How to start baby-led weaning
- Continue to nurse or bottle-feed.
- Skip the schedule.
- Keep it soft.
- Prepare food according to your child’s age.
- Dine together.
- Offer a variety of foods.
When should you start baby-led weaning?
When can I start baby-led weaning? The recommended age to start baby-led weaning is from six months onwards (NHS, 2019). This is the same age as the alternative – spoon-feeding (NHS, 2019).
What foods should you start with for baby led weaning?
Appropriate first foods include: Soft, cooked vegetables: Broccoli, carrot, potato, sweet potato, butternut squash, pumpkin, peas — pureed, mashed or served as finger food. Soft fruit: Banana, mango, blueberries, raspberries, avocado, cooked pear or apple, plums, peaches — pureed, mashed or served as finger food.
How many times a day should you do baby-led weaning?
As long as you are offering your baby solid food two to three times a day (and after 12 months old, moving to three meals + two snacks a day) and continuing to offer breast milk or formula feeds until around 12 to 15 months old, your baby should be getting enough to eat.
How do I start baby-led weaning? – Related Questions
How do I transition from purees to baby-led weaning?
The best way to help your baby make the transition from purees to finger foods is by introducing finger foods into their diet as early as is possible. Once your baby is on purees for a while, and they are now used to eating solid food, try introducing finger food into their diet as soon as you can.
Can you overfeed with baby-led weaning?
One of the advantages of BLW is that it’s very difficult to overfeed your baby. As long as you’re providing a good variety of nutritious food it will be up to your baby to decide whether or not they want to eat it.
What are the disadvantages of baby-led weaning?
Cons
- Potential safety concerns. Giving babies certain foods before they’ve developed the needed oral motor skills to eat it could lead to gagging, vomiting and potentially choking.
- Potential negative mealtime experience.
- It’s harder to pinpoint an allergic reaction.
Do doctors recommend baby-led weaning?
While baby-led weaning may be a popular choice these days, doctors want parents to know that it’s definitely not a requirement.
Can babies choke baby-led weaning?
But is it safe to give gagging-prone infants food in this way? A new New Zealand study found that baby-led weaning did not cause more choking than traditional spoon-feeding. Still, the researchers discovered that both styles led to unsafe accidents.
Why is BLW better than purees?
A BLW approach focuses on the independence of your baby taking food to their own mouth and consuming the quantity and variety they choose. You don’t puree foods, but rather offer them foods from what everyone else is eating at family mealtimes. This allows the baby time to learn the art of eating independently.
How do you cut a banana for baby led weaning?
If you’re following a baby-led weaning approach, big, grippable pieces are the name of the game at 6 months. Try cutting a banana in half and peeling halfway down so your baby can gum at it while using the peel to grasp the fruit. Another option is to slice the banana into long strips that she can grab with her palm.
Can my 6 month old choke on toast?
Is bread a choking hazard for babies? Chunks of bread can be a choking hazard for babies. Make sure you’re preparing bread safely for your little one by removing the crusts, lightly toasting it and cutting it into small, bite-sized pieces that are appropriate for her age.
What foods can a baby choke on?
Potential Choking Hazards for Young Children
- Cooked or raw whole corn kernels.
- Uncut cherry or grape tomatoes.
- Pieces of hard raw vegetables or fruit, such as raw carrots or apples.
- Whole pieces of canned fruit.
- Uncut grapes, berries, cherries, or melon balls.
- Uncooked dried vegetables or fruit, such as raisins.
Is my baby gagging or choking?
Choking occurs when an object or piece of food is too big, and actually blocks the baby’s airway. While gagging is characterized by coughing and noise, choking is characterized by silence. Oftentimes, a baby will look scared, and may also start to turn blue or purple, especially on their lips.
Can a baby choke on scrambled eggs?
Eggs are not considered a common choking hazard for babies. However, you should still prepare them safely by making sure they’re soft and easy to chew (such as by scrambling them or serving them in a frittata), then cut into small, bite-sized pieces that are manageable for your baby’s age.
Can baby choke on mashed banana?
No. Bananas are not a common cause of choking, but they are a common cause of gagging, as they may stick to the inside of baby’s mouth. However, processed banana (such as dried banana and banana chips) certainly can be.
How do you do baby led weaning without choking?
Here are my top eight tips to prevent choking when baby-led weaning:
- Let your baby self-feed.
- Watch your baby while they eat.
- Use a proper high chair.
- Don’t offer food in choking-hazard size.
- Offer appropriate size, texture and shape of food.
- Don’t let your baby play with toys or watch TV during meals.
What age can baby have toast?
When to introduce bread and toast. There’s no perfect schedule for when to introduce bread or toast to your baby. The Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) gives the go-ahead for starting a variety of solid foods from around 6 months old — and bread can be included from this age.
Can a 6 month old have pasta?
When can babies eat pasta? Pasta may be introduced as soon as a baby is ready to start solids, which is generally around 6 months of age. Take care when introducing pasta if you haven’t already introduced egg or wheat into baby’s diet yet, as pasta often contains both egg and wheat, which are common food allergens.
What finger food can I give my 6 month old?
From around 6 months
You can start weaning with single vegetables and fruits – try blended, mashed, or soft cooked sticks of parsnip, broccoli, potato, yam, sweet potato, carrot, apple or pear. You could also try baby rice mixed with your baby’s usual milk.