There has been a lot of buzz about Baby Led Weaning (BLW) in the last few years, and I often get parents asking how I feel about the topic. I can’t give a clear yes or no because it depends on several factors, and I wanted to explain my thoughts as a pediatric feeding therapist and some important points to consider on both sides of the debate.
Let me first say that as a natural childbirth, breastfeeding, baby-wearing mama, I love the idea behind BLW. If I wasn’t a feeding therapist, I probably would have immediately jumped right onto this band wagon. I am drawn to the social aspect, ease, and natural-ness (is that a word – doesn’t matter I’m using it) to baby led weaning, but I’ve unfortunately seen some of the pitfalls in my practice. So you can be sure I’m going to cover that, too! I will mention that all of the specific feeding approaches I have been trained in over the years do not recommend it.
What is Baby Led Weaning (BLW)?
If you aren’t familiar with baby led weaning, the basic idea is that you give your baby soft table foods during family meals and allow them to learn to chew instead of using pureed baby foods as parents traditionally have done. BLW proponents argue that this supports oral motor development and proactively avoids picky eating in children. I think there is some truth to that, but certainly picky eating can still develop as children’s taste buds and behaviors evolve. In my opinion, there are a few major advantages and possible disadvantages with BLW:
Baby Led Weaning Pros
- Full on sensory experience that completely allows babies to explore their food and a variety of textures.
- Usually don’t have to prepare a separate meal* and baby has social benefit of watching you eat the same thing.
*Many of a family’s meals can also be pureed quickly right before everyone sits down to the table. Small blenders and quick choppers like the Magic Bullet work really well with this approach.
Baby Led Weaning Cons
- Minimal if any exposure to pureed foods, which baby needs to learn to manage as well.
- Babies can miss the window to learn how to chew and be exposed to food if parents wait too long (explained further below).
- If parents offer unsafe foods or foods in the wrong shape or size they could become a choking hazard.
I have to admit that there have been a few times that I have been, hmmm what’s the word I want to use, annoyed disappointed with BLW because parents have told me that they hadn’t started feeding their child food because they didn’t show an interest. Sometimes these babes were now 12 months old or more and had missed the ideal window to get their baby eating, which happens between 7-11 months. Often these babies had underlying oral motor or sensory issues that made accepting food more difficult, which is why they were likely avoiding it. If they had been traveling on the traditional path and began with safe foods such as dissolvable puffs, they may have noticed and sought help. Or, the child would have responded well to a food like puffs because it has a crunch to it, which is usually beneficial and thus successful for kids with oral motor and/or sensory processing difficulties. Instead the parents were just waiting for the day their child would start to show an interest in food, a day that didn’t come. Of course, these kids would eventually eat, but it was a much harder road this late in the game.
On the other side of the coin, going the traditional method can have it’s pitfalls, too. I think many parents, especially in America, tend to rely on pureed foods for too long. Parents are often scared of choking and gagging and keep waiting to introduce those table foods. In this case, the same scenario plays out where babies have missed an important window of easy learning and intuition. Of course, they can still learn these skills, but it is often more challenging. While neither of these situations is the norm, I think it is very important to be aware of these potential ways to unknowingly sabotage oral motor development.
When I first began to feed my oldest son five years ago, I combined some of the BLW principles with the traditional puree food route. I gave him big pieces of food to gnaw and mouth on during our meals, usually foods that he couldn’t get pieces off of or if he did, very tiny pieces. I let him get incredibly messy and self feed purees from a very young age. I fed him during our meals and pureed the food we were eating. My second child had underlying sensory issues, and although it was a lot more effort with some extra interventions, we followed a similar path as well. I plan to do the same for this tiny babe, too. If you would like more details on making your own baby food or how to transition your baby or toddler to table food click here and here.
What Should You Do?
As a feeding therapist, I think the best route is combing the two methods, as I just described. You can still give your child the large pieces of food and serve homemade baby food for a short while to make sure they are developing that skill and getting a wide variety of nutrients. Remember to be aware if your child is struggling with table foods whichever way you go, as this can be an indicator of difficulties with oral motor skills or sensory processing. Every child is different and certainly give them some time to figure it out, but if you are at the 10 month mark and table foods are still a challenge, talk to a doctor and/or seek out an evaluation from a feeding therapist.
If you decide to go the BLW route, make sure you educate yourself completely so that you can feel confident about safely giving foods to your child. Also, don’t be afraid to throw in some pureed foods here and there. Lastly, I ask that even if you love BLW, try not to judge parents that go the traditional route. Some babies aren’t capable of it, as I know quite well, and I’ve unfortunately seen some really harsh comments about baby food from BLW advocates on this blog and on social media. Please feel free to leave non-judgmental comments sharing your experiences, thoughts, or questions!
Looking for more info on feeding milestones?
How to Transition to Table Foods
How to Teach Your Baby to Drink from the Straw
Why You Should Let Your Baby or Toddler Get Messy
Ragi porridge is a powerhouse of nutrition, making it an ideal choice for babies. Packed with iron, calcium, and fiber, it aids in healthy weight gain and promotes strong bones and overall growth.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing! Sounds delicious.
Best,
Laura
Your Kid’s Table OT
Foods like mashed bananas and boiled potatoes are excellent for including in a baby’s diet. These are staples in Indian kitchens and are perfect for helping babies gain weight.
Yes! Absolutely! Love these items, and so many staples in Indian food! Thanks for the comment, Vinod!
Best,
Laura
Your Kid’s Table OT
Is there a possibility of the bub fussing and crying because the bigger pieces of food from BLW that they are swallowing is causing them cramps or discomfort?
