Until just a few years ago, no one doubted that complementary feeding after breastfeeding involved providing the baby with crushed foods (creams, papillae or purees). For some time now another option has appeared: Baby Led Weaning, better known by its acronym BLW, an alternative that consists of providing the baby with soft, easy to handle, but solid foods.
This option raises many doubts in parents. Will it be attracted? Will he be fed enough? Does that mean I can’t give him any puree? Nadia Solana, dietitian-nutritionist, food technologist and member of the pediatric nutrition specialization group of the Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics addresses all of these issues.
What is the BLW method?
BLW or Baby Lead Weaning could be translated as baby-led feeding. It is a self-regulated and on-demand diet, and is mainly characterized by starting complementary feeding. with solid foods without going through traditional crushed foods.
The idea of the BLW method is to offer babies healthy foods in appropriately sized pieces, soft enough for them to crush with their gums (there are no teeth yet), but with the necessary consistency so that they do not crumble when picked up. hand. They will be the ones who will put them in their mouths with their own hands.
The figure of the father or mother chasing the child with a spoon disappears, but it requires that the parents be nearby to supervise the baby and avoid possible choking. In return, it is suggested that parents sit at the table with the child (bring the high chair closer to the table where adults usually eat) and eat meals similar to those of the baby at the same time. In this way, through imitation, the child learns the habit of eating and also doing so as a family. In this sense, it is key to highlight that parents’ diet must be healthy, so that these habits are built on pillars that promote healthy eating patterns.
Advantages of this method of complementary feeding
Among the advantages of Baby Led Weaning, Solana highlights that it represents “a baby’s most active role. In this way, a more perceptive feeding is achieved, since it is the baby who self-regulates his own hunger and satiety signals.”
The expert emphasizes that “the BLW diet has been associated, according to some studies, with a lower risk of overweight and obesity in the future and a greater acceptance of new foods and new textures. In addition, it encourages discovery and exploration, allowing the creature to eat autonomously, enjoying the different flavors, textures, smells and colors of food.”
Baby Led Weaning Feeding, when and how to start?
The dietary recommendations for the first months of a child’s life are clear: exclusive breastfeeding (whenever possible) and on demand from the first hour of life until six months. From then on until twelve months, the child will be provided with a combination of on-demand breastfeeding and complementary feeding.
The delimitation of the six months As a starting point for complementary feeding it is not accidental and must take into account, in addition to the energy and nutritional needs, the specific level of development of each baby. “We must check that the baby remains seated (does not fall to the sides or forward); shows interest in food; and the extrusion reflex (sticking out the tongue and expelling anything that is put into the mouth) has disappeared,” says the expert.
It is also important that you have autonomy with your hands, as well as adequate coordination between your eyes, hands and mouth.
What foods to start a BLW diet with
There is no specific food to start with. “Current complementary feeding guidelines, both for BLW and traditional methods, do not indicate which food should be introduced first. They do offer a list of foods that you can start with,” says Solana.
In general terms, the incorporation of foods in the BLW method would be as follows:
From 6 months:
- Fruits and vegetables
- legumes
- Cereals (skillet, pasta, rice)
- eggs
- Fish
- Meat
From 12 months:
- Dairy: natural unsweetened yogurt, soft cheese and cow’s milk
It is important to respect the recommended times and not want to rush the incorporation of certain food groups. “Dairy products should be avoided before the age of one, as well as solids with a risk of choking. These include whole nuts, grape seeds, cherry tomatoes, whole cherries, large pieces of raw apple or carrot, popcorn, olives, sausages, candies…”
Precautions to practice Baby Led Weaning safely
- Do not leave the baby alone eating.
- Avoid offering your baby foods with a higher risk of choking, such as whole nuts, raw vegetables and hard fruits…
- Know how to identify the signs of choking and know how to proceed in this situation.
- Offer food presented in such a way that it is easy for the baby to pick it up with his hands and put it in his mouth, opting for soft textures.
- Monitor the temperature of the food to avoid burns.
- Provide foods and preparations that allow a varied and balanced diet, limiting less healthy foods, such as fried foods or battered foods.
- Offer daily meals whose main components are vegetables, followed by a food rich in iron, as well as energy-dense foods.
Disadvantages of the BLW method to practice it safely
BLW has also been related, if not carried out correctly, with some drawbacks and precautions, among which are:
- Delay in starting complementary feeding, depending on the baby’s progress (it depends on whether the baby can sit upright, grasp food and only put it in his mouth).
- Requires a healthy diet from parents.
- Possible micronutrient deficiency if the diet is not well planned. “We must be especially careful with the contribution of iron, which may be lower than with crushed foods,” warns the expert.
- Increased risk of choking.
- Less diversity of foods.
Solving common challenges
With puree it is easy to control how much our child eats. With BLW it is more complicated. “It is logical that parents worry about whether their child is eating correctly. That is, that they do not go hungry or that they do not eat enough,” says the expert.
To avoid deficiencies, Nadia Solana recommends, among others, provide foods rich in iron, such as legumes, fish and poultry, with fresh fruit for dessert. Even more so «taking into account that current recommendations suggest reducing the consumption of protein of animal origin and that food preparation must consider a form of consumption that can be chewed by the baby without choking.»
One of the main concerns parents have with BLW is that the child remains hungry, or that does not meet the caloric requirements. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended to provide energetic foods based on complex carbohydrates, such as tubers, legumes, pasta, pan, rice, etc. Also, healthy fats, like olive oil.
Should we continue offering the breast? The recommendations indicate that, up to 12 months, the preferred feeding is from the breast, that is, from 6 months onwards, first breast, and then food. In those babies whose introduction of food is very difficult and slow, you could consider doing it the other way around, first food and then breast. In all cases, the breast can also be offered during the meal.
Easy recipes to practice Baby Led Weaning
Let’s look at some ideas to put BLW into practice taking into account iron intake needs:
- Chickpea hummus or any other legume.
- Burgers based on legumes and vegetables, and may incorporate meat or fish in them.
- Snacks based on children’s cereals enriched with iron and vegetables (mix cereals with soft vegetables, such as broccoli, sweet potato, carrot… and make tortillas round and round in the pan).
- Porridge made with breast milk or formula.
- Cooked or roasted sweet potato with red lentils (with 1 teaspoon of olive oil) and 1 portion of ripe kiwi.
- Cream of vegetables and lentils with rice. Orange or tangerine in portions.
- Roasted potato with crushed peas and egg in an omelette. applesauce
The entry BLW Method: how to be a baby and not eat purees was first published in Nutriiendo.
