Baby Led Weaning

[SpeedyBojangles]

Could someone please explain the benefits of BLW over traditional weaning?

DS is 3 months so just looking at options for when he is ready to wean at 6 months. My older DCs were both traditionally weaned with purées but I've seen a lot of parents trying BLW recently so wondering if anyone here has tried it and how you and baby found it?

Thanks!

Mine had teeth at 3 months and would steel food out of my hands when I tried to eat it, so with HV's approval I just let her get on with it at 4.5months.

It was good because lovely frozen mandarin slices were perfect for teething! And she was happily occupied so I could eat my food without being mobbed for it. It was absolutely no effort because I just dished up whatever I was having onto her high chair or give it to her while on my lap when she was tiny, and she didn't really throw it either. Maybe because she started on my lap and it didn't occur to her? Maybe too greedy? Idk.

She's gone through a fussy patch when she started eating with other children for the first time but it was so much easier than being bothered pureeing things. And much cheaper than bought baby food.

I’m using essentially blw with my now 10 month old. I’m certainly not using it in its truest form as we do occasionally use purée and packet purée style food. However I didn’t introduce the purée until approx 8months, this was mainly due to my embarrassment and scraping food off every surface when we were out or visiting family/friends, also how else does she eat things like Greek yoghurt?! Dd2 is a great eater, she developed the ability to chew and manage textures v early on, I think this is due to me just putting door in front of her and letting her crack on.
As already said, I too think breastfeeding makes it easier and she continued to take what she needed calorie wise from me.
But like all things baby related- you know your baby and your family set up best, do what works for you.

I think the main thing either way is to wait until they are properly ready for food. When they can sit well with good head control, have lost the tongue thrust reflex etc
I was encouraged to wean too early by the HV with DC1 and it was a grim process. With my other three I waited until I felt they were ready and met the suggested criteria. It was a much happier stage all round. I only did BLW with DC3 though,DC2 and DC4 were to impatient and got frustrated they needed help to eat, I didn't purée anything though just mashed or chopped food.
Interestingly my BLWer has the worst table manners of the four and still at 8 years old would rather use his hands if I let him. The other three could all use a knife and fork by 2.

Benefits:
You can eat at the same time/ with other kids.
It’s easy (just let them get on with it).
It’s very funny, and the baby loves being laughed with (at).

Buy a cover up bib, and have a wet cloth at the ready.

Remember every kid is different. DS didn't take to BLW at all, DD was away stuffing her face like a baby from a book. DS had purees till he was 1, gradually getting chunkier. DD would actually gnaw at stuff, DS would just gag.

What works for one kid doesn't work for the other.

I am about the competition re pure blw ultimately I doubt it really matters.

Dd2 fed herself because she refused to eat purees. So I would define that as baby leading 😂😂 .

I don't know what you mean re benefits though OP she just (mainly not pure blw she would eat yoghurt off a spoon) fed herself and that was it. She's a good eater and it worked. I think though rather than letting theory lead your thinking go with the flow and do what works for you at the time. Dd2 had teeth by 4 months so that probably helped a bit also (although not having teeth doesn't necessarily stop them)

I doubt that in the long run it really makes any difference tbh - loads of people will say 'ooo I did this and DC is a great eater' but it's not really evidence of benefit it's just one child.

As others have said, it depends on the child. DS liked feeding himself clean food but didn't like getting his hands dirty so would happily eat breakfast and lunch but wouldn't touch anything with a sauce to that was sticky (like rice). At 8 months we started blending up our dinner and giving it to him on a spoon as a chunky puree, although as he'd got used to feeding himself he mostly grabbed the spoon off us. DD loved feeding herself and got the hang of it very quickly so never had puree.

I didn't find the mess too bad - breakfast I gave shredded wheats that had been pre-soaked in milk and lunch was bread etc which don't make that much mess. Dinner I'd only give a few bits at a time. Runny foods like yoghurt are what makes the mess - I never gave those when out.

For going out we found a version of this brilliant. No risk of them breaking plates then.

I'm keen to try BLW with dd2 who is almost 6 months old. She seems interested in food but can't sit up on her own. With ds1 I sat him on my knee and spoonfed purees but letting dd2 pick up food herself doesnt seem as easy when she isn't yet in a high chair. Any suggestions please?

We used the ikea high chair with the cushion and he could sit in that ok.

We used the ikea high chair with the cushion and he could sit in that ok.

@NorthernLassie I just let her get on with it sitting on my lap or propped on the sofa. Handing her a portion of whatever I had- an apple, or toast, or cheese, jacket potatoes...

I kept our shared dining chair tucked in close to the table so dropped bits went on there instead of me.

I did BLW with both of mine, same foods and approach
8yr old exceptional eater will try anything
4yr old fussy little bugger

However, both stop when they’re full even if it’s their favourite food in front of them

I did it with my first as she refused to be spoon fed and she has turned out to be the most selective eater...was fussy from the first mouthful. My second I did a mixture of both purees and finger food and it worked well...at 16 months he is just about managing a spoon by himself and ate his porridge unassisted this morning. As others have said it depends on the child. I preferred doing a bit of both so I knew something was definitely going in. Does get a bit annoying when I know he loves cauliflower cheese all mashed up but if you give him chunks of cauliflower with cheese sauce on he just licks it and then lobs the cauliflower on the floor!