photo credit: Kate Ferrara
When people find out that I have adopted a baby led approach to introducing solids to my boy, the first thing I am often asked is, “what is baby led weaning?” I have met only a handful of mothers who know what Baby-Led Weaning is and an even smaller few who are actually trying it. The whole concept of Baby Led Weaning is still relatively new in the parenting world but one that is catching on quickly.
What is Baby Led Weaning?
Baby Led Weaning is simply a method of introducing solid foods to babies that involves the baby self feeding pieces of softened finger foods from the beginning of the weaning process. Parents who begin with Baby Led Weaning do not offer purees or mashed foods when introducing solids. They simply offer appropriately sized, softened pieces of foods that a baby is able to pick up, hold and guide into its mouth.
The important thing to know with Baby Led Weaning is that the introduction of solid foods doesn’t begin until the baby is around 6 months old. At this age, the baby should be able to sit with little or no support, has good head and neck control and can reach out, grab things and take them to his mouth fairly accurately.
Starting solids at around 6 months of age supports the current position by the World Health Organisation that infants be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life with the introducing of complementary foods at 6 months of age (180 days). Starting at this time also ensures that the infant is more developmentally ready to handle solid foods.
The idea behind Baby Led Weaning
One of the main ideas behind Baby Led Weaning is that in the first year of life food is for fun. Food is something that babies are meant to pick up, play with, touch, explore, taste, eat and enjoy. Baby Led Weaning allows the baby to learn about food through exploration of texture, taste, colour and smell. When taking a baby-led approach to starting solids the baby remains in control every step of the way, choosing which foods and how much to eat.
Baby Led Weaning is designed to take advantage of a baby’s general development. In babies, the development of general motor skills typically happnens in a sequential fashion. The theory goes that a baby learns to pick up food and put it to his mouth before he can learn to chew it. The ability to get food to the back of the mouth (and therefore swallow) does not develop until the baby has learnt to chew.
Baby Led Weaning also takes into account the ability of the baby to self-regulate their food intake. The idea is that when offered a balanced diet the baby is able to select and consume the right amount of food to satisfy his hunger. This approach is not completely hands off however. Rather the parent’s role is to offer a variety of nutrient dense, developmentally appropriate foods to the infant in a safe and nurturing environment, whilst leaving the ‘eating’ up to the baby.
It is important to note that when following Baby Led Weaning it is important to continue to breastfeed your baby on demand, as the milk feeds remain the most important source of nutrition for your baby in the first 12 months.
Some tips for taking a Baby Led Approach to starting solids
Trust your baby and his ability to self regulate his food intake;
Give your baby plenty of opportunities to explore different foods. Let him pick up, play with and taste different foods;
Expect mess. Until your baby becomes efficient at eating, he will probably drop a fair amount of his food, scrunch it in his hands and smear it on his face;
Have your baby sit at the table and eat with you as often as possible. Make him feel included and let him learn by watching you eat;
Avoid pressure. Try not to worry that your baby may appear not to be eating very much. Don’t pressure your baby to take more food than he wants, avoid forcing him to eat and keep meal times pleasant and stress free;
Be vigilant. Don’t offer foods that could cause a choking hazard (think small, hard round pieces of food like whole grapes, nuts and hard round candy). Have your baby sit upright in a supportive chair so he can clear his own throat if any foods cause gagging;
Offer foods that are easy to pick up and mash between the jaws. Cut foods into large chunks or baton shapes roughly 2-3 inches long. Lightly steam fruit and vegetables so they are easier to handle;
When starting out, always offer your baby a milk feed before offering food;
Relax, enjoy the process and have fun with food. Let your baby enjoy food for the pleasure that it is.
Source: Rapley G, Murkett, T. Baby-led weaning: Helping your baby to love good food. London: Vermilion; 2008.
