A Natural and Nurturing Path to Starting Solids, Raising Thriving Eaters, and Stewarding Your Child’s Health

An empowering approach to starting solid foods, baby-led weaning involves letting your baby self-feed finger foods from the start. Skip the purees and explore the benefits of this feeding method – unlocking the secrets to raising a thriving eater from the very first bites and beyond.

Embarking on the journey of introducing solid foods to your baby is an exciting milestone. It signifies a crucial phase in their growth and development, prompting the pivotal decision – which approach will you choose? While traditional spoon-feeding of ‘baby foods’ and infant cereal has been the conventional route, an alternative method supported by research is gaining traction – Baby-Led Weaning (BLW). This feeding method prioritizes a child’s autonomy, underlining their innate curiosity and capability to explore and self-feed solid foods independently.

Dive into this blog post to understand the basics of baby-led weaning, explore its benefits, and gain insights into considerations that matter and tips for success. Whether you’re a new parent or simply intrigued by this approach, read on to discover why many parents are embracing this alternative approach.

In this article

• What is Baby-Led Weaning?
• Baby-Led Weaning Basics: What you need to know
• 7 Benefits of Baby-Led Weaning
• Baby-Led Weaning Safety & Risk of Choking
• When to start Baby-Led Weaning
• How to Start: Tips for Success with Baby-Led Weaning
• Baby-Led Weaning Best First Foods

What is Baby-Led Weaning?

Baby-Led Weaning (BLW), also known as baby-led feeding, is an approach to starting solid foods that harmonizes with your infant’s developmental rhythm. By allowing your baby to independently explore age-appropriate finger foods, BLW honors their instincts and capabilities. 

This approach aligns with the Montessori philosophy, prioritizing a child’s autonomy and fostering self-driven growth. Naturally-minded families, inclined towards minimally processed foods and those desiring to nurture self-regulation skills, also find BLW a perfect fit.

BLW, though popular recently, really isn’t revolutionary; we are simply waiting for our baby’s developmental cues, then allowing them to explore solid foods independently from the beginning. In this article discussing the evidence to date on baby-led weaning, the authors describe how “ this approach is likely what mothers did for millennia before the introduction of specially prepared foods; baby-led weaning represents an alternative to the modern, industry-driven infant feeding culture.” 

Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to introducing solids. BLW may not be suitable for every family, so choose the method that aligns with your values and feels right for your baby. Only you know what’s best, mama!

Baby-Led Weaning Basics: What you need to know

Embarking on the baby-led weaning journey with your little one? Here are some basic principles to guide you as you introduce solids.

Tune into your baby’s cues and signs of readiness: 

Ensure developmental readiness before diving into baby-led weaning. The following signs of readiness are important indicators your baby is ready to safely explore solids foods: 

• Sitting up with minimal support
• Good head and neck control
• Able to grab and bring objects to the mouth
• Showing an interest in food 

Encourage self-feeding and independence

In contrast to traditional spoon feeding, Baby Led Weaning (BLW) shifts control to your child. As parents, we decide what, when, and where to feed, trusting our child to determine if and how much they eat. This grants your little one the lead—hence the term ‘baby-led’ weaning. Letting your little one explore and self-feed solid foods fosters independence — something that can only be nurtured, not spoon-fed. 

Respect your baby’s appetite and self-regulation 

With BLW, you are allowing your little one to self-regulate how much they eat. Giving your child autonomy and control over their own food intake helps them develop a better understanding of their hunger and satiety/fullness cues, which can help prevent overeating. At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that our babies are individuals just like us, and thus they will have their own preferences and appetites (which can often change day-to-day, like ours!).

Let your baby learn (and eat) at their own pace

Learning to eat solids is a gradual process. Initially, your little one engages in pre-feeding behaviors like playing, touching, and tasting – eventually these lead to actual eating. While it might be frustrating when your baby doesn’t eat much food, remember that, until age 1, milk should be the primary source of nutrition. Understanding that this time is more about exposure and practice than actually eating for consumption can help relieve stress and the temptation to pressure our babies to eat a certain amount. 

