Baby-led Weaning for the Paranoid Parent

Photo by Sydney Troxell from Pexels

  With my first two children I knew nothing about baby-led weaning. I didn't even know it was a thing until I had my third. Now, he is 9 months old and the only pureed foods we use is for pancake mix and oatmeal. When I first started baby led weaning I watched my son like a hawk, constantly fearing he would choke. If you have similar worries you're not alone.  At first I followed our pediatricians advice to the "T". No food was bigger than my son's pinkie finger. It only took a couple of days for me to realize this was going overboard, so I hopped on Google and did some research. Becoming educated was the best thing I could do to eliminate my fears. Here's the most useful, mind- easing tips to start your journey.

• Gagging is natural. When your baby first begins eating solid foods they ARE going to gag. Relax. Don't jump forward sweeping your baby up in a panic. This will just traumatize them. Instead pay attention and wait a moment. Your baby will continuously get better at clearing the food from their throat and eating without gaging. Remember, that gagging does not mean choking.
• Don't be afraid of spices. Seriously. There is nothing wrong with introducing spice to your child's life. Watch out for salt content but a few spices wont hurt. By introducing different seasonings at an early age your child will be more likely to enjoy those foods later in life.
• Cutting the food. When I first started baby led weaning I cut everything into microscopic pieces and it made meal prep a tedious chore. Then I stumbled across the website, http://www.jennahelwig.com/blog/how-to-cut-foods-for-baby-led-weaning/, which provides visuals for how to cut up foods for your baby. A lot of foods are great cut up into thin strips perfect for little hands.
• Nutrition matters. When implementing baby led weaning be sure to pay attention to what they are eating. It is important to provide plenty of iron rich foods. Don't rush your baby during meal time. Give them plenty of time to eat as much of the food as they want and don't stop with formula or breast milk. Breast fed babies are also advised to take a daily iron supplement.

With these tips in mind set off on you're BLW adventure and enjoy it! Before long your baby will be feeding themselves and meal times will be a breeze. Also, check out mykidslickthebowl.com for some amazing BLW recipes! If you have any BLW tips share in the comments.