Baby-Led Weaning - What It Is, Tips, and Benefits

Starting solids with a baby is an exciting milestone but can also be a little daunting. If you have a child about to start solids or recently started, this article is for you! I will dive into the baby led weaning benefits and how to incorporate it into your life! As a Dietitian and Mama, it has been important for me to implement BLW into my feeding practices for my kiddos!

There are two common approaches to starting solids with your baby - baby-led weaning and spoon-feeding/purees. They can either be used individually or in combination. There is not one “correct” way to start solids, as each family and baby has their individual needs. 

Baby-Led Weaning (BLW)

BLW involves preparing soft finger foods for the baby to self-feed. This method usually starts with larger pieces of soft cooked food that baby can grasp in their fists (palmar grasp).

Spoon-Feeding/Purees

Spoon-feeding with purees is the more traditional way to feed. All foods are cooked and then pureed and served around 4-6 months of age. Gradually you start to mash the food, finely chop, and then serve finger foods around age 1. With spoon-feeding, you also serve the food to the baby by placing the spoon in their mouth.

Combo of Purees/BLW

I like to recommend doing a combination for those who are on the fence about doing BLW. You can offer solid foods that you are comfortable with to start and also offer purees. Ideally, you would let your baby practice dipping the spoon in the puree and bringing it to their mouth. Letting your baby feed themselves is the best practice for raising children who are aware of their hunger and fullness cues.

Signs of Readiness For BLW

*All 5 milestones need to be showing before starting BLW

1. At least 6 months of age (for full-term babies)
2. Baby can sit with minimal support
3. Baby can hold head upright and steady
4. Baby can pick up objects and bring them to their mouth
5. Baby is showing interest in food

What To Do Before Starting BLW

Have your baby sit with you during meal times by setting them in their high chair and giving them a spoon to play with. This will encourage interest in food and also help them explore using utensils and bringing the spoon to their mouth.

It is recommended that parents take some sort of CPR class whether it is online or at a local health facility.

Before starting solids I always recommend that parents watch videos of gagging to get comfortable with it! Gagging is very normal and a good thing so babies can learn how to eat safely.

Benefits of BLW

1. Independence - the baby is in complete control and is more likely to develop a healthy relationship with food and healthy eating habits
2. Development - baby practices fine motor skills and oral skills
3. Appetite control - baby is in charge of how much they eat and they learn to stop when they are full
4. Easy - baby is eating family meals so there is no need to make another meal for them
5. Variety - exposure to a variety of textures and flavors from the new foods which helps reduce picky eating later in life
6. Fun - babies are curious and exploring all the new flavors and textures is fun for them

Figuring out a schedule for your baby is always challenging! Here are some tips for how often to offer solids. We will also talk about allergens and choking versus gagging.

How Often to Offer Foods

6 months: Offer 1 meal per day

• Breast milk or formula are the main sources of nutrition until at least 9 months.
• Offer 1-2 pieces of food at a time (cut into strips and soft enough to mush). Anymore may be overwhelming to your baby. If they are doing well, you can offer additional food.
• It is okay if they don’t put food in their mouth. This time is more about exploration.

7-8 months: Offer up to 2 meals per day

• Breast milk and formula are the main sources of nutrition - but you may notice more food consumption.
• Continue to offer strips of food that are soft enough to mush.

9-12 months: Offer 3 meals per day

• The pincer grasp develops which gives the ability to pick up smaller pieces of food - food can be cut into bite-sized pieces.

12+ months: Offer 3 meals and 2 snacks per day 

• Continue to offer a variety of meals and aim for a balanced plate.

Allergens

Big 9 Allergens - egg, cow’s milk, peanut, fish, shellfish, sesame, soy, wheat, and tree nuts. 

Offer one allergen at a given time when getting started, and space trying new allergens 1 week apart. I love the saying “early and often” for allergens, as it is important to have continuous exposure to decrease the chance of food allergies in the future.

An allergic reaction will typically occur within 2 hours of consuming the allergenic foods. Babies may not react the first time the allergen is consumed, so be watchful on the subsequent exposures.

Symptoms:

Mild: Itchy/runny nose, itchy mouth, a few isolated hives, mild nausea, and GI discomfort.

Severe: Shortness of breath, wheezing, repetitive cough, pale/blueish skin, swelling of face/lips/tongue, widespread hives, vomiting, and sudden lethargy.

If the child is having one mild symptom, call your pediatrician. If your child is having more than one mild symptom or any severe symptoms, call 911.

Gagging versus Choking

Gagging is very normal and part of learning how to eat. It is not an indicator that your baby isn’t ready for that food/texture, in fact, it means they are learning how to safely eat it!

Signs of gagging:

• Your baby’s face turns red or pink.
• Your baby is making noise such as coughing or sputtering - this means that air is passing through.

Babies are just as likely to choke on purees as they are on finger foods when you are serving developmentally appropriate finger foods. Some high-risk choking foods are nuts/seeds, raw vegetables, whole grapes, dried fruits, and popcorn.

Signs of choking:

• Your baby turns purple or blue in the face.
• No noise - this means their airway is blocked. This is also an important reason to be fully present during meal times, as you cannot hear choking - it is silent!

Before starting solids I always recommend that parents watch videos of gagging to get comfortable with it! When a baby is gagging you want to be calm and let them work through it. If you startle them or stick your finger in their mouth, this could lead to choking.

Solid Starts App

The app, Solid Starts,  is such a great tool and something I use often, especially when getting started with BLW. You can easily search for food and the app will show you how to safely serve it by age.

At the end of the day, if you are feeding your child responsively and offering a variety of flavors and textures, then you are doing a great job - no matter how you choose to do it! Being new parents is hard enough, do what feels best to you!