Baby Led Weaning - How To Start And The Pros And Cons

What is Baby-led Weaning?

What is Baby-led Weaning?

We've all heard of weaning, and the majority of us may even know how to go about it, by gradually introducing baby to solid foods litte by little. Starting of with pureed food and then slowly getting baby used to different tastes and textures until she is enjoying the same healthy food that the rest of the family are eating.

There is different way to wean your baby which is becoming increasingly popular (although it's not for everyone).

Baby-led weaning simply means that you forget about pureed food and the feeding spoons and let baby feed herself.

How to Start

Start when you and your family are all sitting together for a meal so it gives baby a sense that she is joining in. Also, baby is good at copying the actions of others so, when she sees you all eating, it's likely that she will as well.

Ideal Foods

It's good to encourage baby to chew and feed herself, even if she has no teeth yet.

These foods are ideal for starting baby-led weaning:

Cut pieces of toast.

Bread crusts.

Pitta bread.

Rice cakes.

Slices of soft fruit like bananas, pears, peaches or melon.

Cooked vegetable pieces like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots or courgette.

Small cubes of cheese.

Cooked pasta shapes.

At first, baby may just play with the food. She may grab pieces of food with her fist and start to suck on them.

The Pros of Baby-led Weaning

For many parents who have tried baby-led weaning, the process seems more of a natural way to introduce baby to solid food.

Fine motor skills and dexterity will be improved by baby picking up the food and feeding herself.

Some parents have said that baby has become adventurous with food and will eat almost anything offered.

It's much simpler to prepare finger food than it is to prepare pureed food.

Some have said that there are no power struggles at mealtimes because of baby-led weaning.

The Cons of Baby-led Weaning

It's a slow process. You need to have a lot of patience.

It will get very messy so cover the floor with newspaper or a plastic sheet.

You may think that baby playing with her food isn't helping. It's all part of baby's exploration and learning. Patience again is needed.

A big challenge is to ignore advice from family and friends on how baby is eating.

by: Darren Jarwood

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