BLW vs The Traditional Approach to Starting Solids
If you had a baby 10 years ago or earlier, it would have probably never occurred to you to offer them finger foods when you are just starting solids.😬
The mainstream strategy was to begin with thin, smooth purees at around 4 months, then gradually upgrade the texture to thicker and lumpier foods before introducing bite-sized finger foods at around 9-10 months.
More recent recommendations focus on starting solids closer to 6 months with a focus on a variety of textures. 😇
Why is giving babies different textures important?
Exposing babies to different textures is very important for the development of oral motor skills and a varied diet in the future. The American Academy of Pediatrics, British Dietetic Association, and Canadian Pediatric Society are responding to this evidence by encouraging parents to be more adventurous with textures and include smooth purees, lumpy foods, and finger foods from early on.
Examples of various textures :
Puree - smooth baby cereal 🥣
Lumpy Food - a banana🍌 smashed with a fork
Finger Food - a piece of ripe mango 🥭
What we love about purees/mashed foods…
Purees/mashed foods are a straightforward and familiar way to start solids with your baby. They make a convenient vehicle for the essential nutrients your baby needs.
🥄Spoon-feeding purees/mashed foods can be a fun and stress-free way to jump-start solids🤩. But we should remember that it is just the initial step. Babies need to keep developing their skills, so lumps and finger foods should be introduced immediately after.
What to keep in mind when giving babies purees/mashed food?
It is very easy to get “pushy” with a spoon and start controlling the amount of food babies eat. Because we are in control of the spoon, it is very tempting to insist on another bite. Seeing our babies eat is a very rewarding process and we are wired to feel happy when they finish their food.
Another mistake we see is when parents get encouraged by how well their baby eats smooth purees and stick to this phase for longer than they should, instead of introducing a different texture. At the same time, failure to promptly upgrade textures to roughly mashed food with lumps may cause feeding problems in the future.
What is 👶🏻Baby Led Weaning?
Baby Led Weaning (BLW) is different from the traditional spoon-feeding approach to solids. The term was coined by Ms. Gill Rapley, co-author of “Baby-led Weaning: The Essential Guide to Introducing Solid Foods”. The BLW movement, originated in the UK, promotes skipping purees altogether and instead, letting a baby self feed long graspable finger foods.
Some popular BLW choices include avocado wedges, chicken thigh pieces, slices of roasted sweet potato and steamed broccoli with a stalk.
The basic premise of Baby Led Weaning is that if we wait to start solids at 6 months, babies will be ready to eat 🖐🏼finger foods. The puree/mashed food stage can be skipped altogether so that the babies learn to eat what the parents are eating from day one.
When it comes to spoon-feeding, parents who adopt Baby Led Weaning either allow their babies to self-feed purees with a preloaded 🥄spoon or serve purees without any utensils so that babies can eat them with fingers.
It’s important to note that BLW is all about independence and self-regulation. Anything that can interfere with a baby’s decision regarding the amount and choice of food is not consistent with Baby led Weaning, whether you choose to use a spoon or not. So trying to entice a baby to engage with finger foods is not essentially “baby-led”.
What we love about Baby Led Weaning…
Babies introduced to solids using BLW can decide what and how much they want to eat 🙌🏻 and I see it as the most significant benefit of this approach.
Another bonus of Baby Led Weaning is the fact that your baby can be included in family meals👏🏻 and get exposure to the same foods the rest of the family is eating. This is extremely helpful for the development of eating habits and skills.
In general, we still have very little research in the Baby Led Weaning area, and most studies tend to be observational and not experimental.
👉🏼 Observational studies often rely on what parents remember when they start solids with their babies which makes them great for exploring trends but less reliable when drawing conclusions.
👉🏼 Many studies found no difference in outcomes such as nutritional intake, growth, food preferences, and diet quality, whether babies were introduced to solids using purees of BLW.
