My experience of Introducing Solid Foods and Baby Led Weaning (BLW)

Mar 15

Introducing foods & the ‘open gut’

At first the thought of introducing food to my baby seemed overwhelming to me. I felt the pressure of different opinions and ways of weaning, and I desperately wanted to get it right for her. I followed my daughter Ruby’s cues to be able to tell when she was ready for solids. These being when she could sit up-right and unassisted, can begin to coordinate to pick up food and bring to their mouth, and swallowing rather spitting out food (1). Ruby was six months when I began to introduce food to her which seemed to be the right time when she was naturally ready to start eating.

If solids are started before a baby’s system is ready to handle them, they are poorly digested and may potentially cause unpleasant reactions (digestive upset, gas, constipation, etc). A reason to wait until 6 months is so a baby’s digestive system has time to mature. Until around 4-6 months babies have an ‘open gut’ which means the spaces between cells of the small intestine will allow proteins and pathogens to pass directly into the bloodstream, which can predispose the baby to allergies.

During this time, antibodies from breastmilk coat a baby’s digestive tract and provide passive immunity, reducing the likelihood of illness and allergic reactions before gut closure occurs. Baby starts producing these antibodies on their own at around 6 months, and gut closure should have occurred by this time. Babies who start solids at 6 months can feed themselves, will be more ready for Baby Led Weaning (BLW), and will be more developmentally ready to eat foods that are not liquids (2).

My experience of BLW

Essentially BLW means giving your baby finger foods to hold and be able to feed themselves. As the name suggests, your baby is leading the weaning process. I decided to introduce food in the style of BLW as I liked the idea of my daughter being able to feed herself and regulate when she was hungry and when she was full. I started by introducing mashed foods as well as finger foods. I decided to also offer mashed foods because I wanted Ruby to get used to the texture of lumpy foods and to practice her swallowing reflex. The first foods I gave Ruby were mashed avocado and banana which are both soft, easy to prepare and full of nutrients. Eating is a completely new concept to babies and I’ve found its so important to have patience whilst they get used to food, new flavours and learn to chew and swallow.

Boiled, soft vegetables and fruits are ideal to start with. Foods I have found great to start weaning with are:

Broccoli
Cauliflower
Potato/sweet potato
Butternut squash
Carrot
Soft pears
Squashed raspberries/blackberries

We did have a few gagging episodes which is normal and the baby’s way of protecting themselves and bringing the food back up. They learn to take smaller bites, chew more thoroughly and to not put so much in their mouth at once. Gagging is normal; choking is silent and very different. It is always important to stay with your baby when you are giving them any type of solid food (3).

When Ruby reached around 8-9 months the fear of her gagging slowly began to fade and the experience became more fun. I could watch her try new flavours and food with excitement. She has just turned one year and I can see a massive difference in comparison to the beginning of her weaning journey at six months. Watching her reaction to the food I make has become one of my favourite parts of motherhood so far.

You may have heard the phrase ‘food before 1 is just for fun,’ which I feel in my experience could not be more true. Milk is still the main source of nutrition at this stage (4), food is something for them to experiment with whilst the chewing and swallowing reflexes are learnt. However, at six months your baby’s iron stores do start to deplete, and due to this it is important to replenish these stores with foods alongside their usual milk (5).

The advantages of BLW include:

Your baby has full control of how much they eat, teaching them about their appetite, which is important for their future eating habits.

BLW helps to develop their gag reflex.

It is easier for yourself at meal times as you can eat more similar foods rather than preparing separate meals which is much more time consuming. If it works out time-wise, it is great to include babies in meal times with you, to see your behaviour when eating and encourage to eat more of a variety of foods.

BLW is an opportunity to explore food, different tastes, textures, smells. With finger foods your baby is exploring one food at a time and discovering that foods have different flavours. They are also touching the foods themselves and able to play.

Tips for BLW:

Let your baby get messy. Mess is inevitable with self-feeding and may help prevent picky eating later on.
Offer choices in small amounts.
Aim for mealtime to be pressure-free. Try not to create a stressful environment at meal time. If your child refuses to eat, don’t react or exert pressure.
Once your baby’s pincer grasp develops, decrease the size of the food to smaller pieces. (6)

Size/shape of BLW foods, & texture:

Size & Shape

BLW foods should be as close to your own finger length and width as possible. Offering babies food cut like this will allow them to grasp with their hands and bite.

If foods are too small or irregular shaped then cut food into very small pieces. For example, cherry tomatoes, strawberries and grapes would be quartered. Alternatively you can wait to introduce these foods once your baby has developed their pincer grasp, which is around 9 months.

Texture

The texture should be soft and should easily flatten if you were to pinch it with your fingers. If the fruits or vegetables are too hard, you can steam, boil or bake until soft and remove any peel or rind from the fruit and vegetables. Try and avoid very stringy or raw vegetables like green beans, celery, raw carrots etc. If fruit contains stones or large pips always remove these prior to offering to your baby.

Studies show the foods which have the biggest choking risk are: sausages, whole nuts, raw carrots, meat, popcorn, fish with bones, grapes, cherry tomatoes, raw apples, fruit pips and stones.

A study by Brown (2018) reported that baby-led weaning was not associated with increased risk of choking and the highest frequency of choking on finger foods occurred in those who were given finger foods the least often (7).

