 Baby-led
weaning
Since the government changed its advice to start weaning babies at six
months a movement to cut out the purees phase and move straight to lumpy
food is gathering pace. Find out what it's all about and how to wean the
baby-led way!
Jennie Gilhespy has just started weaning her six-month-old daughter,
Leonie, onto solids. But unlike most mums, Jennie hasn't been offering
Leonie spoonfuls of baby rice or fruit puree. Instead, Leonie's been tucking
into pasta shapes, chunks of banana and sticks of cooked veg, all served
up on her highchair tray so that she can help herself to as little or
as much as she likes.
Jennie is using a method of weaning known as baby-led weaning. "When
I was pregnant with Leonie I had lunch with a friend and I was amazed
to see her baby happily eating cherry tomatoes," says Jennie, a social
worker from Liverpool, who is also mum to Ethan, four. "She told me she
was doing baby-led weaning and I couldn't wait to try it with my own baby."
"When Leonie got to six months I started offering her food from my plate
and she really went for it. Now I just put bits of food - bananas, nectarines,
broccoli, pitta bread - on her highchair tray and she helps herself. It's
quite messy and it takes a while, but at least I can sit and eat my meal
at the same time."
Baby-led weaning is an approach to weaning that was first advocated by
Gill Rapley, an experienced health visitor and midwife, back in 2006.
Instead of offering babies purees as a first food at 6 months, Gill suggested,
we should simply offer them a range of healthy variety of finger foods
and, provided he is sitting up straight, and you are with him, you can
leave him to feed himself with his hands. As long as there are no known
allergies in the family, you can give your child pretty much anything,
except for whole nuts if your child is under five. This approach takes
a leap of faith for many parents, but the benefits are great.
One reason is that most of us are weaning our babies a little later these
days. When we weaned our babies at four months, we needed to offer them
purees because, at that age, they still can't hold their heads up consistently
or make the "munching" movements needed to eat solid foods.
However, most of us are now weaning our babies at six months, and six-month-olds
can sit up straight in a highchair, reach out and grasp objects with their
hands and also "munch" on solids foods (actual chewing movements kick in
a little later at around seven or eight months). In other words they have
all the skills they need to feed themselves.
According to Gill Rapley, allowing babies to feed themselves from the
word go means they are less likely to have problems with "lumps" later
on (lots of babies find the transition from smooth purees to lumpier foods
tricky). It also allows babies to eat with the family rather having separate
meals prepared for them.
Parents who've tried baby-led weaning claim it helps to avoid picky eating
as well. "Charlie eats anything that's put in front of him - it's fantastic,"
says Ali Coton, a project manager from south London and mum to 18-month-old
Charlie. "I think it's because he never had to make the move from purees
to lumpy foods. He was straight onto normal foods and I've just added
to what he has as we've gone along."
Then, of course, there's the convenience - no purees means no need for
food processors, jars, spoons, bowls or ice cube trays. "When I went out
with friends, they'd all be busy spooning mush into their babies mouths
while Charlie and I sat there enjoying our meals. It definitely appeals
to the slummy mummy!" says Ali.
One of the main drawbacks with baby-led weaning is that it's messy. Chances
are that much of what you offer your baby to begin with will end up on
the floor once it's been thoroughly squidged, squeezed and gummed. Although
you won't have the inconvenience of preparing purees, you will need to
allow your baby plenty of time to eat. It'll be a little while before
she masters the art of grasping foods, moving them to her mouth and chewing
them efficiently.
Some health professionals also question whether babies who feed themselves
get as many nutrients as babies fed on purees. "Make sure that you are
giving your baby a good range of foods ," says Maggie Fisher, a health
visitor from Hampshire. "At six months, the iron reserves your baby was
born with are starting to run out, so it's important to offer her plenty
of iron-rich foods, such as red meat, slices of well-cooked egg, mini
Weetabix, fish (check for bones first), baked beans and other pulses."
* Do not start before your child is six months old. Your baby's neck
muscles need to be strong enough to allow him to sit upright properly
and he needs to have the reflexes and coordination to grasp objects in
his fists.
*Make sure you follow government
guidelines about which foods are safe for your baby's age and which
aren't.
* Avoid foods that are high in salt and sugar.
* Never leave your baby to eat unsupervised.
* Try to eat with your baby - babies learn by imitation and she'll quickly
pick up tips from you.
* Offer your baby foods that are easy to handle, such a sticks of cooked
carrot or bread soldiers.
* Be prepared for mess! A coverall bib and a splatter mat are usually
a must for all baby-led weaners.
* Make sure you give your baby plenty of time to eat - she's still learning
new skills after all.
*You don't need to offer cutlery until around nine months when your baby
has become competent at feeding herself and physically mature enough to
handle a spoon and get it in her mouth!
* Wondering if you should cook fruit and veg?
Read more here.
RECIPES :
For 6 month-olds: Breakfasts|Savouries|Puds
For 8 month-olds: Breakfasts|Savouries|Puds
While babies often gag on foods, they very rarely choke. Advocates of
baby-led weaning claim that choking is actually more likely when babies
are fed from a spoon because the sucking motion they use to remove food
from the spoon moves food straight to the back of the throat, you do not
need to offer cutlery until your baby is around nine months by which time
she is physically mature enough to handle one and get it in her mouth.
When babies feeds themselves, it's argued, they are less likely to choke
because they have complete control over what they put into their mouths
and how quickly they eat it. Even so, it's important to stay with your
baby while she's eating as a precaution and ensure that she is sitting
up straight.
Read more about whether to cook fruit and
vegetables for your baby.
Although baby-led weaning is very popular among some parents, very little
research has been done on it and government guidelines still recommend
that parents start their babies off on purees. "As health professionals
we have to be guided by the Department of Health," says Maggie Fisher.
"Having said that I have great sympathy for baby-led weaning and many
parents seem to do it quite naturally anyway. Maybe it's time to start
rethinking the advice we are giving."
Baby-led weaning: Helping your baby love good food by Gill Rapley
and Tracey Murkett (Vermilion, £9.99) is available in November 2008.
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