The BLW Baby-led Weaning Method: Let The Child Learn To Eat Alone?

If your baby is going to start adding new foods to the diet, there is a very helpful feeding method for this learning. Above all, you will be able to see how your baby learns to interact with objects and his own body. Discover the many benefits of this method now!

The BLW method (Baby-led weaning, “Weaning that the baby leads”, free translation into Portuguese) details the instructions for parents to be able to carry out the often complicated task of learning to eat alone. Put the spoon down and learn more about this practice. You will definitely be amazed!

When we think of a baby about six months old starting little by little to include himself on a solid food diet, we no doubt imagine the mother or father feeding the baby with a spoonful of chopped food.

However, there is a new trend that proposes a “more natural” way to make the child learn to eat. This is the BLW method whose basic premise is to offer the baby food in pieces (small, of course) so that he can eat in the quantity and speed he wants.

It is clearly an idea that breaks the conventional foundations of this process. However, it is worth knowing how it works. Next, we will take a closer look at some of the main aspects of this method.

Benefits of the BLW method

Some specialists, such as pediatrician Carlos González, defend that this method is extremely beneficial for the integral development of the baby and that it does not consist exclusively in satisfying the little one’s nutritional needs. Regarding these needs, González guarantees that “they are no longer as urgent” as in the first months of life, as food complements breastfeeding.

Among the advantages of the BLW method we can highlight:

• Stimulates visual-motor coordination. As the baby goes through a phase in which these abilities are developing, exercising them at mealtimes will also mean great progress.
• Lets enjoy the meal. Your baby will see mealtimes as a fun way to satiate his appetite. He will eat the way he likes most, he will be able to choose between the foods offered and determine how much and how fast he will eat.
• Develops self-esteem and independence. From an early age, the baby will develop a sense of satiety that will provide many benefits for their mental health.
• It is part of the constant learning process. If you place a chopped banana in front of the baby, the “cutlery” to eat will be the fingers themselves. Far from being a bad thing, this will allow you to discover new textures, colors and flavors (when the baby tastes the foods) that are an important part of the baby’s constant discovery of the world.

How to apply the BLW method?

The first thing necessary is to clarify that complementary feeding based on solid foods, as the name implies, must be complementary to the breastfeeding process. Combining these two processes, it is difficult for your baby to lack nutrients. This can happen exclusively with iron, which can be solved with the administration of iron drops, according to the pediatrician’s need and recommendation.

The BLW method is the baby’s first contact with food. It’s a relationship that will last a lifetime. Therefore, by being the way the baby prefers it will certainly generate a lot of joy.

To start with, you should chop solid food into small pieces, as the baby doesn’t have any teeth yet.

Some solid but soft food options can be:

• Fruits. Banana, peach, pear or apple.
• Vegetables. Carrots, pumpkin, zucchini or potatoes.
• Legumes. For example, lentils or beans.
• Rice, oats or barley.

On the other hand, it’s also important to be patient and not give up on the first try. As is often said, whoever warns you is a friend. So, we advise that the baby will get dirty, play with the food, spit and take a long time to eat. So be patient.

Does the BLW method involve risks?

There are many parents who, despite not refusing this type of food, show their concerns about the risk of suffocation. However, whoever practices this method guarantees that there is nothing to worry about.

To avoid problems, we must have the baby eat sitting up, in an upright, comfortable position. Furthermore, we must ensure that the pieces of food are small.

If the baby coughs or is craving, this is normal. This is not to be confused with suffocation. As it is a preventive movement that the body itself causes to prevent food from entering the airways, it is possible that it will happen. Over time, the baby will become less and less susceptible to this threat and will better control the process of swallowing food.

Compared to other methods, BLW method is no longer dangerous. In fact, the main causes of suffocation in babies involve errors by the person who feeds them or a wrong posture when feeding.

Perhaps the worst inconvenience is the mess the baby will make. But don’t worry, everything has a solution. You can wear bibs, a plastic apron, or summer T-shirts.

Finally, we can conclude that the BLW method has great benefits and trying to put it into practice has no cost at all. Worth a try at home!