Is Baby-Led Weaning ACTUALLY Better Than Spoon Feeding?
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 22 июл 2024
- Baby Led Weaning (BLW) and spoon feeding are both very popular methods for introducing solids to babies. But parents are constantly asking which method is best. So in this video I'll help shed some light on the answer for you.
Both camps have strong advocates who firmly believe their preferred method is best - whether that's BLW or spoon feeding. This video isn't about judgement on either side, rather it's a comparison and deeper look into the claims and facts around the benefits and downsides of each method for introducing solids to babies and understand how to choose the best method for you and your family.
✅ Get your free Mealtimes Essentials Guide with links to all my favorite plates, cups, cutlery and more here: brightestbeginning.com/bb_opt...
🤓 Check out the free BLW training with Katie Ferraro to learn how to do BLW safely: brightestbeginning.com/blwwor...
👶 Learn how to make sure your baby hits their crucial developmental milestones in their first 12 months with my course - Play, Develop, Thrive: brightestbeginning.com/course...
📱 Follow me on Instagram: / brightest.beginning
☕ Just want to say thanks? A good coffee is the way to my heart 😂. You can buy me one here: www.buymeacoffee.com/emmahubbard
00:00 - 00:59 : BLW and the Spoon Feeding Approach
01:00 - 02:15 : BLW Reduces the Risk of Obesity
02:16 - 02:54 : BLW Reduces the Risk of Picky Eating
02:55 - 03:57 : The Spoon Feeding Approach Delays Oral Motor Development
03:58 - 04:51 : BLW is Easier
04:52 - 06:36 : BLW Increases the Risk of Choking on Food
#emmahubbard #babydevelopment #blw
Research Articles Referenced in Video:
Taylor RW, Williams SM, Fangupo LJ, Wheeler BJ, Taylor BJ, Daniels L, Fleming EA, McArthur J, Morison B, Erickson LW, Davies RS, Bacchus S, Cameron SL, Heath AM. Effect of a Baby-Led Approach to Complementary Feeding on Infant Growth and Overweight: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Pediatr. 2017 Sep 1;171(9):838-846. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.1284. PMID: 28692728; PMCID: PMC5710413.
Louise J. Fangupo, Anne-Louise M. Heath, Sheila M. Williams, Liz W. Erickson Williams, Brittany J. Morison, Elizabeth A. Fleming, Barry J. Taylor, Benjamin J. Wheeler, Rachael W. Taylor; A Baby-Led Approach to Eating Solids and Risk of Choking. Pediatrics October 2016; 138 (4): e20160772. 10.1542/peds.2016-0772
Disclaimer:
The content on this channel is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health or personal advice.
If you have any questions or concerns about the health of your child, yourself or a family member, always seek guidance from your doctor or a qualified health professional. The content on this channel does not substitute, supersede or replace the advice of a medical professional. Never disregard the advice of a medical professional, or delay seeking professional medical advice because of something you have seen on this channel.
If you are in any way concerned that you or a person in your care may be experiencing a medical emergency, call the relevant emergency services in your area immediately.
External (outbound) links found on this channel, or resources, websites, or other content sources mentioned by this channel are not endorsed by this channel (Emma Hubbard) or it's owner (Hubbard Digital Pty. Ltd.) in any way. Under no circumstances is Emma Hubbard or Hubbard Digital Pty. Ltd. responsible for the claims of third party content providers, websites or educational providers.
If you wish to seek clarification on the above matters please contact Hubbard Digital Pty. Ltd. via the contact email on this channel.
• Is Baby-Led Weaning AC...
We did a mix of both from the start and he chooses what he wants. Sometimes he gestures to be fed and sometimes he picks up handfuls and shoves it in. I think it’s good for him to practice his fine motor skills and have fun with food but sometimes it’s easier and much less messy to spoon feed him. Being truly “baby led”means he sometimes wants to be spoon fed!
Love this!