Hi Jacq,
Thanks for the question. It sounds like what you are describing could be possible. With BLW it is also important that the foods that are offered are safe shapes and sizes. You might also want to check out our post for transitioning babies to table food. It might give you some more ideas!
Best,
Andrea
Hi there! Thank you so much for this informative piece. My baby will be seven months next week. We began solids right at the six month mark, first with purees and some elements of BLW (offering fruit as finger foods). However, about two weeks in, she got constipated and would completely refuse to eat. I gave her a 3 day break and now have been offering food BLW style with no success – she will either throw the food to the ground or show no interest at all.
Are there any tips you could offer to break the feeding impasse? I don’t mind mixing both purees and BLW as long as we get some nutrients in. Thank you so much!
Hey! Thanks for reaching out. This can be really common, especially because baby foods and table foods are so new for your little one! If you’re hitting a rough patch, sometimes taking a break with exploratory meals with purees can be really helpful and fun (although a bit messy!). You can just smear a bit on the tray and dip some on a spoon to give your little one (let her try to feed herself and you feed her too). Let her have fun with it to take the pressure off a bit! We have a great free table foods workshop that would be really helpful as well. You can save your seat HERE.
Best,
Andrea
I would just like to say the phrase ‘as a natural childbirth, breastfeeding, baby-wearing mama’ is rather damaging to some women. all childbirth is natural whether requiring medical intervention or not- in some cases it’s the choice of intervention or death. I came here to read about baby-led weaning and I’m left feeling inadequate because I allowed drs to perform an emergency c-section rather than my family loose me or my daughter.
Hey Abigail, Thanks for letting us know how this made you feel. This was in by no means what Alisha was trying to convey! We understand, especially as professionals, that there are variety of ways that childbirth can go and what’s right for one person can be different for another. It is all about keeping the family all safe and what your personal wishes are! We hope you understand and know that we support you!
Best,
Desiree
Thank you for this comment, when I read the line about natural childbirth I almost closed the article and had a hard time finishing it! Totally agree with you that that kind of language makes us c-section birth parents feel inadequate. I’m not sure if the author meant vaginal or medication-free but neither of those things make a birth more legitimate or superior. Natural is not the right word here, and natural is not synonymous with better anyway.
Hi do you think 4 months is too young to try foods? I feel like my baby is ready and I don’t plan on giving him any of the cereals wanted to start with avocado. What do we do if he has an allergic reaction to something?
Hey Maria,
I’d reach out to your doctor about when they feel your baby might be ready. However, we do have an article on signs to look for that they are ready to start food. You can check it out HERE
Best,
Desiree
Hi my baby is 4 months I gave her cereal but she’s not interested in she pushed away and not open her mouth and I offered banana at the first time she loved but then she pushed away from her mouth
Hey Ivan,
Thanks for reaching out. It does take some babies time to get used to some new food. Around 6 months, most babies should be able to tolerate spoon feeding. It can be helpful to demonstrate for her opening and closing her mouth on the spoon. We’ll have some more suggestions for spoon feeding coming out in the next couple of months, so keep your eyes peeled 🙂
Best,
Andrea
Hi! My 8-month-old is not interested in purees at all. He will put his arms over his head and duck his chin, or turn his head away just to avoid the spoon! He is very tactile and likes to chew on things, so I give him soft foods (banana, avocado, sweet potato, soft cooked carrots, meltables) and have even given him purees and a spoon to see if he just wants to feed himself. There is not much actually going to the tummy, though, and he gags on purees and seems to have trouble knowing how to swallow anything more solid. What can I do to help him learn to eat?
Hey Hannah,
Thanks for reaching out! I would start to work on doing play with the pureed food trying to get him to touch the food with hands and getting messy with it (you can do this outside of mealtimes). We do also have a free workshop that would be helpful for you as well with some more strategies to utilize. You can save your seat here
Best,
Desiree
Hi Alisha, this is a great article. I Have some similarities with the comments I read. I think we are all doing a great job and we shouldn’t be affected with anyone’s comment.
Anyways, I have an 11 month old and same thing, I am so scared to do BLW as I’m so scared on what to do when she chokes. When I gave her sweet potato last time (steam), she had a big bite and started coughing I had to take it out of her mouth because of anxiety. The second time I gave it, I think she managed better than the first but I always have this feeling of fear everytime I think about giving her table foods so I always end up mashing it (by fork, not baby bullet). Another thing I tried was avocado which sometimes she would look like she’s gonna vomit. Another thing I tried was mango but she gag again and almost choke. I don’t know if she bite big or just because mango is slippery, it slipped from her fingers and went straight to her mouth. So I never repeated it. Also, She have a lot of allergies with food so I really don’t feed her our own food because if it’s complexity in ingredients. If ever she reacts to it, we won’t know. Anyways, I bought her the fresh fruit feeder and it seems working. Is it good for her? How long can I keep using it for her? Also, for apples and pear, I find this feeder so good because she’s eating fresh and not steamed. I wanted her to have Atleast some fresh fruit and not always cooked and boiled. I mean nothing wrong with it, just own preference. Sometimes she would eat on it but sometimes she would stop right away and not continue anymore so the ending, I feel like she didn’t have enough. So what can you advise me on this? And what else I can serve her if ever that’s really safe to give? I always google search but I feel like those fruits or veggies that they mention are not personalized and they don’t really understand babies and mom. Really glad I found this website which I think understands what every moms and babies are going through. Thank you again and more power 😊
Hey Mary,
So happy that you reached out and have been finding our information helpful to help move you along in your child’s feeding journey! I would look at trying to find foods that are meltable (ie: puffs, graham crackers, etc) that she can eat, so she can get the skills practicing chewing and they do melt in your mouth so it eases your mind on choking as well, you will have to look for specific allergies! We do have a free workshop as well that is really helpful for the transitioning to table foods with some strategies to help along the way! You can feel free to save your spot for the workshop HERE
Best,
Desiree
Thank you for this article! We’re just starting our journey into food introduction with our little one. She’s 29 weeks old, but only 24 adjusted. I have been scared about the strict “rules” of BLW, but I want her to be a much better eater than I am. We have done pureed broccoli, pear, and some thinned out peanut butter so far. I think the process you described with a mix of purees and whole foods will work really well. Thank you!
