I want to start off this post with a disclaimer. I am NOT a dietician or a professional in any sense when it comes to baby feeding. This blog post is based off of my own experiences. When it comes to feeding- every child is different, please please PLEASE do your own due diligence AND when in doubt, follow the advice of medical professionals!
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When Aura was about 6 months young- she was beginning to show interest in the food my husband and I were eating – this led me to believe that it was time for me to begin Baby Led Weaning. I started slowly by giving her toast sticks with almond butter. I confidently gave her the toast watching her every move. I was scared, nervous and excited all at the same time. She grabbed the toast stick and began sucking on it until it was nice and soft, then when she was ready, she ate it! I started to get more confident and started giving her fruit and vegetable wedges- and she was quickly becoming a Pro- she knew exactly how to eat.
From there on- I began experimenting with new foods that I deemed “safe”. I was too afraid to give her berries because I was afraid that she may choke. This is when I was approached by Happy Healthy Eaters (https://www.happyhealthyeaters.com) and was gifted their Baby Led Weaning Course and Recipe Book. The timing was impeccable! They showed up right when I needed them. I took the course and it answered every single question and concern that I had built up in my head. At the end of the course, I knew not to freak out whenever Aura coughed, I learned so many nifty tips and tricks and learned a variety of delicious recipes for my little one!
Now Aura pretty much has what Bram and I have for dinner – without the salt and spices (and she never has honey!) She loves being able to eat what we eat and it makes it much easier on me to prepare meals.
I know lots of Mamas have lots of questions regarding Baby Lead Weaning, so I have decided to put together a Q&A based off of my research and journey throughout this process, as well as some resources to help you with your journey!
What is Baby Led Weaning?
Baby led weaning (or BLW) is where handheld finger foods are introduced to babies when they start solids rather than spoon-fed purees.
When can my baby start Baby Led Weaning?
Typically a baby will start at 6 months of age. The resources I have read through recommend to start with spoon-feeding purées then move on to baby led weaning. When you begin, baby should be sitting in a high chair- this is very important! Your baby has to also show signs of being ready!
What are the signs that my Baby is ready?
The signs to look for are:
-Baby can sit up without support
-Core strength
-Baby is ready and willing to chew
-Baby has lost the tongue-thrust reflux and doesn’t automatically push solids off of his/her mouth with tongue
-Baby is eager to be apart of meal time and may even grab food to put into mouth
Does my baby need teeth to start?
Nope! Your baby will spend most of their time sucking the juices out of the food and gumming it. Their gums are super hard and strong! But I bet you knew that! Just stick your finger in your baby’s mouth to find out! That’s the same force they use to break the food down before their teeth come in.
What are the Benefits of Baby Led Weaning?
Well besides the fact that you no longer have to prepare food just for baby- there’s many other benefits. Some of these include- improved dexterity, early oral-motor skill development, self-regulation, decreased picky eating and gives your baby full control of their appetite.
Is there any risk of choking?
A lot of moms (myself included) mistake gagging for choking. Gagging is extremely common with BLW. Gagging is actually nothing to be afraid of- its a safety mechanism to PREVENT choking from happening. The gagging doesn’t bother our Babies as much as it bothers us Parents! Do not react in a frenzy when your baby is gagging either- this could discourage them from continuing to eat as they will be scared of your reactions.
With that being said- you should be aware of the signs that your Baby is choking.
These include:
-skin or lips may turn blue
-difficulty breathing
-inability to cry or make any sound
-high pitched, noisy breathing
Best foods to start with?
- Avocado: Raw; cut into 1/8 lengthwise to offer long strips
- Baked sweet potatoes: Baked whole; cut into 1/8 lengthwise to offer long strips. May cut strips in half so they are a fist-and-a-half long.
- Toasted bread with peanut butter or almond butter (after the nut test)
How do I know if a food is safe for my Baby?
- Do the smush test! When you’re unsure- Press food between your pointer finger and thumb- It should easily smush down. This allows Infants, even without teeth, to firmly gum their foods in a way that smushes them down to an almost pureed like texture.
- Give your Baby strips of food that are about 1 & 1/2 lengths of their fist. Visually, this means that even with a good grasp on the food item, your Baby still has some sticking out to be able to eat from.
- Avoid foods that could break off easily into small pieces. These foods can create a small choking hazard that could block baby’s airway.
What foods/ingredients do I avoid?
Salt
Sugar
Honey
Spices (the actual spicy ones)
Baby NEEDS the following:
Iron
Zinc
Vitamin D
Fats
DHA
Do you use any special products for Baby Led Weaning?
You don’t necessarily need any fancy items but there are recommended products which really help!
I highly recommend the EZ PZ Plate and cup! Also a silicon bib with a pocket is a bonus! (It catches all the food from falling to the ground and really helps with a speedy cleanup).
You can find them both by visiting my Amazon link below!
If you have any other questions, I would highly recommend visiting
https://www.happyhealthyeaters.com and downloading their course! It gave me all of the confidence I have to start my Baby Led Weaning journey! You can also check them out on Instagram @happyhealthyeaters
Happy Eating!
GVB
