Baby Led Weaning : Our Family’s Journey & Why It Was Worth It
When I first introduced solid food to my kids, I chose the Baby Led Weaning (BLW) method. As a mom from Korea, where most babies typically start with thin rice porridge (미음), this approach felt truly unusual—even a bit shocking to my own mom and my French mother-in-law! But I had a clear goal: I wanted my babies to experience real food textures, develop independence, and join our family meals right from the start.
BLW means offering soft, graspable finger foods instead of spoon-feeding purées. Yes, it was messy—smashed avocado everywhere was a common sight! And honestly, that first gagging sound made my heart stop. But I quickly learned a crucial difference: gagging is not the same as choking. Gagging is a normal, protective reflex. It actually helps babies learn to handle food safely. A red face and coughing are usually okay signs; a blue face and silence are not.
🥄Essential BLW Tips for New Parents
Before you dive into Baby-Led Weaning, here are some super important tips:
- Learn Baby CPR & Choking Response: This is non-negotiable for any parent, but especially for BLW. We watched YouTube videos and practiced basic first aid until we felt more confident. Knowledge is power, and it brings immense peace of mind! You can find excellent instructional videos from reputable organizations like the CPR Kids ou St. John Ambulance on YouTube.
- One Food at a Time (for Allergies): For allergy safety, we introduced one new ingredient every 3–4 days. This method helped us clearly track any reactions and significantly reduced our stress.
- Patience and Preparation are Key: Baby-Led Weaning isn’t a race. Your baby might drop, smash, or even completely ignore food in the beginning. This is all a normal part of the learning process! Over time, their chewing skills and hand-eye coordination will naturally improve. Trust the process, and your baby will get there.
🍓 Tip for allergy tracking:
| Day | Food Tried | Reaction? |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Banana | None |
| Thu | Egg | Mild rash |
👶 Why Our Family Embraced Baby-Led Weaning
Choosing BLW brought so many wonderful benefits to our family mealtimes:
- Introduces Real Food Textures Early: No bland purees here! My babies got to explore a wide variety of tastes and textures, which I believe helped prevent picky eating down the line.
- Encourages Self-Feeding & Independence: My babies quickly learned to listen to their own hunger cues and take control of their meals.
- Develops Oral Motor Skills: Handling different textures and shapes really helped them strengthen the muscles around their mouths, which is great for speech development too!
- Promotes Family Mealtimes: It was lovely having them eat (or explore eating!) similar foods to ours from day one. It made mealtimes a shared experience.
💛 Yes, it was messy—smashed avocado everywhere! And honestly, cleaning up definitely took longer. There were even moments of frustration, I won’t lie. But truly, those priceless moments watching them explore and learn made it all worth it. And trust me, kids grow up so fast, so embrace the mess while you can!
🛒 Recommended Baby Feeding Tools (Affiliate Links)
To make your BLW journey smoother, here are a couple of tools we found indispensable:
FAQ
Q1. Is gagging normal during BLW?
Absolutely! Gagging is a natural protective reflex. As long as your baby is breathing, coughing, or making noise, it’s usually not an emergency. It’s their body’s way of learning to manage food in their mouth.
Q2. When can I start BLW?
Generally, BLW can start around 6 months. Key readiness signs include being able to sit up with minimal support, having good head and neck control, and showing a clear interest in food (like reaching for yours!).
Q3. What if my family doesn’t support BLW?
You are definitely not alone! Many grandparents and other family members find the BLW approach strange at first, especially if they’re used to traditional spoon-feeding. But often, once they see babies happily exploring and eating real food, they start to come around. A gentle explanation and showing them how capable your baby is can help!
Final Thoughts on Baby-Led Weaning
Baby-Led Weaning might not be the perfect fit for every family, but for us, it was a truly wonderful and enriching experience. It fostered healthy eating habits, significantly reduced mealtime battles as they grew, and helped our children develop a positive, independent relationship with food right from the start.
If you’re considering this journey, remember: start slow, stay patient, and most importantly, trust your baby (and the process!). It gets easier, and the rewards are so worth it. 💛
