Baby led weaning…
If you have a younger kiddo, you have likely heard of baby led weaning. You may have done a little digging to see what it was all about. You may have jumped right on board and gave it a go. You might have been a little skeptical like I was and laughed at the thought of a six-month old baby eating salmon. REGULAR salmon. Not some pureed salmon-like jar food, but actual salmon and just about any other food you decided to let them try out.
When my pediatrician first mentioned baby led weaning at our twins’ 4 month appointment I was shaking my head like I was all on board… but in my head I was thinking HELL-TO-THE-NAW. I was not about to give my toothless babies broccoli florets, and chicken, and crinkle cut carrots or whatever other “great” options the doctor mentioned. It was actually my first time hearing about baby led weaning and I was so confused. I literally couldn’t comprehend even though my pediatrician was trying her best to give me a crash-course. Everything she was saying was pretty much in one ear and out the other because my mind was already made up…lol..
That was until a month or so later when I tasted some of the jar food I was oh so excited to buy the twins. Based on some of my “preliminary” research, this brand of jar food was one of the “best” (rolls eyes). The “crème de la crème” of baby food… and it tasted like trash. I mean, granted the twins’ had only had breastmilk to this point and likely wouldn’t have found it as gross as I did, but… ewww. I also had a little PTSD thinking back to the messy a** days we had feeding my son pureed peas and carrots and everything in between.
So before our next pediatrician appointment I made a point to look into baby led weaning. Much to my surprise it was a real thing. And becoming increasingly popular amongst millennial mommas. Suddenly the thought of skipping jar foods altogether and pretty much giving the twins what our oldest son ate - was exciting AF. Before I continue, I will say the term “baby led weaning” (BLW) is a bit of a misnomer, because it doesn’t lead to any immediate weaning. I personally had no intention of weaning my twins from nursing when we started BLW. They were exclusively breastfed and I intended to keep it that way until they turned at least one. And I can say that introducing this type of feeding didn’t cause any issues making it to that goal (13 months to be exact)!
When the twins were about 6 months old we were ready to give BLW a go, and stared with penne pasta and steamed carrots. Watching the first several minutes of them “figuring it out” was terrifying AF you hear me? Terrifying. I was holding my breath and anxious. I swore they were choking about 15 times (they weren’t). They did gag a couple times but my pediatrician said they probably would. It was part of their learning process. Once my anxiety settled, I was actually excited for them and for us. If you are considering BLW, here are a few pros and cons… if you are thinking about giving it a go, keep scrolling for some BLW food ideas and tips.
Pros of BLW
BLW allows babies to self-regulate their hunger - Without getting too technical, there are studies that have shown babies who are able to feed themselves and “self-regulate” hunger are less likely to overeat (or be overfed), both as babies and as they get older.
Babies are able to explore new foods and control what they eat - Not only will they learn what they like and don’t like, but you will as well. .
Babies learn oral and fine-motor skills.- Picking up food and eating it requires skills that babies will be able to utilize much more when they are responsible for their meal-time. :)
Cons of BLW
Possible safety concerns - There is no evidence to suggest BLW is more of a chocking or safety hazard than traditional feeding methods; however, if you introduce BLW, or certain BLW foods to your baby before they are developmentally ready, this could result in possible safety issues. If you are unsure if your child is ready for BLW, be sure to discuss with your pediatrician.
Identifying food allergies can be a bit tricky - Since babies are trying a variety of different foods at one time, pin-pointing any allergies might be hard. To make things easier, keep notes on the foods that have introduced and perhaps keep the same foods for the same meals two or three meals in a row.
Intro BLW Food Ideas
Apples and other fruits that can be cut in spears
Bananas
Penne pasta
Broccoli florets (spears are the perfect “handle”)
Steamed veggies (that can be cut into spears or crinkle cut)
Toast (soft bread is tricky for babies, but lightly toasted is perfect, and you can also experiment with toppings)
Ground and/or soft meats
Flaked fish
Cheese
As I noted, you definitely should check with your pediatrician before heading down the BLW path. Be sure to understand the difference between choking (which is not okay), and gagging (which is okay). Be sure that foods are an appropriate size and texture for your baby before introducing and make sure to always supervise during meal/snack time.
For us BLW was the start of a new chapter. We haven’t invested large sums of money in a bunch of jarred foods (though our grocery bill is out of control…haha!) and now, a year later, we have zero regrets. It was honestly one of the most freeing things we ever did because we can now use the 30 minutes or so during mealtime to multitask. Clean up from the day, talk to each other…lol, prep for our own mealtime, etc. We keep an eye on the babies of course, but aren’t handcuffed to them during mealtime like we otherwise would be. The best part is that we can tell how much the babies love the independence they have gained through BLW. They are far more autonomous, and that has translated even beyond mealtime. So, let me know in the comments below if you have tried, or are interested in trying, BLW, or if the thought alone is far too scary!