I started researching Baby-Led Weaning when I was pregnant, and Carlo and I knew right away it was something we wanted to do with Otto. Turns out it was one of the best decisions we ever made for our son! 

What is Baby-Led Weaning?

Baby-Led Weaning is simply the idea that your baby will start eating whole foods when they start solids, and that they will self-feed. There is a lot more to it, and I encourage you to do your own research, whether that is reading books or checking out websites devoted to it. But essentially, it’s the idea that babies do not need to be spoon fed purees. To me, baby-led weaning makes perfect sense and is very natural. But I do understand why some parents might be hesitant to try it. For years, we have been told to spoon feed our babies and start with only purees. But there is really no reasoning behind it, besides the fact that it might be considered easier and less stressful for some. When I started learning about the benefits of baby-led weaning, it really made my decision for me.

Benefits of Baby-Led Weaning

There are honestly so many benefits, and too many to list. I can’t stress enough how positive of an experience this has been with our little guy.

Firstly, exposing your baby to different textures of foods helps them learn to use their mouth/gums/tongue to move food around in their mouth and chew. Babies will get messy, but this is just a part of the process. Letting them play with and explore their foods helps them become independent with their eating, and it also will lead to less texture aversions in the future. It also allows for babies to be and feel in control of their eating, and they will learn to start trusting their hunger cues (and other instincts). They get a chance to eat as little or as much as they please, and know when they are full. It is also a great way to expose babies to allergens, and contrary to old beliefs, exposure is key (not avoidance)! Babies also get a chance to build their fine motor skills, like palm gripping spoons and foods, as well as developing their (adorable) pincer grasp. The process of picking up and moving food to their mouths is such a great way for them to develop coordination. So, you can see that BLW goes way beyond just the food aspect.

Where to Start?

I would recommend starting with doing some basic research on BLW. If you find that you want to consider it, I would then suggest taking a Baby-Led Weaning course or something like a Starting Solids/First Foods course with a BLW focus. There are tons out there by reputable dietitians, and they are available to do online at your own convenience. A great time to do it is when you are pregnant! I would look for a registered dietitian and/or nutritionist who specializes in baby and/or childhood nutrition. Go browse on Instagram and TikTok and look for someone whose content you enjoy. Most of these content creators will offer some sort of course, and they are very reasonably priced for what you are getting. I took a course with The Baby Dietitian and it was awesome; I learned so much and it made me feel SO much more confident when starting solids with Otto.

I would also recommend taking a Baby First Aid/CPR course. This will give you the confidence you need when watching and supervising your baby eat pieces of food. Besides this, it is critical knowledge for any parent to have. These courses are easy to find online, and your local hospital may even offer them for free!

Finally, let family know this is the route you are going – especially family members who will be taking care of your baby or taking part in their feeding journey. If you have family coming to take care of your baby, you want to make sure they are on the same page and keep your feeding routine consistent.

Otto’s BLW Journey

We started Otto on solids one week before he turned 6 months old as recommended by our paediatrician. It was exciting, nerve-wracking, messy, and hilarious all at the same time. Some of his first foods were steamed broccoli with butter and nutritional yeast, slices of and mashed avocado seasoned with lime and garlic powder, sweet potatoes, whole grain toast, scrambled eggs, and yogurt mixed with peanut butter. At first, there was a lot of play involved and not a whole lot of consuming. It got better and better every time though. For the first couple of months Bailey ended up eating probably 50% or more of what I actually prepared for Otto. Between what he dropped and what he just didn’t eat, she was a lucky dog (she still is – to this day she lies by his high chair for every meal). 

One thing I learned while cooking and prepping for Otto was not to be afraid of spices and seasonings. The only things I really avoided were added salt and sugar, and of course honey before he was 12 months old (it can cause botulism in infants under one year). A common misconception people have is that baby food has to be bland. This could not be further from the truth! Why shouldn’t babies try new flavours? From the start, I cooked for Otto with garlic, onions, tons of herbs (such as basil and cilantro) and other spices like cumin, ginger and smoked paprika. I think this really helped him develop his palette for a variety of foods!

We started off with one meal and gradually worked our way up by adding meals and snacks over time. Two meals turned into two meals and a snack, which eventually turned into three meals and two snacks. You might wonder how you will know when to transition or introduce more food, but truthfully it becomes very intuitive. Your baby will give you signals that they are ready for more food (like finishing all their meals when they didn’t before, or making gestures or sounds for food). The beauty of BLW is they learn to honour their hunger cues, so they will naturally assist you in this process!

OK, I’m convinced… but what about the mess?!

Honestly, coming from me, a clean freak, I can tell you that it’s not as bad as you think it’s going to be. We bought one of those splash mats to put under the high chair but never ended up using it – we found it easier to just wipe the hardwood floor right after. And, having a dog definitely helps with clean up. Seriously though.😅

I am not going to say it’s not messy. But I will say things are going to get messy no matter what when you have a baby. You can really only control the mess for so long until you just give in. At some points, they are going to grow into kids and be messy eaters… so really you are just prolonging the inevitable. My advice is to think about the benefits your baby is getting out of it and allow them to enjoy their meal, then deal with the clean up immediately after. It’s when things pile up that it’s not easy to clean. And in all honesty, every single meal is not going to be disgusting. A few will be, but most will be manageable. Yes, your toddler is going to throw pasta with sauce all over the place. Yes, at times the wall is going to be splattered. But it all washes off. And it’s all part of the fun. It makes for funny photos and memories too!😁

What We Noticed With Otto

As I said before, there are countless benefits. With Otto, he really is not a picky toddler like everyone said he would be. Yes, he definitely has more “preferences” these days, and some things he used to love are useless at this point, but that is also just part of normal toddler development. Otto has always been open to trying new foods, and for the most part has a wonderful and healthy appetite. Family and friends are often impressed when we go over to their places or go out to eat!

We also notice him honouring his hunger cues… pretty much all the time. If he wants more, he says “more” very enthusiastically. If he is not feeling particularly hungry, he pushes food away or leaves it. Now he is even starting to tell us “all done” and hands us his bowl or plate (or tells us to give it to Bailey). Otto will run to the fridge or kitchen when he wants a snack. I love this for him, because I know intuitive eating is such a healthy habit to have as he grows up. I want him to learn he can trust himself to make decisions for his own body, and I really believe BLW is a great entry point for that.

Many Different Approaches

I want to stress that BLW is not a one size fits all approach. Like most decisions we make for our babies, there is a wide spectrum of options to choose from. The thing is, you can make BLW work for your family without having to check every single box. If you want to ease into it, that’s an option. If you want to take aspects of it and incorporate them into your feeding plan, that works too. If you want to start with a mix of purees and BLW, so be it! I love that this approach is not all or nothing and your baby can still reap the benefits even if you are not “all in”. I do think knowledge is power, and the more educated you are on something, the more confident you will feel going into it. As I lead with this post, start researching and see what you think!

For more inspiration…

I also have an entire TikTok playlist devoted to BLW with tips, amazing recipes, and more!