BLW FTW, OMGah

{... because the Interwebs need more acronyms!}

So! The Big! Baby-Led! Weaning! Post!

Exclamation! Point!

To say I'm excited about Baby-Led Weaning would be a massive understatement.

 In fact, in between my incessant Instagramming {official new verb}, tweeting, and Tumblr-ing of our BLW adventures, I fear I've crossed the line from Proud, Wacky Mama to Obnoxious, Seemingly-Smug Asshole.

And for that, I apologize.

BUT MY BABY DOUBLE FISTS RED PEPPERS, Y'ALL.

Ahem.

Hopefully this post will further explain my enthusiasm for the way we've chosen to introduce solids to L, as well as answer some of the questions I've received about BLW.

Let's get to it like the Buglet on a frozen waffle, shall we?

Note: All my fancypants assertions of fact come from the Baby-Led Weaningbook, which I highly recommend if you're contemplating a BLW approach to the introduction of solids! 

What is this Baby-Led Weaning business all about?  So, most of the time, when you think about introducing a baby to "solids" - or, food other than breastmilk or formula - you envision little jars of fruit and veggie purees and/or rice cereal and oatmeal.  Baby-Led Wean-ers {teehee} skip the mushy stuff all together and offer proper solid food to their kidlets from the get-go... i.e. with Baby-Led Weaning, we don't spoon-feed "baby food" to L; instead, we offer her the same types of food we eat as adults and allow her to feed herself.  She decides if she likes what we give her, the order in which she eats items, and when she's ready to stop eating. 

Okaaaaaay. But why not just go with regular baby food?  There's absolutely nothing wrong with starting your baby off on purees -- It's the route the majority of folks in the U.S. take, and it gets the job done!  But, by the age of 6 months, most babies are developmentally capable of feeding themselves the same sorts of foods you and I enjoy. {Signs of readiness include the ability to sit upright partially assisted (in a highchair or in your lap without slouching over), ability to reach for items and move them quickly into the mouth, and interest in mealtime (grabbing at food on your plate).} Babies don't need to be taught how to chew - they just develop the ability to do it {much like you don't teach your baby to roll over... when they are ready, they roll}. 

Once I realized L had the capability to feed herself, the rest of the BLW mentality just kinda clicked with me. She's been dictating food intake since she was born -- I offer her some boob action when she exhibits hunger cues, and she decides if she wants to nurse, how much she wants to eat, and for how long.  Why should solids be any different?  With BLW, there's no "here comes the airplane!" frustration of trying to spoon-feed "just one more bite."  I just plop three or four food options down on her high chair tray, and she decides what she wants to eat, how much she wants, the order in which she wants to eat, and when she's finished.  It is ridiculously easy, and {for me at least} super intuitive.  And because she really doesn't need any nutrition outside breastmilk until she's a year old, I don't fret over how many solid ounces she's taking in {although, her diapers tell me she's getting enough to make a major difference in the stink department... cloth diaper follow-up forthcoming}. 

Any other Pros to Baby-Led Weaning? Yep! Tons, actually! 

BLW is easier for us!  Let's get selfish here for a minute shall we?  Parents of spoon-fed babies either make their own baby food or buy it premade {Captain Obvious over here}.  With BLW, I don't have to fiddle with peeling, chopping, steaming, pureeing, portioning, freezing, etc to make L's food.  And I don't have to shell out extra cash to purchase premade food.  I just serve up what I have on hand.  I might cook it in a slightly different fashion, but the prep time is seriously minimal.  Additionally, of course we watch L closely while she eats {duh}, but we are free to either enjoy our own food, if we're sharing a meal together, or complete tasks in the kitchen -- as opposed to sitting in front of her highchair with a spoon... On weeknights, I usually get 100% of my prep work for our dinner finished while she eats supper; then, putting our meal together is a snap after she's in bed.  

an appetizer of clementines before sharing avocado, lettuce, & pita from my entree

When we go out to eat, I don't have to mess with packing baby food and spoons.  I might pack an orange or some veggie spears, but the majority of her meal comes off our plates. {And girlfriend wants what's on your plate, let me tell you... Whatever you're eating should really be hers rightthissecondgimmethatohmahgerd.}

BLW encourages good eating habits. Allowing babies to control the pace of their meals helps develop natural appetite control, and likely combats higher BMIs and obesity later on in life. No, for real.  Smart scientists said so. {I unapologetically swiped that article from Emily... par for the course, as I get all my good hippie shit from her.} And honestly, I've noticed an improvement in my eating habits -- overall, I try to plan healthy dinners for E and myself, but it's easy to slip down the "I'll just eat Parmesan noodles for the thirteenth day in a row" slope when you're fixing lunch for one every weekday.  Now, L and I munch on hummus and squash and yogurt together.  If only BLW encouraged the offering of mini champagne cocktails... We would be quite the Ladies Who Lunch. 

BLW discourages picky eating. One thing that initially drew me to Baby-Led Weaning was that BLWing parents are always talking about their kids eating everything... sushi, curry, fish, kefir -- all kinds of crazy, amazing foods that most kids won't touch.  I'm an adventurous eater {and E is usually down for the ride as well, so long as hid plate isn't too fancified}, and I want my child to be an adventurous eater.  Would it be the end of the world if L ordered grilled cheese at every restaurant for the next 12 years?  No, but I'd love to see her branch way out from the kids' menu.  I'd say a penchant for Greek yogurt and a fervor for pickles at the age of 6 months is a damn good start on the road to daring culinary endeavors. 