I totally agree. That's what I'm planning to do with my little one. I think a mix of both methods is less stressfull and more flexible. ;)
I really love this approach!!
agreed ! We also do combo. Full BLW is soo messy with twins,
We've done the same thing with our daughter! We started with spoon fed but after a few months moved to messy food play. She LOVES it but she also has some spoon fed meals. We just took it step by step and introduced solids via baby led weaning to work on gagging. It was challenging, but eventually she got over the gagging, and we just took it step by step, introducing different solids one a time. Now she's a little foodie and absolutely loves almost all the food we give her and enjoys home cooked meals above everything else. :)
My son is 6 months and currently on purees. BLW makes me nervous , but will try little by little. My first born didnt BLW at all and he turns out great. Mamas, BLW or purees, AS LONG AS BABIES ARE EATING, you are doing great!❤
Thank you for sharing your experience! Made me feel better about following a traditional approach for my underweight baby.
It should make you nervous. ONE study that says the risk for choking isn't higher, AS LONG AS caregivers know which foods are appropriate for the age group's mouth muscle and coordination, isn't reliable information. BLW as a sole method of weaning to solids is dangerous.
Wish I could love this comment as it's so helpful and aligns with what I always thought ❤ Its ok to spoon feed your baby initially when starting solids. Once they develop teeth and are able to fully support themselves we can start letting them feed themselves and explore food on their own 😊
This BLW fad has been blown out of proportion by social media making already stressed poor new parents more anxious
Thank you for this information! We did spoon feeding for our daughter when she was a wee one but received a lot of unsolicited advice from some passionate BLW folks in our life. I’m so glad BLW works so well for so many but the portrayal of BLW being “the right way” really hurt my confidence as a new mother. Having spoon feeding validated as a viable option makes my heart feel lighter.
Thank you, I had 3 children who were spoon fed (my youngest is 15yrs old) and they were no way overweight or picky eaters… As long as you are feeding them healthy food then there shouldn’t be a problem… I then became pregnant again and now have a 6mth old baby and have been pushed by health nurses with BLW… I’m sticking with the traditional way as I feel safer and of course will introduce finger food slowly and will do a mixed approach for now
I started pureed but my girl began losing interest in solids. She's very independent, so I switched to BLW and her eating improved- as well as her fine motor skills- grasping, pinching. I also noticed she wouldn't like the pureed version of food but did as BLW- peas, carrots etc. I do think she is a less picky eater but her tastes change. She recently stopped liking eggs when she prev gobbled them up. I'm now starting to offer more liquid foods to teach her spoon control and that not all foods need to be munched on. Each baby has their own way of doing things and what's best for them. Being flexible is key. I had all these firm ideas on how I would raise her but she's her own person with her own ideas lol I'm learning. 😁
I had no idea there were names for the way we feed babies. I’m very old. I’m so glad I raised my children before the feeding police came along. Thank you for the real facts and for listing the studies for us. I watch your videos because they are informative, based on research, and so very helpful to young mothers. I wish you had been around 50 years ago. Think of the contribution you are making.
You are so welcome!
We do a combo of table foods and/or spoon-feeding depending on what we have on hand at each meal time. Thanks for the thorough video!
Thanks for watching. Which method fits your and your family? And if you would like to do BLW make sure you check out the free BLW training with Katie Ferraro to learn how to do BLW safely: brightestbeginning.com/blwworkshop
@EmmaHubbard what if baby doesn't poop after weaning to purée carrots for the first time please?
Thanks so much for this video Emma! My LO is 4 & a half months old and I'm just starting to think about what kind of approach I might like to use when introducing solids and it's reassuring to hear that both (followed carefully and with consideration) are just as effective. Perfect timing!
This was wonderfully relevant for us at the stage we are in right now! Thank you so much for sharing!
No worries at all!
We've been doing a mixed approach, depending on what's convenient, and so far I can't say that one is better than the other. At first we did more purees because baby was a little behind on weight gain but we are doing more and more BLW now as baby gets better at actually eating the food.
Love how informative this video is, almost like a "nonpartisan guide" to feeding littles. 😂 We are starting with spoon feeding and will see how it goes. If we need to shift gears towards BLW, then we will. Your free guides are the best part of these videos! Love, love, love! 🙌🏼🫶🏻
thx for this video. i always feel pressured to do these new-age child-raising methods like BLW because it's supposedly better than what my mother used or her mother before her etc. im just using spoon-feeding method because it makes me feel like a parent and i'm contributing as a dad. my kid is healthy and that's all it matters in the end.
