There’s a lot of varying information and opinions on the best way to introduce your baby to solids, and even motherhood in general.

This confusion can make your decision on how and when to introduce your baby to solids more stressful then it needs to be.

Some of information I was given when deciding what age to introduce Ryan to solids included that starting him on solids before he was four months old will comprise his immune system, or conversely, that four months old is the ideal age to start.

I was also told that starting him on solids at six months was a must, and that once he actually started solids the only way to do so was by feeding him purées, as he will definitely choke on solid foods.

I remember the decision to start Ryan on solids being a never-ending cycle of confusion and fear. Fear that the way I chose to feed Ryan would be wrong.

However, I’m here to reassure you that whatever way you choose to introduce your baby to solids is the right way for you, and it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.

When I started Ryan on solids I went with the Baby Led Weaning method, which believe me, is not without it’s critics and I did get a lot of questions about it when I was doing it.

If you’re thinking of introducing your baby to solids using Baby Led Weaning, or BLW as it’s also referred to and you’re not sure exactly where to start, or what Baby Led Weaning even is, then hopefully this post will give you a better idea on whether Baby Led Weaning is for you.

As a disclaimer, I’m not insisting that choosing this way of starting your baby on solids is the way to go. This post is just an account of my experience with Baby Led Weaning and the things I learnt.

Every baby and every family is different, so when deciding to start your baby on solids choose the method of feeding that suits you and your baby.

What is Baby Lead Weaning?

Baby Lead Weaning involves skipping purées and instead feeding your baby food that you would eat, but in finger sized portions.

Baby Lead Weaning means your baby feeds itself using their hands, you don’t use a spoon to feed them, as the feeding experience is led entirely by them.

Baby Lead Weaning allows your baby to learn about food’s varying textures and tastes, allowing them to explore flavours in full, as opposed to combing flavours that happens when you purée.

By using Baby Lead Weaning your baby is in total control of how much they eat, which means they won’t eat as much as they would if they were fed purées from a spoon that you preload for them.

One of the things I kept in mind to overcome this was telling myself that “food before one is just for fun” and as Ryan was still drinking milk throughout the day, I didn’t mind that he wasn’t eating heaps of food.

Why did I choose Baby Led Weaning?

I really liked the idea of Ryan exploring food on his own, putting it in his own mouth, and learning about textures.

And honestly for me it was easier for Ryan to try bits of my food instead of finding time to make purées.

What are the benefits of Baby Lead Weaning?

Some of the benefits of Baby Lead Weaning are:

• Your baby eats the same food as the rest of the family, so you’re saving time by not having to make them something different to everyone else.
• Your baby learns about different food textures and flavours.
• Your baby eats a wide variety of food from the start of their food journey, which may help them to try new foods more easily as they enter toddlerhood.
• Your baby regulates their own food intake.

What is a good age to start Baby Lead Weaning?

There’s a lot of debate surrounding how old babies should be when they start eating solids.

Baby Lead Weaning means that your baby decides when it’s time to start eating solids, it’s an experience led by them.

As soon as Ryan could sit up on his own, he stopped thrusting his tongue out of his mouth and he started taking food off my plate, he was telling me that he was ready to start eating solids. This all happened when he was five months old.

What foods do you start with for Baby Lead Weaning?

Ryan’s first foods that he had when he started Baby Lead Weaning were eggs and pitted cherries. After this there was no stopping him, he wanted to try everything.

Some other foods to start your baby on if choosing to introduce your baby to solids using Baby Lead Weaning include:

• Croissants
• Raw, steamed or roasted beans, cauliflower, broccoli and carrots
• A mini stir-fry including beef strips, and lightly roasted carrots, beans and noodles
• Sliced sweet potato
• Cucumber or pepper sticks
• Sushi
• Spaghetti
• Weetabix with banana
• Pancakes
• Toast cut into fingers
• Apples (Ryan would hold an entire apple and bite into it)

Further reading if you’d like to learn more about Baby Led Weaning

Before I started Ryan on Baby Led Weaning I read Baby-Led Weaning: The Essential Guide to Introducing Solid Foods and Helping Your Baby to Grow Up a Happy and Confident Eater, by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett.

Gill Rapley also has this website filled with Baby Led Weaning advice.

Do you have any Baby Led Weaning tips?