Baby-led weaning (BLW) is a process of slowly weaning a baby onto solids from milk. Unlike the traditional approach of feeding a baby sety amounts of pureed food by a particular age, BLW emphasises the baby's own physical readiness and interest, and the baby's own appetite.
The main differences are that you wait until the baby shows interest in your food before you offer solids, and you do not give purees, just finger food. You offer your babies food, and then you let them choose what and how much to eat. You choose when they eat, and what they can choose from, and they choose what they eat and how much.
This article describes what I've learned about BLW. It's just an introduction, so if you want to know more, hav a look at the links at the end.
Although I'm describing my experience as a mum of twins, there's not much here that is specific to multiples.
In this article, when I say "milk" I mean either breast milk or formula. Most of the research into BLW seems to talk about breast-fed babies, but it's worked fine for our formula-fed twins.
We have one-year-old fraternal twin girls, who have been formula-fed since I stopped expressing at 5.5 months. I read about baby-led weaning while I was pregnant, and my partner agreed that it was a good idea.
When the girls were about six months old, I offered them each a stick of cucumber. They both grabbed a stick, and gummed it until all the soft seedy part was gone. From then onwards, I kept offering other finger foods for them to play with and eat. We didn't have a formal mealtime for the girls. If they happened to be awake while we were having lunch, then they got some food. Otherwise, just their milk. I didn't puree anything.
At about seven months, I started to regularly offer a solid breakfast after their bottles. They sit in their high chairs, and I sit in front of them, at the table. We all then eat the same breakfast. It's usually porridge or toast, banana, pear, orange, and plain yoghurt.
At eight months, I started a regular lunch. This is usually leftovers from dinner the night before.
At ten months old, they started having three meals a day.
Now that they are one, they are eating a lot more than just a month ago. They are still having four bottles a day. At breakfast each girl usually demolishes a bowl of porridge, plus some bits of orange, some yoghurt, and maybe banana, avocado or other fruit.
Lunch might be just snacks while we are out, or a proper sit-down meal. Dinner is usually early, and consists of leftovers from our dinner last night. Eventually their bedtime will move later, and then we will all eat dinner together.
For wet foods like yoghurt and porridge, I hand a loaded spoon over, and each girl usually immediately pops it into her mouth. We sometimes have a tug-of-war over the empty spoon, which they think is hilarious. Sometimes I give them a whole bowl of porridge, and they pick up fistfuls of it and shove it in their mouths. Very messy, and lots of fun for them.
I still always give them their bottles before their solids. At some meals, they will hardly eat any food, but at others they demolish everything and I have to go get more.
Foods our girls love:
They are learning what they like and dislike. For example, up until a few months ago, neither girl was particularly fond of apple. I used to give them very thin slices (no chance of choking!), and they would each suck half-heartedly for a while. In contrast, when I gave either of them a slice of orange, they would strip all the flesh off it and throw away the skin. I continue to offer foods that they don't like, because one day they might start to like it.
When the girls were ten months old, my dad asked me when I would let them have raw apple. I replied vaguely "when they are capable of picking up and apple and biting into it I suppose". So he showed Hazel the apple he was about to eat, and she snatched it out of his hand and started grating it. She ate a fair amount of apple by the time she was finished. From then on I have been happy to give them raw apple - while I'm around, of course. Here's Ivy on the same day, after my dad offered her the apple:
I wanted to try BLW because I love my food, and I didn't like the idea of our girls having a bland restricted diet. I'd hate that, so I didn't want to assume that they would want that. The girls now love their food and are willing to try anything. Of course, that might not persist, but it’s a good start.
Also, I am quite lazy. I did not relish the idea of preparing, pureeing and freezing lots of little portions of food, especially when I had heard that early on, much of it might get thrown on the floor. I have better things to do than make food that no-one wants.
Further, I am stingy. Some of the baby food in jars is actually really good, but it's also expensive. We have given the girls jars of pasta-and-chicken meals, and they love it, but it ends up costing four dollars for a meal! By giving them some of our dinner leftovers, their meals are way cheaper, plus we know exactly what went into them.
When one of your babies shows interest in your food, start offering her some. It's important to not offer solids before a baby is physically capable of sitting upright, grasping the food herself, and putting it into her own mouth. It doesn't matter whether your baby has any teeth or not.
Solid food is just for fun until they are one!
Until they are one, or even later, milk (breast or formula) is a baby's best main food. It's more calorie-dense than just about any solid food, and it's tailored to their needs.
BLW is all about letting your children decide what they will eat, and how much. Some babies love their solids, and by ten months are drinking hardly any milk, and eating lots of food. Others stick with mainly milk until fifteen months or later.
Most babies don't show interest in food until at least six months. Some mums with healthy babies who drink a good amount of milk have delayed their first solids until they showed interest at seven months. Other mums with babies younger than six months who can sit and are interested decide to start a bit early. You make your decision about what's best for your family.
Put a bib or smock on your babies. If you have enough adults, you can have one each on your lap as you eat. Otherwise, put them in high-chairs. Put down a few items of food in front of each baby, and let them do with it as they please.
You should keep eating your own meal. If it's not your meal time, at least eat some of what they are having. They will learn a lot by watching and imitating you. Eating is a social experience, and by eating with you, your babies are learning about the whole event, not just about the food itself.
