Baby Led Weaning and Me

What is Baby led weaning? - Basically it is letting your child learn to eat on their own. To handle food in their hands to their mouth, then learn to move it around in their mouth and swallow it, all without having a spoon shoved in their mouth by a harassed parent.

See the links below for all the facts from the internet, and for me Rachel, Matthew and baby Peters experiences of it.... Plus some videos of baby led weaning in action.

Just a quick summary to get me going...

At about 5 months old we started to let matthew have a chew on food, cucumber to start with (from our garden!), which he'd have a good play with, dent slightly and eventually discard. Then from 6 months on he'd get bits and bobs that we were eating, with a leaning towards high fat foods - he loves cheese - and fruit and cooked veg. And as for bananas, there was no 'splitting into thirds' for Matthew, just give him a slightly open banana, and he'd squidge it out and disappear it in no time...Meanwhile he continued breast feeding.

He continued to eat with us pretty much, he certainly wasn't fussy, but did have favourites - Pasta, and cheese..., from 12 months he went onto full fat cows milk with meals..

But why did we do it?

Its Easy.... no special mushing required, no spoon feeding, just plonk him down and let him get on with it - with a lot of chat and encouragement at the same time.. Eating out is sooo easy, he just has a bit of whatever we're having.

But what about choking?

Well, he never has, sure to start with there was the odd bout of red faced coughing, but it always came out on its own (and we were keeping an eye on him anyway!) its a learning curve.. The research shows that as of about 6 months old babies are capable of moving solid foodsaround with their tongue, so can slowly move it to the back of the throat then swallow. Its when food is put in their mouth, and too far back, that they are likely to choke.

Bottles and cups

We also didnt use lidded bottles or cups. From about 6 months drinks of water were available at mealtimes in a cup without a lid, sure there were spillages, but its only water... We used a mixture of cup designs, from standard handled cups with the lid removed, to Doidy cups which are sloped to make it easier to use as you dont have to tip them back so far to get anything out of them.

Matthew is now 5, and he still hasn't choked..... he's got no major food dislikes (except broccoli, one of his first foods - he may have eaten a lifetimes worth before he was one...) and just loves to eat. Its been tricky getting him to use cutlery, as he'd much rather use his fingers still, but apart from that its been excellent.

He also has a brother Peter, 2 years his junior, who has been chomping away since he was 5 months old - he really didn't want to wait any longer to copy Matthew, Peter is also a fantastic eater, and has always weilded a cup with ease.

And now they're 7 and 5, have good appetites, and are generally willing to try anything once.

Its Easy!

Its Easy.... no special mushing required, no spoon feeding, just plonk him down and let him get on with it - with a lot of chat and encouragement at the same time.. Eating out is sooo easy, he just has a bit of whatever we're having.

But what about choking?

Well, he never has, sure to start with there was the odd bout of red faced coughing, but it always came out on its own (and we were keeping an eye on him anyway!) its a learning curve.. The research shows that as of about 6 months old babies are capable of moving solid foodsaround with their tongue, so can slowly move it to the back of the throat then swallow. Its when food is put in their mouth, and too far back, that they are likely to choke.

my other axe to grind...

We also didn't use lidded bottles or cups. From about 6 months drinks of water were available at mealtimes in a cup without a lid, sure there were spillages, but its only water... We used a mixture of cup designs, from standard handled cups with the lid removed, to Doidy cups which are sloped to make it easier to use as you dont have to tip them back so far to get anything out of them.

here's my selection of baby led weaning books and easy to use weaning cups.

so how did they turn out?

1- Matthew is now 5, and he still hasn't choked..... he's got no major food dislikes (except broccoli, one of his first foods - he may have eaten a lifetimes worth before he was one...) and just loves to eat. Its been tricky getting him to use cutlery, as he'd much rather use his fingers still, but apart from that its been excellent.

He also has a brother Peter, 2 years his junior, who has been chomping away since he was 5 months old - he really didn't want to wait any longer to copy Matthew, Peter is also a fantastic eater, and has always weilded a cup with ease.

2- And now they're 7 and 5, have good appetites, and are generally willing to try anything once. Matthew likes Brocolli again, and curry, and school dinners, and I can't actually think of anything he turns his nose up at. Peter is a little bit fussy, but its more that he thinks he doesn't like things, rather than actually not liking them.

Overall they've both turned out great!