If you read my post last week (Intro to baby-led weaning) I hope you’re at least a little bit intrigued about this process. Whether or not you think I’m crazy is a different topic.

The fear of choking is a very real fear for most parents as they begin to introduce solids to their babies, and there is no doubt that fear is elevated with baby-led weaning. However most of that fear is 1) a good thing because it makes us hyper vigilant when our babies have food, and 2) is largely unwarranted thanks to the infant gag reflex.

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Infant’s Gag Reflex

At six months of age, an infant’s gag reflex is very high up in their mouth, as they get older, the gag reflex gradually moves back to its permanent place at the back of the throat. This is great for Baby-Led Weaning because, as babies are learning how to maneuver food in their mouths, how much food is too much, how to get food out of their cheek with their tongue, their bodies give them a warning far before they have actually entered the danger zone (in the form of gagging).

Most of the time, a baby will gag food back to the front of their mouth, and either spit it out or keep chewing and he or she will be completely unfazed. Once they have triggered the gag reflex a few times, they learn not to do it. As they get older and more experienced, gagging happens less and less often. However, as the gag reflex moves back (around 8 months), it becomes less effective as an early warning sign. Babies that haven’t been able to explore food and textures from the beginning will actually be in danger of choking by the time the gagging starts.

In our culture today, many well-meaning people (whether through observing what “everyone else” is doing or being instructed by their own mom) believe that babies should be started on some form of solid food as early as 3 months. I know that we moms are just trying to do what is best for our babies and if you want to do BLW, that’s awesome, if you choose to use purees, good for you. If you cloth diaper…gold star, if you use disposables….high five, whatever works for your family BUT I firmly believe that solids before 6 months is a no-go for several reasons:

• Solid foods are not as densely packed with nutrients as breast milk or formula and are not as easily digested for babies.
• Baby’s digestive system is still immature and they are not able to pull all the nutrients out of solid food so they just pass right through
• Babies have small stomachs and if they are filled up with food, they will not have enough room for all the breast-milk or formula that baby still needs to develop properly, resulting in even less nourishment
• Finally, babies that are given solid food before 6 months are at a greater risk for infectious diseases and allergies

Many people think that because baby is watching them eat or makes lip-smacking movements that they are wanting to eat too or are hungry. Keep in mind that babies are fascinated with ALL of your day-to-day activities, it is how they learn about the world around them, and how they fit into it. They don’t even realize that food is meant to make them full, even once they first start eating. If they are being fed on-demand, they aren’t hungry, they are just trying to hone their skills and be like mom and dad.

When is your baby truly ready for solid foods?

If you notice any of these signs then that means your baby is ready to start solid foods. 

• Sitting up unsupported
• Reaching out to grab things and gets them to his or her mouth quickly and accurately.
• The very best sign is once baby is putting food into his or her own mouth which they can only do if given the opportunity.

Whatever the case, however you choose to feed your little one, never ever leave a baby alone with food, and it’s always a good idea to get certified in infant first-aid/CPR.

I would love to hear your thoughts, if you have done BLW and loved it, if you are intrigued and looking more into it.

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts to be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our HT #BreastfeedingWorld 

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Hailey Mugica

I’m a stay at home mommy to my precious son Ryker, and a wife to my hunky husband Richard. I remember being completely shocked and discouraged by the difficulty of breastfeeding in those early days so I am so excited to get to come up alongside you and to be a source of encouragement on your breastfeeding journey. I am passionate about breastfeeding, baby-led weaning, baby wearing, and joining women together with the common goal of nurturing our families and homes with a Christ-centered focus. Follow me on Instagram and Pinterest @gracebeyondblog to keep up with our day-to-day.

www.gracebeyondmeasuringspoons.com

The post Intro to Baby-led Weaning – Part 2 appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

I do not endorse Baby-Led Weaning for every family or every child. I believe this method is highly personal and is truly only fitting and beneficial for certain people. I’m not saying that I believe BLW is right and traditional purees are wrong, nor am I saying that BLW is better or worse, however there are definitely some benefits that are undeniable. If you tend to be a worrier, or a little more on the up-tight side, this may not be the method for you, as freaking out and trying to pry food out of your babies mouth at every feeding will take the fun out of it for everyone and removes virtually every benefit in the first place.

What is Baby-Led Weaning?