This is fantastic!
I was looking for this comment 😊
There is nothing “new age” about blw. It’s been around for yonks.
Thank you for this video! I saw it at the right time as my bub is turning 6 months this week! I’ve heard of BLW but I didn’t know what it was until I saw this video. I’m honestly open to both. As of right now though, we’re going to start with spoon feeding and if we need to switch to BLW, we’ll do whatever makes her feel comfortable.
This makes me feel better. I was getting a lot of mom guilt for doing the traditional purée method. My friend constantly sends me stuff of her little one (6months) eating toast while my boy (8months) is working on thick purées.
Gotta love when other people try to parent YOUR children 🙄
Same here… i will tell you I did it 15yrs ago with my 3 children and they are perfectly healthy & fine… I now have a 6mth old and I am doing the same approach but will throw in something in his meal that he can try and eat on his own … no matter what way.. they will be fine so don’t feel guilty 😊
Studies show that babies eating using BLW are much more likely to choke and requiring hospitalization. I'll take eating purees over an increased chance of having a dead or disabled child any day.
So glad you did this, I've been watching since I had my twins nearly 8 months ago. Being premie we've been seeing a speech therapist for them. So we'd been going back and worth on how to feed them. But I think we've been naturally leaning towards a combo, so this helps alot.
So glad this video was able to help you feel comfortable with your decision. The combination approach is great!
Your advice is always super helpful and informative, thank you! This come at the perfect time ☺️
You're so welcome!
Same! My daughters about to start solids and she had a cleft pallete so I feel like mixing both methods will be best for her/us 💖
I did BLW with my first & loved it. With my second I’m mostly spoon feeding & really enjoy the interaction with her. Big downside to BLW is the HUGE mess & food waste it causes in the beginning.
Such an informative video! Such great insight!
I like this video and how you support your argument with evidence and studies. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I was looking for a good video about this yesterday and boom you uploaded this video 🎉 Love it
We started with a spoon and we just offered her food as much as she wanted. If she just ate a few spoons that's fine. Most times she wanted to take the spoon herself and we let her do it.
Now with 8 months she doesn't really want mushed food so we are going to change to blw. We take our time and let her choose. 😊
Thank you for the informative video. My baby was born on the large side so I started solids at 4 months because he was showing a lot of interest. BLW did not work out at that age due to lack of skills to pick up and bring food to mouth. Now he is 6 months and I do a mixed approach. I highly suggest the website solid starts for all parents needing help with BLW.
The mixed approach is great! Also i agree the website by Solid Starts is a fantastic resource for BLW. Katie Ferraro (a registered dietitian who specialises in BLW) also has a great website for parents to use if they are interested in following the BLW approach. www.fortifiedfam.com/
My approach is to do a mix. I tend to offer whatever I’m eating (as long as it’s baby safe). Sometimes it’s something she can pick up, sometimes it’s a softer mash. For example, today I gave her half a banana to hold and chew on. Whatever she didn’t eat was mashed with a fork and fed with a spoon. I really like the app called Solid Starts because it shows how to serve foods from the BLW approach, depending on a child’s age.
I found BLW to be more convenient, and I didn’t have a lot of anxiety regarding choking (it helps that I’m not an anxious person in general, and I did my research). My baby did gag at first, but it was fine. I did stare at her a lot at first, to show her how to chew, but I was hands free and could feed myself. It also seems like it would be easier if you had another child.
She’s still pretty fussy sometimes during periods of meal time at 9 months old, but she’s really good at eating, and never gags anymore. I usually have her high chair by me while she finishes and I do dishes since she takes a while to eat. The mess is one of the harder things, but it’s fine, I just got a wet/dry vacuum which helps a lot. She is at the age where she’d be eating finger foods either way, of course.
Something to note is that some people still feed purées from 4 or 5 months old, but BLW is only recommended for 6 months of age and up, though increasingly people are recommending solids begin at 6 months, regardless of feeding method. So in the past, I think most people fed their babies before 6 months of age (at least in the west), and so would not have had a choice but to spoon feed initially.