You are so welcome!! So glad you found this article and it was able to help guide you!! Good luck on the journey and reach out with any question!
Best,
Desiree
Hi my 8 month old baby refused to eat solids. I tried puree and even table good but failed. I guess if i stop feeding her for a week and start again with BLW will it work for us?
Hey Alina,
It’s hard to say what is going on at this point. You can for sure try to start up again and see how it goes. However, we do have a free workshop as well that might talk you through some scenarios on where to start and what to do! You can feel free to save your seat here
Best,
Desiree
Thanks for the article! I have a 9 mo who I’ve been feeding baby foods since 6 mo and little snacks sometimes of very small pieces of fruit, veggies, plain pasta, etc. I want to start giving her little bites of the things we are eating, but I am nervous to start introducing meals with multiple ingredients and added sugars, salt, and spices. I guess I am nervous to make the jump from raw, single-ingredient foods to a complex meal like curry or tuna salad or whatever it is we are eating for dinner. Do I need to be careful about the sugar and salt content of things that I’m giving her? Or am I overthinking this?
Hey Elise,
Any concerns about salt intake, I’d mention to your doctor! Generally if you are having something really salty for one meal, you’d make sure the rest of the day is not salty to balance it out! But again, I’d check in with your pediatrician to see what they recommend.
Best,
Desiree
Hi,
I love the information on here, its making me feel more positive about our weaning journey.
Can I just ask please if this is normal – I started weaning my little one at 4 months, I began with the baby rice, soon realised this was a mistake for and moved on to making my own purees. My little one was soon on 3 meals a day and loving the food. We got to a point where the food was mashed rather than pureed. By about 5 1/2 months. Now she is refusing to eat any of my homemade food – not even a taste. This started 2 days ago. She will still eat puffs, small slices of bread and sweet purees. Is this a phase or possibly a sign to move onto more solid / BLW approach. Do you have any advice?
Many Thanks 🙂
Hey Kelly,
So sorry your little one is refusing purees. We do recommend mostly to continue offering of the purees as this is a consistency that we do eat in everyday meals. I’d make sure to provide time for her to play/touch the texture of the purees as well. This can help with them feeding themselves.
Best,
Desiree
Hi! My name is Shelby and my little girl will be 8 months old in a few days. She eats Gerber oatmeal everyday once a day and usually one thing of baby food too. But the rest of the day she has formula. Is that okay? I just feel like she isn’t ready for table foods yet. And I just want to know that she’s getting the nutrients she needs. She can sit up on her own and has one tooth coming in. I’m just scared she will choke on regular food. I tried giving her little bites of broccoli and she gagged and wouldn’t eat it, just played with it.
Hey Shelby,
We understand how hard this transition can be on families. Check out our article on Feeding Schedule for 8-10 month olds. This will help you with what a schedule should look like and also some tips for mealtimes.
Best,
Desiree
Hello have a 11 month old who still eats puréed food. I’m a new mom and I was afraid to give solid food when she was younger. I started introducing solid food recently. My daughter does chew and swallow the first 2-3 bites then she holds the food in her mouth for hours refusing to eat more or even open her mouth. Also she screams and cries if we don’t put on the tv while she eats I’m not sure where she picked up that habit. We don’t watch tv while we eat or even do that with her. Please help !
Hey Sana,
So happy that you reached out! We get how hard it can be to feed a child solid foods, you are doing great mama! Holding in her mouth we would call “pocketing” You can read about it HERE as well as tips for how to work through it! We also understand how kids become dependent on watching tv while eating, you can learn all about it HERE and ways to break that habit! Hope this helps!
Best,
Desiree
Hi Alisha, my little girl is 7 mo 1week and we started on BLW/ purée combo around 6mo, we ended up taking a break for a couple weeks for no particular reason and now when I try to spoon feed purées she gags, the last time I tried spoon feeding her she gagged so much she choked (on stage 2 sweet potatoes) and vomited. She didn’t seem too scared after, smiling and laughing but it practically scared me off from food at all especially that my sister in law made the comment when I had my girl that I “would kill her before she turned 1”. Do you have any recommendations for foods with my little girl again since she’s gagging so much on purées? And for my anxiety about feeding her? Thanks in advance!
I forgot to mention she can sit up completely unassisted (recently for 15 minutes)
Great! Thanks for the add, that is always great to know!
