I sat down and had a great chat with Baby-Led Weaning specialist Poppy Duhnke. You can find her under the Instagram handle @lowstressmotherhood and her website lowstressmotherhood.com. Poppy is a mother of twin girls and is a Montessori-inspired playschool owner in California. She’s all about sharing tips and tricks for Baby-Led Weaning & Potty Training. Recently she launched her website, and might I say it looks fantastic! You can find many resources and free downloadable content for both of her specialties. I will include links to her baby-led weaning content through-out this post.

A few weeks ago, I asked my followers on @mauve.mumlife if they had any questions about BLW. I got some great questions, so thank you so much to those who contributed! I compiled them together into these questions. We hope that it will help answer some pressing questions you may have before starting. We hope this gives you the confidence to help successfully transition them into solid food.

What are the benefits of baby-led weaning?

There are many reasons why baby-led weaning can be very beneficial to your child’s development. Allowing your baby to learn how to feed themselves independently is excellent for developing each of the skills listed below.

• Learning about different flavours and textures
• Realizing their food preferences
• Feeding themselves
• Promotes baby to learn table manners
• Allows for social interactions with family
• Reduces the chances of having a “picky eater.”
• Allows baby to practice fine motor skills
• Learning their bodies cues surrounding hunger
• Hand-eye coordination
• Sensory experience 

And so many more.

What To Expect When Just Starting Baby-Led Weaning

As I’m sure you know, some skills take time to master. Giving your child time to practice these skills over a long time will be very beneficial for them. Baby-led weaning is no different because it is also a skill that every child will learn in their lifetime. It can get messy, frustrating, and overwhelming sometimes. Still, if you continue to work at it each day and allow your child to learn, grow, and develop, then hopefully, you’ll have an independent eater who enjoys mealtime.

Iron-Rich Foods

Iron deficiency is prevalent among young children. When starting baby-led weaning, it is essential to remember this when planning what foods you will introduce to your baby. Some iron-rich foods that are great for a child starting baby-led weaning are…

1. Beans
2. Meat
3. Peas
4. Toast with iron-rich formula 
5. Sweet Potato
6. Tune
7. Kale

For more examples, check out Poppy’s Video and make sure to read the caption to.

If you asked one of these questions, thank you so much for participating!

1. When can you start BLW?

Poppy: Typically, your child’s pediatrician will give you the go-ahead when they think it is safe, but typically, BLW can start once your child can do the milestones below.

• able to sit upright unassisted
• becoming more interested in your food
• starts putting object and toys up to their mouth
• your child is around six months old
• has good neck control

For a free downloaded baby-led weaning check list click here!

2. What else comes with BLW? Utensils? Sippy Cups?

Poppy: Usually, with the introduction of baby-led weaning, you can introduce utensils and an open cup. Introducing these items allow your child to practice using these items. But doing whatever’s best for your family is what matters. As long as your baby is experiencing food, then the rest can come after. Below are some important tools you will want to have when starting baby-led weaning, some you may already have.

1. A BABYBJÖRN bib with a spill pocket has an easy to clean surface, and it has a spill pocket that will save you from cleaning your baby’s body and lap. It also allows your baby to move freely while eating, whereas putting them in long-sleeved smocks could restrict their movements and may cause your baby to get frustrated. That’s why this style is more common.

2. Next is a high chair that is super easy to wipe down. Both Poppy and I agree that the Ikea high chair is one of the cheapest and easiest high chairs to clean. It is called Antilop, and it goes on sale often!

3. During this time, you can also slowly introduce an open cup to your baby. If that is a bit overwhelming for you, then you can try a cup with a short straw or water bottle with a small straw. Then once you think they are ready, you can introduce a small cup. Make sure to offer small amounts of water (enough to take a few sips) with an open cup. If your baby doesn’t take the cup or finished drinking, remove it from their reach, so they don’t know it over (less mess for you). I have included a great video that can guide you through it from @lowstressmotherhood.

 BABY-LED WEANING INTRODUCING AN OPEN CUP.

