A Crash Course in Baby Led Weaning - Part 1

Well, here it is. A short synopsis of the BLW "program".

Baby Led Weaning is possibly one of the most traditional ways to start a baby on solid foods.  Cavemen didn't have cereal and purees, African tribes don't, so why should we?  In Western nations, cereal and purees were introduced in order to feed babies at a very young age - an age where their digestive tracts and their coordination isn't mature enough yet for "real" food.  If we take a quick look at the way a baby grows, we don't force them to walk before they can stand, so why should we force them to eat when they can't even bring their hand to their mouth?  I'm a big believer in "he'll do it when he's ready", whether that's sleeping through night, walking, eating, or any other milestone.

So, when should a baby start eating real foods?  Experts still disagree, but the general consensus is somewhere between 4-6 months, with the pendulum swinging toward the 6 month side of things.  If you follow BLW, chances are, your baby will start eating sometime around 6 months.  The nice thing is, even if you offer food at, say, 2 months, your baby won't eat it because he's not ready, so there is no harm if you offer food too early.  Some babies may be ready around 4 months, most around 6 months, and some may not show much interest until 10 months.  My advice: follow your baby's lead.  There is a plethora of research out there saying contradictory things, so go ahead and read up and get educated, but the one person who can tell you if she's ready is sitting on your lap (or in the crib, or swing, or playing on the floor. . .)

I'm going to have to do this post in parts.  I have a sick baby on my hands and can't devote too much time to the blog until he's feeling better.

Next time: Getting Started