Another aspect of BLW is letting your little one eat at their own pace. With spoon-feeding, it can be easy to (unintentionally) overfeed or feed too quickly. When you allow your child to self-feed though, they will eat at the perfect pace – their pace!

Solids should NOT replace breastmilk/formula

Breast milk or infant formula should continue to be your baby’s primary source of nutrition throughout the weaning (introduction of complementary foods) process, until around one year of age. In other words, milk feeds should continue at about the same frequency, and solid food intake should not replace or reduce milk intake significantly during this time. Eventually, your baby will naturally reduce their milk intake as they begin to gradually consume more solids. Though, it is completely normal (and natural) for breastfed babies to not completely ‘wean’ from milk until well into toddlerhood. 

Prepare foods according to your child’s age

Foods should be soft enough – your baby does not need teeth in order to start solid foods, but foods should be soft enough for them to be able to chew with their gums or mash between their tongue and palate. Generally, if you can squish the food between your thumb and forefinger with gentle pressure, it should be soft enough for your baby. 

Opt for larger pieces for safety (new eaters) — surprisingly, they are safer for younger babies. A baby’s windpipe is roughly the diameter of a drinking straw, making smaller pieces and certain consistencies like peanut butter potential choking risks. Additionally, smaller pieces can be challenging for new eaters still developing their oral motor skills. In contrast, larger pieces are easier to handle, trigger the gag reflex (a protective mechanism), and can enhance sensory input crucial for oral motor skill development. Consider foods like rib bones or watermelon rind that are larger and resistant to breaking, providing opportunities for gnawing and chewing without the risk of small fragments. Always trust your intuition and assess your baby’s readiness—modify foods as needed.

In general, there are three characteristics of food that influence choking risk. The more round, hard, and slippery a food is, the higher the choking risk.  So when preparing foods, think about these and prepare the food accordingly to reduce the risk.  

General guidelines (based on age):

6-8 months of age:

• Soft foods easily mashed by the tongue, palate, and gums
• cut into thicker strips/sticks that baby can grasp with the entire hand (crinkle cutters can make certain foods easier to grip!)
• large enough for baby to easily hold onto and self-feed 

9-12 months of age:

• Foods should be soft enough and easily mashed by the tongue, palate, and gums
• Food can be cut into smaller pieces (i.e. bite size, shreds, etc.) as the pincer grasp is starting to develop
• Large chunks/pieces can be beneficial for those babies who need more practice biting/chewing (ahem, babies who overstuff or swallow small pieces of food whole)

Involve your baby in family meals

Incorporating your baby into family meals is key in baby-led weaning. Joining the family table lets them learn through observation and imitation, while also fostering social interaction. This is also an opportunity to model healthy eating habits, expose them to a variety of new foods, and create a positive atmosphere around mealtime. Research emphasizes that parental and home-related factors significantly influence children’s food preferences, making family meals impactful in shaping your baby’s preferences and acceptance of various foods.

Limit the spoon

Although many baby-led weaning advocates feel strongly that babies should never be spoon-fed purees, puréed foods can have a place in your baby’s diet. They can also still be fed using a baby-led approach. Ultimately, puréed foods are an important texture for babies to be exposed to – think yogurt, mashed potatoes, etc. There can be disadvantages though to exclusive puree feeding for extended periods of time. It all comes down to balance.

Some considerations regarding pureed baby foods:

• Research shows that prolonged exclusive consumption of purees may increase risk for picky eating and preference for softer foods.
• The oral motor skills required to eat pureed foods are very different from those required to eat solid, whole foods. 
• Many commercially prepared ‘baby foods’ or purees are highly processed and don’t offer the opportunity to explore a variety of textures, temperatures, flavors, etc.
• Rich and savory flavors are often masked with sweeter flavors in commercially-prepared purees
• Self-regulation can still be fostered with spoon feeding, it just requires us to be a bit more mindful and attentive to our baby’s hunger and fullness cues.
• Many commercially prepared ‘baby foods’ or purees have been found to contain high levels of heavy metals

Benefits of Baby-led Weaning

Allowing your child the opportunity to take the lead in their eating experience and self-feed age-appropriate foods from the start has many benefits, many of which will carry forward into adulthood. 