Hey Hannah,
So sorry you are having difficulties, but glad you reached out!! Don’t worry what others are saying, you are doing great 🙂 I’d work on continuing of purees as well as some meltables (ie: puffs) to see how she does with that. We do have a free workshop full of tips for this exact situation, I think you’d enjoy a lot. You can save your seat HERE
Best,
Desiree
Hi, I have an 11 month old who is a very sensitive baby.. he isn’t keen to try foods at all. Every time we try something he gets a rash.. he tried pears at 6 months old and loved it but ended up with bad rash all over his body – same as when we figured out he has CMPA. So we were advised to wait a few more months. We tried again 1-2 months later same thing – rashes. Now he just flat out refuses to try anything off a spoon. However puts so much in his mouth, anything off the floor. I want to be able to feed him and it stresses me out. I’m hoping for some guidance on what to start him on. I’m wondering if BLW would be better as he is in control? I just feel so lost. I have so many people telling me he needs to be having food and not milk 🙁 I’ve been putting some purée apples on his high chair table and letting him play and suck fingers, but again he has got a bad rash from this. He can tolerate some milk arrowroot biscuits- which are dairy, soy and gluten free and teething rusks: but that is it 🙁
Hey Shea,
We understand how hard this can be! Sounds like you have been doing a great job at figuring out his needs. I’d try to focus on foods that adhere to the allergy, until you are clear to try again provided from your doctor. It can be hard having the association with foods and not feeling well. I’d try to make sure when feeding purees that he has his own spoon as well and has opportunity to touch and play with the foods. We do have a free workshop on transitioning to table foods you can save your seat HERE
Best,
Desiree
My son is 7.5 months old and loves to chew on anything, including slices of apple, strips of meat, broccoli florets, etc.; however, he will not let me put a spoon of food into his mouth. He won’t let me put a spoon to his mouth at all. He will put spoons to his mouth, and if there’s pureed food on it, he makes a scrunchy face and spits it out. The only thing he will let me put in his mouth is puffs. It is apparent from his diapers that he swallows some of his food. Should I just keep trying with the spoon? Or just keep trying different variety of food for him to get to his own mouth with his own use of the spoon? This is my third child, so I’m a little stumped at the pursed lip response to the approaching spoon.
Hey Jenna,
Great question! I’d keep trying with the spoon, but allowing him to have a spoon while you have one as well. I’d make sure to let him explore the puree and get messy with his hands to see how he does with it. Also, continue to offer variety of foods as it will take a lot of exposures to get used to a flavor!
Best,
Desiree
My little one is 7 and a half months and we are currently doing a combination of puréed food and BLW. When she started solids at 6 months, be it purées or finger foods, she gagged a lot! She started nibbling on the finger foods and self feed herself with a pre-loaded spoon with purées after a few weeks of our weaning journey.
But somehow, once she reached 7 months, she showed little to no interest in the food (purées and finger foods alike). She still played around with the food offered, exploring its texture and gnawing on some finger foods but she refuses to swallow any of it, even pureed food. We tried spoon feeding her but she refuses to eat anything.
We visited a few paediatricians but they weren’t too worried about her eating but honestly we are, because we feel that she’s not learning to swallow and afraid that we might miss the window of learning how to eat. Should we seek help or is this completely normal?
Hey Faith,
We can understand your worry! But sounds like you have been doing a great job at providing opportunities for playing with the food! I’d definitely keep that up and you can do that outside of mealtimes as well. I’d keep modeling for her as well! We do have a free workshop, that I think will help provide some suggestions and clarity as to what you are seeing as well and where to go from here! You can save your seat HERE
Best,
Desiree
I have a BF 10 month old baby whos been eating sliced and cubed boiled veggies and usually whatever we have had for dinner..
the past couple weeks, if im there he completely refuses to eat ANYTHING solid , but only if I’m around.
His Babysitter gives him food and he takes it, if I’m not around his dad can give him food, and I am SO frustrated with the process!
Hi Desirae,
I’m glad you reached out. I understand this can be a difficult process!! One thing that we think is really helpful is to follow a good schedule for spacing meals and nursings apart. He may be hungry and wanting to nurse rather than eat, but accepting foods from others as they do not nurse him! Take a look at this article on setting up a good schedule: https://yourkidstable.com/feeding-schedule-for-8-9-and-10-month-olds/
My baby boy is 8month he does not get excited about food. Even feedin him the bottle of milk can be a challenge as well. I started solids a 6 month. He gags often and definitely hates foods that have texture to it and then he gags and even vomits if its to much in hos mouth. I dont know what to do t get him to like food or what foods I should giv him to encourage him to want to eat and I dont know what to do to help him stop gagging on textured foods. Please help. I cpul cry
I totally understand Courtney. I’d recommend following the steps in this post: How to transition your baby to table foods
SO glad I found your blog! We’re having trouble with the whole feeding thing. I want him to love it, but it’s tough!
We started babe off with BLW at a week shy of 6 months. Wasn’t super into it, so we took about 2 weeks off. Came back and started again. Also started purée here and there at the same time.
My problem is that i’m not comfortable sending food to daycare that isn’t puréed. I love his daycare and I trust them, but it still scares the crap out of me. So I’ve been doing BLW at home, and purée at school. He hasn’t NO INTEREST whatsoever in the purées and turns his head and won’t eat.
So now I decided to just do all purée at home too, trying to stick to one thing and try to teach him purées. But it’s not going well and I’m afraid I’m confusing him more.
He’s almost 7 months, so we’ve been doing this for about 4 weeks in total.
I don’t think he’ll be confused, and it’s more important that he learn to eat table foods, so if it were me, I’d keep them up at home. Then, keep the purees at school, because it’s really good for him to consistently be exposed to them:)
So glad to have stumbled on your blog! My 6 month old boy has had teeth, been sitting up and interested in/grabbing at food since 4 months. Being my first, I’m going on a lot of intuition and gut, and some googling too. Ive been combining blw and purée spoon feeding and introducing a plethora of flavors and textures since about 5 months. He does incredibly well and at this point, I know what he can handle so we are enjoying the challenges and adventures of learning food. My sister I saw also an ot and she’s constantly amazed at how advanced he is with feeding amongst other things. I’ve gotten some ridiculous judgments from crazy moms on the internet who I honestly feel bad for. It’s refreshing to hear a professional basically reassure my approach as good for my child because 1)he’s having fun 2) he’s eating a EVERYTHING I OFFER 3) he’s preparing for the next step constantly
Thank you for your blog!!!
