BLW how-to

Baby Led Weaning (BLW) and I had a serendipitous meeting. It came looking for me. Other than disposable diapers and breast feeding, BLW is the best parenting decision I've made so far. A bit of online research, a little light-reading, some mulling-over and I was game. It would be more convenient, more cost efficient, more productive and way more fun for me and my son Waylon than the pureed food we were working with.

It seemed super easy: give the kid bites of big-people food and watch him go. But once I started selling the theory to other mothers, questions arose. Indeed, there are a few lessons-learned to consider before you get started.

You'll need to round up...
a laid-back 6-7 month-old
an adventurous, enthusiastic caretaker
some healthy first foods
a cleaning arsenal
a free hour or so and patience




Aim for variety. This is a typical lunch or dinner plate. Include your basics: a whole grain, two or three vegetables or a fruit, maybe a dairy. Without fail, Waylon falls for hue. Lesson learned: let him taste the rainbow, and I don't mean Skittles.

Interestingly, they (BLW-gurus) say go on and give the kid whatever you want - from raw apple to spaghetti bolognese. Well, I am a healthy skeptic and an obsessive-compulsive clean freak, so Waylon has yet to have something so hard as apple or so messy as spaghetti (though he has had bites of ground beef taken from spaghetti and loved it.)

I made the mistake of giving Waylon gravy. (After all, he is a Bama baby.) Now, he pitches a 'gravy fit' over bland food. Lesson learned: keep it mild. No gravy.




Consider size. A common BLW suggestion is to offer sticks of food, which makes sense (something to grab and something to chew on). But Waylon would grab and lock down, and half the stick would be a loss. Lesson learned: grab-able bites of soft-ish, whole foods in small amounts work best. Too-small bites are not baby-finger friendly. Too much selection is overwhelming.


Brace for mess. These people are just figuring out those chubby little hands, and that food will not be still. I can lay back, but not far enough to watch Waylon smear food from here to Kingdom-come. I wipe while he chews. Bless his heart. Lesson learned: stay away from things like mashed potatoes and oatmeal. These are better fed via spoon.


Take it easy. It's going to be a painful first few weeks, watching your nugget try over and over for one bite. Let him try. And, beware the gag reflex in the first few days. Stay calm...and nearby.

Cheer 'em on. Punctuate the meal with lots of praise and encouragement, as well as a little brainwashing. Keep telling him sprouts are tasty. He'll start to believe you.