Baby-led weaning means that instead of spoon-feeding your baby cereal and purees, you’ll skip straight to finger foods and let your baby dig in.
What is baby-led weaning?
Baby-led weaning (BLW) is a method for starting your baby on solids. Instead of spoon-feeding them mushy cereals and purees, you put large chunks of soft food directly on the highchair tray or table, and let your baby grab the food and feed themself.
It’s called “baby-led” because you let your baby pick up the food and eat at their own pace, instead of controlling how much and how quickly they eat.
Just as with traditional spoon-feeding, your baby will continue to get most of their nutrition from breast milk or formula until they get used to eating solid food (usually around their first birthday).
When to start baby-led weaning
Most babies are ready to start BLW when they’re about 6 months old, though some may need more time. Your baby will give you a few signs they’re ready for solid foods: If they can sit up without support, can grab and put objects in their mouth, and open their mouth when food is offered, they’re probably ready to begin exploring table foods.