BLW: What It Is & How To Do It
"Baby-led weaning allows babies to explore food in their own time and develop a healthy relationship with eating from the start."
Gill Rapley
Introducing my kids to food falls under the top 5 things I was most excited to do as a new parent. Maybe it's the nostalgia of family dinners as a kid, the eagerness to see their reactions, or maybe because I just love food. What I can say for sure is that it has to do with my background as an occupational therapist and all the interests that come along with that: sensory processing skills, cognitive and motor development, and neurobiology.
Knowing I might be a bit overzealous, I took a course on BLW before each of my kids started (info on these courses below) and then I dove right in. There were highs and lows but overall it was fun for me and the kids loved it. I believe it helped them to be less picky, avoid allergies, and improve their sensory processing and coordination skills among the other benefits I’ll highlight. It was a quick 6-ish months for each kid with great memories seared in my mind.
What is BLW?
Baby-led weaning (“BLW”) is an approach where infants skip the spoon-fed purees and jump right to self-feeding when solids are introduced around the age of 6 months old. The concept was started by British author Gill Rapley, Ph.D., who wrote Baby-led Weaning: Helping Your Baby Love Good Food in 2008. The book sent ripples through Australia, the United Kingdom, and now the United States.
BLW changes the game of infant eating. Instead of the “traditional method” of spoon-feeding pureed sweet potatoes, BLW allows babies to control the pace and intake of the meal. BLW can include naturally pureed foods (think yogurt and oatmeal) but the main difference is that these are the minority and that the baby does the feeding. Babies start to show interest in food around 4 months old and begin to reach for it shortly after that. BLW is developmentally appropriate and it fosters this natural development and encourages babies to put foods in their mouths and chew (read: gum) them.
BLW uses the division of responsibility and feeding theory which “takes the battle out of mealtimes” by engaging our baby’s internal feeding gauge. Until solids start the baby chooses how much and how often to eat while you provide the milk or formula. Once BLW starts then you’re responsible for some of the feeding (what, where, and when) but it gives more autonomy to the child who decides the rest (how much and if they want to eat).
The Benefits
Baby-led weaning was used with our hunter-gatherer ancestors in some form or another, however, the modern version is relatively new meaning there aren’t many great studies on it just yet. The studies that are available tend to be poorly conducted with weak conclusions that fail to produce consistent meaningful information. That being said, proponents of BLW (myself included) suggest that there are a variety of potential benefits for the baby and the parents.
More independence. Since babies will have more opportunities to practice feeding themselves they’ll naturally improve their ability to do it without having you do the feeding for them.
Lower risk of picky eating. Most kids get about 10-15 foods in their first year of life and these are typically one texture: pureed. When inevitable picky eating (neophobia) behaviors begin, children are bound to knock things off their preferred-food list. If you only have 10 foods on it then you’re behind the 8 ball. Get ahead of it with a long list of foods your baby likes.
Develops a healthy relationship with food. More autonomy + more food options + more textures = more enjoyment.
Teaches self-regulation of hunger and satiety cues. Instead of a reliance on external cue (e.g. eating when the spoon is in front of the baby), BLW teaches the baby internal cues including identifying hunger signals prompting them to eat and fullness signals prompting them to stop.
May decrease the risk of choking. As you’ll learn below, BLW gives babies real-time feedback on how much food to bite, how much to take in at a time, when to take a break, when to swallow, and all of the other things that go into preventing choking.
Promotes healthy sensory regulation. One of the phrases heard in BLW circles is “food is for fun until age one.” You’re not looking to immediately replace the nutrients in milk with food. Instead, you’re gradually exposing them to this concept through sensory exposures which go beyond the Big 5: taste (obviously), smell, touch, pressure, thermoreception (sensing hot and cold), proprioception (knowing where your body is in space such as with using your hands to bring food to your mouth), and tension sensors (used with grasping food).
Improves gross motor and fine motor coordination. A newborn begins with a reflexive grasp and in a mere 365 days progresses to reaching, passing objects across midline, and developing a pincer grasp. The same goes for gross motor coordination where a baby can pretty much pull themselves up and take steps while holding hands at the year mark. Feeding skills, through BLW, help build these foundational skills.
