What is baby- led weaning?
Baby-led weaning (BLW) is an approach to introduce solid foods that is based on the infant’s developmental readiness to ingest foods other than breast milk or formula, this is typically at 6 months of age. This approach skips the introduction of puree foods and the infant is in control of his/her decisions regarding when to begin eating other foods, what to eat (from a selection of healthy foods), how quickly to eat and how much to consume at one sitting. Baby led weaning is characterized by self- feeding, no pureeing, joining in on family mealtimes, eating family foods and responsive feeding. A common misconception with baby- led weaning is that people often think that this means weaning off the breast, however in this case weaning means the introduction of solid food to both breastfed and formula fed babies. With BLW, the weaning process begins when the infant shows interest by reaching out and grabbing pieces of food. BLW also differs from conventional methods for introducing complementary foods in that a wider range of foods (family foods) are suggested as first foods, including: fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese, well- cooked eggs, bread (or toast), pasta, and most fish. By allowing your baby to be in control of his or her own food choices and appetite is the most important element of any feeding approach and the baby-led method naturally encourages this.
Benefits of baby- led weaning
Baby- led weaning is still a relatively new practice. The best evidence to support BLW is a combination of research from a variety of fields. There is a growing body of anecdotal evidence that BLW may allow infants to protect themselves from foods that might otherwise trigger allergic- type reactions. The more responsive and laid- back approach might promote healthier eating behavior and weight in the baby-led babies. Babies that follow a baby- led approach may be less likely to be overweight compared to those following a spoon-fed approach and less likely to become a fussy eater. It is logical that a baby-led approach may promote healthier child feeding practices and lead to healthier eating habits and weight gain but now we need to conduct larger, clinical studies and randomized controlled trials of the method to explore this.
A key nutritional benefit with baby-led weaning is the inclusion from the beginning, of a range of textures and tastes, rather than bland, homogenous- textured foods. This promotes dietary variety, which in turn increases the likelihood of the infant’s nutritional requirements being met without the risk of overeating. BLW allows infants to explore the foods before eating them and this would appear to have advantages for the development of fine motor skills and hand eye co-ordination. With BLW, family mealtime becomes a norm and encourages the development of social skills and provides the opportunity for the infant to mimic certain eating behaviors. It is important to understand that BLW should be done with supervision and support from parents or caregivers.
Who should not do BLW? • Babies not getting enough calories in and therefore not growing. Because BLW relies on the infant to decide satiety if this leads to growth faltering, caregivers may need to step in. This doesn’t mean you need to completely stop BLW but you may have to step in and offer some spoon feeding, or encourage your child to eat more of certain calorie dense foods. • Babies with swallowing issues. These are commonly known as dysphagia. It does not mean you can not do BLW but if baby relies on thickened milk feeds, some foods may be inappropriate to introduce in a BLW setting. Carefully discuss babies’ options with your dietitian as they will be able to make appropriate recommendations. • Babies with a developmental delay. BLW relies on the theory that baby must feed him or herself. If baby can not sit up by her/himself (for example) but is older than 6 months old, they still need the extra nourishment from food that milk does not provide. Speak to your medical team about appropriate complementary feeds if this is the case as baby may not be able to successfully self-feed. • Babies with severe reflux may also rely on thickened milk feeds. If this is the case, it should also be discussed what foods are appropriate for them to self-feed. • Failure to thrive babies may not be able to get in enough calories needed for catch up growth via self-feeding. They may need specialized therapeutic feeds that can be self-fed but still may need some encouragement from caregivers. • Families where there are low levels of supervision. Though BLW encourages baby to feed him/herself, strict supervision is still needed by caregivers. Baby’s mealtimes should coincide with family dining and this creates a perfect atmosphere for supervising baby’s eating. • Babies younger than 6 months do not have the motor skills needed yet to co-ordinate sitting by themselves and feeding themselves. Of course there are exceptions so if you think your baby is ready for solids before 6 moths, speak to your dietitian! • Babies born prematurely may not be able to do BLW. This depends on many factors, including their corrected age!
How to BLW? Baby led weaning should include (when possible) breastfeeding exclusively for 6 months. How to start: • Baby should sit upright at a table with arms free • Baby shouldn’t be overly hungry or tired • No distractions- turn of the TV/tablets/phones
What to do:
• Introduce foods you as a family are eating in appropriate forms to baby- make sure they are nutritious so baby gets used to eating healthily • Offer a little bit of water for baby to sip as needed- 25-30 ml is enough • In the beginning, baby will focus on textures/smells/shapes so don’t be alarmed if it seems that he/she is not eating enough • Continue to offer breast/formula milk as demanded by baby- these feeds What to expect: • From 6-8 months, babies still need milk as their main source of nutrition • After that, they will eat more than they drink milk • A big mess! Remember that your baby is learning everything about food- not just how to eat it but also tastes, textures, family time, etc. They learn best by being completely involved and this is often messy. Try to feed baby only wearing a diaper and do not distract by wiping during feeds- clean it all up at the end • Gagging- all babies gag when learning to eat- even the spoon-fed ones. A baby’s gagging reflex is more sensitive than ours and it is simply an indication that she needs to expel the food forward and chew it more thoroughly. It is alarming for caregivers but rarely seems to bother babies. Don’t interfere and put your hands in baby’s mouth as this can actually push the food further back and cause proper choking.
How to prepare foods: • Vegetables should be cooked and offered in strips • Meats should be cooked soft and offered in strips • Fruits can be given in strips as well- softer fruits such as bananas are ideal, and the peel can be used as a sort of ‘handle’. (The photo below shows good examples and are from who published Baby Led Feeding- a useful resource!) • Carbohydrate sources such as bread/toast can also be cut into strips. Pasta can be cooked soft and offered as is. • Remember baby needs a source of iron every day- this can be in meat, chicken, eggs or fish as well as dark green vegetables. • Baby also needs a daily source of protein- again meat, chicken, fish, eggs as well as legumes. • Runny foods- if you want to feed baby a runny food such as guacamole, you can provide a ‘dipper’ such as a slice of bread. • You can also load a spoon for baby and allow baby to spoon feed himself- this can also help with fine motor skills. • This is a good way to introduce cereals- fruits can be dipped into the cereal or yoghurt. • Sugar • Salt
Foods to avoid:
• Processed food • Cow’s milk- can be given after baby turns 1 year old • Trans fat/ hydrogenated oils • Honey • Undercooked eggs/raw fish • Artificial dyes/colors