Equipment for Weaning

The equipment listed below I have used and found extremely helpful. In particular the baby mini-cups, which are ideal for teaching your baby to drink water from a cup.

Silicone fork/spoon

https://www.kidly.co.uk/products/bumkins/silicone-chewtensils/9663?colour=sage-green

Suction divided plate

https://www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/bubbaboo-bamboo-panda-plate-and-yellow-spoon-set-e6964.html

Baby mini-cups

https://www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/babycup-weaning-cups-set-of-4-b1881.html?nosto=nosto-page-category1-fallback-nosto-1

Doidy cup

https://www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/doidy-cups-b3714.html?refSrc=19673&nosto=nosto-page-product3

Food cube trays

https://www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/d6707.html?refSrc=19673&nosto=productpage-nosto-2

Bibs

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/matvra-bib-fruit-vegetables-pattern-green-yellow-40426925/

Ice lolly moulds

https://itsykids.com/product/itsy-popsicle-lollypop-molds/

Websites I have found useful for Weaning:

BLW Recipes

These recipes are very quick and easy to make, yet also full of nutrients. Being a mum I have found it is so important to be able to make healthy recipes in a short amount of time! So, these recipes are healthy, simple, full of flavour and perfect for BLW.

Green pancakes

Gluten free, dairy free, vegan

Ideal for: BLW finger food, beginning to wean

Rich in: Protein, Iron, Vitamin C

This recipe makes around 8 small pancakes. They are ideal for doing baby led weaning as they are soft, easy to hold, and rich in protein, iron and vitamin C. This recipe is also great for slightly older kids who become fussy with food and eating vegetables, you can sneak veggies into pancakes and disguise the taste. You could also do this recipe with wilted spinach and kale if you wanted more of a variety, although I have found using peas makes the pancakes much softer.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup chickpea flour
3/4 cup peas (I used frozen and thawed in hot water for a few minutes)
Pinch of paprika and garlic powder
A little water (you need a slightly runny consistency, add more water if you need to)
1 tsp coconut oil

Method:

Add hot water to the peas, drain when thawed and add to blender. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend. Then heat the coconut oil and fry the pancakes for a few minutes on each side on a low-medium heat. I fried four pancakes at a time in a large pan and watched closely to make sure they didn’t burn.

Baby falafels

Dairy free, vegan

Ideal for: BLW finger food

Rich in: Iron, Protein, Magnesium

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas
4 tsp oats
1 garlic clove
1 tsp cumin
Handful of parsley (optional)
1-2 tsp olive oil
1-2 tsp coconut oil
Greek yogurt (dairy or dairy free, depending on preference. I have used Alpro Soy Greek style yogurt)

Method:

Drain the chickpea can and rinse. Add to a blender, along with the other ingredients and blend up. Add a little olive oil if the mixture is too thick. Warm a little coconut oil in a pan, and spoon in the small balls of the mixture, flipping after gently cooking for 3-4 minutes. You can cook these in batches and leave to cool on a paper towel. I served with a dollop of greek yogurt and avocado slices. Chickpeas are ideal nutrient wise as they are rich in protein, iron and magnesium.

Blueberry and banana ice lollies

Gluten free, dairy free, vegan

Ideal for: teething and beginning to wean

Rich in: Antioxidants, Vitamin C, Potassium

Ingredients:

1 cup blueberries
1 banana
A little water/milk of your choice

Method:

Blend ingredients and freeze. I stored them in the lolly moulds which were so great for her to hold and eat herself. I froze the remaining smoothie mix in the ice moulds for the future. I made these a lot at the start of weaning so ruby could get used to flavours and they also helped a lot with teething and soothing her gums. Blueberries are full of antioxidants and vitamin C.

Banana buckwheat pancakes

Gluten free, dairy free, vegan

Ideal for: BLW finger food, beginning to wean

Rich in: Omega 3, Iron, Protein

Ingredients:

1 banana
1 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 - 1 cup milk (I use the Mighty Pea milk for Ruby due to the high protein content)
1 tbsp chia seeds
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp coconut oil

Method:

First mix the chia seeds and water together until seeds soak up water and it becomes a gel like consistency.
Add the banana, flour and milk to blender, mix together and blend up. Then add the chia seed ‘egg’ and blend. The consistency should be smooth and not too thick, add more milk if needed.
Heat up coconut oil in a pan on medium-heat, and add a dollop of the pancake mixture. I usually cook 3 at a time, and the recipe makes around 10 small pancakes.

Buckwheat contains a good amount of fibre, protein and is rich in minerals manganese, copper, iron, magnesium and phosphorus. Chia seeds are a great alternative to eggs in recipes and are high in omega 3 fatty acids, protein, fibre, iron, magnesium and calcium.

Ideal snacks for BLW:

Berries (blackberries, raspberries, strawberries)
Banana
Lentil puffs (store bought)
Raisin toast (I tend to use various types of bread, from wholemeal to sourdough)
Avocado toast
Sliced cucumber, skin removed
Roasted, sliced sweet potato, skin removed
Rice cakes and hummus/avocado/nut butter

Disclaimer: I am no expert in BLW, I am writing from experience and this blog has been heavily researched with references included below.

References: