Parenting Tips: Baby-Led Weaning

What comes to mind when you think of starting your infant on solid foods? Is it you sitting the baby in a high chair, them squirming around while you try to steer the "airplane into the hanger"? Mushy bland looking baby foods, or mixed fruits and veggies in combos you wouldn't put together. There is another way. One far more pleasant for you and your child. Not to mention simpler and more fun.

It used to be that doctors said it was healthy to introduce solids to your baby at 3 months old. When a baby still has the tongue thrust reflex and cant swallow much more then thin liquids. They said to give babies rice cereal, thinned down with formula or breastmilk. Then to dribble it into the babies mouth, while the baby pushes it out of their mouth with the tongue thrust reflex. Ending in the baby getting little of the cereal in their stomachs and most of it on themselves. However if you put a piece of food in a 3 month olds hands, they may possibly be able to get it to their mouth, but they would only suck on it for am moment before spitting it out. They would not swallow it.

Well now we know that its best to start solids after 6 months of age. When the babies' digestive system has matured enough to tolerate solids better, and they no longer have the tongue thrust reflex. But still parents are starting their children on the same mush that was served to a typical 3 month old. The difference is that a 6 month old can actively take part in their own feeding. A 6 month old can grasp a banana and put it in their mouths. A 6 month old can such on a piece of watermelon and eat it without choking. The concept of Baby led weaning is that a 6 month old child does not need the same kinds of food that you would typically give to a 3 month old child.Baby led weaning is give a 6 month old child, appropriate sized actual foods for them to eat. Starting with fruits and vegetables, then adding in meats. But not giving them baby mush. Giving them actual foods for them to learn how to eat with. The concept is for them to learn to feed themselves without you needing to give them every bite.

At 6 months old, when an infant is typically ready to start solids, there are some things that we give them first. Bananas are often a first time food. And why not? They are easy to eat, soft, and easy to digest. IN the typical fashion, parents would mash up the banana and spoon feed it to the baby. With baby led weaning you cut the banana up into bite sized pieces and allow them to eat it. Or you chop the banana in half and hand them half a banana.

But wait, wont the baby choke?
Actually no. When you are feeding your child, you are more likely to put too much into their mouths causing them to choke, or spoon the food in to fast, again causing choking. However with baby led weaning, the child is putting the food into their own mouths. They can feel if it goes in too far, triggering

their gag reflex. They will remove the food and try again. Babies who eat off a spoon tend to suck the food in, causing it to hit the back of the throat quickly which causes gagging. Another fear of choking is small bits of food going into the mouth. Babies are hard-wired for their development. If they cannot get their hands of food to their mouths, then they are probably not ready for it. Likewise as a baby grows older and develops the pincer grasp, they will be ready to eat small solid foods that we often fear they will choke on. However always use common since and practice safety when feeding your child solids. Do no offer foods that are not age appropriate and always sit with your child at all times will help you be sure they will not choke.

The best way to offer your baby foods, is to make sure the food is the size of their hand. This allows for it to be large enough to grasp and pick up. But remember, younger babies cannot and will not open their fist to eat the food. Meaning it needs to be larger so they have parts the can eat or spear like. I.E. Broccoli, Cauliflower, carrots. Hard foods should be cooked slightly so they are softer and easy for baby to bite or gum off pieces. Babies do not need teeth to chew, gnawing with their gums will mash up their food plenty.

Practicing baby led weaning means that you child learns from an early age how to eat solid foods for themselves. They learn how to put foods in their mouthes and decide if they like that food or not. It means large messes as baby drops food and independence. It means you getting a hot cooked meal rather then feeding the baby who became hungry when they smelled food. It means a pleasant eating experience for everyone involved.

Remember all babies do things in their own time. When one baby is ready for solid foods, another might not be. So don't be discouraged if your baby doesn't seem to get the hand to mouth means food right away. It may take some time before he or she understands that concept and begins to eat on their own. But it is very important that you don't "take over" the job of feeding him or her for them. Babies prefer to feed themselves, and if you feed them you run the risk of overfeeding them very easily.

So give baby led weaning a try. give them their own food to eat. Put it in their hands, on their high chair trays. Let them feed themselves. You may be surprised at how much they, and you, enjoy it.