of hours after allergen exposure.

Some of the most common signs and symptoms include:

• Skin: hives, swelling, itching, rash, redness
• Stomach: nausea, pain, diarrhea
• Respiratory: coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest pain, throat tightness, nasal congestion, hay fever-like symptoms (runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing)
• Heart: dizziness, shock, weak pulse, passing out
• Emotional: anxiety, headache, metallic taste, cramps

If you notice your baby is possibly experiencing an allergic reaction, immediately call 9-1-1 and/or use an EpiPen (if available).

My breastfed baby tried eggs and peanut butter at around 7 months old. At about 8 months old we introduced soy (tofu) and fish (Salmon)

One day after feeding my daughter scrambled eggs she woke up from her nap and began vomiting. When she stopped I cleaned her up and waited a bit before freaking out. A few minutes later she vomited again and again. Rather than risking the possibility of a more severe allergic reaction, I called 911.

The paramedic said she may just have an egg intolerance or stomach bug because she didn’t have symptoms of an allergic reaction. I followed up with her pediatrician and she told me to avoid eggs for a couple of days and then reintroduce them.

Consuming small amounts of allergenic foods regularly may help prevent food allergies. As she got older she could eat cooked egg yolks without any reaction.

How Do You Start Baby-Led Weaning?

My daughter’s former pediatrician didn’t recommend BLW because he didn’t know anything about it.

In fact, two of my daughter’s FORMER Pediatricians recommended rice cereal at 4 months old. Go ahead and google Rice Cereal.

“For generations, rice cereal has been a top choice for babies starting solid foods, but lately there’s growing concern about what’s in it besides the rice: arsenic.” 

One of her FORMER Pediatricians also told me to breastfeed her less often “because after 6 months food should be the main source of nutrition and breastmilk is just for hydration now” After he said all that I realized he was not the right pediatrician for us.

Baby’s First Foods

We started Baby Led weaning when my daughter turned 6 months old. She was sitting up on her own and showing the other signs of readiness. Her first food was Avocado and she loved it!

Here is a list of baby-led weaning starter foods we introduced at each stage month by month

6 Months- Sitting up assisted

• Avocado
• Banana
• Broccoli
• Zucchini
• Yellow Squash
• Potatoes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Carrots

7 Months- Sitting up unassisted

• Creamy Peanut Butter (no salt/sugar)
• Spinach
• Mango
• raspberries
• Whole Grain Toast
• Green beans

8 Months- Pincher grasp

• Chicken
• Tofu
• Strawberries
• Meatloaf Muffins
• Whole Grain Rotini
• Watermelon

9 Months- Crawling

• Scrambled Egg Yolk
• Baby Banana Pancakes

Baby-Led Weaning Recipes

Open-Faced Peanut Butter and Jelly  Recipe

• 1 Piece of whole-grain toast (Ezekial brand low sodium is best!)
• 3 Mashed Strawberries or raspberries 
• 1 Tsp of creamy peanut butter (without added ingredients; I use the Trader Joes brand)
• Cut toast into finger-sized strips
• Spread peanut butter on half and mash berries on the other half of the toast.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie Melts

• Blend 1/4 cup chopped strawberries, 1 ripe banana, and 3 oz. of breastmilk or 1/4 cup of water
• Pour into a silicone mold 
• Freeze for at least an hour.

These Smoothie Melts are great for teething babies. 

For more Baby Led Weaning Recipes for babies 6 Months + follow me on Pinterest

Baby-Led Feeding Meal Planning

Feeding your baby can be stressful and time-consuming.

Meal planning will make the task easier and quicker. Write down a list of the food you have in the kitchen, then make a list of ingredients you will need for the next week.

I love using glass storage containers for meal prepping. They are oven, freezer, and dishwasher safe. I write the date on the lid with a dry erase marker so I know when it expires.

When we go out to eat at a restaurant we bring her smock and we order avocado slices or steamed vegetable, extra soft. We do buy organic pureed fruit and veggie pouches and her baby spoon to take with us just in case we go somewhere that doesn’t have the options above.

Healthy Baby Meal Ideas for 8 Months+

BLW Breakfast Ideas

• Avocado toast
• Chopped strawberries and bananas
• Banana toast
• Scrambled egg yolks with Spinach 

BLW Snack Ideas

• Diced Mango 
• Chopped Strawberries
• Plain toast
• Diced Watermelon
• Chopped Avocado
• Chopped Peaches
• Strawberry Banana Melts

BLW Lunch/Dinner

• Peanut butter toast
• Avocado toast
• Chicken and mashed potatoes
• Chicken and zucchini
• Salmon and tofu
• Salmon & rotini pasta

Baby-Led Weaning Tips

Try to plan meals that the family can eat together.

For example, once a week I make baked salmon with steamed vegetables. I only add coconut oil, lemon, and garlic powder to the salmon and veggies. Once the salmon is done I will add salt and pepper to my husbands salmon. By doing this I don’t have to prepare and cook her food separately which is one of the great benefits of baby-led weaning.

I also make baked chicken and mash potatoes only adding olive oil and garlic powder to my daughter’s food. When the chicken cools I remove the skin and pull the chicken off the bone before feeding it to her.

Baby-Led Weaning isn’t for every baby so don’t feel pressured. If you try baby-led weaning and it becomes overwhelming take a break and try again a week or two later. If you decide it’s not for your family that is ok too.

For the first year, your baby will rely on breastmilk or formula for their nutrition.

Remember, “Food before, one is just for fun!”

Sources:

http://www.babyledweaning.com/some-tips-to-get-you-started/

https://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/feeding-baby/baby-led-weaning/

https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/patients-families/health-matters/may-2016/baby-food-for-thought-how-safe-is-rice-cereal

naturalchild.org

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby-led_weaninghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby-led_weaning

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