As parents and caregivers, we all want what is best for our babies. Proper nutrition is no exception.Introducing them to their first foods can seem daunting. What should I feed them? How should I feed them? When should I feed them?
You may have heard the term baby led weaning thrown around in conversations with other parents or in discussion groups on social media.
This comprehensive article provides you with the full rundown on baby led weaning. It is a complete beginners guide to starting solids without purees, pouches or spoon feeding.
Let’s dive in!
What is Baby Led Weaning?
Definition
So, what is baby led weaning? In combination with breastmilk and/or formula, it is a method used to introduce infants to solid foods. BLW promotes your baby’s ability to self feed, and eat minimally processed finger foods right from the start (1).
Historical background
If you asked your parents how you were fed as an infant, it is likely they would tell you that you were spoon fed purées or commercial baby food. After mastering purees, you graduated to chunkier textures.
So when did baby led weaning come on the scene? Believe it or not, it has been around for quite some time. But, it wasn’t until the early 2000s, that it was popularized by Gill Rapley and Tracy Murkett. They opened the public’s eyes to the belief that just as crawling, walking and talking are led by baby, eating should be as well.
Babies are much more capable when it comes to self feeding, regulating their own food intake, and can start with soft finger foods from the get go (2).
Benefits of Baby Led Weaning
There are so many reasons to love BLW. It is a time when babies use their senses to explore a variety of tastes, textures, and flavors. Self feeding allows them to gain an understanding of their own fullness cues, which establishes healthy eating habits early on in life.
When your baby eats independently, they learn how to eat, encouraging them to work on their fine motor skills and oral motor skills.
Also, meal time is fantastic for baby’s social development. When the family sits together at the table, they observe how the adults and older siblings eat and interact with one another.
What is the best age to start baby-led weaning?
The best age to start is at or around six months old. For premature infants, starting solid foods needs to be based on their conceptual age– the age calculated from their due date, not their actual date of birth–to be sure they are developmentally ready.
What are some other signs of readiness?
Your little one needs to be able to sit up unassisted.
Good posture is key to safely eating finger foods, and reducing risk for choking.
Lastly, your baby needs to show interest in eating solid foods. Watch what they do when you eat. Are they reaching for the food on your plate?
Nutrition
At six months old, baby’s iron stores they got from mom during pregnancy start to deplete. Breastmilk and/ or formula alone is not enough to meet infant nutrient needs after the six month mark.
Iron plays a crucial role in cognitive and neurological development in young children. BLW provides the opportunity to begin including lots of nutrient rich foods in your baby’s diet.
If you have a baby that will continue exclusively drinking breast milk (and no formula), you will still need to continue providing them with vitamin D supplementation (400 IU per day) until they reach their first birthday. (3)
How to Begin BLW
Division of responsibility
As the caregiver, you need to go into BLW understanding Ellyn Satter’s Division of Responsibility: the adult is responsible for what the child is fed, where the child is being fed, and when the child is fed. The child is responsible for how much and/or whether they eat (4).
Feeding Framework
The American Academy of Pediatrics states that breastmilk and/or formula remains the primary source of nutrition under twelve months old, even after baby starts eating complementary foods (5).
Set the goal of introducing 100 new foods by age one. Give your baby a new food nearly every day. Eating every day gives your little one plenty of practice feeding themselves. As they say, practice makes perfect.
It sounds intimidating, but if you follow this weekly schedule you will be right on track:
The key is to plan ahead when you make your grocery shopping list for the week. Serve your baby modified versions of whatever it is that you are making for yourself.
When it’s time to eat, give your baby the opportunity to explore the food with their hands. At the beginning of the BLW journey, your baby may not eat anything. They may stare at the food, squish it around and play with it. Their solid intake probably won’t pick up until they are at least nine or ten months old. Be patient.
Foods that are purées, like yogurt or hummus, should be offered on a preloaded spoon. Place the spoon in baby’s hand and have them bring the spoon to their mouth.
Model eating for them; explain how you are putting the food in your mouth, chew with exaggeration and a “YUM!”
At the end of the meal, offer your baby an open cup with water, breastmilk or formula. This will help set your kiddo up for success when the time comes to weaning baby from breastfeeding and/ or bottle feeding after their first birthday.
How do I know if my baby is full?
Baby will give you cues as to when they are done eating. Look out for:
Slowing pace of eating
Throwing food on the floor
Pushing plate/ bowl away
Pursing or closing lips when offered food
Teaching your baby the sign language for “more” can be useful during meal time. They will be able to use it to communicate with you before they have the ability to use words.
Feeding tools/ instruments
Having the right gear makes all the difference. The “must haves” are:
High chair
Silicone suction plate/ bowl
Spoon- choose spoons with a tapered mouth piece and a short handle, such as the ezpz tiny spoon. This way baby can manage holding the spoon and the amount of food they put in their mouth on their own.
