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
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.