When I had my little ones (long long time ago), one of the most scary and stressful things for me was to feed them; my first baby took forever to feed from my breast, then he hated anything “solid”, he would only eat yogurt and then he just never was interested in food; later, I had my daughter and she was a champ eating, loved her milk and once it was her turn to eat solids, she was very interested in my food but hated any mushy food. So I remember talking to my paediatrician and he told me that if she was interested in “grown-up” foods, well, to give her “grown-up” foods, back then that wasn’t even heard of, I was shocked and was a little lost, how could I give her fruit in pieces instead of a pureed fruit, would my baby be OK eating like that? would she choke?, anyways, I did it and it worked, but I did it without much documentation or support on how to do it properly or what to do when.

Now, after talking to so many moms, working with them every week and seeing my IG feed full of babies, I see most of my newborns are growing into beautiful healthy babies who feed themselves with “grown-up” foods, or what I see now is an actual thing called “Baby led weaning” or BLW for short.

According to the 2015 guidelines released by Health Canada: “From six months of age, an older infant's complementary foods can be many of the same nutritious foods enjoyed by the family. They should be prepared and served with little or no added salt or sugar (WHO, 2009). Commercial infant foods are not needed and can be high in added sugar (Garcia, Raza, Parrett, &Wright, 2013)”. Who would have thought?! my babies new what was best for them, I just had to listen!!

I asked some of my clients how is BLW going for them, what was their experience and this is what they have to say:

“I find BLW helps to introduce solid foods to babies in a non-invasive way. I had been reading about BLW since I was pregnant. I wanted my LO to build a healthy relationship with food and actually enjoy eating. However I won’t lie, it was frustrating in the beginning. At 6 months Alana had no interest in food whatsoever, she won’t pick up any piece regardless its shape or colour. Few weeks later, she started to “notice” food and bring it into her mouth. Meanwhile, I gave her some puree to ensure she had the nutrients. It is a slow process, for some babies may take longer than others; some children just aren’t ready for finger foods at 6 months. I am for the mixed approach, as it helps expose babies to finger foods and also minimizes the risk of nutritional gaps in the diet!”

Another one said: “I started reading a lot of things about Baby Led Weaning when I was pregnant. The idea of my baby feeding herself giving her finger foods was very interesting to me. I started doing my research online, following people on social media and watching videos about this because I wanted different recipes and ideas. One day, I found an online course that had all the information about it, how to start, what to do with the food and how to present it to the baby; so I took it and it gave me the confidence I needed to start.

We started with foods like broccoli, avocados and bananas and it was very exciting for us watching her take her first bite and explore all different textures and flavours.

My baby is 14 months old now and I can say that she looks forward to eating every day and she enjoys it. Also, I love that she can be a part of our mealtimes, eating the same food and spending quality time with us as a family.

I am very happy that we did BLW. Not only the baby is in control of how much they want to eat but it’s also an excellent way of giving them healthier foods. I definitely recommend it to all the families.”

Also, I asked the experts! and this is what Laura Martire (Holistic Nutritionist) had to say about BLW:

“Baby led weaning  allows babies to explore and build a positive relationship with food.   It gives them the opportunity to learn how to pick up, chew and swallow foods at their own pace.  It’s also a great way of ensuring your babies diet is full of fresh, whole foods. By avoiding the store bought baby purees which in some cases have added sugar and salt.  The key for me with BLW is to consider the nutrients being provided at each meal. Try and provide your baby with a variety of iron rich foods like lentils, meat and eggs. Plenty of healthy fats from avocados, or veggies roasted in olive oil. Also, be sure to include a variety of fruits and vegetables to ensure your baby is getting all the right vitamins and minerals.   Always remember there is no right or wrong way to introduce solid foods to babies. Every baby is different so always pay attention to the cues your baby is giving you. “

Want to have someone to guide you through the journey, check her out, she is awesome!

Do you want to share your experience? present or past? leave me a comment below!

But, remember, whatever you do, you will always know what is best for YOUR baby!!!

xoxo