Julia- thanks so much for sharing your story! And, it’s exciting to hear how well your little guy is eating!
I am so happy I found your blog. Like seriously, desperately happy! It’s late and for the past hour I’ve been fretting over my daughter who is going to be 11 months old in two days and who hasn’t had much food outside of purées, except for those husks that melt in the mouth and a tad bit of mashed potatoes. She does great with the husks and the mashed potatoes, well she does okay but eventually wants nothing to do with them after about 10 little bites. I’ve just made her throw up twice with giving her food. Once with a TINY bit of avocado when she was 7 months. She couldn’t get it off of her tongue and threw up. Then again when I was feeding her baby cereal mix with a purée, she started gagging half way through and threw up a little. She seems interested when I’m eating but doesn’t like touching new things. I tried giving her carrots and she had a hard time picking them up and didn’t think to put them In her mouth. I read about letting babies get messy for sensory reasons and to get used to textures….what do you think? I’m just deslthu afraid of throw up, like phobia afraid, not of the smell or looking at it, but the not knowing if it will happen gives me anxiety lol but now I’m even more afraid my baby is behind! I try giving her a sippy with water too but that is SLOW moving process and she doesn’t seem to like water. She still drinks more formula than eating food. I don’t know what to do and feel like I am totally failing!
You’re in the right place!! I’m so glad you found your way here too! A couple of things, first check out this post on how to transition to table foods and this one on when baby won’t eat. They’ll both be very helpful and give you steps to follow.
Messy play can be a huge game changer, you can give her totally smooth things to play with so she won’t throw up if any gets into her mouth. Brushing gums and tongue with a tooth brush several times a day can have a big impact on her gag reflex. Make sure you sign up for the free printable, and email us at hello@yourkidstable.com if you still want another resource. I have a free online workshop I can get you:)
hello,
I am very curious about your articles. They feel just right. Though still haven’t read all of them. I am starting weaning my 6,5 month old baby girl. She is doing great job by putting spoon into her mouth. But she can’t take the food of it, usually she pushes it further away on the spoon and getting to taste only small part of it. Should I just keep letting her doing that and she eventually will manage? She does get upset after few tries, for not much of the food ends up in her mouth and then I let her to eat with fingers. But the mashed food is not easy to grab.. I did try to give her pieces of soft boiled vegetables but I am a bit afraid she would swallow too big pieces. Until now she is not making any attempt to chew. Either she gags or swallows chunks. Once I was suggested to give her to suck on apple, it was huge piece but she immediately bite quite a lot, it was her first food so she just spat out. Now I guess she would swallow it. I notice that she is trying to bite most of the toys she puts in her mouth. And this makes me think again whether I can give her not mashed food. How can I safely give her finger foods? Or It is better to wait until she is a bit older?
So glad to hear that! I would wait on table foods at her age, but she may be ready soon. I’d keep giving her those toys to chew on. One post that I think would be really helpful, if you haven’t read it already, is how to transition to table foods. You can get started with using the large foods to mouth on that I talk about in that post:)
Hi my baby is 11 months old will be one years old July 28. She has been eating puree foods regularly and about a week and a half ago she just doesn’t want it anymore. I have tried to give her table food she pushes my hand away. I try to give her the spoon she doesn’t want it. I bought some plates and tried putting puree food on the plate, she refuses. What should I do? I am so frustrated I don’t know what to do….HELP
Many babies/toddlers will start to refuse purees and this is actually developmentally appropriate, the problem occurs when they aren’t eating table foods. I’d highly recommend reading How to transition to table foods and follow the steps listed in that post.
I am so happy to have found your blog!
My baby turned one last week and a month before she was refusing spoons gagging on baby puffs and meal times were just a nightmare I dreaded and often I ended in tears. At our 12 month check up the hv was concerned that she gags on so little food and had no interest at all.
I found your sensory box blog and immediately tried a box of rice krispies. After 7 days she got excited to get in the box and eat them. Oh how I cried with joy.
Anyway, now we are eating puffs and biscotti but the hv wants me to cut out all “go to” snacks and daytime bottles and give only 120 first thing and 120 in the evening to make her hungry. She’s always grazed and never drank more than 120ml. In the day she’s never drank more than 60ml but first thing and bedtime she will take 2 sometimes 3 bottles so it’s a bit like cluster feeding I suppose.
So 1 week in and she’s screaming at me when the bottles empty and for her milk mid day, and as long as we have tried some food I am feeding her her milk. I can’t starve my baby! She is getting better at eating thanks I believe to your sensory box, but she pecks and nibbles she doesn’t eat. I’m worried I will be fobbed off again by the hv and told to remove the mid day bottle I’ve been giving in to. Amazingly she actually eats after the bottle sometimes so I think it’s aversion rather than too full on milk.
Any tips you can give me with helping her eat and for my visit with the hv? And how to get her to handle mush? Bread sticks cherios crackers and toast she’s fine with. Seems to love the crunch. But soft food and we’re gagging and then its game over.
I appreciate any advice you can share. I’m in the UK so waiting on the hv to refer me but feel at their mercy with this and like I won’t get referred anywhere because I’m giving in with the milk.
Thank you in advance!
Yes, I love how proactive you are! You’re doing fantastic, what great progress you’ve made! First, it does sound like she has some underlying difficulties, which you’re working through. If it were me, I’d try to have structured meals, give some of the foods she’s eating and some new foods that you’re working on. I would avoid random snacking and keep up with daily sensory bins, trying some messier textures too!
