{"id":1224,"date":"2022-03-29T15:33:17","date_gmt":"2022-03-29T15:33:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/hub\/?p=1224"},"modified":"2023-02-06T14:29:39","modified_gmt":"2023-02-06T14:29:39","slug":"what-is-baby-led-weaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/hub\/parenting\/what-is-baby-led-weaning","title":{"rendered":"What is Baby-led Weaning?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Figuring out the best solid food for your baby isn\u2019t easy. You have to balance what\u00a0your newborn<\/a>\u00a0needs, with what you think they\u2019re actually going to eat. Unlike older children who can be encouraged\u00a0(or bribed)<\/em> to eat healthy snacks<\/a>, babies won\u2019t eat something they don\u2019t want to! As you\u2019ve no doubt discovered,\u00a0 \u2018Here comes the aeroplane\u2019 doesn\u2019t always work…<\/p>\n

This is where baby-led weaning comes in!<\/p>\n

In this article we\u2019re going to take a look at this method of feeding and whether or not it might be right for you and your child.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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What is Baby-Led Weaning and How Well Does it Work?<\/h2>\n<\/div>
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Coined in the early 2000s by health worker\u00a0Gill Rapley<\/a>, baby-led weaning is a relaxed and unstructured approach to baby feeding.<\/p>\n

This method of feeding your baby involves providing a selection of foods for them to feed themselves, with no help from an adult! It should be soft food and in small pieces that can be held. Rather than requiring spoon feeding…like yoghurt, or pureed food.<\/p>\n

Baby-led weaning puts your child in control of mealtime, rather than leaving you to try and work out what they\u2019re ready for!<\/p>\n<\/div>

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What are the benefits of baby-led weaning?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>
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1. Promoting good eating behaviours<\/h2><\/div><\/div>

Baby-led weaning could promote better and healthier eating behaviours as your child gets older.<\/p>\n

In one study, babies raised with baby-led weaning found it easier to recognise when they felt full, reducing the overeating that is such an issue in our society.\u00a0As a result, baby-led weaning has also been linked with reducing obesity in later life…<\/p>\n<\/div>

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2. Reduces food fussiness<\/h2><\/div><\/div>

A child can be infamous for being a fussy eater, but baby-led weaning could reduce the likelihood of your child becoming a picky eater.<\/p>\n

A sample of mothers was asked to rate the fussiness of their children at 18-24 months old. The mothers who practised baby-led weaning rated their babies as less fussy than those who didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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3. Makes feeding time easier<\/h2><\/div><\/div>

Feeding time can be tough, and sometimes it can seem like our babies would rather throw their food around than eat it. Baby-led weaning removes this friction between what you want (to feed your child) and what they want (to cover you in food). Instead, you allow your child to self-select what and how much they eat.<\/p>\n

Research has shown this can reduce parental anxiety around baby feeding too (bonus)!<\/p>\n<\/div>

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What difficulties are involved?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Baby-led weaning isn\u2019t without drawbacks, and there are a number of things you should be aware of before pursuing this approach<\/p>\n<\/div>

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1. Potential safety concerns<\/h2><\/div><\/div>

The most important issue with baby-led weaning is that, if you\u2019re offering food types to babies before they\u2019re ready for them, it could lead to gagging, vomiting, or potentially even choking (which we don’t want!).<\/p>\n

Babies might be able to intuitively know when to start or stop eating based on how hungry they are, but that doesn\u2019t mean they know what they shouldn\u2019t put in their mouths. After all, that\u2019s why they try to eat literally anything that\u2019s not nailed down.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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2. Negative mealtime experiences<\/h2><\/div><\/div>

If your baby does eat something they\u2019re not quite ready for, either because the piece of food was too large or too difficult for them to chew (like raw vegetables). It could lead to negative mealtime experiences that develop into ingrained negative feelings towards eating.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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3. It\u2019s hard to identify allergies<\/h2><\/div><\/div>

If you have a family history of allergies your baby is also more likely to be allergic to something \u2014 but it won\u2019t necessarily be the same food as you! With this in mind, paediatricians will sometimes recommend introducing foods one at a time, which isn\u2019t compatible with baby-led weaning.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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When to encourage baby-led weaning?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>

Baby-led weaning should only be started when a baby is ready to start eating solid foods, but how can you tell when that is?<\/p>\n

First of all, for baby-led weaning to work your child has to be able to grab whole pieces of food and bring it to their mouth themselves. Babies typically develop this skill at around six months old. Your child needs to be able to hold their head up well and sit unsupported, which should be possible at this age. But don\u2019t worry if they\u2019re not quite ready.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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How to start baby-led weaning<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>

Sit your baby upright and facing the table (on your lap or in a high chair), and put the food out in front of them. You could start with small sticks or chunks of food (like carrots), and make sure you offer it \u2014 don\u2019t just give it to them.<\/p>\n

At six months old your baby will only need a small amount of solid food once a day. By seven months your baby will have had plenty of practice, and you should be eating together as much as possible. Your child will learn a lot from watching you, so it\u2019s important to maintain this early in their life. Over the next three months, your baby will move gradually towards three meals a day.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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What food should you give your baby when they\u2019re starting to eat solids?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>

Just because you think your baby is ready for solids, that doesn\u2019t mean they can eat anything, even if you cut it up small enough…<\/p>\n

The following foods are safe to introduce into their diet from six months old:<\/p>\n