Thanks so much for sharing this great information.
My thoughts exactly! Baby led weaning just seems to be easier for us :-)
More convenient for you. 🙄🤦♀️
@@debrasnipes7431 why so bitter? It worked for me, I’m not judging other parents that did something different. I look forward to doing blw with my second baby too. I can give some of the same foods to him as I give to my toddler, and be more hands free.
@@rachelle2227yes exactly
Thanks a lot for this video! I find that information regarding introduction of solids is confusing, can you please recommend any reliable source regarding combo feeding and spoon feeding? I know that Solids Start is good source for BLW. Just want to do an informed choice. Looking forward to see more videos regarding solids from you! Thanks :)
Thanks! I am doing spoon feeding because I was more comfortable doing it, but I couldn't find a good guide on the steps of this month the food is like this, this month it's like that... So I'm slightly behind according to your video. Is there a reference source I can find for this? Thanks!
We do combo feeding. Our pediatricians have recommended starting baby food at 4mo IF our babies were interested. They were very much interested so we do purees until 6mo and then start introducing some BLW style foods. We continue with combo feeding for as long as baby is interested in the spoon feeding. My daughter refused to continue spoon feeding at 8mo but my son is still ok with very occasional spoon feeding at 10mo. My son is the bigger eater and is more adventurous than my daughter ever was when it comes to food. He just has a higher calorie need since he's in the upper percentiles for height while my daughter was always closer to just under the average. We pretty much save purees for when we are traveling or when he is backed up we have a specific puree blend that we know will get him to poop within 12hrs. When we were hit with a hurricane and were without power we did go back to purees for our son because they were shelf stable, safe to serve as is, and much lower in sodium than the other foods we had to be eating for about a week. There's a time and a place for all types of foods. As I tell all of my new mom friends, responsive feeding is more important than the specific method of introducing food and some babies will do better with one method over another method. We teach the baby signs for "more" and "all done" at 6mo which helps a lot and before reaching that point we still follow baby's cues.
Thanks so much for sharing!
You are right it is more important that we are responsive to our babies cues during mealtimes and follow their lead on whether they want more food or if they are finished. Thanks for this great reminder!
As always, another great video! In the beginning we spoon-fed, mainly because we started super early. My LO always had trouble drinking milk and het weight was low, so the pediatrician suggested we start early and it went amazingly. Now we do both, breakfast and dinner are blw, lunch and 3 o'clock are spoonfed. These days she does much of the spoonfeeding herself.
Thanks for sharing!
I love BLW personally. I love that she was part of family meals straight away. Her motor skills are amazing. I love how independent she is. She is listening to her body. For our family it has been amazing! She is getting less messy as her motor skills are improving.
So great you were able to find out the method which suits you and your little one!
Thank you for sharing.
Just a note for someone who was obese all his life until I read enough to understand thing.
Most obese people told me “they listen to their body” in terms of what they eat. That means eating processed carbohydrates, very sweet fruits and big amounts of honey.
Commonly more carbs than I eat now on a day I go to the gym for one hour.
Please be careful. Obesity makes life much harder.
My baby has advanced motor skills because of playing . Not by giving him finger foods that end up all over the floor and his hair . BLW IS A TREND and produces so must waste
After my child gagged then vomited TWICE with stuff that should have been safe for BLW I gave up (once I had to spend 2hrs cleaning the carpet). He's doing better on purees and loving it. When he wants it he'll lunge forward to the spoon and I'm grateful that I don't need mom guilt over him failing BLW ❤
Thank you for this video,looking at a lot of videos on tiktok on how amazing baby of 6 mths started to eat on their own but me,as a new mom,when i tried blw for the 1st time,it scared the hell out of me....i cant do it,i was afraid of the choking...now i will only spoon feed my baby but i feel like ive failed as a mom,especially about development of motor skills..you made me feel its ok to spoon feed my baby
Thanks for this! We wanted to do BLW but because we have to introduce allergens into the baby's purees there, well, need to be purees 😆 Good to know it doesn't seem to matter much which way you go beyond that :)
I was completely put off of BLW because of the ATTITUDES of the people who were telling me I should do it. They were so negative and aggressive about their position that I told them to f*# off and would not entertain the idea at all simply to spite them.