May decrease the risk of heavy metals. A 2021 report found that 94% of store-bought baby food and 94% of homemade baby food contained heavy metals, like arsenic and lead. The worst offenders were rice cakes, rice puffs, rice cereal, teething biscuits, and brown rice with no extra water added. The foods with the least contamination were foods used in a healthy BLW approach such as watermelon, apples, pork, eggs, and lamb. See here for more tips.
Saves time and money. When the baby shares the same foods as the rest of the family at the dinner table you save both time and money. You do less preparation, spend more time with the family at the table, and save money on those little expensive jars of goo.
When to Start Baby-Led Weaning
Your baby is ready for baby-led weaning around the age of 6 months when they are able to do the following:
Sit upright with minimal assistance
Lean forward in a chair
Have good head and neck control
Have an interest in food (e.g. reaching for foods)
Bring hands and toys to their mouth
Can visually track something moving
I was eager to start my daughter on BLW the day she turned 6 months but she still needed too much help sitting upright. So, I adjusted my focus and spent more time on these skills while still continuing to sit with us as we ate. If your baby hasn’t developed these skills yet, you can help them by doing the following:
Bring them to the table
Sitting training
Sensory exposures (variety of toys, temperatures, etc.)
Hand-to-mouth training
How to do BLW
For a complete list of safe and simple BLW gear that I recommend see this post.
The Pre-Game
Strip the baby to their diaper (or use protective clothing)
Use a feeding chair with footrests (like this one) or have them on your lap (make sure they are not leaning back)
Keep their feet supported
Start within an hour of their milk feed
Don’t do it when they’re too hungry, too tired, or sick.
Don’t put them in the seat until the food is ready
The Feeding
Let the baby pick it up (avoid the temptation to help)
For slippery food:
Use a crinkle cutter (like this one)
Offer a loaded spoon
Roll foods in foods with texture (e.g. quinoa, ground coconut, ground nuts like almonds, oats)
Let the baby get out when they’re done
Don’t wash or scrub the baby’s face!
Don’t bribe
Eat with the baby
Typical Baby Feeding behaviors
Gag (this is good for the baby and it will get better, see below)
Chew then either swallow or spit out
Get really excited or make different faces
Sensory shudders
Drop the food
Just play with the food
Not pick up the food
Not eat that much
Get messy
Red flags
If you notice any of the below concerns talk to your pediatrician.
Poor weight gain or failure to thrive
GERD, vomiting, excessive gagging
Sensory defensiveness (e.g. not getting messy)
Tongue tie (ankyloglossia)
Cleft palate or lip
Consistent refusal to eat
Inability to keep food in the mouth and/or swallow
Gagging and Choking
The idea of a choking baby is typically what separates the parents who follow through with BLW and those who don’t. Choking is a concern for all babies. A randomized control trial compared BLW to the traditional approach to determine if there was an increased risk of choking with BLW. They concluded that there was no difference in choking rates and that the rate of babies choking when starting solid foods is about 35%.
Choking is when the airway is obstructed and the baby is having trouble breathing. Signs of choking include an inability to cry, changes in skin color, and a look of fear. When this happens, start infant choking first aid and call 9-1-1.
Gagging on the other hand is a normal and healthy reflex in both kids and adults. Signs of gagging include a red face, open mouth, and loud sound sometimes resulting in a vomit. The purpose of the reflex is to contract the throat to prevent any unwanted food or liquid from going down and causing choking. When a baby bites off a piece of food that’s too big this protective mechanism kicks in, provides negative reinforcement, and teaches the baby to take a smaller bite or to chew more next time. For this reason, gagging is good and teaches your baby to eat safely.
In babies ages 6-10 months old, the gag reflex is more sensitive because the trigger is on the middle part of the tongue, instead of the back part like in adults. The sensitivity of the gag reflex will subside with more food exposure in mere months.