Encourages development of fine motor skills

BLW promotes the development of essential motor skills, such as hand-eye coordination, fine motor control, chewing, and self-feeding abilities. Blw infants learn to chew and manipulate different textures, fostering oral motor skills development.

Fosters autonomy and independence

BLW empowers young children to take control of their eating experience, promoting a sense of autonomy and independence. Ultimately, this helps foster confidence and trust in themselves.

Fosters appetite regulation & healthy eating habits

Having control over their food intake, BLW encourages babies to tune into their internal hunger and fullness cues. They learn to self-regulate their food intake, which can promote a healthier relationship with food and reduce the chances of overeating.

Nurtures positive eating experiences & mealtime behaviors 

Baby-led weaning nurtures a positive eating experience from an early age. It encourages a relaxed and enjoyable mealtime approach, diminishing the likelihood of challenging mealtime behaviors. 

May reduce/prevent picky eating

Offering a larger variety of foods and diverse range of textures and flavors right from the beginning can help expand a baby’s palate, which may reduce the likelihood of picky eating.

Promotes social interaction 

Include your baby with the rest of the family during mealtimes. This allows your little one to learn by observing and imitating. Ultimately, this promotes social interaction, creates a positive mealtime environment, and provides the opportunity to foster healthy eating behaviors.

It saves money (and time)

With BLW, you don’t have to buy ‘baby food’ or pay for expensive baby meal subscription services (yes those are a thing). You also won’t need to spend time making (and spoon feeding) homemade purées. Instead, you’ll be able to spend that time preparing a meal for the entire family and eating alongside your baby.

Baby-Led Weaning Safety & Choking Risk 

Is baby-led weaning safe? Choking is one of the major concerns new parents often have when it comes to starting solids. However, most babies effortlessly handle finger foods, and research assures that, with informed caregivers minimizing risks, baby-led weaning doesn’t increase choking likelihood.

Gagging is normal and protective – Gagging is very common when babies are first learning how to eat. It might cause watery eyes or coughing, and it can be very unsettling for parents to watch, but it actually serves to protect your baby against choking. Your calm reaction assures them they are okay, and helps them to remain calm. If you get scared and panic, your baby will sense that and may develop a negative association with gagging and/or eating in general. 

Minimizing Choking Risk – Although latest research suggests that the BLW approach does not carry an increased risk for choking, it’s crucial to stay informed about choking risks and risk reduction, regardless of the feeding method. Choking occurs when food fully obstructs the throat or windpipe. Unlike gagging, choking is often silent. Food characteristics such as roundness, hardness, and slipperiness significantly impact the choking hazard. When preparing foods, be mindful of these factors and modify the foods to minimize the risk.

Keep your baby safe and minimize the risk for choking by doing the following:

• Wait until baby shows all signs of readiness before starting BLW
• Never leave your baby unattended while eating
• Prepare food appropriately (based on age) – see above
• Avoid/modify high risk foods (small, round, firm, slippery, etc.)
• Set the mealtime environment (remove distractions)
• Make sure your baby is sitting upright while eating (avoid snacking while playing/running around)
• Allow your baby to feed themselves 
• Stay calm if they gag; never reach inside their mouth to attempt to remove food as this could push it back further and actually cause choking
• Consider choking prevention class for preparedness.
  • Free class here
  • Easily accessible guides (great for caregivers) on how to prevent and respond to a choking emergency

When to Start Baby-Led Weaning

Tune into your baby’s cues and wait until they are showing all signs of readiness (see above). In general, these signs of readiness begin to present around the age of six months, but it’s important to remember that every baby is different – while some may start showing these signs at/before six months, many are not developmentally ready until after 6 months. Ultimately, it’s best to trust your baby’s cues (and your intuition!), but if you are concerned about your child’s development or readiness to begin solids, consult with your trusted healthcare provider or a pediatric feeding specialist.

