Baby-led weaning has become the latest trend, along with baby massage and baby yoga. For many mothers it provides an alternative method of weaning, instead of the traditional route of starting with purees then moving on to lumpy foods and finger foods.
Baby-led weaning allows babies to learn appetite control naturally, so they eat when hungry and stop when full. It is thought that this may help reduce the chance of obesity later in life.
Baby-led weaning involves offering babies a range of foods and allowing them to explore and select their foods and eventually self-feed. Your baby will naturally put foods of a suitable size into his or her mouth, and if they accidentally take in too much, it will simply be spat out again.
Initially your baby might only touch and play with the food, before moving on to licking, tasting and finally eating some. Be warned, this can be a messy process, so you might want to invest in a tray or messy mat, a floor mat and some ‘catch-it’ bibs first!
Once your baby has developed enough to grasp and pick up food and guide it to their mouth, they should be ready to chew and swallow it. It’s best not to place food in your baby’s mouth for them but rather let them explore it and take a gradual approach to becoming confident enough to try eating it.
Is baby-led weaning safe?
Gagging on food is a fairly common occurrence in BLW, and this can worry some parents, but it is simply a baby’s natural reflex to stop them choking on food which they can’t swallow. If you are apprehensive about this, it is a good idea to attend a first aid course aimed at parents. Constant observation is essential in any weaning method, so sit with your baby when they have any kind of food and ensure they remain safe.
How do I start baby-led weaning?
You might want to combine an element of Baby-led weaning alongside spoon feeding, particularly if you feel your baby needs a certain amount of food and you need to be sure of how much he or she has eaten. However if your baby is used to swallowing purees first, they may then be inclined to try and swallow larger foods, increasing the likelihood of the gag reflex coming in.
On the other hand, you might find that the Baby-led weaning approach on its own suits you and your baby, so you may skip spoon feeding all together.
Most parents choose to start on softer foods, which are easier for babies to chew on, and gradually progress to harder foods and those which require chewing or ‘gumming’
Pros and Cons of baby-led weaning
Cons:
- Possible worries about gagging – book yourself onto a baby and child first aid course if in doubt
- Other people may stare when eating in public
- If your own diet is unhealthy, you may find it difficult to offer the right foods
- It’s messy!
Pros:
- No pureeing, blending, freezing or defrosting
- Your baby can explore textures naturally in their own time
- As you must watch your baby really closely this promotes good table interaction and you can also eat with your baby more easily, and eat some of the same foods, leading by example
- The nutritional value of fresh foods is greater than those frozen and defrosted
Foods to try
- Cooked sticks/slices/chunks of organic carrot, broccoli, sweet potato, potato, courgette, butternut squash, apple or other soft fruit and vegetables
- Raw slices/chunks of banana, avocado, peaches, pears, melon or cucumber
- Cooked rice
Over six months old you can try your baby with other foods too:
- Citrus fruits, strawberries and kiwi fruit
- Cooked pasta, without sauce
- Cubes or fingers of bread/toast
- Breadsticks
- Grated or cubed cheese
- Pieces of cooked fish or meat
- Low sugar yogurt/fromage frais
- Low sugar/salt breakfast cereal
- Cooked pulses
- Quorn/tofu in moderation
The following foods should be avoided for babies less than 12 months old:
- Honey
- Salt
- Shark, swordfish or marlin
- Goats and sheep’s milk
- Mould ripened soft cheeses
words by: Jody Page, Director, Harmony at Home Ltd Kent www.harmonyathome.co.uk
Have you thought about whole foods?:
How about using a whole food or juice powder mixed with your babies food. It’s a great way to get them eating their fruit and veg in a convenient and delicious way. Zingology powders use a unique, gentle process that uses light to extract the water molecules from the organic fruit and vegetables. This means all the vitamins, enzymes, colour and flavour remain intact. In fact the nutritional content is the same as eating fresh fruit and vegetables but with a longer shelf life it means you can keep it in the cupboard to use at any time for those times when you want want a healthy ingredient for meal times.
With 4 flavours to choose from carrot, beetroot, strawberry and raspberry your little one will be getting the goodness they deserve. Mix with organic yoghurt, porridge, baby rice or stir into purees.
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