With my first baby I spoon fed. I had never heard of baby led weaning (BLW) and so did what was recommended at the time. I lovingly made and puréed up all of his meals. They didn’t have pouches of baby food, it was all jars which other Mums turned their noses up at. I did occasionally use them though! I introduced finger foods at 7 months and he is now a brilliant eater.
Roll on 3 years and I had baby no 2. This time BLW is starting to become popular so I start him just before 6 months when he grabs my banana. Baby no2 very rarely ate with a spoon, I only helped him with his breakfast by pre loading and he would eat the same meals as his brother. He is also a good eater, the only difference between the two of them is that baby no2 is now less worried about trying new foods and likes spicier food than his big brother. This could be the BLW or it could just be his personality.
Baby no 3 has been a totally different game all together. We started weaning at 21 weeks after being told to by both the dietician and her paediatrician, due to her reflux and weight gain. We decided to do a mix, mixed weaning (I know that if you ever spoon feed then it’s not BLW) So for the sake of argument we have spoon fed and offered finger foods right from the start and it is working really well. For us it is a good compromise and her are some of the reasons why;
There is so much pressure these days to BLW and only do it that way, the spoon is seen as a sin! I think that as long as you and your baby are happy, growing well, just do whatever fits with your family and your child. Obviously don’t wean before 17 weeks and avoid added sugar, salt and honey and all will be ok. When spoon feeding follow their lead and watch for signs they have had enough for example closed mouth and looking away. We have never had to encourage her to eat, no aeroplanes or funny noises here. If she isn’t interested in what is being offered on the spoon then we give her some finger foods instead.
How are you weaning?
That’s pretty much how we weaned MM! Recently she tends to want to feed herself at lunch time and shuns the spoon, while in the evening when she’s more tired she seems to prefer being fed by me. We just follow her lead and she eats a great variety of foods. She was born 5 weeks early, had we followed the BLW approach she wouldn’t have started weaning until 8 months because it took that long for her to sit up unsupported! All babies are unique and it’s great you have followed the approach that suits both baby and you! #weaningwednesdays
i’m currently weaning. We do mainly spoon feed, although he does have banana and the odd biscuit. I’m really confused about where to start with finger foods?!
Stacie xx
I think that is a really sensible, balanced approach and similar to the way I have done things. #WeaningWednesdays
I spoon fed Finn too. He is the most amazing eater and you would have thought I’d have followed the same approach with Rory due to it working so well with Finn. However after reading a lot about blw I knew it was something I wanted to try. I def think that both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages and it really depends on the baby and home situation to what method works best. Thanks for sharing. A x
I think it completely depends on what the bubba wants. Emily started weaning early at 3 months due to reflux and the loss of weight. She then went to BLW when she was 5-6 months, She now has a happy balance of both and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I think it is nice for them to gain there independence with BLW, but also take some help when they are tired or having a fussy day. xx
Steph | http://www.raisingemily.net
We weren’t too sure what to do when we were weaning out daughter, so just sort of copied what my sister in law did with my niece. Soon enough Little Miss Vista let us know she didn’t like what we were doing and just started to grab at food and eat by herself.
Since she was about 7 months old and ale to hold on to thing she’s eaten herself. We occasionally spoon feed her even now but only if she is really worn out or is being super lazy! Lol.
The only negative that I can see, is that at 19 months she has no interest in using a spoon or fork and just digs in with her hand!
#weaningwednesdays