Although some health professionals still recommend starting solids as early as 4 months, multiple health organizations (including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization) recommend exclusive breastfeeding until about 6 months of age, after which the introduction of complementary foods should begin.

Waiting until 6 months of age also gives our baby’s digestive and immune systems more time to develop.

Special Circumstances

• Premature babies: 
• For some children with underlying medical conditions or developmental delays, consult with your child’s health care provider or a feeding therapist to determine if/when BLW can be started.
• If you’re concerned about your child’s development or readiness to start solids, consult with your pediatrician or trusted healthcare provider.

How to Start: Tips for Success with Baby-Led Weaning

Beginning BLW might feel overwhelming, but it’s simpler than it seems! If you’re considering this approach, there are ways to make it smoother and enjoyable for both you and your baby. Remember, eating solids is a skill that requires practice—trust that your baby is capable and let them lead the way. Read on for BLW success tips!

Embrace the messes

Sorry to break it to you mama, but messy eating is part of the process—expect smashing, smearing, and dropping food. Embrace it as a playful and sensory experience for your little one. Start introducing table manners early, but remember, mess is inevitable with BLW. Opt for a good bib or let your baby eat in just a diaper for easy cleanup. Consider a floor cover if you have carpet or rugs.

Ease into it – Start Slow & Simple. 

Start slowly with just small amounts of food once a day in the beginning, ideally during family meal time. Time meals strategically, ensuring your baby is happy and alert but not overly hungry. Aim for a mealtime between naps and regular milk feeds to avoid excessive tiredness or hunger. As you establish a routine, take it at a comfortable pace. There’s no need to provide three balanced meals a day at the start. Not only will this overwhelm both you and your baby, but it may increase the risk of constipation and reduced milk supply. It’s also perfectly fine to skip a day or two if needed, especially during the early months or if your baby is unwell

Prioritize safety

Baby-led weaning is safe with the right precautions. Ensure your baby sits upright in a high chair (never in a reclined position), has control over what they eat, and is supervised. Prepare food according to their age and understand how to manage gagging and choking. Check above for further safety tips to minimize choking risks and ensure your baby’s safety. Be knowledgeable about allergic reactions, and understand how to reduce the risk for food allergies.

Don’t worry about consumption 

In the initial stages of introducing solids, your baby’s primary nutrition will still come from breast milk or formula feeding (until around 12 months of age). Don’t be concerned if they don’t swallow much solid food initially; the key is to ease them into the concept of solid foods gradually. This phase is about exposure and practice. Eventually, your baby will gradually consume more solids, which will naturally reduce their milk intake.

Keep it chill and let your baby lead

Create a relaxed atmosphere for positive eating experiences and to minimize mealtime challenges. Your role is to offer food; let your baby decide what and how much to eat—avoid pressure or praise. Allowing independent self-feeding offers various benefits (discussed above): fostering motor skills, autonomy, self-regulation, and confidence. Whether finger foods or purées, give your baby time to explore and play with food. Flexibility is key—no need for an ‘all or nothing’ approach.

‘These results suggest that some mothers, who respond to feeding problems with anxiety or depression, may prolong or worsen the problem. ‘

Offer a variety of foods

Introduce diverse textures and flavors early on, offering a variety of foods. Be patient; it may take over 20-30 exposures for acceptance. At the same time, respect your baby’s taste preferences and avoid forcing specific foods. Children form food preferences through experience, and a growing body of research indicates that early exposure, even before birth, increases the acceptance of tastes. Thus, exposing your child to a variety of foods early on may help to broaden their palate and reduce pick eating tendencies.

“Repetition of taste exposures seems to matter as well’

Baby-Led Weaning Best First Foods

Intentional First foods – When it comes to first foods, many nutritious options exist and the “best” choice varies for each baby. However, it’s important to consider how the foods introduced during this critical time play a pivotal role in influencing your child’s development and lifelong health. Research indicates that intentional nourishment in the early years can impact the risk of various health conditions later in life. Thus, taking a mindful approach to introducing solids and nourishment during the early years sets the foundation for optimal health, reducing the risk of chronic illnesses. 