Your babies play with (and maybe eat) some of the food you have offered. Don't press food on them. They follow their own appetites. Each baby chooses what to eat, and how much to eat.
When your babies seem to be struggling or frustrated, there is nothing wrong with helping them. However, before you help, ask yourself why you are helping.
When they play with and eat whole solid foods they are learning about textures and tastes, and how to bite, chew, and slurp various foods.
At their mealtimes, the girls usually start off by eating fast and efficiently. Once they have got some food into them, they start mucking around. They fiddle with the food, drop it over the edge and watch it fall, pick it up and wave it around, and all the usual stuff. Yes, it's a mess, but they love it. They are learning so much about what food is like. At the start they were so messy that I dressed them in art smocks. They got food everywhere. Now, three months in, they are pretty neat. I just put bibs on them, but sometimes I have to change their clothes (and mine) after a meal.
Other mums and family members are sometimes shocked when one of the girls gags while she's eating. They think she's choking and panic. However, neither girl has ever choked. They are gagging much less often now, too.
On the flip side, some other mums are impressed with how well the girls eat. They are both very adept at getting food into their mouths, biting, chewing, and swallowing, even though Ivy has no teeth!
Offer your baby a range of healthy, whole, unpureed finger foods. Great starting foods include lightly steamed veggies such as broccoli florets, carrot sticks, parsnip sticks; lettuce (the thick ribs are easiest to grasp); tomato segments; cucumber sticks; zucchini sticks (raw or steamed); pieces of fruit such as peach, orange, mandarin; a thick stick of tasty cheese; pieces of toast; pieces of chicken; small rissoles.
If your baby rejects a food or ignores it, offer it again at another meal. Don't force the issue by making them pick it up or putting it into their mouth.
There is no need to puree anything. If a baby physically can't eat something (such as a steak), then she will do just fine without it. However, your babies will probably have a go at most things you offer them. Ivy has been known to suck all the goodness out of a little piece of steak, even before she had teeth.
When you are starting, cut food into pieces that your babies can easily pick up and hold. Broccoli trees are the best shape for little hands. For most other foods, either leave it whole (such as peas or a mandarin segment), or cut it into the shape of a chip. Don't steam veggies too much. It's easiest for them to handle lightly steamed veggies. If they are cooked too much, they fall apart in your babies' firm grips.
As time goes by, you'll notice your babies slowly getting more dexterous. You can offer more challenging items as they mature. For example, When the girls were eight months old and I realised that they loved orange segments, I left the skin on as a kind of handle. . Howeve,r I noticed that they had trouble with the thin ends of the orange skin, so i carefully cut them off before handing them over. Lately I just chop the orange up any old way and they cope just fine.
However, just because your babies can't quite manage something, don't hold back from offering it! Avocado and banana pieces might be too slippery for your beginners to hold, but they will have fun trying!
Don't offer whole nuts, or pieces of raw apple or raw carrot (grated is OK). These are choking hazards.
Make your own decisions about when to introduce possible allergens such as wheat, cow's milk, nuts, egg, fish, etc. BLW is not a particular diet; it's a way of introducing solid foods.
Gagging is a frequent, natural part of learning to eat. Choking is rare and dangerous.
Gagging, as opposed to choking, is actually a safety response to food travelling too far back into the mouth so when we see our babies gagging they are actually handling the problem and it's best just to keep calm (or at least look calm) and wait until it passes.
(from http://babyledweaning.blogware.com/blog/_archives/2006/7/25/2162385.html)
Choking happens when food blocks your baby's airway, obstructing her breathing. She is usually silent, and may turn blue. Use your first aid skills to deal with this. Do a first aid course if you are not sure of what to do. Choking is rare; my girls have never choked.
Gagging happens when food moves to the back of your baby's mouth, but she doesn't manage to swallow it. The gag reflex kicks in, and your baby makes a lot of noise and turns red. She is trying to move the food forward again, where she can try again to swallow it. She usually does not need your help. Once the gagging is over, she is fine, and continues to play and eat. If she seems to need it, you can put your finger in her mouth to see if something is stuck to the roof of her mouth. Hazel used to get pear skin stuck on her palate (but Ivy didn't!).
Both of my girls sometimes regurgitate after a big gagging session. It's messy but it doesn't seem to bother them at all. Once it's over, I clean it up and we continue with the meal. This is happening less and less often, but it's always a possibility, expecially when they are eating very crumbly dry food, such as a Ryvita.
Your babies will probably gag when they start to eat solid unpureed foods. If you start them early, they will gag then. If you wait until later, they will gag then. You get to choose when it happens, but not whether it happens.
If you are interested, you could read more on the internet. Search for "baby-led weaning".
Here are my favourite sites:
Gill Rapley (who developed the BLW idea), has written a book. This is the accompanying website. www.baby-led.com
Gill Rapley's original article, in which she first outlined her ideas:
www.borstvoeding.com/voedselintroductie/blw/engels.html
Two Scottish mums blogged about their babies' journey towards solid foods. Their kids are older now so they don't add to the blog any more, but there is a lot of very useful info here. Make sure you look in the comments section of each post. Also, there is a very active forum. Here's the site:
babyledweaning.blogware.com