Baby Led Weaning
I was planning on doing purees. I even asked for a tiny food processor for Christmas to make my own (cheaper, more nutrients). It’s still in the box. A friend of mine told me about something called Baby Led Weaning so I thought I’d do some research. My gut reaction was “won’t the babe choke?” I mean, really. How could a 6 month old know not to shove a carrot down her throat? Or know how to deal with apple skin? A spinach leaf?
I think the common belief is that babies need to be taught how to chew, and that they’re not capable of knowing what will hurt them and what won’t. But this couldn’t be farther from the truth. What’s amazing is that God designed infants to be totally self-teachable when it comes to food. An infant’s (say 6-9 months) gag reflex is actually bigger than an adults. Which means that while sticking a piece of food near the back of the tongue may not trigger an adult’s gag reflex (for we know better than not to do that), if an infant sticks a piece of food back too far she will gag and therefore will learn “doing this causes this unpleasant sensation. I will not do that anymore.”
The theory is that babies, especially breast-fed babies, are expected to know how much to nurse. We trust that a child who needs more will nurse more, and a child who needs less will nurse less. We also expect our toddlers to feed themselves. So why is there this middle age where we feed them? I am a firm believer that babies know how much to feed themselves. It’s no coincidence that many toddlers will go on a food binge with lots of carbs just before a growth spurt, or why a baby might refuse a certain food and then later on the parent finds out they were allergic. 
It was amazing watching Fiery learn how to eat a banana. I split the banana into thirds (long ways) and gave her a piece about 2 inches long. She put too much in the first time and almost immediately spit it out. This happened several times. Over a day or two she gradually took smaller and smaller bites and chewed until she swallowed. The other misconception is that babies have to “learn” to chew. When in fact it’s a lot like clapping: one day they can’t do it, and another day they can.
She’s never choked but she’s gagged and to be honest it’s a little nerve-racking but once you understand that it’s necessary for her to learn and babies fed purees also gag, I’m doing better with it and it’s happening less and less.
It also gives the babe an opportunity to develop her independence in choice. I’ll give her three different kinds of food (like a strawberry, a piece of apricot, and a carrot) and let her choose what she wants to try first. Most of the time she enjoys a little bit of everything, and when she’s done cleans her place by dumping everything on the floor. I believe this will make her more confident about her food choices in the future, and will also give her a wider palate for food.
It is messier. One thing I didn’t think about it. But the mess is totally worth it. Fiery loves, loves, loves, loves, eating with us. She loves to feed herself yogurt with a loaded spoon and as of today, at 8 months, can use a cup all by herself when she wants water. Feeding your infant can be so stressful and a fight of wills but baby led weaning makes feeding your babe enjoyable. I highly recommend it.
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