Baby led weaning?

SmallgirlBigcity

Hi can someone give me a run down of the basics of baby led weaning and how it differs from the traditional way of weaning? I'm a first time mother and haven't a clue about weaning... thanks!

Oh and my baby is exclusively breastfed and I hope to breastfeed for at least a year.

jlm29

SmallgirlBigcity wrote: »

Hi can someone give me a run down of the basics of baby led weaning and how it differs from the traditional way of weaning? I'm a first time mother and haven't a clue about weaning... thanks!

Oh and my baby is exclusively breastfed and I hope to breastfeed for at least a year.

It differs from parent led or traditional weaning because it’s totally child led.
Child must show signs of readiness (able to sit up, tongue thrust reflex gone etc etc)- usually around 6 mo.
Basically you cut out the purées and spoon feeding and let baby feed themselves. You can also pre load spoons and let them work out the spoons themselves.
I’ve always started with veg, maybe cooked for an extra few min so it’s softer than I might eat myself. Cut into fingers - carrots, parsnips, etc. Fruits can be slippier, but they usually figure them out. Very quickly they would progress to just eating what the rest of us are eating

There’s a couple of good books out there. Gill rapleys is one, and there’s a fab Irish one by Aileen cox blundell. You might get them in your local library.
It’s my third time doing blw, and having traditionally weaned my eldest, I’d much rather it. It’s a bit messier at first, but they definitely figure out how to eat independently much faster, and I’ve found that the ones that were blw in this house were much better to try foods and also definitely know when they’ve had enough

bee06

JLM has pretty much covered everything. I would recommend a CPR/first aid class before you start, not because you might need it because you are doing BLW, but because it can be nerve wracking to just hand over this solid food to your little baby at the start and trust their natural reflexes. They will gag as they are learning and that can be scary but it’s how their body protects them from choking.

I’d highly recommend it as well. I did it with my now 2 year old and will do it with my second as well. You need to be introducing finger foods quickly enough after 6 months anyway so I felt I might as well save myself some work and skip the purees.

Loveinapril

An infant CPR class is a good idea so you feel prepared in the unlikely event of choking. It is so important to be able to recognise the difference between gagging (totally normal) and choking. I am on my second BLW journey now with my 7 month old (I did it with my toddler too). There are so many benefits. Baby uses their fine motor skills with picking up food of different sizes and textures and getting them into their mouth (this is where the mess comes in!). I love that my kids eat when we eat. I do a lot of batch cooking and freeze bits I know are easy for my daughter to eat (pancakes, fritters, pinwheels etc.) so it is incredibly convenient, even in the early days. Baby will also stop eating when they are full as opposed to when YOU think they are full which is great for their future relationship with eating. Be prepared for lots of people commenting on it though. My mother in law nearly has to have a a spoon dragged out of her hand around my little one because she is 'terrified' my daughter isn't eating enough. There are a lot of people who say they do a mix of purees and baby led weaning. Its only BLW if baby is truly in charge so if you choose to any purees, just place the filled spoon in front of them and let them figure it out themselves. There are some great Instagram pages if you are there. I love Weanin15_ and Babyledfeeding.

shesty

I did purees with lots of finger food, and headed fairly quickly for letting them spoon in themselves and that, but I would have done pure BLW if I was brave enough!

My only comments would be that firstly to remember 'food before one is just for fun'...milk has to be their main source of nutrition,so do not get tied up about 'how much' they eat...and secondly - develop a really thick skin very fast,because the amount of comments you get about how and what the baby is eating is unreal.Mine are 5, 3 and 1 and grandparents STILL jump in with spoons, asking would I not just spoon it into them (why would I do something for them that they can do themselves??), and why don't they clear their plates??We have some very unhealthy views on food, and attitudes have changed so much...weaning a baby really shows you this.

jlm29

shesty wrote: »

I did purees with lots of finger food, and headed fairly quickly for letting them spoon in themselves and that, but I would have done pure BLW if I was brave enough!

My only comments would be that firstly to remember 'food before one is just for fun'...milk has to be their main source of nutrition,so do not get tied up about 'how much' they eat...and secondly - develop a really thick skin very fast,because the amount of comments you get about how and what the baby is eating is unreal.Mine are 5, 3 and 1 and grandparents STILL jump in with spoons, asking would I not just spoon it into them (why would I do something for them that they can do themselves??), and why don't they clear their plates??We have some very unhealthy views on food, and attitudes have changed so much...weaning a baby really shows you this.

The comments are just exhausting 🙄. Particularly the days I was seen giving them weetabix to work away with 😂.

afkasurfjunkie

Although if you’re exclusively bfeeding you’ll be used to the ‘is he getting enough’ spiel. *rolls eyes. Just yesterday my mam passed that comment even though my issue is mostly oversupply at the moment. Sigh.

