Child-led weaning, or CLW , is a way of offering foods to your baby that differs from purées. It helps develop their senses, autonomy, confidence, and motor skills. At what age should you start BLW? How do you start BLW? What foods should you offer your baby? We guide you through the wonderful adventure of BLW.

What is DME?

Child-led weaning is a specific approach to introducing solid foods. It involves offering your little one pieces of food they can eat on their own, in an appropriate size and texture for their age. Mashed foods and purées—especially small pots —are less common.

The principle of DME is not new; it has been practiced for centuries. However, it has grown in popularity in recent years in North America and is increasingly practiced in Europe and France. It respects oro-motor development in your little one.

The two foundations of DME are curiosity and autonomy . Your baby will discover new foods on their own, touch them, bring them to their mouth, and learn to feed themselves according to their needs and hunger . It may feel intimidating, especially if you’ve always been told to start diversification with purées. However, there are a few tips to help you get started and keep things going smoothly. Follow the guide!

What tips for successfully implementing BLW?

1. Wait for the right moment

Traditionally, in France, complementary feeding begins between 4 and 6 months , because before that, a baby's digestive and immune systems are not yet mature. With BLW, it is recommended to start at 6 months for your little adventurer. If BLW starts later, it’s because it requires certain postural and motor skills that typically aren’t in place before 6 months.

There are 6 criteria your little one must meet before you start BLW; if one is missing, we recommend waiting a little longer:

• He has reached 6 months .

• He sits up on his own without help.

• He moves his head in all directions , and the muscles in his neck are well developed.

• He grasps objects with his fist .

• He brings objects to his mouth on his own et commence à mâcher.

• He is psychologically ready: he reaches for the objects around him.

2. Trust your baby

When you start BLW, you might feel very stressed about your baby's chewing abilities. Here is our best advice: relax! Yes, it sounds obvious, but in practice, the more you show your child that you trust them, the more progress you’ll see .

If you’re worried about doing it the wrong way or about choking, the risks are actually similar between diversification with purées or porridge and Baby-Led Weaning (BLW). You can also attend workshops that teach you what to do in an emergency, which can help you put things into perspective.

Regarding the trust you place in your little explorer, we also advise you not to worry about the quantities they eat , since, in reality, at the beginning, it is mainly milk that is essential for their proper development. You can discuss this with the healthcare professional caring for your child, who will monitor healthy weight gain through regular weigh-ins.

4. Do not think about food waste

We were talking about cleanliness, and this goes hand in hand with it. Your child isn’t very precise yet, and a good part of what’s on their plate won’t end up in their mouth. Some parents dislike food waste, and we understand. Baby-led weaning does involve some loss, but the quantities are small, and the benefits for your baby are enormous. And gradually, they will become more and more precise , and waste less and less.

5. Let the baby discover their reflexes

Your baby has a pretty magical reflex called the « gag reflex » or nausea reflex . This mechanism triggers gagging and helps clear the esophagus if your baby has taken in too much food or has large pieces in their mouth. It can be frightening, so we advise you to stay calm to avoid scaring your baby. You should only intervene if they are having difficulty breathing. We want to give you the right tools to approach this new experience calmly.

6. Suggest foods suitable for Baby-Led Weaning

As part of a healthy and complete diet, your baby can, with a few exceptions, eat the same foods as the rest of your tribe from the start. In the beginning, some foods are better suited than others because of their texture and shape. These include peeled, pitted, and, if needed, steamed pieces of fruits and vegetables. You can also offer cereals, dairy products, or even animal proteins. These foods are particularly suitable for BLW:

• Banana, avocado, melon, seedless watermelon, pear, cooked pumpkin, cooked zucchini, cooked carrot, or cooked sweet potato.

• Bread, pancakes, hard-boiled egg, minced meat, fish, cheese (from 8 months), rice, or pasta.

7. Adjust textures and portions according to age

Starting from 6 months, you can begin introducing a variety of foods to your little adventurer. It’s best to follow a few rules. The foods you give your baby should be soft enough for them to crush with their tongue against their palate , because at this age babies have few or no teeth. It’s also important that the foods are firm enough for your little one to hold in their hand.

