Throw out the jars, get rid of the boxes of baby cereals, chuck out the ice cube trays and baby food mills!!!! no more steaming and boiling, mashing and blending, mixing and storing: It’s time to sit down to dinner and embrace the art of Baby Led Weaning.
….But you might want to hang onto those bibs for a while longer!
When Gil Rapley wrote her research paper on Guidelines for implementing a baby-led approach to the introduction of solid food” I doubt that she truly realized the doors she was about to open to parents (ok, mothers then….) , nor the changes in infant feeding practices she was about to launch.
In accordance with the World Health Organization’s guidelines that infants should be exclusively breastfed for their first 6 months followed by the introduction of complimentary foods, Gils research led her to the conclusion that 6 months of age was the optimum time to introduce solids. The biggest advantage of not starting weaning until at least six months is that by that time children are developmentally capable of feeding themselves.
Breastfed babies like to feed at their own pace. And, because breastmilk changes in flavour according to the mother’s diet, breastfeeding prepares the baby for other tastes. Allowing your baby the control and choice when introducing solids foods offers your baby the opportunity to discover a big part of the world around him. It feeds his natural curiosity and his desire to explore and experiment, and to copy mommy & daddy and big sister too!! Giving your baby the freedom to set the pace of each meal and the opportunity to play and explore, makes the introduction to solid foods move as naturally and as easily as possible. Babies that join in with the family at meals from the very start are less likely to refuse foods or become fussy eaters as they get older.
But when is baby ready to dig into Christmas dinner? As I said above, 6 months is recommendation, but we all know that babies are rarely cut out with the same cookie cutter! Some babies might start their adventures in foodland by grabbing food off your plate at 5 months (my youngest son discovered his first taste of dinner by stealing a piece of broccoli off my plate at just over 5 months….he’s still a tree lover!), while other babies may have no interest until 7 or 8 months or beyond. But there are some guidlines to clue parents into “ready, set, go”. Babies should be sitting upright by them selves without the aid of a seat or restraints. They should also have the motor skills to pick up pieces of food without help from an over eager onlookers.
Many parents worry about babies choking, but babies are at less risk of choking if they are in control of what goes into their mouth rather than being spoon fed by someone else. Babies who feed them selves learn the art of chewing and manipulating food around inside their mouth and swallowing in a natural sequence, where as spoon feeding encourages the baby to suck the food off the spoon, which is far more likely to cause choking. Regardless, a baby should never be left alone while eating, whether they’re digging into mashed potatoes or steak.
The rest is Gravy. There are foods restrictions to bear in mind: no berries, egg whites, no citrus….. before 12 months of age. A visit to the the Health Canada Food Guide will give a full list.
So Eat, Drink and be Merry!! All you need is a curious baby, a plate of not too hot food……. and perhaps a hose. (and a camera to capture the messy moments for future black mail)