BLW helps develop fine motor skills. Leaning to feed themselves improves babies' dexterity and hand-eye coordination.  This is good news for my buglet, seeing as, with half my genetic makeup, she's going to need all the help she can get in this department if she has any interest in team sports. It really is amazing to see how fast she picks things up {literally}... two weeks ago, she was still gingerly moving things around on her tray and attempting to pick pieces up, only to have them slip repeatedly out of her hands.  Now, she is a chunk-grabbing machine. 

Your BLW Baby looks like a badass.  I mean, seriously, is there anything cooler than a six month old going to town on a wedge of grilled zucchini?  Yes, you crazed lunatic, lots of things.  NAY. 

I. Am. Fabulous.

So... any disadvantages?  It's messy... in a big way.  I'd suggest investing in a highchair without a stitch of fabric on it {shoutout to the OXO Tot Sprout Chair!}, a few rinse-able bibs {we love the Bumkins Super Bibs}, and a rat terrier for easy cleanup.  Other than that... nope! 

Well, dude, what about the CHOKING?  I always get nerdily excited about answering this question... The Short Version follows thusly:  If given food cut into the proper size, a BLW baby is no more likely to choke than a spoon-fed baby. But I'm not letting y'all off that easy... LONG VERSION: Babies' gag reflexes are much closer to the front of their mouths than adults'.  When babies are allowed to feed themselves, they learn how to gauge appropriately-sized bites.  If they bite off more than they can safely swallow, that gag reflex is ready to expel the too-big-bite before it gets anywhere near their throat.  As they grow and progress, the gag reflex moves backwards.  {THIS IS FASCINATING TO ME.} Some gagging with BLW is normal and to be expected as your child learns what their mouth can handle.  We haven't experienced too much gagging, but I do see L spit out food that she isn't able to swallow all the time. Again, we always keep a close eye on her while she's eating in case we need to take a swipe at a renegade food chunk.

How do you prepare L's food? What foods did you start with? Do I need to be concerned about allergies?  Again, with the simplicity of it all...

Preparation: I usually prepare L's food in the same manner I'd prepare it for E and myself, omitting any salt or super spicy seasonings.  We like sweet potatoes roasted, squash grilled, and raspberries straight out of the colander... L eats those items the same way!  With harder fruits and veggies, it is easier for her to chew and ingest if they are served cooked in some form or fashion... So while she is happy to gnaw on a raw apple or carrot all day, she actually eats more if I roast or steam them.  A toaster oven comes in really handy for roasting small portions quickly {and without heating up your entire kitchen}.  Don't be afraid to experiment with seasonings either... L has sampled and enjoyed garlic powder, basil, oregano, tarragon, chile powder, paprika, cinnamon, pumpkin pie seasoning, and nutmeg. Do remember that babies can't handle much salt and should have no more than 1 gram per day {0.4 grams of sodium}.

I think the biggest consideration for preparation is the size and shape of the food you offer to your baby.  In the beginning, it's easiest for babies to pick up foods with a "handle"... think longer spears or wedges that allow baby to grasp the food in her fist with a considerable portion hanging out on which she can gum or bite.  For slippery foods such as avocado or banana, try leaving the peel on one side for easier grasping.  Once your baby masters a pincher grip, she can pick up and eat pea or cereal-sized food.

For more details on exactly what we feed L and how we prepare it, check out our little electronic BLW "diary" - Quesita Eats {Everything}.

Beginning Foods: We started with banana, avocado, peach, and squash... pretty standard stuff, whether you're doing BLW or spoon-feeding. All are low on the potential allergy scale and seem to be pretty easily digestible.  That said, with BLW, you can start with filet mignon if you wanted - there's no "correct" first food.  And on that note...

Allergies: By waiting until 6 months {or after, if your baby isn't showing signs of readiness or interest in eating} to start the introduction of solids, the potential for allergies is minimized {as opposed to beginning spoon-feeding solids as early as 4 months}... Again, this is all from the BLW book -- I'm definitely no pediatrician!  For that reason, and because we have no major familial food allergies, we did not do the whole "feed one food and one food only for three days before introducing another" rigmarole when we started BLW.  Basically, I'm going with the flow but using my best judgment {by introducing foods that are traditionally more difficult to digest at lunch so as to gauge her reaction during the afternoon and introducing them with foods we already know she tolerates well}. So far, we haven't had any issues other than a small facial rash after trying raspberries for the first time.  And, um, some gas with larger quantities of dairy... girlfriend can put down some Greek yogurt. If you and/or your pediatrician are more comfortable introducing new foods one at a time, rock on with your bad self!

What else, what else, hmmmm... Suffice to say, we absolutely love Baby-Led Weaning!  I am happy to answer any other questions y'all may have in the comments section... Ask away!

ETA: Did you speak with your pediatrician about BLW, and was she on board? Our pediatrician is young and a mom herself, so I assumed she would be familiar with baby-led weaning.  Um, yeah, she looked at me like I had twelve heads when I brought it up at L's 4 month checkup.  After her initial confusion, she wasn't too thrilled with the concept, but she didn't dismiss it.  She basically said "watch her closely so she doesn't choke."  At our 6 month appointment {2 weeks after L's actual 6 month "birthday"}, she briefly asked how many times a day L was eating solids, if we'd experienced any allergic reactions, and that was that, other than a discussion about the recommendations regarding strawberries, eggs, and peanut butter {she's down with the AAP's new guidelines that give the go-ahead for all foods other than honey for babies under one year old - which made me happy... I can't wait to see my baby eating a chunk of quiche!}.