I recommend learning the difference between gagging and choking by looking at videos of babies doing each. The two courses in the resource section below go deep on the differences of the two with much more information and visuals. Watching these put me in a better headspace before starting BLW for the first time
We also bought a LifeVac suction device to give us peace of mind (and we never had to come close to using it).
Choking Hazards
Foods to avoid
Popcorn
Candy, gum
Marshmallows
Chips and pretzels
Hot dogs
Whole, large seeds and nuts
Uncooked apples
Uncooked carrots
Large globs of peanut butter or nut butters
Grapes
Cherries or cherry tomatoes
Olives
Cubes of hard meat
Fish with hard bones
Nutrients
Some of the main nutrients to be aware of with BLW are iron, zinc, and vitamin D. It’s important to continually provide these foods to your baby to ensure that they don’t have a deficiency.
Iron is important because stores of iron deplete around 6 months old. Losing iron without providing it leads to anemia. Foods containing iron: shellfish, legumes, and red meat.
Zinc is especially important for the growth process of children. Fortunately, foods that are high in zinc tend to be high in iron. These foods include meat, poultry, fish, and nut butters.
Vitamin D is important for calcium absorption, immune system support, and the regulation of hormones among many other things. About 52% of children have a vitamin D deficiency. The CDC recommends babies under 1 year old get 400 IU of vitamin D daily. If your child is still breastfed then you can take vitamin D supplements (like this reputable one) to get it to your baby. We put drops of Source Naturals Vitamin D3 in the bottles intermittently too. Getting adequate sun is also important for vitamin D. Above all, prioritize foods high in vitamin D including salmon, eggs, and mushrooms.
Cups, Utensils, Plates, and Bibs
There’s plenty of “stuff” out there to buy once your kid starts to eat but don’t go overboard. The basics will be enough to start. In this article, I highlight the best products to use when you’re beginning BLW. Below is the abbreviated version.
Cup training can begin as soon as the baby starts BLW. Allow the baby to drink water (not juice) between bites. This shouldn’t replace milk or formula outside of BLW eating times.
The best cup option is an open cup like this one.
The second best option is a straw cup like this one or these.
Avoid a sippy cup which can inhibit oral-motor development.
Utensils. Babies should use their fingers as much as possible and physically interact directly with the food but sometimes they will need utensils depending on the food consistency. Use loaded spoons with short handles like these and eventually work up to rounded forks like the ones in this set or this set.
Plate and bowl. The goal is a little bit of a challenge with a lot of success during feeding. This includes the baby grasping the food. Keep the food on the tray as much as possible to encourage your baby to look, reach, and grab it but use a silicone, suction-cup bowl and plate (like this set) when this is too difficult.
Bibs. Your baby will get very, very messy. This might be annoying for you but it’s great for them. It’s fun, interesting, and a great way to open up their sensory experience.
The best option is to not use any bib. If your heart shrinks a little bit at this and no bib prevents you from doing BLW then go with a minimalist one like this which can be used for years.
The step up from there is a feeding apron like this one which covers their upper torso.
Modified Baby-Led Weaning
BLW has some strong supporters that discourage any strategies outside of the circle of BLW. This hard-nosed line doesn’t always align with the flexible approach often necessary in parenting. A modified BLW approach incorporates some traditional feeding like purees while still primarily using BLW techniques. There’s no hard and fast definition for modified BLW but there are a variety of reasons a parent may choose to use it:
If having caregivers (teachers, grandparents, spouses, etc.) do the BLW is just not happening.
If you need a way to transition into BLW.
For more difficult foods that are frustrating the baby early on (e.g. yogurt, soup).
Know that there’s not one best way to do anything, especially to raise your kid. No one will call the Parenting Cops if you use that spoon. Most importantly, enjoy the “firsts” with your baby and make mealtime what it’s supposed to be about: enjoyment and being with others.
What I did
I was very excited to begin BLW with each of my kids. I took two BLW online courses before starting with my son and my daughter (in the resource section below). These were ultra helpful to be able to see the size and shapes of foods to prepare as well as to see the differences between choking and gagging–my only fear through this process.
