Starting Solids
Why I Chose Baby Led Weaning and How I Prepared
THIS IS A BIG TOPIC FOR THE SAM REPORT! If you have been following me on Instagram for awhile, you’ll know that I’ve been heavily documenting my baby’s food journey. At the time of writing my baby is 18 months old, and she’s tried over 150 different foods, including all of the top allergenic foods. She is a focused, adept eater, both at home and dining out. And as we enter a stage of inevitable toddler selectiveness, she is still selecting a variety of pretty nutritious foods.
I am pretty passionate about this particular baby topic. As The Sam Report continues, I will continue to share what I’ve done so far, things I would do differently, and ongoing challenges as they happen in real time.
I must give the caveat that this is what worked for me and my family based on our time, budget, resources, values. It is my personal experience, it is neither wrong, nor is it better than. It may not work for YOU. Please do what you feel is best for you and your family. My hope is that if you are considering this approach or are already in it, that you find this helpful or supportive!
Okay let’s get to it!
While I was pregnant, I was contemplating how to approach feeding solids to my baby. Cuz that’s just the type of stuff I did in my third trimester. I waddled around double checking the nursery, wearing my dog in a newborn carrier, reviewing the contents of my hospital bag, and practicing folding and unfolding the stroller. Anything to help me feel more prepared and take my mind off of the waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting for this baby to come.
After some sniffing around, I felt most aligned with Baby Led Weaning. In a nut shell, Baby Led Weaning is an approach to solids that promotes self-feeding solid foods when the baby is 6 months of age, as opposed to spoon feeding purees to baby starting at 4 months of age.
Why BLW?
My main reason is that food is my love language and my lifestyle. I eat different cuisines throughout the week, in or out of the home. I enjoy talking about food, I enjoy thinking about dinner while I’m eating lunch. In my kitchen, I’ll experiment with seasonal vegetables and try new ingredients. I also spend a considerable amount of leisure time dining out. I like to try new restaurants, and try new dishes at my favorite restaurants. It’s part of my natural flow, the way I receive the world around me, the way I connect best to my loved ones - through my belly. I think Baby Led Weaning complements this lifestyle. I fantasized traipsing through the coast of Barcelona eating seafood paella, my young daughter beside me sucking on a delicious shrimp head and laughing, both of our toothy grins stained with squid ink.
I’m 38 weeks pregnant, I cannot sleep or tie my shoelaces, and now I want this baby to come out with an exquisite palate. I’m in, so what’s it gonna take?
There is so much information out there, where do you start? Here are the main resources I used to learn about and then prepare for Baby Led Weaning.
Baby Led Weaning The Essential Guide, by Dr. Gil Rapley - Triple OG BLW gang, gives a general overview of the concept, the history, the theory. Cool read, not super essential for practical application. What do I DO!?