Baby-led weaning does not mean weaning in the way we understand it as Americans. The method originated in the UK where weaning simply means, the introduction of solids. You can use baby-led weaning and still enjoy a long, fulfilling breast-feeding relationship.

Simply put, BLW is feeding babies solids without the introduction of purees. Babies eat real, whole foods from the very beginning. I know that that sounds crazy and scary, but over the next few weeks I will share with you why you may be interested, how I have seen it benefit my son, and why I would choose it again and again

With baby-led weaning, there are absolutely no solids until 6 months of age. Including rice cereals and oatmeal. (The myth that solids will help baby sleep longer has been debunked anyway!) And at 6 month, the real fun begins. With BLW, babies feed themselves. You provide and array of tastes and textures and baby decides how much or how little of each he or she wants to try. If you have no history of allergies in your family, there is no need to introduce one food at a time. If you have waited until 6 months, babies’ digestive system is mature enough to handle anything and everything except for whole nuts and honey. (Until age 1) Beyond that, use common sense and NEVER EVER leave your baby alone with food. Next week I will share why I believe Baby-Led Weaning is safer that traditional feeding, and how I overcame the fear of choking.

Especially in the beginning, babies are really learning HOW to maneuver food in their mouths, how to use their tongue, how to get food to the back of their throat to swallow, and how much food fits in their mouths. There WILL be gagging. Gagging IS NOT choking, nor is it dangerous and it freaks us out a lot more than it bothers them. As long as your baby is still making noise, and seems unfazed, try to avoid interfering. Most of the time, they will gag as a way to bring food back to the front of their mouths so they can continue chewing or spit it out, but more on the infant gag-reflex and the protection measures God put in place for children next week. (After-all purees haven’t always been around, but babies, and their need for food has!).

How I decided Baby-Led Weaning was right for us

1) My husband and I tend to be very laid-back people, and I felt confident that we could make wise choices and be discerning about when to interfere and when to let our son figure it out.

2) My son is very independent, and his coordination is advanced.

3) I only have 1 child, so I knew I would have the time to sit with him through every meal without having to hurry him along or needing to get to another child.

4) I began to see the benefits for my son immediately and I saw how proud he was of himself and how much he was enjoying the food. I was sold.

And finally, I read A LOT about Baby-Led Weaning and it just made perfect sense to me. I don’t want to raise a picky eater, or a child fussy about not wanting to get dirty. This provided so many flavors, he knows what a carrot tastes like, not just an orange mush that MAYBE MIGHT have some carrot in it. He loves mangoes, peaches, strawberries, bananas, asparagus, broccoli, plums, bell-peppers, parsnips, zucchini, chicken, eggs, toast, yogurt…anything and everything. It also really supported his sensory development. This makes meal time, also play time, and learning time. My son is encouraged to squeeze his food. To feel it squish between his fingers. He feels slimy, squishy, firm, cold, soft, warm, and if gives me an opportunity to teach him about all of those textures.

Baby-Led Weaning is messy! This is how we clean up after, and having some “puppy vacuums” doesn’t hurt!

The benefits have seemed limitless. He now knows that HE is capable, that HE has control of how much or how little of what he wants. His fine motor skills are far beyond most kids his age. But the best thing of all, is the level of confidence it has helped to support. If the idea of Baby-Led Weaning is intriguing to you, I hope you will be back for the next several Sundays to continue reading. Get the baby-led weaning book, read other blogs, educate yourself and let the fun-feedings begin!

We’d love to hear from you! Have you ever tried BLW with your little one? Hoe did it work for you?

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts to be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our HT #BreastfeedingWorld 

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[col3][/col3]

Hailey Mugica

I’m a stay at home mommy to my precious son Ryker, and a wife to my hunky husband Richard. I remember being completely shocked and discouraged by the difficulty of breastfeeding in those early days so I am so excited to get to come up alongside you and to be a source of encouragement on your breastfeeding journey. I am passionate about breastfeeding, baby-led weaning, baby wearing, and joining women together with the common goal of nurturing our families and homes with a Christ-centered focus. Follow me on Instagram and Pinterest @gracebeyondblog to keep up with our day-to-day.

www.gracebeyondmeasuringspoons.com

The post Intro to baby-led weaning appeared first on Breastfeeding World.