This is your mini guide to baby-led weaning!
*There are MANY ways to introduce solids to your baby. But after enough questions on how we got started here, I thought I’d make this mini-guide for easy reference for you!
You’ll know you’re ready to take on BLW once your baby is sitting independently and able to grasp with their fingers. (Usually around 6-9 months.)
- Pick one food to start. We’ve started with bananas, peaches, and even roasted sweet potatoes. You want to focus on one food at a time in order to watch for any adverse or allergic reactions. I recommend waiting 2-3 days before introducing another food. Over time, this will turn into eating whatever the rest of the family is eating!
- Prepare the food safely. That means cooking if needed, and likely splitting the food into long, thin sections that are easy to grasp. Some of my favorite accounts to help guide safe sized food for babies are @solidstarts and @feedinglittles.
- Prepare for mess! Learning is messy, and learning with food is *very* messy. It’s not fun, but it’s part of the process! Try to find solutions to help you navigate accepting the mess versus avoiding it if it’s something that bothers you- that could be letting baby eat in a diaper to lessen laundry, laying down a high-chair mat to protect the floor, or having a warm wet rag ready to go for a quick clean-up.
A part of the reasoning BLW possibly decreases gagging is because babies are mechanically preparing themselves to eat when physically brining the food to their mouths themselves. My personal preference is BLW because it keeps me from over-analyzing what my baby is or isn’t eating. (And also from opening my mouth at them with each spoonful… anyone else do that?!)