The kids still ate when the family ate. Only ate food they willingly opened their mouth for and stopped when they lost interest. I really really really wish people would just stop telling people what to do. It's become the new "breast is best" battle cry. It's like they think the last sixty years (of spoon feeding) has resulted in adults that don't know how to chew.
I’m sorry to hear you had that experience!
There certainly is a lot of tribalism around certain topics in parenting that isn’t helpful.
It’s why I never judge, and simply aim to provide information to help parents make the best decision for their family. Whatever that decision is it should be respected. 💜
@@EmmaHubbard Its bizarre how these cliques form now. Its worse than high school. I blame social media. Back in the day before it people minded their own business a lot more. My own mum told me "it just never came up. We didn't ask."
My thoughts exactly
We had no choice but to do blw because my baby was ready to fight us when we tried the purees. She was slow taking to solids generally but now she is getting more interested and eating independently. We’ve been trying to let her use a spoon as well to get used to looser textures. I thought she wasn’t really taking to a spoon until I started giving her the ella’s kitchen smoothies. Now suddenly not only does she know how to feed herself with a spoon but also to hold it out right side up for me give her more lmao
There is huge question about the safety regarding pesticides and nitrates in food. While puree manifacture is strict in controlling this, how to minimze the risk of exposing your baby to these when you buy and cook vegetables?
Thank you! I needed this. My baby just turned 6 months and I have a lot of anxiety around bubs choking
How did it go? I’m where you were now with your old comment.
Hi Emma, a question (I can't seem to find the answer in my books and the internet is indecisive) Disregarding if I start with spoon feeding or BLW how would you approche the amount of food? So for example my son is almost 6 months old, do I just start with a little less milk in his bottle + breakfast like 30 grams of oatmeal. Than for lunch again a smaller bottle + 30 grams of veggies and than in the afternoon again a smaller bottle + 30 grams of fruit. Or do I start with one solid meal a day for a week and build up to 2 and 3 solid meals in a day (of course his milk will be given before every solid meal but in a less amount) I hope you understand my question, I might have asked more complicated than meant.
My baby is 6 months old and is starting purée but keeps spitting everything out or starts fussing any advise ? I tried switching the brand & flavors even making them at home still having a hard time
There is such a short amount of time that your children actually need you to feed them. Enjoy that time by doing what works best for all of you.
I agree 😊
Hi, baby is 14 months now and we are struggling to reduce milk aince baby will eat onky 2 to 8 teaspoons of dood at any one time. She will eat anything,just small volumes. She appears to be placing food in the front of her mouth,and then the tongue stops thw food rather than pushing it through. She has a variety of textures. She insists on feeding herself. Is there something we can do to help her place food better and aee if that improves her capacity to eat more. She struggles with bloating and explosive farts. We try to encourage exposure to a variety of good food. Ahe prefers atuff with taste She loves her dads mince, but will chipmunk the food and spit it out later. Know we still have time to get her off milk and on to solids,juat feel that the curve is becoming problematic
I do both. Sometimes I would even have a mashed up carrot and a soft stick of it on the plate too.
My son is almost 8 months old, is crawling, chews on EVERYTHING and can grab and put things in his mouth well, but he can’t handle any food that isn’t a thin purée, as he just tries to swallow it and chokes on it. I know he’s got strong jaws and knows how to chew because he does it with everything else…except food! Any tips? It seems like by now he should be able to handle more.
The thing is you can add texture to purees. I've given my son smashed up Farley's rusks on top of a fruit puree to give him a fruit crumble like the adults were eating.
What type of fruit to offer a 10 month old baby like puree, raw apple or other way sliced etc plz do a vedio on it
I really would love to go with the BLW. My baby just turned 6months and was exclusively breastfed and now seem not to enjoy eating when we started solids. I try changing the meals but he fumes excessively once food is taken to his mouth but loves to drink water. I need him to eat. This made me not to be able to continue BLW but I had to change to spoon feeding hoping he will get use to food at 7months.
