Squish's first stolen spoon.
Baby led weaning is skipping past the cereals and purred baby food stage. It's letting the baby completely feed themselves. They choose what they want to eat and how much. Once Squish was able to sit at 6 months he was placed in his high chair next to me at the dining room table during meals. If it was appropriate for him to eat, I put it on his tray. He started off with steamed zucchini and sweet potatoes in thin long sticks. Easy for him to pick up and grab and soft enough that he could learn how to chew easily. With a couple of days he figured out the best way to get the food in his mouth and he started trying to chew. Soon he worked on swallowing the food.
Lil' Stinker's first pancake at 6 months!
Squish recently turned 9 months old. He has two bottom teeth and that's it. He loves to eat and will try anything I give him. The only food limits he has is nuts and honey right now. Most importantly though, meal times are fun and relaxing again for the whole family.
Strawberry face at 7 months.
Baby led weaning does require the delaying of solid foods till at least 6 months. The baby needs to be able to sit unassisted, able to grasp and hold on to food, and no longer have the tongue thrust reflex. They should also be showing an active interest in food and eating. For some babies they're very interested by 5 months, for others this may not happen till 13 months. It's good for parents to remember that the main source of nutrition for at least the first year should be from breast milk or formula and to not get caught up in how much solid food a baby is eating. Baby led weaning is definitely not for every family or every baby.
Squish often holds food in both hands and eats out of both!
Here he's enjoying a calzone at 8 months.
1 comment:
Love all the photos!
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