BLW – Baby Lead Weaning | BecomingMomJourney

Who all has done baby led weaning… or at least heard of it?

Baby-led weaning (BLW) is when you let your baby feed themselves finger foods right from the beginning – rather than spoon feeding them mashed or pureed foods.

What are the benefits of BLW?

*It’s more enjoyable! Baby looks forward to eating and exploring. Parents look forward to watching!

*It’s Natural! Baby gets to follow his/her instincts. This is how babies all over the world learn to eat.

*They get to learn about their food! They explore textures, tastes, and smells.

*It’s great for hand eye coordination and it’s great for their chewing skills and developing facial muscles.

*Baby will not overeat and they won’t gain a suspicion of food because they are making the decisions.

*There is no need for games trying to convince babies to take the spoon.

* The meal is more enjoyable for the whole family.

* You will save money because they eat what you eat!

We did this for my little guy and we are currently doing blw with my twins! I have to say EVERYONE was quite skeptical of me and extremely worried but I did my research, I joined a group, and I read an amazing book then I was on my way. Not to say I wasn’t still a bit nervous but I knew in my heart it was what was best for my guy.

Baby led weaning is all about cutting foods the appropriate way and size to ensure safety. Most things are cut in finger shape so the baby can hold one end while tasting and exploring the other.

Some important things to know

It’s not really weaning. Babies most important source of nutrition should still be breastmilk or formula.

*Its best to nurse or feed baby 30 minutes before offering real food until baby turns one

Wait until the baby is ready!

*Baby needs to be at least 6 months (younger than that babies guts aren’t ready for food whether it be cereal, rice or mush of any sort.)

*Baby needs to be able to sit up unassisted for at least one minute.

*Babies can’t handle all the spices we use and their sodium intake should be very limited( Salt your food after you cook it and read labels to watch for sodium)

It’s going to get messy… so very messy so take lots of pictures and keep your broom and mop handy.