Baby led weaning? What is it?

Question

I asked a question yesterday about if its ok to give my baby cereal with fruit in it before trying him on veg. Hes 4 months old. One of the answers I got said to do baby led weaning? I dont even know what that is.

Answer 1

Baby Led Weaning or BLW is the notion that the baby will feed itself when it's ready.  So, no pureed or liquid porridge stuff that you have to spoon feed.  

Personally, I was a little freaked out about the idea when I started my daughter on solids at six months due to the choking hazard so I did pureed foods for the first month and when I introduced a little finger food and she handled it really well so I just did a cold turkey and stopped the pureed stuff.  She has since then been eating everything by herself and has got the pincher grasp down pat (she's nine months).  She's eating toast with cream cheese and jam (w/out added sugar) and a kiwi right now while I'm eating my breakfast.  Quite cozy!   When next kid comes around I'll simply just start with BLW since it seems to be a natural thing.  Anyhow, you can read more about it here http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/babyled... and there are also plenty of forums out there where people can help.

W/regards to whether or not your child should do BLW at four months I can't say.  It seems a little early for solids so.... I dunno

Good luck!

  

Answer 2

Baby led weaning is pretty much skipping the puree/mush and going straight to age appropriate finger foods.

Common things to start with are pieces of steamed vegies such as brocoli, pumpkin, sweet potato, carrot etc...offered in chip shape pieces so they can pick it/handle it easily.

It's basically letting your baby tell you when he/she is ready to eat, as opposed to the parent telling the baby 'you are going to eat' by loading a spoon full a mush and putting it in their mouth.

If you google 'baby led weaning' or 'baby led solids' you can get loads of info.

Edit...i personally would be waiting tll bub was closer to 6 months before starting BLW.