It’s also never a bad idea to get a second opinion from a doctor. One last thing, did you see the free printable in how to teach your baby to eat table foods? Make sure you sign up for that, I have some resources coming that will be really helpful to you!
Thank you! Feels great to hear I’m on the right path. I will try some messier textures and read the printable. Thank you for the link.
I am trying to stick with routine meal times and give her as much variety as I can and you’ve given me confidence in myself to keep going with that. Thanks again.
Good day
My LO is turning 9 months in a few days. From the beginning she did not want to eat any form of pure foods or cereal i have tried allot of different ones even made my own. then we started BLW it worked grate for the first 2 weeks from there she doesn’t want to eat at all. she just closes her mouth and turns her head at diner time she will take 3 bites of something and the she will be done.
What do i do? i have tried so many thins she just wont eat.
Hmm, I wonder if she’s teething? This can be difficult. I’d continue to offer food to her, keeping it as positive as possible. And, I’d check out this post on babies refusing solids– there’s some tips there that I think will be really helpful.
Hi Alisha,
My son is 7.5 months now and since 6 months I have been trying to wean him using purees and offering finger foods. (He was exclusively breastfed until 6months).
The finger foods get thrown on the floor immediately. He only sometimes will suck on a rice cake if we are around other babies and he sees them do it.
He hates being spoonfed, making faces and gagging, turning his face away. He also splutters over even small spoonfuls. I had expected him to get used to it by now. Today I tried spaghetti Bolognese from a hat. He was spluttering a lot and it really frightens me and makes me feel loathe to push the finger foods more if he gags even on the mushy bits in the Bolognese!
I’ve tried rice porridge, and all kinds of purees and lumpier meals both in jars and home made. We try and sing to him and distract him but even then he pushes the spoon away.
I feel demoralised and want to go back to just breastfeeding. He still does not sit up unaided and only shows vague interest when we eat food in front of him. I feel like maybe he is not ready. Is that possible at his age? He is in the 91st percentile for weight and is a bonny boy but I feel like something is wrong.
Do you have any advice on something I could try differently/read/speak to someone? We are in the UK.
Thanks
Claire
I would definitely follow your instinct and would check with your pediatrician on his sitting up and what they recommend with his eating. For the majority of kids, it’s important to be sitting up independently for them to begin eating table foods. Again, check with your doctor for their recommendations.
Hi Alisha,
My baby is going to be 7 months next week, and we have been doing combo feeding. When she was 6 months, I did puree only since she was not able to sit unassisted at that time. But in the past week, she can sit very well and began to introduce her some table foods. So far we’ve tried tofu stir fry, baked salmon, toast, bolognese. Table foods are for breakfast / lunch only. For dinner, I do puree.
I have a couple of questions:
1. She does very well with table foods (to my surprise!), I could see that she chewed some of the food a bit, then started to swallow them! Like little pieces of salmon (that for us adults, those pieces of salmon needed more chewing to be broken down) were getting swallowed. Is that normal?
2. If I want to do combo at the same meal, do I offer puree first or finger foods? Or it doesn’t matter?
Thank you!
It is normal for them to swallow foods without chewing them properly first. I would recommend only giving them small pieces of food at this age. Also, at this age it doesn’t matter that much which is first, but as she gets older I would recommend giving her table foods first to help her transition off of baby foods.
Hi Alisha, Thank you for your reply. For small pieces, how small? Like as big as fingernails?
Yeah, that’s a good guideline to follow.
My son is 8 months old and I wanted so badly to do blw. However, early on we found he had a tongue and lip tie and I was told I could either get it fixed then or wait to see if problems he was having with nursing went away on their own because he was gaining weight very steadily. So I waited because I didn’t want to do the frenectomy If it could be avoided and ended up getting it done at 2 months instead. Well we found he had developed a very high pallet..no one is sure if it happened in the womb or after due to how he nursed with the lip and tongue ties..but now if I try to give him any kind of solid like banana or avocado it gets stuck in the roof of his mouth and he can’t mash it up. And he hates textured food now. I make his baby food and if something like chicken has any kind of texture other than completely pureed he immediately gags and shakes his head no and cries if I try to give him more. His doctor said to just take it very very slow with the solids..do you have any ideas that I could use to help him or any experience with this at all?
Thanks so much!
Definitely Katherine, I would focus on crunchy foods and make sure he is chewing. Search “how to transition to table foods” in the side bar or in the article index in the menu bar. Follow those steps- its just what you need!
Thank you so much. I was worried I followed the wrong road with my daughter by not doing BLW. We are still on purees but we also do puffs and the teething cookies We tried a chunky baby food but she just chokes on it. So we are holding off for a few more months.
Hi. I have a few questions! My little one is 7 months and wasn’t too keen on purees when i first started around 5 months so I started BLW and she loved it. Im just concerned that she is not actually ‘eating’ anything as she hasn’t cut any teeth yet. I’ve now started offering the purees again, with some success. How many times a day should i be offering her both BLW foods and the purees? And out of curiosity do BL babies have issues later on in terms of using a spoon to feed themselves?
Hi Ashleigh, usually not, but it is good to expose them to both. At 7 months old babies are eating 1-2 times a day and I would offer both purees and BLW at the same meal. If you see the menu bar you will find a link for “articles” and can find schedules for babies age.
It is so nice to not feel judged for my decision. Thank you!
Great article,
My LO one was born a month early. He is 7 months now. He just recently started showing interest in food. For some reason, he doesn’t like purées and he doesn’t even eat himself yet. I feel him chunks of avocado, banana, small pieces of toast, bread, fruits but I mush a little between my fingers because he doesn’t like purées. Is that normal?
