Some parents enjoy the steaming, mashing and stockpiling of tiny little jars. Others would rather bypass the whole baby-food-making production?not to mention buying the pricey premade stuff. Think you and your baby would prefer to skip the purées altogether" If so, baby-led weaning might be right for you.
What is baby-led weaning"
Don?t be fooled by the name: Baby-led weaning is not a process for weaning your infant off the breast or bottle. ?Baby-led weaning makes zero difference in the intake of breastmilk or formula, especially early on,? says Catherine Pound, chair of the Canadian Paediatric Society?s Nutrition and Gastroenterology Committee. It?s really a method of introducing your baby to solids that bypasses spoon-feeding and purées in favour of your baby feeding themselves. The term ?baby-led weaning? was first coined by a popular UK parenting book about a decade ago, but it can be confusing in North America, where we think of weaning as stopping breastfeeding and bottle-feeding. Canadian and American sources often refer to an introduction to solids that relies on baby self-feeding as ?complementary feeding? or ?baby-led feeding.? But that?s also not quite baby-led weaning, which is more of a purist approach to letting your baby feed themselves when it comes to solids.
When do we start, and how"
If your baby is about six months old and eyeing your breakfast omelette, there?s a good chance that they?re set to start solids. Other signs of readiness in...