What is baby-lead weaning?

July 22, 2020

The baby-led weaning trend is continuing to grow in the United States. It’s a way to offer natural and family-friendly way of serving solid foods – and skipping the purees all together. Here is what you need to know about baby-led weaning to see if it’s right for you and your baby.

In a nutshell, baby-led weaning typically starts at about 6 months of age and teaching kids to feed themselves. It’s one of the first steps towards your little one learning how to be independent and develop their hand-eye coordination, chewing skills, and healthy eating habits.

Benefits of baby-led weaning:

Allows baby to get familiar with different textures and flavors
Self-regulation: baby is in control of the amount of food they eat
Teaches them how to chew
Develops hand-eye coordination
Encourages family bonding by allowing them to dine with you
Saves parents time – no blending, freezing and defrosting homemade purees

Downsides to baby-led weaning:

It is very messy since it’s up to them to get the food into their mouths
Baby may gag or choke on foods since they are just developing their oral skills
They might not get enough iron since those foods are harder to chew on – ask your pediatrician about a supplement

First baby-led weaning foods:

Start with single-ingredient foods so you know if any cause food allergies
Soft foods: bananas and apples
Steamed vegetables & fruits: zucchini, broccoli, apples
Moist and shredded meats
Small pieces or poached fish and pastas
Food should be soft and easy to smash

The Bazzle Baby GoBib is perfect for easy clean-up after a messy baby-fed meal. It folds into itself to contain all the mess in a ball and can be easily wiped cleaned or washed. This is a time to enjoy watching your baby learn, so do what you can to make cleaning a little easier!