It is a bit unusual but not unheard of. I would keep doing what your doing, but try mashing your own and feeding from a spoon. I would also let him play in the puree in the food. Put some on his tray. Be consistent, every day. Let me know how it goes!
I just wanted to offer you some encouragement and affirmation. My son HATED purées. He is a very tactile kid, and they just made him SERIOUSLY gag at 6 months old. So, I offered him chunks of banana and avocado. He loved it! But don’t be worried… He eventually began to enjoy things like yogurt, those little squeezable packets for on-the-go, and other softer, more puréed foods. He still has a gag reaction to apple sauce at three years old – Haha! – but he’ll eat an apple! Seriously… He is just a tactile kid. Even at 27 my husband won’t eat a tomato, because of the texture. For some people it goes away, and is never an issue, for others it can just be a quirk that they have. But it hasn’t caused my kid to be a picky eater by any means. He’ll try anything at least once. Hang in there and keep on mommin’ the best way that you know how! That’s all any of us can do! 😉
Website is http://www.messlessbaby.com
I have developed a new baby feeding product. It enables baby to suck baby food straight from the jar without making a mess. They can self feed. They can use this method as soon as they start puréed foods, because it is their natural inclination t o suck. I used it in my daycare and it only takes a minute to teach an infant how to use it. I would like to know your opinion. I have had a lot of interest from parents of babies and older children with special needs. It is good for parents of multiples and day cares to be able to feed babies at the same time as well. My toddlers even use it for yogurt and applesauce. It is great in the car when you cannot stop to spoon feed, baby can self feed, it has a flexible straw for feeding from various positions. It is not for every ea. and certainly you want your baby to learn to use their hands and utensils as they get older but it is a convenience product. I would like some feedback. I am just a gramma who developed a product for her Grandson an kids in my daycare, and brought it to market so I can put my grandkids through school and leave them a legacy and inheritance. So be nice but honest. I am trying to launch this business. You can se my product on my website.
thank you thank you thank you! This was exactly what I was looking for. As a nurse, I have a need for a more “scientific” approach to things. I would love to be more “feel good and go for it” but just not my personality. Your approach was perfect! Thanks!!
You are so welcome Amanda! Wishing you the best.
Hi Alisha, my 11 month old loves munching on apples and pears. We used to cut it into strips so it is easier for him to hold but he has the habit of shoving half the stick into his mouth and then gagging. So we cut it into cubes instead now. Is there any thing we can do so he doesn’t shove everything into his mouth? He likes to do the same with toast and all types of food that isn’t cut into tiny pieces, like the size of peas.
At his age, it is pretty tricky. Cubes are fine if you are uncomfortable. If you continue to try, which is fine, if he isn’t choking or gagging excessively, then tell him, “take a bite”, and show him. He should get better at this in a couple of months.
What type of foods would you give to your little ones that they could hold and gnaw at but not break much off of? I am just trying to get a good feel. I want to incorporate both as well!! Thank you!!
If you want to just have them mouth and not get any off of try raw carrots and celery. Biter biscuits allow babies to get a little off of in the early months of eating, but as they get older and chew better they will take bigger bites. You can also put food in the mesh bags like this: (affiliate link)http://amzn.to/1eSW53a Did I answer your question? You can also check out mega list of table foods and ultimate list of baby meals in the article index (see the menu bar).
Thanks for this great article! I too am a feeding specialist and it’s nice to see a balanced article on the pros and cons of both methods. I too did a combined of traditional and baby lead weaning with my twins for the reasons you mentioned. I frequently try to remind parent it doesn’t have to be one or the other for most children. Thanks again for publishing this.
Thanks for your input Jasmine, it will help other parents feel confident about their decision! I love when other therapists are reading (and agreeing!)
I am so glad I read this article. My son is 4 months old and my doctor recommended starting him on solids especially since he actually did show interest as we sat him on our knee every time we would eat. I really wanted to do the BLW approach, but have heard/read not to start them until they are 6 months. I tested his interest in food with a tomato and he sucked on that thing like there was no tomorrow. So now I started purees and boy does he really enjoy his feeds! I am really excited to incorporate some chunks when he does turn 6 months. So I guess I’ll be doing a hybrid approach purees/baby led weaning.
Sounds like you got a great plan that will work for you and your little guy!
In the article you say a con of BLW is “Minimal if any exposure to pureed foods, which baby needs to learn to manage as well.” Why does the baby need to learn to manage pureed foods if you rarely ever eat them past a year or two? Is this an important oral skill? Trying to figure it all out. Thanks? -New Mom
Well, not all people rarely eat pureed foods. Many children and adults eat yogurt, applesauce, or soup daily. Also, the exposure to this type of texture will help them be able to manipulate a variety of foods more efficiently by exposing them to different sensory stimulation and challenging their oral motor skills in new ways. If you are feeling compelled to go a BLW route then trust your instincts and offer some sort of puree sometimes.
Hello. I’m little is almost coming up to the six month mark and I have been researching BLW vs Purees for a while now; one of my friends started BLW with her second child and loved it as he responded great to it.
I like your idea of mixing the two and wqs wondering if you could share some of the table foods you started with.
Thank you.
I really love all of the crunchy foods that melt quickly and are found in the baby food aisle like little cheese curls, puffs, rice husks, etc. These are really safe because they melt right away. After they master those I move onto softer foods like avocado, banana, soft breads. I’m planning on sharing more ideas in an upcoming post, but you can find more ideas in the post how to transition to table foods (find it under article index in the menu bar).
My little boy is 10 months old we’ve been doing BLW since he was 6months. He’s never really taken to it. He plays with it, squishes it in his hands and pushes it around his high chair. He’ll bring most foods to his mouth where he’ll shudder and throw it on the floor.
