Baby Led Weaning Experiences

Baby Led Weaning - An Age Old Way of Introducing Food In Caribbean

What is being called "Baby Led Weaning" is an an approach that has been practiced in the Caribbean for many years. I have seen it done by family and friends - there was no specific name given to it.

Parents would say things like "let the baby put their hands in the food and feel it and feed himself. It will help them to develop properly."
or
"Let Him feed himself. Don't worry he will eat what he wants..."

So it is not new, just named - and indeed it is an excellent way to feed children and help them develop mentally.

Baby Led Weaning - The Second Time Around

by Amy
(Australia)

We did baby led weaning with 2 out of 3 of our children. Our first child we did the whole spoon fed commercial foods. I think that was more scary with all the gagging. Then 2 and 3 were two very independent boys. We tried spoon feeding with no#3 but would stand for it. He was taking the spoon off us anyway so we figured have your own food.

We haven't looked back.

There usually isn't much of a mess because most of it goes in the mouth. Being a Child Care worker I think it's great for their hand eye coordination and sensory development. It's also a lot easier when dining out with friends because I can still eat my lunch and he can eat his. I can steam up some apples or pears and tske them with us.

The mess thing doesnt really worry us - we figure if he's having fun eating them that reinforces that meal times are a positive thing.

Baby Led Weaning all the way!

by Charlotte Redfearn
(England)

Louisa doing BLW - nearly 7 months old

Our daughter is now 13 months old and she started baby led weaning (BLW) at around 6 1/2 months old. Our health visitor mentioned it to me originally and i was instantly intrigued but needed to know more, so she lent me a book by Gill Rapley & Tracey Murkett titled Baby-Led Weaning. The book was fantastic and helped me understand the concept of it all and how to get started, we have definitely not looked back! What really surprised me from a bit of researching, was that up until early 1930's most babies were automatically following BLW and the change from this was only due to changes in the way babies were breastfed. Mothers started following on the clock feeding not supply & demand, so limiting time spent at the breast, hence insufficient milk was produced, so pureed foods were given at early ages to help fatten up the baby! I found this quite scary, that it appears many eras of babies have been spoon fed purees from a very young age based on a seemingly incorrect decision about breast/milk feeding. This was my understanding of the research i found and i felt BLW was the most natural way a baby should learn to eat.

The beginning was a bit scary, especially with Lou being our first child, the first few occasions when she gagged we were quite panic stricken, but once we got our heads round the fact that the gagging is just your baby learning to deal with food in their mouth, we calmed down and watched with amazement at this little baby picking up sprigs of broccoli, carrot, cauliflower etc and munching away on it with her gums!

To ensure a variety of textures & tastes we also loaded spoons with food, which she very quickly was able to pick up & feed to herself. Friends with children all comment on how much more advanced Lou is at eating and how well her motor skills, hand eye coordination and speech is, along with her great confidence and contentedness at being allowed the freedom to explore her independence.

With BLW you just need to get your head round the concept of basically treating your baby as you would a dinner guest (so don't put food in their mouth), let baby take the lead, eat together when you can because baby will copy you & learn quickly and don't stress over mess...it all clears up!!

I will definitely do BLW again with any future babies, it has been so far a lot of fun and very rewarding.