👉🏼 Some studies came to more pro-BLW conclusions. For example, since BLW babies are supposed to self-feed and cannot be forced into eating more or less than they want, their self-regulation appears to be strengthened, and mealtimes tend to be more pleasant in general.Other significant benefits of BLW may include less processed foods, exposure to a variety of foods, and a better attitude toward food and eating later on. 😍
Other Frequently Asked Questions 🤔
😎 Is Baby Led Weaning doable?
Yes, it is! According to one review, about 68 percent of 4-6 months old babies, 85% of 6-7 months old and 96% of 7-8 months old can grasp food with their hands.
Here is a quote from this study:
“The motor skills that emerge around six months of age seem to allow the majority of infants to reach out and grasp food, and, based on the observational studies, it seems reasonable to expect that the majority of (although not all) infants could cope with self-feeding at six months.”
Another study observed that those babies who were self-feeding at 6 months were also more likely to talk and walk earlier. The interesting point the researchers made was that parents who did not expect their babies to self-feed were not likely to offer finger foods even though their babies were ready.
The same study cautioned however: “… baby-led weaning – which advocates babies feeding themselves solid foods, rather than being spoon fed purees – could lead to nutritional problems for the small number of children who develop later than average.”
Which brings us to….. 👇🏼
💪🏻 Do BLW babies get the nutrition they need?
We know that babies, especially those who are breastfed, need to have good dietary sources of iron and zinc from about 6 months of age. It is possible that skipping spoon-feeding with purees may put some babies at a nutritional disadvantage. Some babies, and especially premies and “late bloomers”, will not be ready to self-feed at 6-7 months and may not get the important nutrients and calories.
Not surprisingly, BLW is not recommended 🚫 as a method to start solids for babies for babies with dysphagia, neurological or genetic disorders, babies born with a low birth weight, or those with growth issues.
‼️ Parents of typically developing children who follow a strict BLW method, avoiding all purees and mashed foods need to take special care to make sure there is enough iron in their diet.
🍫 Do BLW babies get more salt and sugar in their diet?
It’s also important to talk about the excess salt and sugar in family food shared with the baby. The Baby Led Weaning philosophy promotes sharing family meals with the baby which is wonderful for many reasons. But to make family meals safe for the baby, we may need to make meals more baby-friendly, including cooking more often from scratch and avoiding added salt or sugar.
🍬 Does BLW lead to more choking?
Choking is one of the biggest concerns for parents starting BLW. We still only have preliminary research on this topic. One recent study reported choking episodes when their babies were fed raw apple. The babies were able to cough the pieces of apple out and did not require help. But it seems clear that raw apple and any other hard food that can snap off easily is not a good option for feeding babies.
The good news is that recent research shows that as long as finger foods are safe, they are not any more likely to make your baby choke than purees or milk.
According to the team conducting one study, foods to avoid are: “…anything that couldn’t be mashed on the roof of the mouth with the tongue; very small foods such as nuts, grapes, sweets and food with pits; raw veggies; under ripe or hard fruit, including raw apple; citrus fruits, unless each segment had been peeled; whole nuts and popcorn; and foods cut into coins, such as sausages or carrots.”
It appears that serving finger foods early and often may, in fact, reduce choking risk in babies under 12 months as their oral motor skills mature faster. Babies fed using finger foods may gag more frequently at 6 months, but the frequency goes down by 9 months.
💫 SUMMARY
In recent years, there has been a change in how parents introduce solid foods to their babies. Instead of starting with smooth purees and gradually moving to thicker textures, many now begin with various textures and safe finger foods from the start. Public health organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics suggest this approach.
It's still okay to use purees and mashed foods as they are nutrient-rich and easy for babies. But it's crucial not to stick with them for too long. After introducing purees, it's essential to add lumpier foods and safe finger foods. This helps babies develop the skills they need for eating.
Some parents also follow a method called Baby Led Weaning (BLW), where babies feed themselves with finger foods from the beginning. This promotes independence in eating choices. However, BLW may not be suitable for all babies, especially those with special health needs. Parents who choose BLW must ensure their baby gets enough iron.
Overall, the move towards diverse textures and self-feeding methods helps babies explore different flavors and textures while learning healthy eating habits.
Until next time,
Easy Bites
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