• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Baby Led Bliss logo
  • About
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Contact

Home » Blog » Baby Led Weaning » What Is Baby Led Weaning?

What Is Baby Led Weaning?

Nov 10, 2022 · by Kaleigh · This post may contain affiliate links. · Leave a Comment

Sharing is caring!

What is baby led weaning? Find out about the trendy approach to starting solids!

baby in a diaper sitting on the ground eating from a bowl of food with his hands with text overlay.

If you've got a 4-to-6-month old infant (or even if you've got a younger one!), you may be doing research on starting solids. Your pediatrician will likely tell you to start feeding your baby solids around 4 months, starting with rice cereal and working your way through a slew of purees, one food at a time. What your doctor probably won't tell you is that there is another approach to starting solids that doesn't involve jars or pouches of baby food. It's called baby led weaning.

Jump to:
  • What is Baby Led Weaning?
  • Why Baby-Led?
  • Is Baby Led Weaning Better Than Spoon Feeding?
  • Is Baby Led Weaning Safe?

What is Baby Led Weaning?

Baby led weaning, also called self-feeding (or BLW), is an approach to starting solids that skips the purees and spoon feeding altogether and goes straight to finger foods when babies are around 6 months old. The approach was popularized by Gill Rapley, who has done extensive research on the topic.

Why Baby-Led?

With this approach, babies are in control of what and how much they eat. A better term is probably baby-led feeding, since babies are not actually being weaned from milk at this stage. With BLW, babies use their hands to pick up age-appropriate foods and put them into their mouths themselves. They are guided by their own hunger and fullness cues, rather than a parent or caregiver pushing a spoon into their mouths until the jar or bowl is empty. You read that right - no purees, no rice cereal, no coaxing baby to open his mouth for one more bite of grey-green mush!

It may seem counterintuitive if all you've ever known is purees for young babies, but if you think about it, it's not a new concept. How did babies learn to eat before the invention of rice cereal and purees? By eating soft foods that their parents ate!

Is Baby Led Weaning Better Than Spoon Feeding?

I'm all for the self-feeding approach, as are many other dietitians. We used the baby led weaning approach with my two daughters and were very successful. There are several research-backed advantages to baby led weaning, including the likelihood of having more adventurous (read: less picky!) eaters, faster motor-oral development, and ease for parents. That said, the baby led weaning approach may not be the best fit for everyone. If you'd like to learn more about baby led weaning (or BLW), continue reading my articles on the topic here on Baby Led Bliss, or take a deep dive by purchasing Gill Rapley's book, Baby Led Weaning, The Essential Guide or one of my other favorite books on the topic, Born to Eat.

Read More: Benefits of Baby Led Weaning

Is Baby Led Weaning Safe?

Safety is a big concern when feeding little ones. But rest assured, BLW is safe as long as food is an appropriate shape and texture! Read more about the research on safety and my top safety tips.

pages from free top 10 foods for baby led weaning ebook.

FYI: This post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and stand behind. Thanks for your support in keeping this little website running!

More Baby Led Weaning

  • three ways of serving honeydew melon on a white baby tray.
    How To Serve Melon for Baby Led Weaning
  • four methods of serving blueberries for baby led weaning lined up on a white marble background.
    How To Serve Blueberries for Baby Led Weaning
  • white baby tray with spinach two ways
    How To Serve Spinach for Baby Led Weaning
  • baby banana baked oatmeal muffins with banana slices next to them on top of parchment paper with a banana in the background.
    Baby + Toddler Banana Baked Oatmeal Muffins (No Added Sugar)

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

round photo of Kaleigh McMordie, RD.

Hi, I’m Kaleigh!

I’m a registered dietitian and mom of two helping you navigate your baby’s first bites. I’m here to hold your hand through baby led weaning so you can skip the purees and nourish your little one with less stress and more confidence!

More about me →

ipad with mini recipe ebook on the screen with graphics and text around it.

Popular posts

  • oen ingredient berry compote in a baby bowl with a pink baby spoon.
    No Sugar Berry Compote
  • baby veggie quinoa egg muffins on parchment paper.
    Baby Veggie Quinoa Egg Muffins
  • two strips of baby mushroom spinach egg bake on parchment paper.
    Mushroom Spinach Egg Bake (Baby Led Weaning Friendly)
  • baby in a blue shirt holding a spoon in a high chair with an orange bowl on the tray.
    What Is The BLISS Study?
first foods checklist bundle mockups on ipads with text overlay.
logos of publications Kaleigh has been featured in.
Natural, plant-based home care & cleaning.

Footer

↑ back to top

Privacy Policy

Terms & Conditions

Disclosure & Disclaimers

Sign up for emails and updates

Contact

Copyright © 2023 Baby Led Bliss