How should I start my baby on solids??

We've had some questions about what foods to start your 6 month old on.  Do you have to give one food at a time?  In the morning?  How long should you wait between offering different foods?

Here's hoping the following information will help you.

1.  What age should I start feeding my child?  Are there any other indicators?

Firstly, the current World Health Organisation (W.H.O) recommendation is for exclusive breast feeding for the first 6 months - ie, no water, no other foods at all.  Obviously if you're bottle feeding, then nothing but formula for the first 6 months :)

In Australia and some other Western countries, the recommendations seem to be to start solids between 4 and 6 months.  There is another article being written that will be published in August this year that will give updated information..........

The premise of Baby Led Weaning (BLW) is to follow the cues of your baby, both externally and internally.  It's the external abilities that let us know that the internals are ready.  So for BLW, your baby must have the ability to sit unaided.  They do not have to be able to manoeuvre themselves into a sitting position, but if they are say up, they need to be able to balance themselves for a 'period' of time, to be able to sit in their high hair.  They must be able to manipulate objects to their mouths, and also show an interest in food.

2.  Known Allergens - to introduce or not...

It used to be encouraged to hold off giving your baby known food allergens until over 1, or sometimes even later, as it was thought that by excluding these foods until your child was more mature, it would reduce the occurrence of severe food reactions.  Since then, the research has not backed this thinking, and it is now thought that it could actually have had the opposite effect!  It is now recommended that unless you have a family history if food allergies, then you should not limit the intake of these foods.

The food allergens include but aren't limited to peanuts and other tree nuts, wheat and or gluten, and dairy :)

3.  How many foods should I introduce at a time?

 In 'traditional' or purée feeding, it is common to introduce foods one at a time, for a couple of days each on case there is a reaction.  In BLW there is no 'rule' as such, but I believe that this is where common sense should prevail...  If you are personally worried about introducing different foods, then introduce them slowly, if you are not worried, then introduce them as you see fit.  If you have no history of food allergies then give whatever food you are eating, providing it's suitable and nutritious :)

4. What type of foods should I start on?

When your baby is first starting to eat, it helps to give them food that is easy to hold, and easy to disintegrate into their mouth.

Food shaped like 'chips' or long rectangles are easy to hold onto.  Carrots, beans, sweet potato, roast potato, banana, pear, steak, chicken etc.  foods that are hard can be steamed to soften them.  Broccoli makes a perfect first food as it has a built in handle!

Soon after your bub has grasped the concept, they will be picking up much smaller bits and will be able to master things even as small and peas.

5.  Do I really just give my baby what we are eating?

It a nutshell, yes, give your baby what you are eating.  You may or may not tailor what you are eating at first to suit bub, eg loads more steamed veges, but you do not have to.

A few rules of thumb should be taken into consideration
a)  Hold off on the salt.
      If you need to add salt to your dish, do it after you have taken out bub's portions.  Try to avoid  store bought stocks etc.
b) Hold off the sugar.
      Explore different ways to cook without using processed sugars.  Use fruit where possible to sweeten if you must.
c)  No honey!
      Honey (in rare occurrences) may contain botulism, which can be very serious if small babies contract it.  The botulism spores are not killed off in conventional household cooking, so please do not give your baby honey  :)
d)  Avoid processed foods
      This is good for the whole family, to eat real, whole foods, however it's not always possible, so do what you can to eat unprocessed foods the majority of the time.


I think that's about it.  BLW at a glance.

There may be more questions that you have, so I can update this blog post at any time.  If I have left anything out, please let me know, and likewise if you think there is some misinformation in here, please also let me know!

Enjoy your Baby Led Weaning experience.  Remember to ask questions.  Below are some pics taken during the first few weeks of BLW Miss O!