I kinda combined purées and blw method when weaning. It depended on what we were eating ourselves. Plenty of finger food but if we were having stew or soup, they got that on a spoon. And porridge. I just can’t commit to a full blw regime. I can handle gagging but the food wastage bugs me a bit.

Joe wicks has a wean in 15 instagram page which is really good. He’s linked in with a nutritionist so it’s good solid advice. His toddler uses a spoon better than my 5 yo can.

bee06

shesty wrote: »

I did purees with lots of finger food, and headed fairly quickly for letting them spoon in themselves and that, but I would have done pure BLW if I was brave enough!

My only comments would be that firstly to remember 'food before one is just for fun'...milk has to be their main source of nutrition,so do not get tied up about 'how much' they eat...and secondly - develop a really thick skin very fast,because the amount of comments you get about how and what the baby is eating is unreal.Mine are 5, 3 and 1 and grandparents STILL jump in with spoons, asking would I not just spoon it into them (why would I do something for them that they can do themselves??), and why don't they clear their plates??We have some very unhealthy views on food, and attitudes have changed so much...weaning a baby really shows you this.

I always say when someone mentions why not feed him if he’s not eating that I have better things to be doing (like eating my own food) when he can do it himself! That shuts them up.

On the cleaning plates, I have a friend who is incapable of leaving food on her plate still as an adult because she was made to sit at the table until she finished. Even now she feels like she’s doing something “wrong” by not eating everything. Such a negative approach to food.

shesty

I also know people with this thought process...several of them in fact.They could literally be full to bursting and will still force feed themselves the remainder of a plate of food just to clear it, it is a bit disturbing in a way.My husband can be at a bit of it....eating a load of stuff just because it is there and not to "waste" it.It's a terrible habit.Equally I have seen my kids say they have had enough, remain at the table for a few more minutes, and one grandparent in particular, will stealthily lift the spoon and try to get more mouthfuls into her just because they are there.(she might manage 2 before child just leaves).
Anyway I digress...OP, I have the Aileen Cox Blundell Baby Led Feeding book, and it is full of good advice.She has an Instagram too I think, so worth looking at for some tips and planning.

SmallgirlBigcity

All fantastic advice, thanks everyone. I didn't realise that you don't spoon feed with BLW, very interesting. I love the sound of it so will definitely be going down this route. It's extremely important that my little one has a healthy relationship with food. Thanks to everyone who took the time to comment!

Loveinapril

I am a big advocate for it. My 7 month old had salmon fishcake for dinner last night, carrot and courgette fritters for lunch today and will have penne pasta with a homemade roasted red pepper sauce for dinner. I get a real buzz out of watching her eat 'real' food.

fits

You can mix it up. We spoon fed porridge and soup and let them manage the rest. All family foods.

SmallgirlBigcity

I have another question about weaning: my little one is 4 and a half months old. He can hold his head up but not enough, I don't think, for feeding. Plus, he's not showing any interest in food yet. So I had planned on waiting for these signs and also I thought I'd wait until he's 6 months old.

But his grandmother keeps asking when we're introducing the spoon and I know a couple with a 3 month old baby that has started eating purees. My question is, am I okay to wait until he's 6 months old? Will it do him any harm if I wait until then? I'm starting to wonder if I'm wrong to wait until 6 months old to start weaning...

SmallgirlBigcity

I have another question about weaning: my little one is 4 and a half months old. He can hold his head up but not enough, I don't think, for feeding. Plus, he's not showing any interest in food yet. So I had planned on waiting for these signs and also I thought I'd wait until he's 6 months old.

But his grandmother keeps asking when we're introducing the spoon and I know a couple with a 3 month old baby that has started eating purees. My question is, am I okay to wait until he's 6 months old? Will it do him any harm if I wait until then? I'm starting to wonder if I'm wrong to wait until 6 months old to start weaning...

jlm29

Absolutely wait until 6 months. Don’t bring that hassle on yourself before you need to. All new guidelines say to wait until 6 mo. Your mother/mother in law is asking because that’s what was done in her day, but it’s not advised now. They’ll soon start telling you the child is starving, is a big baby, isn’t sleeping etc, and you should be giving solids, but unless you’ve been told by a medical professional, 6 months Is just right.
It’s easier at 6 months too, they’re readier, and better able for the food at that stage.

FitzElla

I think the advice now is to wait until they are between 4 - 6 months before weaning, and the closer to 6 months the better especially if baby is exclusively breastfed. Babies bodies are not ready for solids before 4 months, but you shouldn't delay past 6 months either as they need the extra nutrients at that stage. I think the best thing is to judge it on your own baby and look for signs they are ready.

