How I Fell in Love with Baby Led Weaning
Ah, feeding our babies. While it’s a loaded topic, it’s something that parents (and babies) look forward to. It’s yet another milestone our baby gets to meet as they progress during that first year of life. I think in so many ways, we begin to consciously think about how we’re feeding our baby while we care for them in utero. Some how, some way, what and how we eat is far beyond just nourishing ourselves. It’s bigger and better (prenatal nutrition, a whole other topic!).
In my local community, I’ve taken on the role of being a “Baby Led Weaning Expert” – in less than two years I’ve hosted numerous workshops and counseled multiple families on the basics of transitioning their baby on to solid food.
At almost every session, I spend time with the attendees to candidly share how and why I stumbled on Baby Led Weaning and the fire that it has ignited within. The story goes like this…
Like any mom, let alone DIETITIAN mom I was so excited to introduce solid food to my first baby. He was about six months. The first food I made for him was a lentil puree (daal) that I offered to him by spoon. I wouldn’t say he loved it, but he was intrigued by this whole eating thing. And then there I was, concocting an array of purees – one time, I blended peas, beets and mint. It looked beautiful, and I guess the taste was okay. Again, he enjoyed them, but he wasn’t enthralled by it. And to be honest, I never eat peas, beets and mint together. So it begged the question, why was I feeding my baby this way? Why didn’t I offer him foods that reflected how we were eating as a family? I carried on any way.
Fast forward two weeks into feeding. I noticed something. While my baby was content with is portion of puree, he was far more interested in what we (mum and dad) were eating. Cue: mom guilt. So there it goes, bit by bit and piece by piece I would start offering my baby whole, soft foods. And it dawned on me: in order for our feeding relationship to flourish and be centered around trust, I had to let go and follow his lead. So, I dove into the research which led me to Baby Led Weaning. And when I say I dove, I got right in there. I joined a network of other Dietitians interested in this style of feeding, dug through research and read multiple books on the topic. I needed to know that this approach to feeding would meet my child’s needs (nutritionally, cognitively and physically).
And that’s our story. I think the moral is, you need to find a style of feeding your baby that you’re comfortable with but also recognize that you may need to pivot, change your strategy and follow their need versus our agenda (aka the safety net of purees for too long of a period). My son was clearly telling me, “mum, I want to self feed” and my job was to get educated, be a responsive feeder and help foster his independence. I’m so glad I listened to my gut.
Fast forward to 2019, I’m now looking forward to another feeding experience my newest baby. I can tell already; he has a calm temperament. In some ways, he needs my physical touch more, he loves to be held. He doesn’t appear to be as active as his brother and so I can’t help but wonder what approach will suit him best. Nonetheless, we’ll figure it out and I’ll to march to his drum.
I’d love to know more about how you approached solid foods with your little ones! Feel free to drop a comment below and fill me in. In the meantime, if you’re interested in learning more about my workshop/sessions on Starting Solids Confidently, you can contact me.
