Weaning is a natural transition from breastfeeding to your baby starting their first foods. As a new mother, you might have heard different information on what age to start this process. However, the best age to begin this process is six months.
If you think your baby is old enough to begin this process, here is what you must know.
Key Notes
- The best age for this process is six months
- Start when your baby can easily eat or have some teeth to swallow or chew
- Select appropriate foods to avoid risks such as choking
- Get ready to clean a messy kitchen
An Overview Of Baby-Led Weaning (BLW)
Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) has gained a lot of traction in recent times, which is why you can also follow this trend. It is when your baby reaches six months of age and you start feeding them solid foods using your hands.
The primary purpose of this is to ensure that your baby has the opportunity to explore unique foods with different textures.
When this happens, your baby will also get better at self-regulating the amount of food that they would like to consume. But, it is important to know when and how to start this process.
Baby-Led Weaning: How To Begin
Introducing solid food to your baby’s diet is the perfect way to begin the baby-led weaning process. Here are some signs to tell you it is time to begin BLW:
- When your baby has some baby teeth, and they can chew and swallow
- They can easily bring food to their mouth
- Sitting up without any support
Keep in mind that you still need to breastfeed in the beginning. BLW is a gradual process, and it will take some time for your child to get used to it. You can also complement this process with formula feeding so your child is not dependent on nursing sessions.
Things To Keep In Mind When Starting Baby-Led Weaning
Having the right information before you begin anything new with your baby is always important. We have listed some tip things you can keep in mind when beginning this process:
- Select The Right Foods
The right foods can make all the difference in this process. Some foods will be choking hazards for your baby that you should stray away from.
These include cherries, raw vegetables, whole grains, nuts, large meat chunks, popcorn, or anything crunchy.
You should begin by introducing soft foods into their diet so they can get used to it. We have listed some first foods you can try with your baby during BLW:
- Steamed carrots
- Banana
- Steamed broccoli
- Roasted and peeled sweet potatoes
- Soft chicken
- Keep An Eye On Your Baby
We tend to get distracted as there are many things that want our attention throughout the day.
However, you must not make this mistake when you are with your baby. As they try new foods, make sure that you are there at all times.
If you leave them unattended, they might start choking on the food or create a mess. Your presence will also provide them with the comfort and encouragement to try new foods.
- Look For Signs Of Food Allergies
Many experts suggest that you should offer as many foods as possible to your child so they can accept them and not develop an allergy.
But some foods can still cause allergies. Important allergic signs to look for include tongue swelling, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and more.
Supervision is important so you can take them to emergency care as soon as you notice these signs.
We also recommend you talk to the pediatrician of your child before you introduce common allergens such as seafood, peanuts, and eggs into their diet.
- There Will Be A Mess
BLW means children will begin exploring food through dropping, smearing, smashing, and more. Get ready to clean up a big mess at every meal during this time. It is part of the process as the children learn to love various foods they try.
Our top recommendation for you would be to place a plastic cloth or garbage bag under the chair. The food falling from there will get into the can, making cleaning a breeze for you.
So, get ready to clean a mess whenever you feed your baby.
Final Thoughts
Whoever has a child of six months can begin the BLW process to ensure a gradual transition from breastfeeding to independent eating.
Your child might get fussy or have negative reactions to this process, but it is an important childhood experience every baby goes through.
On the other side of this struggle is an independent child that can easily eat all kinds of foods. So, struggle today and reap the fruits of your labor soon enough.
