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What exactly is baby-led weaning?
Baby-led weaning is an approach tointroducing your baby to solid food. Ideally, your little one, who is at least six months of age, joins the rest of the family at meal times. You offer her regular food that is shaped in a way that is easily handleable by her little hands. The baby then feeds herself what she would like from this selection. The idea is that babies learn about food naturally, learn to eat safely, and simultaneously gain confidence as eaters.
How do I know my baby is ready to try baby-led weaning?
The baby should be at least six months of age and display certain specific signs of readiness. Signs of readiness for solid foods include:
sitting up well without support losing the tongue thrust reflex where the baby’s tongue pushes the food out of the mouth instead of helping it go in.
Other signs of readiness are:
reaching for food on her own showing signs of interest when people around her are eating developing a pincer grasp where the baby can use her thumb and forefinger to pick things up.
Where can I find additional information about baby-led weaning?
We recommend the bookBaby-Led Weaning: The Essential Guide to Introducing Solid Foods and Helping Your Baby Grow Up a Happy and Confident Eater(if you decide to purchase, we may earn a small commission for it). This is an extremely helpful guide to understanding why babies do not need to be spoon fed and how to safely take your baby through the eating adventure of baby-led weaning. Another helpful baby-led weaning resource is the websitehttp://www.babyledweaning.com/.
What foods should I start with for baby-led weaning?
Your baby can try eating almost anything that your family is eating, but here are 20 foods that we recommend for ease as you get started with baby-led weaning.
