Welcome to the first post on my mini series about Baby Led Weaning (BLW)! This will be an introduction to BLW, so we will start with the basics. Before I get too far into this post I just want to add a disclaimer that I am not a doctor, and you should always follow the advice of your family doctor or pediatrician first.
For those of you who are new to the blog, my name is Kelsey and I have a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition, which naturally makes me very interested in all things food. I am usually working at the Childrens Hospital but I am currently on maternity leave with my first baby, who is about to start solids. I wanted to share my journey with you as we dive into BLW, and I am so happy you are here to follow along!
What is Baby Led Weaning?
Weaning generally refers to weaning a baby off milk and onto solid foods, but that is not the case with BLW. Although it is the process of introducing solid foods to baby, you won’t be weaning them off their breast milk or formula just yet. The main difference between BLW and traditional ways of introducing solids is essentially in the name, it is baby led as opposed to parent led. You offer real whole foods in a size and shape that are appropriate for their age instead of offering a puree from a spoon.
Why start Baby Led Weaning?
Babies by instinct want to learn, and giving your baby a solid food that they pick up themselves will help them learn so much about food such as the smell, taste, texture, and look of real food. It also helps baby continue to develop motor skills, learn how to chew, create a positive relationship with food, and have baby become a part of meal time with the family.
When should I start Baby Led Weaning?
You want to look for a few signals that baby is ready to explore solids. The first is baby should be able to sit up on their own with little to no support. Other signs to watch for is if baby can pick up objects and bring them towards their mouth, and is showing interest in food (like watching you eat and trying to grab it out of your hand). Most of these will happen around 6 months of age, although every baby is different and you don’t want to start too early.
“Will my baby choke?”
This is the question I get asked the most about BLW. Purees can cause a risk of choking, just as BLW can. Something important to know before starting solids is being able to recognize the difference between choking and gagging. Gagging is a reflex that pushes food away from the airway and happens often in babies when first experimenting with food. In general your baby will start to push their tongue forward, expel food from the mouth, sometimes spit up a little, but will go back to eating as normal after. It is so important to REMAIN CALM during these times so that your baby does not react to your fear. Choking will look different, your baby will be panicked and the airway will be fully or partially blocked. I recommend looking up some resources on the difference between choking and gaging to become familiar before you start. If you have not already, you should take an infant CPR course and be fully prepared to deal with a choking infant even if you’re only doing purees. Although the risks of choking are low if proper foods are offered, it is always good to be fully prepared. Major keys to avoid choking during feeding are to make sure your baby is sitting upright, letting your baby feed themselves (do not put food directly in their mouth for them) and offering foods in appropriate sizes (which is something I will get into in my future posts).
What do you need to start Baby Led Weaning?
Well simply enough you don’t NEED anything, but there are some items that are useful. Here are a few of my suggestions:
- A highchair or a place to sit your baby that is safe and holds them in an upright position
- A bib of some sort (I like silicone ones because they’re easy to clean)
- Utensils such as spoons (for baby to use themselves when trying things like oatmeal and yogurt), bowls, or placemats (makes it easier to clean the area after)
- Crinkle cutter, this can be used to cut foods so that they’re easier for baby to grip
(*I will tag the companies of all these products at the bottom)
What do I offer my baby?
Although the premise of baby led weaning is to offer pretty much anything you’re eating, you want to remember that size and shape matter. It will be a lot smoother transition if you offer items that baby can easily pick up (and of course isn’t going to choke on) instead of letting them dive into your entire meal right away. At 6 months of age most babies only gave a palmer grasp, so they can’t pick up small items (for example peas). Easy first foods to offer are long and usually stick or “finger” shaped, such as a banana or a slice of avocado. Steamed broccoli is also a great food to start with as the stem can act as a handle. I will be making another post as part of my BLW series that will go into more depth on what foods to offer baby in the first month.
Tips for a successful BLW journey
First remember that this is baby led, do not force foods on your baby if they aren’t interested. This first phase of solid introduction is meant to be fun, it’s not focused on nourishment which is why you will continue to give your baby breast milk or formula as their main source of nutrition. If your baby starts playing with their food more than eating it, that is fine. They’re exploring and learning, let them have that chance. Describe the foods to them, you can focus on sensory descriptions like how it feels or what colour it is. Offering foods when baby isn’t hungry is the best time when you first start, make sure baby has had a good feeding of breastmilk/formula before you try and give solids.
Thank you so much for following along, I hope this post was helpful if you are looking to start BLW with your babe. Stay tuned for the next part of the series!
Products:
Highchair: https://www.ikea.com/ca/en/p/langur-high-chair-with-tray-white-s99252555/
Bib: https://louloulollipop.ca/collections/silicone-bibs/products/silicone-bib-marble
Spoons: https://bellatunno.com/collections/wonder-spoons/products/macaroni-carbohydrated-spoon-set
Crinkle Cutters: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B079KXXFKT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
