Baby-led Weaning

Your little explorer is growing up and you notice that his usual milk diet is no longer enough? Then it's time to introduce solid foods! In addition to the classic method with detailed plans and pureed parsnips, there is an alternative: more and more parents are starting with Baby-Led Weaning, introducing solid foods directly at the family table. We'll tell you what this trend is all about and how baby-led weaning works.

What is baby-led weaning?

Translated means Baby-led Weaning is roughly "baby-led weaning," but is also known as "complementary feeding as needed" or "baby-led weaning." It refers to a feeding method in which babies decide for themselves what to eat. Unlike traditional complementary feeding, Baby-led Weaning involves completely skipping feeding with during the transition from breast milk or formula to solid foods. Instead, the baby eats independently from the very beginning at the family table.

The idea that children receive a piece of bread or fruit to suck or nibble on is not new and is probably familiar to most parents. As a nutrition concept, baby-led weaning has been known since 2008, when the British pediatric nurse Gill Rapley published a book with this title and gave the alternative complementary feeding its name.

When can I start with baby-led weaning?

Once your baby shows signs of readiness for complementary feeding, including (perhaps with some help) sitting upright and intentionally grasping objects to bring them to the mouth, it is ready to start solid foods. Readiness for complementary feeding varies individually, but for most babies, it is around the sixth month. To learn which other signals indicate that your baby is prepared for solid foods, read our article "."

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How do I introduce complementary foods as needed?

The basis of baby-led weaning is to completely avoid spoon-feeding and instead offer your baby small, easy-to-grasp portions of family meals. It is important that you do not give the foods directly to him, but that he takes them independently, allowing him to make his own decisions from the start and determine his own eating pace.

During meals, your child should always sit; they should never eat lying down. The reason? Sitting allows your little explorer to spit out food that they cannot yet process, and it prevents it from accidentally entering their throat. If your baby cannot sit independently at first, you can hold them on your lap; later, a high chair is a good option. Since eating and exploring new foods are always associated with some mess, many parents also find a washable protective mat under the high chair practical. Child-friendly dishes and later cutlery are also useful tools for baby-led weaning.

Begin by offering your child meals several times a day according to their mood. Similar to traditional complementary feeding, it can be helpful to introduce foods gradually to identify potential allergies. Even when your child is already eating solid foods, breastfeeding or infant formula remains the primary source of nutrition for your baby for now, and, as with traditional complementary feeding, it is gradually replaced by other foods. Continue to breastfeed or feed your child as needed until they are full and receive all necessary nutrients. The meals at the family table do not necessarily have to coincide with breastfeeding times; instead, you should ensure that your child is offered solid foods when they are curious and alert. As your child eats more and more at the family table, you can gradually reduce your baby's milk intake. When you actually is entirely individual and solely your decision and that of your child.

Which foods are suitable for baby-led weaning?

With a healthy, wholesome diet, your baby can eat almost everything the rest of the family eats from the beginning, with few exceptions. It is important to serve the foods in small, easy-to-grasp portions such as sticks or long strips. This way, your child can easily pick up the food, explore it, and suck on it. Initially, some foods are better suited than others due to their consistency and shape. These include peeled, pitted, and possibly steamed pieces of fruit and vegetables such as:

• Pumpkin (cooked)

• Carrot (cooked)

• Cooked zucchini

• Sweet potato (cooked)

• Broccoli (cooked)

• Apple (possibly cooked)

• Pear (possibly cooked)

• Avocado

• Melon

• Banana

• Halved grapes

Other foods that even small children can easily grasp and chew are:

• Bread

• Pancakes

• Roasted Egg

• Meat

• Different types of fish, such as salmon or cod

• Cheese (please note that cow's milk products are often only recommended from the 7th month)

• Travel

• Noodles

Some foods are unsuitable for your baby's digestive system or easy to choke on and therefore not suitable for baby-led weaning. These include:

• Salt

• Sugar in large quantities

• Spicy spices

• Raw meat

• Raw Fish

• Honey

• Maple syrup

• Leaf Lettuce

• Legumes

• Mushrooms

• Raw milk products

• Raw Egg

• Cabbage and other gas-forming foods

• Nuts

• Small tomatoes

• Olives

• Cherries, berries, etc.

With baby-led weaning, your child will get to know many different foods from the very beginning. However, this does not mean that they will react to all of them with enthusiasm – just like with adults, eating is a matter of taste. Try offering rejected foods again at a later time.

What are the benefits of baby-led weaning?

Many parents see it as an advantage that with baby-led weaning, no extra meals need to be prepared, as the baby eats directly at the family table, eliminating the effort of feeding, cooking, and planning a gradual introduction of complementary foods. Although there are no official studies confirming this yet, early exposure to various foods is often cited as a benefit of baby-led weaning. According to supporters of baby-led weaning, children experience food as a pleasure through gathering experiences with smell, shape, color, texture, and temperature of different foods. Through self-determined eating at their own pace, children also from the very beginning sense the connection between food intake and satiety. Another aspect that is positively highlighted is the development of . Additionally, independent eating promotes motor skills, such as training hand-eye coordination and pincer grip.

What are the criticisms of baby-led weaning?

In addition to the advantages, there are also criticisms that are repeatedly mentioned in connection with Baby-led Weaning. One example is the concern that the child might choke while eating. As a counterargument, it is stated that the gag reflex in babies and children is located further forward on the tongue, so they tend to gag quite quickly if they cannot process the food. Furthermore, proponents argue that in babies, the development of the ability to grasp and bring food to the mouth goes hand in hand with the ability to handle and digest that food in the mouth. Nevertheless, the risk of choking always exists, and you should never leave your child unattended while eating in order to react quickly in an emergency.

Some parents also fear that their child might not get enough to eat when eating independently. It is completely normal for your child to initially take only small portions during baby-led weaning, after all, they are just learning to eat and need to get used to the texture and taste of the new food. But that is exactly what the first meals are for: getting to know it. To ensure your child is full, they will continue to receive their usual milk nutrition.

Both the arguments for and against Baby-led Weaning are numerous, and since there are no official studies on this topic so far, opinions from parents and scientists remain divided on this nutrition concept. The German Professional Association of Pediatricians, for example, advises against Baby-led Weaning. Their reasoning is that children who practice Baby-led Weaning do not consume the same necessary amount of nutrients through self-feeding as they do with traditional complementary feeding. Since the iron requirement in infants and toddlers is particularly high, a nutrient deficiency could be a consequence.

Unsuitable is Baby-led Weaning if your baby needs to be weaned quickly or must be, if the circumstances require close monitoring of their calorie intake, or if they show no interest in eating on their own or refuse solid foods and may not yet be ready for complementary feeding. If you are still unsure whether Baby-led Weaning is right for you and your child, and which nutrients you should pay special attention to now, it is best to seek advice from your pediatrician.

Even if Baby-led Weaning and traditional complementary feeding initially seem to be opposites: don’t let the so-called “rules” unsettle you and don’t put pressure on yourself to choose between the two options. There is probably no method that is equally suitable for every family. Instead, it’s up to you and your baby to find out what works best for you. This can vary depending on the time, situation, and needs of your child, and it can just as well be a mix of pureed food and solid foods. By the way, the World Health Organization (WHO) also recommends a mixture of pureed or mashed foods and solid foods at the beginning. Whatever you decide: we wish you and your little explorer a good appetite!