I wanted to expose my kids to as many different types of food as possible though I knew doing the 100 foods before 1-year-old challenge might push me into a lunatic if I was behind at all. The consistency of introducing new foods (or even sticking with a 1-2 time per day plan) was more difficult than I anticipated since I only get to eat one meal with them most days.
BLW was well worth it and my kids are better off for it. Kids and food will never be easy but there are many ways to make it successful. Through plenty of trial and error I came up with a list of the things that I learned and worked the best for us below.
Tips for successful BLW
Don’t wipe their mouths. Let the baby get messy. You can clean up after the meal but refrain from wiping your baby’s mouth or this will create a negative feeding experience.
Give them space. You don’t need to be in the baby’s face when they eat (although you should still be with them). Give them space, time, and opportunity.
Don’t become a short-order cook. If your baby doesn’t like the food you gave them then leave it at that. Don’t make food you weren’t planning on making them in the hopes that they’ll like something else. They won’t starve. Try again next meal.
Batch foods. Steam, bake, boil, etc. different types of foods at once then spread them out across multiple days.
Teach your baby to sign. Teaching the basics of sign language to your baby gives them autonomy, prevents meltdowns, and improves your relationship with them. Start with the basics like “more” and “all done.”
Be flexible. It’s okay to stop solids for a few days if your baby is sick. It’s not the end of the world if there are multiple days when they don’t want to eat. And your baby won’t turn into a psychopath if you put a spoon in their mouth. Take a deep breath and think to 10 years from now when this is just a moment in time.
Temper your reactions. There can and should be foods that you hate and your baby loves (sardines anyone?). When they eat that food don’t make the gross face. Kids are sponges and even infants can read faces well. Keep the environment positive.
Be consistent. The baby’s desire and abilities will depend on their ever-changing development as well as cofounders like sleep, the environment, and mood. Be consistent and control what you can and let the baby decide the rest.
Limit (or avoid) the use of baby pouches. Pouches are increasingly popular because they’re convenient, clean, and ubiquitous. Pouches don’t provide adequate sensory input, tend to be higher in sugar, and increase the risk of teeth erosion or decay. If you’re going to use a pouch then put the contents of the pouch on a spoon so that the baby has the opportunity to touch and see it and then feed themselves.
Great BLW Resources
Podcast:
Baby-Led Weaning Made Easy by Katie Ferraro. She has 200+ episodes of interviews, common concerns, first foods to start with, and adaptive strategies for kids with developmental delays. Definitely worth a subscribe.
Courses
I took the Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro before starting BLW with my son. It’s comprehensive with videos and a ton of pictures with slides on how to prepare the foods.
I also took the Feeding Littles Baby-Led Weaning Infant Course before starting BLW with my second child as a refresher. It’s similar to Katie Ferraro’s course above with helpful pictures and videos but it’s not free.
CPR course. I highly recommend that any parent take CPR before having a baby. The next best time to take a CPR course is before your baby learns to eat. There are plenty of online and in-person ones out there so Google away.
App & Database
Solid Starts is a great resource. The best part is the First Foods® Database which provides an extensive list of foods, a lot of information for each food (safety concerns, nutrition, etc.), and, most importantly, how to prepare the foods for each age. For example, under pork, it provides pictures and descriptions on how to prepare it for 6-8-month-olds, 9-12-month-olds, and 12+ month-olds.
FAQ
Should I give my baby one new food every 3 or more days to make sure they don’t have an allergic reaction?
This used to be the rule of thumb but 90% of food allergies are caused by 8 foods. Introduce these foods every few days but all other foods can be introduced more frequently. If baby has eczema, allergies, or intolerances then proceed more slowly.
What if my baby has constipation?
Have sips of water with food
Minimize or avoid foods that bulk and increase the risk of constipation: bread, applesauce, banana
Add “P” fruits: peaches, plums, pears, prunes.
Add probiotics
What if my baby has reflux?
Reflux tends to subside when the baby can sit with less or no help. Limit foods that increase reflux: tomatoes, tomato sauce, citrus, acidic foods.