Baby Led Weaning Pros and Cons

Debating whether to let your baby feed himself? Take a look at these baby led weaning pros and cons to help you make your decision. 

Baby Led Weaning Pros and ConsDuring my pregnancy, I was consumed with reading baby books and browsing online forums.

I was about to be a first-time mom and wanted to make sure I did everything I could for my child. During one of my frenzied research sessions, I came across a board for “BLW” that I later learned stood for “baby led weaning.”

What is baby led weaning?

This method of feeding was pioneered by Gill Rapley as a way to introduce food. Rather than spoon-feeding your baby purees and mashes, you give him a version of what you’re eating and allow him to feed himself.

For instance, instead of mashing an avocado and spoon-feeding her the mixture, you’d hand her a slice of the avocado to gnaw on or pre-load a spoon with avocado puree and allow him to feed himself.

Baby led weaning can be pretty different from what you imagined moving into solid foods would look like. You may have pictured yourself spoon-feeding homemade baby food, not handing your baby soft table foods to gum on.

Baby led weaning pros and cons

I’ve tested and tried both baby led weaning and spoon-fed purees and discovered a few pros and cons. Like most things in parenting, this doesn’t have to be black and white.

And remember, until your baby is a year old, any food besides breastmilk or formula is supplemental. Solids are important but not the main source of nutrition yet because she’s getting most of what she needs from milk.

To help you better decide, take a look at these pros and cons about baby led weaning:

Pro: Less prep work

Parents love baby led weaning for the very fact that they have fewer steps to prepare. You take whatever you’re planning to eat for yourself and give some to your baby to eat. Simple food like bananas and peas are fantastic to start with and less time-consuming to prepare.

Of course, like most things, you’ll find caveats—salt and honey are dangerous for babies, and you wouldn’t want to give her a jalapeño or anything spicy.

But let’s say you made a grilled chicken with mozzarella along with a side salad. The baby gets a small piece of chicken, diced cheese, and cucumbers cut into long strips to grip in her fist. She can watch you eat and follow your lead, and you’re able to eat together. No extra fuss!

Free ebook: Want simple tweaks to stop feeling overwhelmed and start managing your time? Join my newsletter and get Time Management Strategies for the Overwhelmed Mom! Grab it below—at no cost to you:

Time Management Strategies for the Overwhelmed Mom

Con: Less familiar to most people

You may be fortunate to have your family live near you like I did, allowing you or your spouse to work during the day. That said, they may not always feel comfortable with the idea of giving pieces of food to an infant with no teeth or worry that she might choke.

Or maybe she’s at daycare, with a nanny, or a babysitter. These caregivers may not be familiar with baby led weaning and prefer spoon-feeding purees. If so, consider giving caretakers purees that they can spoon-feed when your little one is under their care.

Pro: Easier travel and outings

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

If you’re a new parent, you might not believe me, but I promise you, a time is coming when you’re able to go to a restaurant with your baby and have fun.

Advocates of baby led weaning love the ease of going out minus the special purees or spoons to pack. Simply give him food from whatever you’re eating—just remember to pack a bib, like this cute waterproof, sleeved one.

Con: It can be a little scary

One of the biggest reasons parents don’t choose baby led weaning is that it can be slightly terrifying. The first time I handed my child a steamed carrot stick and watched him guide it to his mouth, an alarm went off in my head. How could I expect a baby with no teeth to eat a carrot stick? I thought.

That said, baby gums—even with no teeth—can be quite powerful (just ask any breastfeeding mom!). While a toothless baby or even a baby with just a few teeth can’t chew like an adult, they actually use their gums to tear off tiny pieces.

Thankfully, babies come with an effective built-in gag reflex to help reduce the risk of choking. Like with any food, make sure you supervise your baby as she eats to avoid a choking hazard.

Pro: Allows your baby to explore different food and textures

Rather than limiting your baby’s diet, baby led weaning allows him to try a world of different foods and textures. With purees, most of the textures are the same, from carrots to sweet potatoes. But eating a soft slice of a carrot is quite different from another slice of a sweet potato.

Don’t be afraid to try the same food prepared in different ways, too. A butternut squash tastes differently when boiled compared to roasted. And offer different food at the same time. That’s why I love these divided plates where you can place a variety of foods and flavors in front of your baby.

Con: Expect food to end up on the floor

Whether puree or baby led weaning, mealtimes are guaranteed to get messy. With using purees, however, you have more control of the spoon, and the mess can be limited to your baby’s sweet little face.

Meanwhile, with baby led weaning, you’re giving her absolute control of her food. Expect her to play with it, bang it on the high chair tray, rub it on her clothes, or even taste it a bit before dropping it right on the floor. A splat mat beneath her high chair can make messes much easier to clean.

Pro: Your baby eats at their own pace

One of the benefits of baby-led weaning is appetite control. By allowing your baby to feed himself, he can follow his hunger cues and eat when he wants to, not when a spoon is headed toward his mouth.

Tips to make baby led weaning work for you

  • Wait until your baby is ready. Signs of readiness include being able to sit upright on her own and grab things using only her thumb and first two fingers.
  • Try different textures and preparations of food. Play with different ways to cook and slice the same food.
  • Research which foods are appropriate to give to your baby at her age. Some food also has to be prepared a certain way to avoid hazards (for instance, slicing or steaming them).
  • Dine with your baby. Let her watch you eat during family mealtimes, and try to eat the same food so she can watch and learn.

Conclusion

Baby led weaning has a lot of pros, including less prep work, convenient outings, and introducing your baby to a variety of food and textures.

But it isn’t for everyone, either. Other adults who care for your baby might not be familiar or comfortable with it. You also might feel a little scared that you’re offering her non-pureed food, and it sure can make a mess.

Remember, you don’t have to go all-in with any feeding method. You could spoon-feed purees 80% of the time and offer finger foods once in a while, and that’s okay. It’s fine to try a little of everything until you find what works for you.

At the end of the day, the goal is to keep your baby happy and fed, whether she picks up a carrot stick or opens her mouth for a spoonful of puree.

Get more tips:

Don’t forget: Join my newsletter and get Time Management Strategies for the Overwhelmed Mom below—at no cost to you:

Time Management Strategies for the Overwhelmed Mom

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

2 Comments

  1. My biggest struggle is getting my one year old interested in finger foods.

    1. Nina Garcia says:

      Finger foods can definitely be fun at this age, but not so much when our kids aren’t so interested. I had better luck tearing off pieces of, say, bread and placing them on their high chair tray than handing them a piece of cracker or soft carrot. Maybe something about pinching pieces of bread was intriguing. Maybe also try feeding the solids first before the milk? That way he has more of an appetite, too.