Moderation is key: Pros and Cons of Baby Led Weaning

09 Jan Moderation is key: Pros and Cons of Baby Led Weaning

It’s a confusing time starting out as parents with a plethora of information out there, particularly on facebook “mum” groups…how to get your child to sleep through the night, and Baby Led Weaning (BLW) seem to be the popular ones at the moment.

When it comes to BLW, like this Dietitian below explains, there needs to be a degree of moderation.
⭐Do not be afraid to use the spoon to feed iron and zinc rich foods to your child, when they may not be eating sufficient quantities of finger foods
⭐Let your child experience the natural flavour of each type of food in its natural form, rather than “hiding” it in baked finger food products (muffins, fritatta’s etc)
⭐When it comes to gagging vs choking, concentrate more on the developmental readiness of the baby and safe feeding than strictly following BLW or not. As this speech therapist, writes about, BOTH purees and finger feeding facilitate the progression of skills (chewing, spitting, swallowing, gagging etc) (https://blog.asha.org/…/baby-led-weaning-a-developmental-p…/)

“Finally, whether using BLW, spoon approach or both, make sure to follow the baby’s lead and eat together whenever possible. Prioritize bonding and quality time at mealtime over the number of bites and you will avoid mealtime stress and have a better chance at raising a happy and healthy eater. ”

http://feedingbytes.com/2015/…/baby-led-weaning-pros-cons-2/

* Photo courtesy of www.mommyconnections.ca