Baby led combined with traditional

[humanpotato]

My baby is 6 months so I’ve started weaning. I’m doing combined feeding (baby led and traditional) I enjoy getting to spoon feed him but also letting him play with solids to explore. I’m just wondering why most either chose one way or the other? I have read that it can increase choking risk but personally I don’t believe he’s anymore at risk than any other baby regardless of how they’re weaned?

Would like to know what route other mamas have chosen? And some meal ideas? 🥰

I don't think in reality, outside of people trying to sell things on social media, people do go that hard either one way or the other. I think most people do some solids, make the odd puree, shove a pouch at them occasionally or grab the spoon when dinner is taking 7 hours. Just don't worry about it, they all get to the same stage in the end.

Big fan of YummyToddlerfood.com for recipes and a sensible approach to some baby-led, some puree.

I only know one person who was hell bent on solely baby led weaning. Everyone I know did a
mix of both.

I tried to do BLW with DD(8) but she absolutely hated it/refused to engage. She would eat if I fed her with a spoon. My friend's DD was the opposite and wouldn't entertain spoon feeding at all, she wanted to do it all by herself every time.

DS(3) didn't care as long as it went in his mouth! He'd be picking stuff up off his plate whilst also grabbing my hand and pulling the spoon towards him. He loves all food, has done since weaning.

A mixture is absolutely fine.

I think a mix works well. Word of warning, you will likely get some posts saying that if you're doing some purees and spoonfeeding, then you're not doing BLW. Everyone knows what you mean though.

With my first I did a little of each at first but she much preferred finger foods and I'm lazy so we ditched the purees quickly enough. Still spoon fed her weetabix, yoghurt etc. Went well. With our second we didn't do a single puree, again because lazy, but as before spoon fed some foods that suit it.

Both good eaters but I think that's down to chance and their varied diet at nursery rather than anything we did during weaning.

Just do what suits you and your baby.

My first was mainly purees. She just wanted food without the effort.

My second... well she started weaning by nicking my sandwich. Any spoon that went near her was grabbed and waved around, sometimes making it to her mouth before the food went flying. She was purely self fed as that's what she tolerated.

Elder was less fussy as a baby, but more particular now. Younger DD was an awkward fuss pot as a baby, but has fortunately got over her hatred of bread and potatoes (still hates chips though). But loves exotic food...

Most people do a mix of spoon feeding and self exploration.

Technically BLW is a philosophy rather than a method, and the philosophy is all around letting babies set the pace and intake - similar to division of responsibility (DOR) which is popular now. Giving them whole/actually solid food is only a small part of it, but in general parlance that is the part which tends to stick in people's minds, so most people when they talk about BLW are not talking about the feeding/weaning philosophy, but about offering whole solid foods as opposed to smooth/lumpy purees.

Contrary to a lot of groups, your BLW baby will not choke if they encounter a spoon. If you do want to give solid foods alongside purees, it's worth reading up on safety guidance, the difference between gagging and choking (FGS be careful googling this - include BLW or baby in your search term) and how to prepare foods at different ages.

A mix of both worked fine for mine, I don't know anyone who's solely done one or the other but I'm sure some do. Really all comes down to what works best for you and your baby.

"Traditional" weaning isn't solely purees, it's purees along with finger food. BLW is no purees at all. So if you do both you are just doing traditional. Saying you are doing both is like saying you are mix feeding, and also exclusively breast feeding.

Every person I know has done a mix. You will find different approach suits your baby at different times. Just wait until they go through the spoon refusal stage…

It's far easier and less stressful to not label what you are doing and just feed them however it suits at the time.

At home in a calm environment where you have time or the rest of the family is eating, give them what you are eating if it's suitable / you are comfortable with it.

If you are out and about or in a hurry and a jar/pouch/something easily spoon fed is easier, do that.

Give them snacks like fruit and veg sticks, puff snacks etc. Sandwiches and crackers are also easy and fine too.

Just go with the flow.

I found the BLW community online so intense and obsessive so I just stopped looking for guidance and did my own thing.

This is right, you are doing traditional weaning (which includes finger foods).
Baby led weaning means you never spoon feed the baby, they only ever feed themselves.

I did traditional weaning, including lots of finger foods as well as spoon feeding.

Big chunks of melon are good for early on. Toast fingers, slices of boiled egg. Pasta - fusilli is easy for them to grip.
I also made a lot of risotto and orzo for spoon feeding.

Puree and finger foods is traditionally weaning. There is nothing wrong with either of methods. I did blw as my kids didn’t want to be spoon feed.

I did traditional weaning with finger foods and purées from day 1. DC1 loved being spoon fed so I kept on with purées for a while, though he was quite capable of self feeding. DC2 liked to self feed so purées were dropped quite quickly and I just let her get on with it.