There ain't a lot of info on baby led weaning but the idea is that at 6 months or when the baby can hold his head and sit unaided, you give him food (not pureed food but normal food that you and I eat) and let him experiment with it till eventually he does start eating! The result is quite messy as well since food goes EVERYWHERE!!! It is believed that this kind of weaning is an extension to breast feeding (and even if not) as at this stage babies start trying to eat and there is no need for purees which have been invented when babies were started with food at 3-4 months (when they are defenitely not ready for such type of food!). Of course, it doesn't mean that you leave your kid with an apple in his hand and carry on your work....you have to be near him and supervise as the risk of choking is very present and especially at the beginning till they get the hang of it.
We are now more or less 2 months into it and I am quite pleased with the result. We started baby led weaning round about 5 months.....well we'd give him bits and pieces of bread or biscuits that would melt into the mouth every now and then and started in earnest at 6 months. He is now 6 months 3 weeks and he is getting the hang of chewing and swallowing rather than sucking and swallowing. He loves raw tomatoes, nectarines (such as peaches, apricots), rice(this we did like a porridge), soup, ravioli (a type of pasta) and of course pizza! If he asks for food while we are eating I give him some to try. If I give him but is not interested I take it away, sometimes I leave it there and he starts playing with it and eventually he actually tries it, at which point most of the time he eats some. He won't eat a lot mind just a spoonful or so but that is quite enough for him.
It is very interesting as a way to wean babies especially since he already knows how to feed on his own with a spoon (or anyway he knows which right side should go to his mouth but normally by the time it gets there half of the food is on the floor LOL) and prefers feeding himself than having me or hubby to do so. Also there is more interest in what he is eating and normally eats all even though he would some times eat while at the same time making a disgusted look on his face hahah.
Any views on this?
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Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Baby led weaning
There ain't a lot of info on baby led weaning but the idea is that at 6 months or when the baby can hold his head and sit unaided, you give him food (not pureed food but normal food that you and I eat) and let him experiment with it till eventually he does start eating! The result is quite messy as well since food goes EVERYWHERE!!! It is believed that this kind of weaning is an extension to breast feeding (and even if not) as at this stage babies start trying to eat and there is no need for purees which have been invented when babies were started with food at 3-4 months (when they are defenitely not ready for such type of food!). Of course, it doesn't mean that you leave your kid with an apple in his hand and carry on your work....you have to be near him and supervise as the risk of choking is very present and especially at the beginning till they get the hang of it.
We are now more or less 2 months into it and I am quite pleased with the result. We started baby led weaning round about 5 months.....well we'd give him bits and pieces of bread or biscuits that would melt into the mouth every now and then and started in earnest at 6 months. He is now 6 months 3 weeks and he is getting the hang of chewing and swallowing rather than sucking and swallowing. He loves raw tomatoes, nectarines (such as peaches, apricots), rice(this we did like a porridge), soup, ravioli (a type of pasta) and of course pizza! If he asks for food while we are eating I give him some to try. If I give him but is not interested I take it away, sometimes I leave it there and he starts playing with it and eventually he actually tries it, at which point most of the time he eats some. He won't eat a lot mind just a spoonful or so but that is quite enough for him.
It is very interesting as a way to wean babies especially since he already knows how to feed on his own with a spoon (or anyway he knows which right side should go to his mouth but normally by the time it gets there half of the food is on the floor LOL) and prefers feeding himself than having me or hubby to do so. Also there is more interest in what he is eating and normally eats all even though he would some times eat while at the same time making a disgusted look on his face hahah.
Any views on this?
We are now more or less 2 months into it and I am quite pleased with the result. We started baby led weaning round about 5 months.....well we'd give him bits and pieces of bread or biscuits that would melt into the mouth every now and then and started in earnest at 6 months. He is now 6 months 3 weeks and he is getting the hang of chewing and swallowing rather than sucking and swallowing. He loves raw tomatoes, nectarines (such as peaches, apricots), rice(this we did like a porridge), soup, ravioli (a type of pasta) and of course pizza! If he asks for food while we are eating I give him some to try. If I give him but is not interested I take it away, sometimes I leave it there and he starts playing with it and eventually he actually tries it, at which point most of the time he eats some. He won't eat a lot mind just a spoonful or so but that is quite enough for him.
It is very interesting as a way to wean babies especially since he already knows how to feed on his own with a spoon (or anyway he knows which right side should go to his mouth but normally by the time it gets there half of the food is on the floor LOL) and prefers feeding himself than having me or hubby to do so. Also there is more interest in what he is eating and normally eats all even though he would some times eat while at the same time making a disgusted look on his face hahah.
Any views on this?
5 comments:
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Tania @ Larger Family Life said...
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I think it's an extension of a baby's natural curiosity. They find out about things by using their senses, which includes putting them in their mouths. I think it's a natural way for them to learn to eat. Sometimes I've done this, sometimes I haven't, sometimes I've weaned a mixture of ways.
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August 12, 2009 at 2:24 PM
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Alicia said...
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i do the same with presely. when i see she has an interest in a food i let her do with it what she will! sometimes she eats it, sometimes she doesn't, but she loves to self feed!
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August 14, 2009 at 1:57 AM
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Uninvoked said...
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Being the only one without a kid here, I suppose I'm the only one sitting here wondering if it really matters how a kid learns to eat. Will they gain something valuable from it later? Develop strong and healthy jaws?
Or is it just cause they kinda like it, and pictures of a kid sitting in a highchair with spaghetti o's stuck all over them is cute? ;-) -
August 14, 2009 at 3:38 PM
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La Belle Mere said...
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Thanks for stopping by my blog today. x
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August 14, 2009 at 6:52 PM
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Kiera said...
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Thanks for sharing your story. Every one I hear of baby led weaning is positive.
Uninvoked - it actually develops their physical and mental skills. The main one being picking up food with their hands and putting it in their mouth developing those motor skills.
Also since they are in control of their food, they will try more and when they become a toddler are not fussy at eating.
Amazingly there is also less risk of choking because they are controlling it in their mouth and have a perfectly good gag reflex. With a spoon you bypass this as you put it at the back of their mouth.
I could go on, but there are many advantages besides the cute photos :) -
September 21, 2009 at 10:12 AM
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5 comments:
I think it's an extension of a baby's natural curiosity. They find out about things by using their senses, which includes putting them in their mouths. I think it's a natural way for them to learn to eat. Sometimes I've done this, sometimes I haven't, sometimes I've weaned a mixture of ways.
i do the same with presely. when i see she has an interest in a food i let her do with it what she will! sometimes she eats it, sometimes she doesn't, but she loves to self feed!
Being the only one without a kid here, I suppose I'm the only one sitting here wondering if it really matters how a kid learns to eat. Will they gain something valuable from it later? Develop strong and healthy jaws?
Or is it just cause they kinda like it, and pictures of a kid sitting in a highchair with spaghetti o's stuck all over them is cute? ;-)
Thanks for stopping by my blog today. x
Thanks for sharing your story. Every one I hear of baby led weaning is positive.
Uninvoked - it actually develops their physical and mental skills. The main one being picking up food with their hands and putting it in their mouth developing those motor skills.
Also since they are in control of their food, they will try more and when they become a toddler are not fussy at eating.
Amazingly there is also less risk of choking because they are controlling it in their mouth and have a perfectly good gag reflex. With a spoon you bypass this as you put it at the back of their mouth.
I could go on, but there are many advantages besides the cute photos :)
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