	Baby Led Weaning - An Age Old Way of Introducing Food In Caribbean What is being called "Baby Led Weaning" is an an approach that has been practiced in the Caribbean for many years. I have seen it done by family and friends - there was no specific name given to it. Parents would say things like "let the baby put their hands in the food and feel it and feed himself. It will help them to develop properly." or "Let Him feed himself. Don't worry he will eat what he wants..." So it is not new, just named - and indeed it is an excellent way to feed children and help them develop mentally. Click here to read or post comments. Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Baby Led Weaning. advertisement Baby Led Weaning - The Second Time Around by Amy (Australia) We did baby led weaning with 2 out of 3 of our children. Our first child we did the whole spoon fed commercial foods. I think that was more scary with all the gagging. Then 2 and 3 were two very independent boys. We tried spoon feeding with no#3 but would stand for it. He was taking the spoon off us anyway so we figured have your own food. We haven't looked back. There usually isn't much of a mess because most of it goes in the mouth. Being a Child Care worker I think it's great for their hand eye coordination and sensory development. It's also a lot easier when dining out with friends because I can still eat my lunch and he can eat his. I can steam up some apples or pears and tske them with us. The mess thing doesnt really worry us - we figure if he's having fun eating them that reinforces that meal times are a positive thing. Click here to post comments. Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Baby Led Weaning. Baby Led Weaning all the way! by Charlotte Redfearn (England) Louisa doing BLW - nearly 7 months old Our daughter is now 13 months old and she started baby led weaning (BLW) at around 6 1/2 months old. Our health visitor mentioned it to me originally and i was instantly intrigued but needed to know more, so she lent me a book by Gill Rapley & Tracey Murkett titled Baby-Led Weaning. The book was fantastic and helped me understand the concept of it all and how to get started, we have definitely not looked back! What really surprised me from a bit of researching, was that up until early 1930's most babies were automatically following BLW and the change from this was only due to changes in the way babies were breastfed. Mothers started following on the clock feeding not supply & demand, so limiting time spent at the breast, hence insufficient milk was produced, so pureed foods were given at early ages to help fatten up the baby! I found this quite scary, that it appears many eras of babies have been spoon fed purees from a very young age based on a seemingly incorrect decision about breast/milk feeding. This was my understanding of the research i found and i felt BLW was the most natural way a baby should learn to eat. The beginning was a bit scary, especially with Lou being our first child, the first few occasions when she gagged we were quite panic stricken, but once we got our heads round the fact that the gagging is just your baby learning to deal with food in their mouth, we calmed down and watched with amazement at this little baby picking up sprigs of broccoli, carrot, cauliflower etc and munching away on it with her gums! To ensure a variety of textures & tastes we also loaded spoons with food, which she very quickly was able to pick up & feed to herself. Friends with children all comment on how much more advanced Lou is at eating and how well her motor skills, hand eye coordination and speech is, along with her great confidence and contentedness at being allowed the freedom to explore her independence. With BLW you just need to get your head round the concept of basically treating your baby as you would a dinner guest (so don't put food in their mouth), let baby take the lead, eat together when you can because baby will copy you & learn quickly and don't stress over mess...it all clears up!! I will definitely do BLW again with any future babies, it has been so far a lot of fun and very rewarding. Click here to read or post comments. Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Baby Led Weaning.
