If you follow me on instagram, or the facebook page, you might have heard me mention baby-led weaning. I first heard the term when Natalie was a baby, but as she wasn't a big food eater until well over a year old, I never really looked further in to it. Riley was the same with food, prefering breast feeding to actual food. But Sophie started watching me eating around four months old. And at around five months old, she would reach for food I was holding, but was easily distracted away from it.
So I decided I needed to look into what baby-led weaning was all about, and whether it would work for us. And the more I read, the more I realised it was exactly how I introduced Chloe to food!
I started Sophie with cucumber, and we've worked our way through avocado, steamed carrot, steamed potato, steamed pumpkin, tomato, grapes (sliced in half) and watermelon (favourite).
Then we sat down to eat one night, and I realised I had nothing to give her, so I shared some of our mashed potato with her.
At this stage of the journey, Sophie isn't eating much of the food, although some things get chewed on more than others.
Roast pumpkin has been our hands-down best food. I roast it with the skin on (so it holds its shape) with a bit of garlic on it, and it ends up everywhere, including her mouth!
Our messiest food to date was fried rice. Not much ended up in the mouth, but I was tempted to call the
Baby-led weaning was the best decision for us!
For more information and recipes check out
Little Grazers
My Lovely Little Lunchbox
Toddler Tastes (hasn't been updated since Sept, 2013)
Your Baby Eats What?! (no updates since 2011)
Looks like fun (if not more than a little messy!). Jess is just starting to pay attention to us eating. Watermelon has got her attention - probably because of the colour so I might start with that in a couple of weeks :)
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of this term thirty years when when mine were learning to shift from liquid to solid food, but I realise this is exactly what we did - allow them encounters with real food. The number of grapes I peeled for our son! Wishing you and Sophie well with this - she looks as if she is thoroughly enjoying it :).
ReplyDeleteLooks as though it's working for you (AND Sophie!)
ReplyDeleteAlison xx
Hayleys favourite is pumpkin too
ReplyDelete