After 4 months of trying BLW and watching all other babies in play classes thrive at it I resorted to buying the Ella’s kitchen pouches (purred/ textured food) and he loves them- some he shudders at) but mostly he loves them and even let’s me spoon feed him.
Part of me thinks he’s mayb a bit lazy with food ie he hasn’t got the patience to figure out how it all works. He such a busy boy- he doesn’t stop! So when I put him in his high chair to eat at the same time as us, first he’s squirming, then crying- I have to keep him interested with lots of toys. Could he possibly just want to eat and get back to playing or is baby led weaning just not for him??
He’s exclusively breast fed. I often find BF him in the day a battle cos he’d rather be playing. And noise or distraction and he’s off to investigate.
Should I continue giving him purées/ textured food or should I persist with BLW knowing he’s not eating any of it- well apart from breadsticks and occasionally toast?!
At his age it is important that he eat table foods as well. So keep presenting them, I would focus on crunchy meltable foods at first- he’s likely to do better with those. Keep up the purees as well, but offer those after a few minutes. I would encourage you to read how to transition your baby to table foods (two parts)- see the article index. Please let me know if you need more help. He may outgrow this, but the shuddering could be a red flag for some underlying difficulties- that doesn’t necessarily mean anything serious. If you don’t see much change in the next month after reading the other articles get in touch!
What source would you recommend to start BLW? My 6.5 month old is so interested in food, I started feeding him purees at 5.5 months. Started incorporating BLW too just after 6 months (devours avocado, his first finger food).
I don’t have one source in particular, Tribeca Nutrition has some really helpful food ideas.
My daughter is 8 months old and exclusively breast feed and we’ve been trying both BLW and pureed routes since she was 6 months. She doesn’t like the idea of purees and someone feeding her but gags and proceeds to vomit as soon as something small hits her tongue with table foods. Is this a concern at her age? Other moms have told me to give it time and that her gag reflex is still too far forward, but should I be concerned with her age at this point and her tendencies either way? Thanks for any insight you might have!
I thin that is kind advice and is often my concern with blw. Give her teethers and toys to chew on, if she doesn’t do this demonstrate and show her how. Also start brushing her teeth, this will all help to break down her gag reflex. Let me know if you need more help, I know I’m late in this response!
I have been combining puree feeding and BLW from 6 months with great success but my little one (now 8 months old) has suddenly stopped eating. She is still taking her breastfeeds without a problem but does not seem particularly keen on table foods and flat-out refuses purees. This has been going on for over a week. Should I continue to encourage the purees or give it a break?
Sorry Jacqueline, I missed this comment. I’m sure you’ve moved past this issue, but to anyone else reading I would offer both, but the purees only once a day. I would focus more on the table foods.
I have a friend who is still spoon-feeding her 16-month old baby food, a major part of his diet. I worry that she is not letting go of baby foods and not letting the baby use the spoon he is holding. I can tell that he wants to try for himself, but I think she doesn’t want him getting messy, as she wipes his face a lot. I’ve shown her pictures of my kids with spaghetti sauce up to their eyebrows, talk about what I did when my kids were little, but these gentle hints don’t seem to be enough. I’ve sent her links to your articles, which she read, and that got her to talk to a doctor when he was 13 months, but before she could take him in to be evaluated, he ate a cracker by himself and she seems to think there is no reason to get him checked out for any issues.
Am I over-reacting? I don’t want to “butt in” but I don’t want to miss an opportunity to “step in” if that’s what’s needed.
I have been in your shoes before. If you feel like you can have a talk with her without damaging your friendship I would. She could possibly make some simple changes now that could turn this around. There is real potential for this problem to get worse.
By the way some people have such a hard time letting their kids get messy even some of my own clients won’t do it. It is really important, but there is only so much you can do. Your a good friend for caring and trying!
We found out today after a visit to the feeding specialists that he is having tongue tie issues. He had it clipped at around a month old, which helped with nursing. They feel it either grew back together or was deeper than the doctor that clipped it thought it was, which perhaps ended up not being clipped enough.
Although he has been happy to try foods and try to eat them, the doctors said he does not have a strong chewing motion, and that swallowing is an issue for him. Since January he has been trying new foods (I finally got her to start offering more regular food, which he enjoyed) but for the most part was not able to actually eat them!
The doctors gave her packets of information with positive food association exercises, physical therapy exercises, she now has several doctor visits in one week, two weeks, and eight weeks, and she is relieved that there is something she can do to help him. At 17 months old he is still young enough to turn this around without laborious, extreme measures. She is very motivated and knows that I understand her anxiety and am supporting her in this challenge.
Thank you for your advice. It really helped me to help her. If you have any other suggestions, I would love to hear them.
It sounds like you guys are already working hard! Keep presenting new foods and make mealtime as fun and positive as possible.It is hard to say how long this could take to get him up to where he should be for his age, but it is possible things could turn around quickly. Wishing you the best!
I’m a mum of 6 I’ve done both ways loved baby led weaning got some nasty comments about from people who new nothing about it but she eats really well now my others were pains with food who were fed purees
My little one didn’t like pureed foods from the beginning – she was much happier when I gave her something she can hold and eat all by herself. Even now, at 14 months, the only way she will eat porridge or yogurt is when she holds the spoon! I was a bit worried that she might not get enough when she only nibbles on a few pieces by herself, but her weight picked up perfectly. I think the best route is the one your baby is most comfortable with.
Thanks for sharing Mari! And, I love that she is feeding herself with a spoon already- that is great. Applause to you for embracing the mess, too!
You bring up an important point about how much she was eating. It is important to keep in mind that babies and toddlers need to eat much less that we do. It is actually a very small portion of food.