4. Once you start baby-led weaning, your baby’s mouth should be cleaned even if they don’t have teeth yet once a day, but if your baby has teeth, you should start brushing twice a day. This will also help them get into the routine of “brushing their teeth.” It also cleans their mouth and prevents plaque buildup. You can start with a warm cloth, baby teeth and gum wipes, or finger toothbrushes. Once your baby starts to get teeth, you can move onto a soft bristle baby toothbrush and fluorene free toothpaste.

3. What is the best way to introduce utensils?

Poppy: Making sure your child is developmentally ready and is doing all of the milestones listed above. There are a few ways to help your baby get familiar with their utensils, and Poppy shared them with me! Start by modelling it for them, for example, using their spoon to pick up yogurt, saying “scoop,” then hand it to your child. Allow them to put it to their mouth and guide them if needed. If you are practicing with a fork, you can pre poke their food and say “poke,” then hand it to them so they can bring it to their mouths. This will take time, and with practice during meal times, patients, and guidance, they will learn how to do it independently. Be warned; it may get a bit messy but lots of fun!

4. What are some of the best and safest foods to introduce first?

Poppy:

• Before introducing foods to your baby, discuss any known allergies in your family and partner’s family with your child’s pediatrician.
• Read the image below for common food baby’s cam possibly be allergic to
• Read Poppy’s caption for more information about allergies

When starting baby-led weaning, you want to make sure you serve iron-rich foods with tons of vitamins and some protein. For more information about iron-rich foods, read the start of this post. Some fantastic foods that are iron-rich, loads of vitamins, and are high in protein, which can easily be soft and comfortable and safe to learn how to chew with gums or teether, are

>Beans and Legumes

>Meat

>Carrots

>Broccoli

>Zucchini

>Banana

>Apple

For some more inspiration below is a post from @lowstressmotherhood.

5. How can I tell the difference between choking & gagging?

Poppy: Before starting BLW, I highly recommend learning infant CPR; you can even find videos on YouTube. This will put your mind at ease that you know what to do if this situation does arise. Another great tip would make a plan with your partner about each other roles so that it is easier to help your baby quicker and more effectively. If you are still uneasy and afraid of your baby choking, then you can put their bib under their seatbelt for easy access to them or unbuckle them. If you choose to unbuckle your baby, make sure that you are sitting in front of them and if you move away from them, buckle them up again. Once your child is more mobile, you shouldn’t attempt this.

The two main differences between choking and gagging are that when a baby is choking, they don’t make any noise, but when a baby is gagging, they make a noise that will alert you to help them. They may also turn blue or purple in the face if they aren’t able to get oxygen. When a baby is choking or gagging, do not offer them water, it could make things worse instead of encouraging them to cough and show them how. 

6. What are some common ways to safely prepare food for my baby?

Poppy: While preparing dinner, reserve a small amount of what you’re cooking on the side for your baby, make sure their food is cooked all the way through and has light seasoning. It is recommended that young children not eat undercooked foods like eggs and refrain from eating overly salty foods.

7. Do you have any strategies for introducing more vegetables in my baby’s diet?

Poppy: The best way for your child to try vegetables often and get them formula with them is by serving them at every meal; yes, that includes breakfast. The more exposure, the better!

8. Are there foods to stay away from?

Poppy: There are a few but for you can start introducing most foods. Poppy has a great post about foods to avoid make sure to read the caption by clicking the photo below.

9. How should I safely prepare meats for BLW?

Poppy: As long as the meat is cooked all the way through and not heavily seasoned with salt or spicy things, you should be good. Ensuring that it is the safe size for your child’s age is also essential, and for some meat, hacks see the image below!

Do you have a picky eater in your house? You may want to click here!

Conclusion

To sum all of this up, no matter how you decide to introduce solids with lots of practice, your baby will become a pro at eating independently—allowing them to explore and learn through food. They will hopefully enjoy a variety of foods as they get older. We hope you found this helpful, and good luck on your baby-led weaning journey; whatever it will look like, you got this!

What is one funny story from your first year of baby-led weaning?

My answer: Watching my daughters learn how to suck up finger sized pieces of spaghetti.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor; I am just speaking from my own experience. These posts are inspired by what I have learned through research, teaching, different people’s experiences, and my own as a mother. I am part of the Amazon affiliated program and I will disclose whether links provided are affiliate links. To read more on this visit my privacy policy.

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