The best baby-led weaning foods are those that:

• Are nutrient-dense and provide specific nutrients your little one needs for proper growth and development (i.e. iron, protein, calcium, vitamins A, C, D, and zinc)
• Support your child’s health holistically 
• Align with your family’s values/preferences
• Help to build strong foundations of health

Baby’s first food ideas:

• Sweet potato fries
• Cooked carrots
• Avocado
• Banana
• Liver 
• Egg yolk

Need additional ideas? – Explore our getting started guide for our favorite first foods for babies – included is a list of suggested foods to introduce during the first month of solids.

Building strong foundations of health with Holistic Baby-Led Weaning® –  Holistic Baby-Led Weaning® integrates baby-led weaning principles with a holistic perspective on nutrition and well-being. This comprehensive and mindful approach to starting solids and nourishment during the early years recognizes the role of first foods in shaping long-term health, considering the baby’s well-being, developmental needs, and family lifestyle. It sets the stage for a lifetime of strong health, reduced risk of chronic illness, healthy eating habits, and positive relationships with food. Ultimately, Holistic Baby-Led Weaning® aims to build strong health foundations, ensuring your little one grows into their happiest, healthiest, strongest, and smartest self.

Takeaway:

Baby-led weaning is an empowering approach to introducing solids that encourages babies to explore, learn, and develop a healthy relationship with food from their first bites and beyond. By respecting your baby’s natural curiosity and self-feeding abilities, you can promote independence, positive food experiences, and healthy eating habits from an early age – the benefits of which will carry forward through your child’s life into adulthood.

Learn More

Resources to help you build strong foundations of health for your child from day one

Pregnant or newly postpartum? Starting solids soon? Feeling lost when it comes to recipe or meal ideas for your little one?

No matter where you are in your feeding journey, these resources will guide you through your baby’s first bites and beyond:

Free guide:

• Learn five simple ways to ensure you’re building strong foundations of health for your baby from day one. You’ll also receive a list of suggested foods to introduce during the first month!

Free Workshop:

• Learn how to safely start solids and gain confidence in raising a thriving eater while building strong foundations of health for your little one.
• This 60-minute workshop is an introduction to our signature framework and Holistic Baby-Led Weaning® approach to starting solids. You’ll learn how to safely start solids and nourish your child in a way that builds strong foundations of health while reducing the risk of chronic illness.

First Four Months Meal Plan & Recipe Guide: 

• Check out our Holistic Baby-Led Weaning® First Four Months: Sample Meal Plan and Recipe Guide. You’ll get a week-by-week guide (along with recipes!) to nourishing your baby during the first FOUR MONTHS of solids. The best part? Many of these recipes can be enjoyed by the whole family.
• This week-by-week guide to nourishing your child during the first four months of solids includes sample meal plans and 40+ recipes aligned with our holistic approach. You’ll also receive a comprehensive list of expert tips and resources for additional support during this critical time in your baby’s life.

Holistic Baby-Led Weaning® online course

• Ready to take a deeper dive and commit to building strong foundations of health for you little one? Enroll in the Holistic Baby-Led Weaning Course!

Disclaimer: this article is for educational purposes only; it is not intended to provide medical advice. The information provided here is general and applicable to developmentally typical infants and children. The information on this website is not medical or personalized advice for every child. Individual variations in development may require considerations beyond conventional practices. If your child has underlying medical conditions or any developmental differences (including but not limited to premature birth, developmental delay, compromised airways, craniofacial anomalies, chromosomal abnormalities, gastrointestinal conditions, cardiopulmonary disease, or neurological concerns), consult with your pediatrician, healthcare provider, and/or therapy professionals for personalized feeding plans. Always seek guidance from your healthcare provider regarding your child’s unique development and readiness for solid foods. And mama, trust your intuition and do what you feel is best for your baby!