Loveinapril

Ah, people and their opinions on YOUR baby. It is advised to wait until 26 weeks for baby led weaning because the baby is physically more ready, and their gut is at optimum health. JLM is right, the next thing you will be told is baby will sleep better, be more content and less fussy if you introduce solids. Do your own research on the WHO guidelines and get confident with your responses. I think it is best to be armed with this info when speaking with your GP or public health nurse about weaning because a lot of them have outdated advice. When we know better, we do better. My mam started me on baby rice at 6 weeks!! There is no rush, baby will still be getting all their nutrients from milk until they are one, so don't stress when the food seems to miss their mouth. It is all about the food experience at that age.

SmallgirlBigcity

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate all the helpful advice. One more question what do I need to buy to prepare for weaning...a highchair, a plate and spoon maybe, anything else? I've seen these giant bib things advertised...you put it on baby and it prevents food falling on the floor. What would you guys recommend I get to prepare for weaning? Thanks!

angeldelight

SmallgirlBigcity wrote: »

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate all the helpful advice. One more question what do I need to buy to prepare for weaning...a highchair, a plate and spoon maybe, anything else? I've seen these giant bib things advertised...you put it on baby and it prevents food falling on the floor. What would you guys recommend I get to prepare for weaning? Thanks!

You don’t need much - we just use bibs with sleeves and clean up the mess from the floor afterwards. You don’t need half the gadgets the ships would make you think you do! A water cup too, hard spouted free flow cup recommended then moving to open cups and straw cups best for teeth and mouth muscles

jlm29

Long sleeved bibs. Ikea do great ones, so do babyboo and jojo maman bebe, or whatever it’s called.
A high chair- the simplest one you can find. As few nooks and crannies as possible, and minimal padding. Some high chairs are awful yokes, loads of places for stuff to get caught.

bee06

For me the Ikea antilop high chair, bibado bib (attaches to the high chair to catch falling food) and the bamboo bamboo suction plate would be musts.

SmallgirlBigcity

bee06 wrote: »

For me the Ikea antilop high chair, bibado bib (attaches to the high chair to catch falling food) and the bamboo bamboo suction plate would be musts.

Great advice thank you! Do you know what seat padding would suit the antilop high chair? IKEA doesn't seem to have padding to go with that particular chair on their website... thanks!

SmallgirlBigcity

bee06 wrote: »

For me the Ikea antilop high chair, bibado bib (attaches to the high chair to catch falling food) and the bamboo bamboo suction plate would be musts.

Great advice thank you! Do you know what seat padding would suit the antilop high chair? IKEA doesn't seem to have padding to go with that particular chair on their website... thanks!

bee06

SmallgirlBigcity wrote: »

Great advice thank you! Do you know what seat padding would suit the antilop high chair? IKEA doesn't seem to have padding to go with that particular chair on their website... thanks!

I didn’t use the padding. It’s just something else to try and clean or for food to get stuck in/under/behind.

Edit: the website has the padding though https://www.ikea.com/ie/en/p/antilop-supporting-cushion-white-30449748/

Loveinapril

SmallgirlBigcity wrote: »

Great advice thank you! Do you know what seat padding would suit the antilop high chair? IKEA doesn't seem to have padding to go with that particular chair on their website... thanks!

When I got mine a couple of years ago they had an inflatable pillow that you put around the back of it. With my 8 month old I just stick a thin cushion behind her back.

Bumpkins

SmallgirlBigcity wrote: »

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate all the helpful advice. One more question what do I need to buy to prepare for weaning...a highchair, a plate and spoon maybe, anything else? I've seen these giant bib things advertised...you put it on baby and it prevents food falling on the floor. What would you guys recommend I get to prepare for weaning? Thanks!

For different scenarios we use long sleeve bibs (full on messy food), a silicon 'trough' bib (for tidier finger foods), or the simple plastic backed fabric bibs.
Our highchair is a simple Cuggl one and is fab. We got a cheap protector for under the highchair for if she's on the carpet, although in the early days of BLW I don't think any surface is safe from getting splattered.
I agree with others about the instagram pages. Wean in 15 has great recipes for things like savoury muffins, fritters etc, so you can make a batch and then just take as you need from the freezer. There are also little 60ml containers that you can get from discount shops etc that are great for storing a batch of food in handy portions, and then just a permanent marker to write the date and meal name (this washes off for the next use)
Don't forget to get lots of facecloths. I mostly use microfibre cheeky wipes which are handy little squares, and then some larger microfibre cloths for the messiest meals.
You don't need all of these things but I'm out to make my life as simple as possible