Really helpful! Thanks
You're welcome!
I do feed purées but pre load her spoon and just hand it to her for her to feed herself! Finger foods are bit worrying me coz she is sucking a lot instead of chewing
Thank you so much for the info! My 7.5 mo baby eats purees of food including vegies and meat. When and how should i start giving her boiled chunks to play and eat? I tried not to melt her food that much so it had a bit of chunks she could bite, but she did not like this. Thank you!
Nice video! it gave me more confidence when feeding my 10-month-old baby. We do a mix of spoon feeding (when giving bland food) and BLW (when giving finger food). I have one question though, when should one drop spoon-feeding completely and how can one encourage the baby to eat bland foods by herself with the spoon?
Thanks a lot for your videos Emma! they have helped me so much!
Greetings from Germany :)
Glad it was helpful! And it is great that you find the combination method works for you and your little one.
In regards to using the spoon independently, you can start that now. Just make sure you get s suitable spoon with a shallow bowl (in the PDF link in the description box I have a list of spoons I recommend). You might need to help your little one initially hold the spoon but your little one will be able to dip it into the pureed food and bring that to her mouth. It will be slightly uncoordinated at first but she will improve with time.
@@EmmaHubbard thank you so much! Will do so! 🥰
for me bwl was worse then puree as my kid just wont eat and if i wanted all vitamins it was easier to puree it. also blw recipes while looking good were are fried (that i found) and thats just not for me.
My baby is 11 months old and he isn’t really interested in feeding himself. He eats mostly purées, but I want to do both.
I did BLW with my daughter. I had all the time with her at home so I made her so much different food and my daughter had so much fun trying new foods. She is going to be 2 in February. Probably will do a mix of both for the next baby but let them use the spoon.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Is it okay to do a bit of both?
I was so scared of blw, i have months of frozen veggies ready to be pureed, but she had been sneaking food of my plate i just chop it down to very small pieces and either let her 'rake' it or spoon feed it.
My baby stops eating whether I spoon feed him or not , if he's not hungry he'll just chew on it or put his head away .. I do a little bit of both , I buy baby food for my parents but I pretty much share from my plate because I'm just to tire purree anything and he doesn't always eat it, he mostly has formula in between because I don't eat every 2 hours .
Also need to consider proper jaw, mouth, and teeth formation (Weston Price) and because of that I think BLW is the only way for my baby.
We are doing both, kind of, because we puree food but we don't make our baby eat when she is not interested. She sometimes shoves the spoon into her mouth, and sometimes she asks for help.
To me it's more about nutrients. If my child gets enough carbs, protein, fats, vitamins and minerals, it doesn't matter whether food is pureed or solid. I steel give pureed food to my child at 1 year 8 month. At the same time, she can eat solid food as well, like chicken, potato, and absolutely anything what the adults eat, but it takes more effort to monitor the process. I prefer to make sure that my child have eaten enough before I let her play with food.
You say about introduction of solid food at 6 months - we were still breast feeding at 8. And the girl is absolutely developed and strong, with great metabolism.
Thanks so much for sharing!
My first daughter was spoon fed ,pureed as that's how everyone was fed in our generation so naturally I follow how my mother brought us all up, 8 of us. None of us are fussy eaters, we eat everything lol. And no issues with our development as kids.
Anyway my daughter is 4 years old and she was spoon fed from 4 months old purees for a long time. And now she eats just like us, as in everything. She is advanced for her developmental age. She has a great appetite . It worked for my family and it worked for my daughter. And I agree its about getting important nutrients into your child. Whatever way you choose , the theory that BLW makes less fussy and more independent children ,I'm not so sure of as my daughter is zero fussy and very independent. But we did always as family sit together and eat together. I think that made a difference.
I did BLW plus spoon feed at first, then gradually change to BLW as that's what my daughter preferred. And she's very advanced with fine motor because of BLW.
Thanks for sharing
My son is 6 months. I have done both. I see both sides. Baby weaning has independence to it
I do a mix! I usually offer a purée along with BLW foods. Little man grabs the spoon from me anyway so might as well let him feed himself he enjoys it more!
