What is Baby Led Weaning and How Can I Carry It Out

In baby-led weaning, you are no more in charge; your baby is. It may be the best thing to happen in a high chair as the invention of the bib. A few things you can do with this baby-led weaning condition are given below:

You may have seen the traditional way of feeding babies in which a spoon full of food is going flying into the baby’s mouth with all the special sound effects. But the baby-led weaning method is getting popular as well.

It is quite famous in the UK with a publication on baby-led weaning. But this method of baby-led weaning has been around for too long in the world.

The baby led weaning is a new approach to infant nutrition that makes it possible for a child to eat for longer periods of time than ever before.

For example, in the first two years of life, a child may eat up to 20-40 meals per day, as opposed to a few meals per day in previous generations. This can be a challenge for new parents who may not be familiar with this approach.

The goal of this guide is to provide information about the baby-led weaning approach and help you decide if this is the right approach for you and your baby.

What is Baby Led Weaning?

Baby-led weaning is a method of introducing solid foods to babies that have been around for decades. This approach is based on the idea that children can self-select and self-regulate what and how much to eat, and therefore, is not reliant on adults to feed them.

The baby-led weaning approach is a healthy approach to feeding infants and toddlers and can be done in a wide variety of ways.

The baby-led weaning approach does not require a special diet, or any special equipment, and can be done at home or in the office. Baby-led weaning is not a replacement for breastfeeding, but rather, is an option for parents who are ready to move away from breastfeeding.

What are the Benefits of Baby-Led Weaning?

In a small context, baby-led weaning means skipping spoon-feeding purees and letting the baby feed himself. In addition, some finger foods are given to the baby at around the age of 6 months. The benefits of such a feeding are a lot.

Baby-led weaning supports hand-eye coordination, dexterity, chewing skills, and healthy eating habits. It will also offer your baby the chance to explore the texture, taste, aroma, and color of different foods. It is also an early and important step for babies in learning self-regulation.

They will learn when to stop eating when they are feeling full. Babies that self-feed can not realistically have food more than they need since they are independently feeding. With spoon-feeding, parents may sneak in a couple more spoonfuls even when the baby is full.

Doing this very frequently will teach the baby to eat more than he needs and stop regulating his food intake very efficiently.

Though a few scientific studies have been carried out on this subject, experts see potential in baby-led weaning to have a lasting effect on the child’s food eating habits, preferences, and plates.

Plus, you will not have to buy little jars of food or spend time freezing, blending, and defrosting homemade baby food. It is also important to note that baby weaning may not be that beneficial for all babies.

Babies having developmental delays or neurological issues must start solids more traditionally. You will also have to be very vigilant about choking and food allergies.

When Should I Start Baby-Led Weaning?

Wait until your baby is just ready for it. Your child must be able to sit in a long chair unassisted, have a strong neck, and also be able to move food to the back of their mouths with jaw movements.

Most healthy children at the age of 6 months of age can self-feed, but strong chewing skills in some children might not be fully developed unless they are nine months old. The baby-led weaning recipes will help develop chewing skills.

Examples of a few baby-led weaning ideas include finger foods like banana, steamed broccoli florets with stalk, baked sliced apple without the peel, avocado, moist shredded meats, pasta, poached and flaked salmon, omelets cut into pieces or strips of chicken.