Regarding the size of the foods, the right size is twice as long as the baby's fist and half as wide . This way, your baby can easily grasp the pieces and manage on their own. To start, try well-cooked carrot and parsnip sticks in winter, and a large slice of peeled, cooked zucchini in summer. For fruits, offer a ripe, peeled pear or a seedless piece of watermelon.

After a few weeks of practice, your little one will become increasingly skilled. You can introduce new textures and new shapes of finger foods, or even cutlery. Their hand-eye-mouth coordination will improve more and more, and they’ll take more and more pleasure in discovering new foods—and you will, too, as you watch your baby enjoy it .

8. Share family meals

One of the biggest advantages of BLW is being able to share family meals together. You can cook roughly the same thing for you and your baby. It’s also a considerable time-saver , because you no longer have to prepare a separate meal for your little one. This moment becomes a time of sharing with the whole family, and your child gains independence.

9. Involve the baby

As your baby grows a little, you can invite them to help you in the kitchen . This will spark their curiosity and make them want to taste the foods they help prepare and those that end up on their plate. By the way, it’s also a great activity for working on motor skills . For example, you can suggest that they transfer food from the countertop into the pot. It’s a double win: you stimulate your little one through transferring while also awakening their five senses. When they’re a bit more confident, there are baby knives designed not to cut fingers.

10. Educating your loved ones about BLW

Sometimes your loved ones are worried (as you may have been at the beginning), or they may not be informed about the topic at all. However, the more your little adventurer is supported and encouraged with this feeding method, the more likely Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) will be an enriching and joyful experience for everyone. But if the people caring for your little adventurer don’t want to practice BLW, it’s absolutely not a problem; nothing prevents you from doing it at home.

What are the recipes suitable for BLW?

The most exciting part of BLW is being able to let your baby taste all kinds of foods, textures, and shapes. Don't hesitate to play with flavors —spices and herbs included—while making sure it’s not too strong. There are even brands that have created spice blends specifically designed for young children's palates. We’re sharing 3 of our favorite recipes to impress your baby’s taste buds.

Our Baby Baby Food Recipe for 6 Months and Older

You can make small, shaped jellied vegetable pieces that your baby can grab with their fingers —guaranteed success:

1. Heat 150 g of vegetable purée of your choice in a saucepan.

2. Add 1 g (about 1/3 teaspoon) of agar-agar (a natural gelling agent) and bring to a boil for 2 minutes.

3. Pour the mixture into a mold in a single layer, 1 to 2 centimeters thick.

4. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

5. Use cookie cutters or the tip of a knife to cut out shapes.

Our Baby Food Blender Recipe for 9 Months and Older

For breakfast, we suggest you slightly modify your little one's cereal intake and milk by offering a porridge:

1. Mix 40 g of oats and 150 ml of milk of your choice in a saucepan.

2. Cook over low heat until the mixture thickens.

3. You can add half a teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder.

4. Let cool and serve with some fresh fruit.

Our Baby Food Blender Recipe for 12 Months and Older

Children enjoy different shapes, and they can discover new techniques for eating

1. Cook 25 g of rice and 10 g of boneless fish of your choice.

2. Flake the fish and mix it with the rice, herbs, and a little oil.

3. Form cubes once the mixture has cooled.

4. Serve with roasted vegetables, such as a wedge of squash or zucchini sticks with the skin on.

DME is still not widely known in France, but it’s a feeding approach that is becoming increasingly common. It helps develop independence, taste, and dexterity in your little explorer. To go further, many books on BLW exist, such as The Big Book of BLW, by Christine Zalejski, published by Thierry Souccar Editions, a true bible of Baby-Led Weaning. And The DME, the complete guide to child-led weaning, from Aurélie Mantault at Hachette Pratique, a very comprehensive guide. The first meals can be adventurous; our face and hand wipes will be your ally in cleaning up the baby ;).