Love it! 😊
I am confused my baby is 6.5 months old I have been trying to feed pureed apple/carrot/ potato but he barely eats more than 3 to 4 baby spoonfuls. ...how can i increase his food intake?
At that age a few spoonfuls is fantastic! I know it might not seem like much but with time he will start to gradually have more spoonfuls. Just continue to offer the food, but be sure to follow his lead and stop spoon feeding him when he indicates he is full.
BLW weaning was wasteful with my first child. He threw so much on the ground and we couldn’t afford to waste like that. I’m trying to do a little of both methods with my second child who is almost 11 months old now.
Thanks so much for sharing. It sounds like you have worked out that the combo method works best for you and your family which is great!
Totally agree! I’m not against my baby making a mess but so much food ends up on the floor and not eaten that sometime I need to bring the food to my baby’s mouth so she actually eats.
@@veronicagrave159 I’ve struggled being ok with the mess. One of Emma’s other videos said when spoon feeding, let the food dribble down their chin so they get used to the feeling. I’m so neurotic it’s been difficult to not clean baby’s face and hands while eating. I have to make myself leave it.
@@bburgess5003 I'd say let there be mess, maybe not at every meal, but try it once a day and do the cleaning at the end, so she can enjoy her food and you can do it all in one go. I'm not an expert, but we decided to do it this way and our daughter loves her food and eating. It is a lot of work BUT I think the benefits outweigh the mess. It also means she is more independent and doesn't need me to feed her every meal :) Maybe give it a go! P.S And yes I totally understand the waste. We unfortunately do waste a lot of food both fresh and jar food, but it is almost impossible to get around this. Maybe try with things like rice or grains, or pasta, where the expense isn't too great and serve small portions and then top up.
@@brontec9769 Thank you I’m going to try those. My first child was almost strictly spoon fed and he is the pickiest eater at 6 years old. I don’t know if those two are related but I’m going to try to do it differently with the new baby. I’m not a clean freak but the sticky mess everywhere is just a challenge for me.
I feel like that BLW vs spoon feeding study, didn't go far enough, I feel it should asses them in to their teen years and also their attitude towards food to gain a full understanding on whether it increases obesity levels or not🤷🏼♀️
My mom employed a combination of both methods when I was a baby. She started spoon-feeding me purees at 4 months old (yep, earlier than recommended) and then gradually introduced me to non-pureed solids. By 8 months old I was feeding myself soft foods with a spoon, and by 10 months old I had developed the dexterity to use various utensils (spoon, fork, training chopsticks) to eat full-on meals. My mom simply served me whatever she and my dad were eating, so I never became a picky eater. I feel like a lot of exclusively BLW and anti-spoon-feeding moms these days vastly overthink things.
I pre load the spoon for my 6mo and she grabs it and feeds herself. 🤷🏻♀️ she very clearly tells me when she doesnt want anything further, keeps her mouth closed and looks away.
We did a mix of both. Started with all kinds of purees and after a month started adding thickness and textures. And here and there we introduced BLW style foods. He was also allowed to get nice and messy with his foods (oh the cute spag bol faces! 😍)! Now he is 21 months and eats very well, mostly eats what we eat and uses both spoon and fork extremely well! Only thing that is still tricky is tough meat, but he only just got his first molars fully through in the last 5 weeks! 😁
Thanks so much for sharing! Sounds like your little one is a great eater! Hope the molars coming through wasn't to tough for him!
I have 3 children the youngest one is 11 months old now , in my experience baby actually chooses whether he what puréed food or BLW
My 1 one completely rejected BLW
2 nd one was totally opposite and rejected spoon feeding
And Believe it or not 3rd one is fine with both spoon feeding and BLW
So in my case all 3 children were different 😀
My advice to parents is don’t stress your self and see what your baby prefers
Thanks for sharing!
I use both but lean more to BLW, because I was spoon and force fed as a child and had severe food aversion. I’ll just start crying when it was food time. I had such bad relationship with food and I was a very thin and sickly child. When I turned 20 there about I had the opposite and ate a little too much till I was 24/25.