Open cup- the ezpz tiny cup is a great option
Safety Comes First
How to safely prepare BLW foods
Foods for baby should be soft finger foods, about the size of an adult pinky finger. It may seem counterintuitive, but small pieces are a choking risk.
Proper High Chair Posture
Posture and supported feet are important in promoting a safe swallow and preventing choking. Make sure that your baby is sitting fully upright, feet are supported with a foot rest and legs are at a 90 degree angle. If you already have a high chair and it’s either missing a foot rest or reclines back, you can easily modify it using items around the house.
Place a rolled up dish towel behind baby’s back to ensure upright posture
Make a DIY foot rest: Use a few books, or place a chair or stool under baby’s feet so that they are supported with legs at a 90 degree angle.
Gagging versus Choking
BLW is absolutely safe, and it is as safe as consuming spoon fed pureed foods when properly executed (6).
Babies have oral reflexes that prevent them from choking, where they naturally push the food out of their mouths if it is something they cannot manage.
Your baby WILL gag. They will have a tendency to gag more often in the beginning of BLW, but as they get more practice eating, it becomes less frequent.
Think of gagging as “training wheels”. Gagging is NOT the same as choking. When your baby gags, they may turn red and there are audible sounds they make. It helps them get the food out of their mouth if they can’t handle the amount or texture.
It may be difficult, but when you see your baby gag, do not intervene. Encourage them to work through it and when they are done tell them they did a good job.
Choking is usually a silent event. Your baby will not be able to make sounds and will turn blue. Intervention is NECESSARY (Heimlick, CPR). Always supervise when your baby is eating.
CPR course
Familiarize yourself with infant CPR if you have not already. It is the most important thing to know that you hope you should never have to do.
Foods to avoid
Although your baby will be able to eat many foods, there are still some foods out there that should be avoided because they are a food safety or choking risk. Stay away from:
Crunchy foods (like potato chips, popcorn, pretzels)
Gummy foods
Whole grapes, grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
Whole/ intact nuts
Nut butters because they can be sticky- mix them with something else like oatmeal to make it safer
Dried fruit
Honey–all babies under age one should avoid honey due to risk for botulism
Undercooked meat, eggs, fish and poultry
Watch Out for Potential Allergic Reactions
During the BLW process, you will be exposing your baby to the top 9 allergens (milk, egg, wheat, peanut, tree nut, soy, shellfish, fish and sesame).
Before offering an allergen, touch base with your pediatrician to know what dosage of Benadryl to have on hand. Signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction include:
Itchy, sneezy nose
Watering eyes
Hives on face and body
Red itchy rash
Wheezing
Swelling of mouth/ tongue
(7)
If any of these symptoms occur while your baby eats or shortly after eating, immediately reach out to your pediatrician’s office or call 911.
Overcoming Challenges
Fussy eating
There will be days where your baby does not have the patience to sit in the high chair or does not want the food you are offering them. This is perfectly normal. Keep in mind that this is a steady and gradual process. There will be successes and setbacks.
Your baby may not like the food you present to them the first time they see it. If they refuse, do not force it. Remember the Division of Responsibility–it is the child’s decision how much and/or whether they want to eat. It can take babies at least eight to ten times of being exposed to a certain food to gain familiarity in order for them to accept it (7).
Throwing food on the floor (and maybe at you)
Your baby will likely throw food on the floor; this helps them learn cause and effect. This may be unavoidable, but you can control the situation by how you react to it. To help reduce future food throwing, try not to have a big reaction. Calmly say “we do not throw food on the floor.”
Other Caregiver involvement
It takes a village to raise a child. Educate other caregivers in your baby’s life about BLW, so that your baby can continue self feeding when you are not around. Some may question your decision to do BLW, and that may just be because they do not know enough about it. Be sure to review how to safely prepare food for baby and high chair mechanics. Keep the lines of communication open with your childcare providers.
Final Thoughts
Baby led weaning is a means of introducing complementary foods in combination with breastmilk and/or formula, encouraging your baby to self feed soft finger foods that are minimally processed.
There are a number of benefits to baby led weaning. It helps promote fine and oral motor skills as well as social development.
Begin introducing solid foods to your baby on or around the six month age mark to be sure they are developmentally ready. Six months of age also marks the depletion of baby’s maternal iron stores, and the introduction of nutritious foods becomes ever so important.
Set the goal of 100 new foods by age one. Introduce five new foods per week, and give your baby the opportunity to practice eating every day.
Follow the safety guidelines for BLW. Food should be soft finger foods, the size of an adult pinky finger. Be sure that baby is sitting upright in their high chair with feet supported by a foot rest at a 90 degree angle. Familiarize yourself with infant CPR if you have not already.
BLW can present some frustrating challenges. Be calm and patient. Communicate with your child care providers to ensure consistency and safety in the BLW journey when you are not around.