Home Blog Getting Started Baby's First Foods: Introducing Solids First foods recipes Rice cereal: the best first food? Ready for solids? Solids and breastfeeding Solids for your premature baby Pressure to start solids too early? 4 to 6 months 6 to 9 months 10 to 12 months Finger Foods Baby Led Weaning Baby led weaning guide Baby led weaning first foods Baby led weaning recipes Baby Food Recipes and Tips Cereals,Grains,Seeds Rice cereal Brown rice Oatmeal/porridge Barley Flax seeds Quinoa Wheat germ Basic purees Fruits Banana Pear Avocado Apple Peach Plum Blueberries Cherries Apricot Kiwi fruit Melon Grapes Mango Strawberries Pineapple Papaya Raisins Coconut Assorted fruit recipes Vegetables Sweet potato White potato Carrot Peas Butternut squash Green beans Broccoli Cauliflower Spinach Zucchini/courgette Eggplant/aubergine Turnips Beets/beetroot Lentils Black beans Chickpeas Preparing bell peppers for baby Swede/rutabaga Pumpkin Asparagus Okra Mushrooms Tomato Parsnip Onion Veggie/vegetarian recipes (6 m+) Veggie/vegetarian recipes (10 m+) Dairy Yogurt Cheese Yogurt cheese Cottage cheese Eggs Egg recipes Fluffy baked egg recipe Meat Purees, introducing meat Introducing chicken Chicken recipes (7 m+) Chicken recipes (10m+) Beef,pork,lamb recipes (7 m+) Beef,pork,lamb recipes (10 m+) Finger Foods Introducing finger foods Finger food ideas Finger food recipes Teething biscuits Egg free teething biscuits Baby bread sticks Wheat free teething biscuits Zwieback toast Sweet potato muffins Sweet potato & apple pancakes Whole wheat bread Egg free French toast Dips and spreads Other Recipes Breakfast ideas for baby Fish (7 m+) Fish (10 m+) Indian baby food recipes (7 m+) Indian baby food recipes (10 m+) Pasta (6 m+) Pasta (10 m+) Tofu (8 m+) Tofu (10 m+) Soup recipes Sweet potato soup for babies Butternut soup Minestrone soup Hummus recipes Sweet potato and chickpea puree Casseroles and stews Chicken stock Vegetable stock Beef stock Sugar free dessert Readers' Recipes Latest ideas Breakfast Dinner Dessert Finger foods Soups for baby Recipes with chicken Pureed vegetables Smoothies Special Occasions Healthy 1st birthday cake Wheat free birthday cake Sugar free frosting Homemade food coloring Thanksgiving Christmas Valentine's Day Recipes From our Blog Baby Food Charts Main chart for baby's 1st year 4 to 6 months 6 to 9 months 10 to 12 months Printable baby food diary Nutrition and Baby Care Giving baby water Giving baby juice Introducing a sippy cup Wheat germ Vitamin C Vitamin D Iron Calcium Protein Protein in baby's diet Complete protein baby food recipe Nutrition Brushing baby's teeth Whole milk and fats The dangers of adding salt Preparation and Storage Storage and preparation tips Freezing baby food Prepare baby food safely Thicken baby food purees Thin baby food purees Should I peel fruits and vegetables for baby? Veggies and fruits - cooked or raw? Using frozen veggies and fruits Using canned veggies and fruits Freezing/refrigeration Heating baby food Sweeten without sugar Is it dangerous to reheat rice? Baby Food Allergies Food allergy information The four day rule Foods to avoid Introducing wheat and gluten Wheat flour substitutes Cow's milk allergy & lactose intolerance Introducing dairy Soy allergy Egg allergy Sesame allergy Corn allergy Solids and eczema Digestive & Feeding Problems Constipation Diarrhea Spices, herbs & garlic Reflux Introducing solids to baby with reflux Parents' tips How much should baby be eating? Introducing lumpy foods, gagging Baby won't eat from a spoon Baby won't eat vegetables Making mealtimes fun Coping with a messy eater Diaper rash Feeding a baby with a cold Baby congestion Baby Travel Tips Advice on travelling with baby Air travel Flying with baby food and milk Travel by car Taking baby abroad Safety tips for traveling abroad Travel snacks First aid kit Eating out Baby Signing Communicate with baby Benefits of signing How to get started Our E-books Tempting Tiny Taste Buds The Homemade Baby Food Recipes Collection Download free baby food recipes Free Stuff Shop for Baby All baby care accessories Feeding accessories Baby bibs High chairs High chair toys Travel high chairs Baby food processors, mills and grinders Baby food blenders Homemade baby food accessories Travel cots and portable cribs Baby beach tents and sun pods Baby sun protection products (US) Baby sun protection products (UK) Baby feeding travel accessories Baby travel accessories Baby travel toys Baby sign language books Turn baby's photos into art Baby product reviews Our Newsletter What's New? Contests and Fun Printable 2012 Calendar Baby food photographs Baby of The Month Baby food recipe competition Website Info Sitemap About Us Contact Us Advertising Privacy policy, copyright notices & disclaimer
This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here. Home page \| Free Stuff/Coupons \| Our Blog \| Our Newsletter \| All Recipes and Articles \| Introducing Solids \| Baby Food Charts \| 4 to 6 Months 6 to 9 Months \| 10 to 12 Months \| Finger Foods \| Baby Led Weaning \| Food Allergies \| Preparation and Storage Baby Travel Tips \| The Homemade Baby Food Recipes E-Book \| Baby Signing \| Shop For Baby \| Baby Product Reviews \| Your Baby Food Blogs \| Contact Us Search \| Useful Resources \| What's New? \| Please Support This Site \| Advertise with us Disclaimer and Privacy Policy Copyright © 2005-2012 Homemade Baby Food Recipes. All Rights Reserved. Return to top