Weaning

That's plenty. When first offering food they only really need it once a day with a second lot being offered after a month or so. Milk is still the primary source of nutrition until they turn one. Their stomach is the size of their fist so a teaspoon or two is enough to fill them.

At 6 months, I did 1 meal a day of one vegetable and started introducing allergens. We did BLW so will be different for you, but I recommend just one meal, an hour after having milk (doesn't matter what time of day) and do some veg, because babies tend to get a sweet tooth! At this age, it's just to introduce it to them, they don't need the nutrients from it, so no need for multiple meals until they're more comfortable and confident x

The point of weaning is learning how to eat food. So trying out cutlery, exploring different tastes and textures, learning how to chew and swallow. You aren’t trying to fill them up - milk is their main source of nutrition until 1. They don’t actually learn how to eat by being given pouches. They aren’t learning to chew or swallow, they aren’t getting chance to try cutlery or take appropriate size bites. Pouches don’t help with the weaning process, they push it back and can hinder it greatly as by the time you get to 1 and milk isn’t their main source of nutrition anymore, they still don’t actually know how to properly eat and the key learning stage of doing this (where it doesn’t actually matter if they eat anything or not) has passed x

@Blair can I ask why you say pouches don’t help? Isn’t it purèed food which they suggest starting on if you aren’t comfortable doing BLW ? X

Hi ladies, thanks for all your replies! That’s very useful ☺️ I am curious to try blw but I’m terrified of the risk of choking! I’m not directly giving her the puree straight from the pouch, I am putting it in her bowl and offering it from the spoon if that makes sense x

There is no increased risk of choking with BLW and actually the research shows us that babies who are traditionally weaned (pouches, purées etc) have an increased risk of choking when they try proper food because they haven’t learnt the correct skills to be able to chew, swallow and take appropriate size bites x

I sometimes give her her own spoon to dip into the bowl while I feed her his so she gets used to holding cutlery. I really don’t feel comfortable giving her big fistfuls of food to explore with until she’s a bit older but each to their own ☺️

@Aimee it isn’t about the parent being comfortable. There is no increased risk of choking with BLW (there is an increased risk of choking with traditionally weaned babies when they eventually start proper food though as they lack the necessary skills). Pouches don’t help because their only use is to fill baby up, which isn’t what weaning is about x

@Blair I do disagree with you to some extent - I do a mix of BLW and pureed food, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with starting off on purées because of not being comfortable with BLW.. a lot of babies who are traditionally weaned have no issues with going on to eat, it’s just being educated correctly on how to do BLW and to be fair I think everyone naturally goes onto BLW without realising as baby gets older and you as a parent do get more confident x

@blair I do think it helps if the parent is comfortable as happy mum is a happy baby

Just in regards to the fear around choking. Solid starts has some good resources to help learn the differences between choking and gagging as well as how food should be cut/served to baby when you do feel ready to offer foods for baby to try that are not pureed. I think the assumption is you cut up small for baby but actually that increases the choking risk cos it's the size of their airway if they dont chew and just try to swallow as they do with purees. When initially starting (at whatever point you choose to) it is better to give sticks of foods for example carrot that is cooked so it's soft and squishable between 2 fingers as that means if they did bite down it basically mushes in the mouth into a puree. As mentioned earlier by someone I'd start with veg not fruit as they already have a preference for sweet due to breastmilk so they need introductions to more bitter and savoury flavours.

There’s no shaming or judgement. But there really is little to no point giving baby purées or pouches. When they start proper food, that is when they are learning how to eat. If you leave it too late, that hinders their development in being able to chew, swallow and take appropriate size bites. The key crucial window is now. It’s up to you if it’s missed or not 🤷‍♀️ As well, of course, you’re increasing the risk of choking by refusing to give baby food precisely because you’re scared of choking 🧐 Baby doesn’t need filling up at this stage, or at any time until she’s 1. It isn’t about her getting enough. It’s an entire learning experience that she is denied with purées and pouches.

This is a low bar. Is it okay to leave baby screaming so mum can get some sleep because “happy mum happy baby”. Is it okay to risk baby forward facing before the age of 4 even though you’re increasing the risk of internal decapitation or paralysis because “happy mum happy baby”?

@Blair again completely disagree with what you’re saying. I agree that BLW helps with their development in chewing etc etc and it’s about learning not eating correct however - just because you chose not to start with it absolutely does not mean you miss the window what so ever. You can start with a puree to get the baby use to different textures.. not every food in life is solid so there’s learning to be done at every stage of weaning whether that’s puree or solid food. And as I said, naturally as the baby gets that bit older and mum gets more confident you begin giving baby finger sized foods without even thinking iM dOiNg BaBy LeD WeAnInG

@Blair I think you can get your point across in a more gentle way but your opinion seems quite forceful and disregards how the mother is feeling. With regards to happy mum happy baby yes I believe that is a great philosophy to stick by but obviously in the right context, I would never put my baby in danger but to be a good mum is to be kind to yourself first. So I think you’re missing the point I was trying to make. Like I said, each to their own and everyone has an opinion that they are entitled to. I was just looking for some guidance. I am eventually going to introduce my daughter to finger foods and I really don’t think I’m hindering her development in any way, she’s a happy, alert and switched on baby. I’m glad that BLW worked for your children but I am taking a different route and that’s ok. I think you need to appreciate that everyone has a different approach to parenting.

With my first LG, I started off with purées and once I was comfortable she started to eat by herself and we never had any issues, she’s always been a perfect eater. I don’t believe there is a right or wrong way xx

Thanks so much that’s what I’m planning to do, I just wanted some reassurance she was eating enough and I was on the right track ☺️

We started with purées and at 7 months old he is having 3 purée meals a day. Don’t think we should be shaming how a baby is fed, it’s 2025 🤷‍♀️

@Blair it is very much about a parent being comfortable as much as the baby. A parent that feels out of their depth with BLW is not likely to give appropriate foods frequently enough so that will set the weaning process back more than pouches. There is absolutely less chance of choking with purées as has been shown in research. There are some situations where pouches absolutely do have a purpose. Especially I. Babies with allergies. Weaning babies with allergies is a LONG process. Each new food (even non allergens) is advised to be done for a period of 3 days before introducing something new. Some babies still have not mastered the coordination for BLW at 6m and while in other babies you would ordinarily wait studies have shown the longer you wait to introduce food to a baby that already has allergies, the higher the chance of further allergies being present or developing.

Pouches can be a simple way for parents to begin to introduce those allergens while helping baby develop the coordination for BLW. The use of pouches in babies that haven’t quite got that coordination also allows the bowel to start learning how to get nutrients from the food. Some babies who aren’t quite ready at 6m for BLW may be delayed starting 4,6,8 weeks before their bowel is able to be grin to learn that task. By which point they are then set back and potentially not able to pull all the nutrition they need by the time they turn 1 There is actually not one single study out there that conclusively says BLW or traditional weaning is better. And let’s all be honest, BLW or traditional, they’ll all be eating food they’ve (or someone else) dropped on the floor by the time their 18months 🤷‍♀️ (For reference I BLW my eldest and doing a bit of both for one twin who has only just got his coordination and traditional weaning my allergy twin who has zero coordination to feed himself)