All in all it added to my bad body image all through my teen years.
I don’t force or coarse my daughter if she wants to be fed, I feed, if she wants to eat herself she does. And if she throws it on the floor or plays with it, so be it.
My Mum tho was trying to tell me to tell her to eat and not play and feed her more and I said NO.
As an adult I won’t eat what I don’t like why should I force a child to do so? Why can’t she have a Will??
I’m sorry you went through that. Our GP tried to get us to force feed our baby as well and I’m glad we didn’t listen. She made play seem like a problem until I read peer reviewed literature that said otherwise. I’ve also read about how this stage being more important for developing their relationship with food and not just the physical eating
I have a question about my 1 year old in a couple days . She still has no teeth and I’ve been scared to give her like more harder foods because I feel she can’t chew but I know she can eat bread and stuff like that
She will chew it with the gum, not the her teeth. 😉
My son is 13 month, has 8 front teeth and chewes happily on harder food, which can be made softer with salvia. He needs to chew a lot on it and sometimes has to spit out bigger parts to eat them later. Sometimes he is too greedy, which leads to gagging. 😅
His front teeth only help to minimize the size, if its a pear or an apple. Or to take a bit bite out of his oven baked sweetpotatoe sticks.
Wow I learnt a lot
So glad this video was helpful!
Help! Whenever I tried to give my baby less blended food, to motivate his oral movement, he would throw up. I get really anxious about it. And he is almost 1 year now. What should I do? 😢
mine is two. Same problem 😢
We do both ways and are happy with it 😊
That's great!
I haven’t started feeding food to my baby yet but my husband and I have decided to do both. I don’t see any harm in feeding her puree for nutritional values and flavor, and mixing that with a soft riped banana for her to grab and have fun with it.
We’ve always done a mix of both and I personally really like doing it that way 🙂
Well I do both and my baby loves both..
Love this!
Thank you!👍😘
No worries at all!
Full BLW sounds very messy lol. My baby is 9 months old and quite fussy with eating but it's been getting better since moving from puréed to lumpier food . And he enjoys picking his own food like pieces of banana, of cooked sweet potato pieces or bread crust
But how do feed her by blw since I am so scared of her choking?!
If you want to do BLW with your little one then you can get this free BLW training with Katie Ferraro to learn how to do BLW safely: brightestbeginning.com/blwworkshop
I hope that helps!
My pediatrician is recommending starting introducing food at 5 months. I heard that some physicians are recommending this (at least in my country) Have you listen of this and what are your thoughts? Also, Thanks for your videos 😊❤
In my country, if a baby is not exclusively breastfed, the recommendation is to very slowly start solids at 4 months IF the baby was full term, can sit with minimal support, has good head control, and seems actively interested in food.
Mine hated the recommended cereal and were meh on purees, and by 6 months were happy to try basically any smallish bit of boiled veggie, making travel to see family way easier.
I still come down firmly, based on a control group of full term fraternal twins reacting differently to food for the first month and a half, that everything is going to depend on the kid.
Never bought baby food. Breast feeding and finger food when they were old enough to have the dexterity to finger food and it was safe enough.
My child pushed my breast away at a year I was heart broken.
We did BLW mostly with our eldest. Are everything. Got to two and a half, and just become the most fussy eater, will not eat anything of what she ate before.
I skipped puree foods and offered her finger foods but i had some pressure so after 8 months i used to feed her thinking that she will gain weight but i shouldn’t have done it because now she wants me to feed her and now she is 1 year old i am trying my best to blw her with booster seat and she is improving but she is confused to how use a spoon. Any advices on that? Also will she improve on blw?
My son is 13 month and he loves be fed the first 2 spoons then to hold a second spoon in one hand and grabbing the other spoon with food to try to eat an lick it.
I offered him something he really liked on a baby spoon or fork and held it near his mouth, so he still could decide to grab it, the spoon or directly eat it from the spoon. After some bites I asked him, if he wanted to try himself and as he was teething he had a lot of interest in grabbing the spoon and bite in the handle 😂 but I complimented him a lot, when he got it right.
It was messy at first, but he is improving every day. Now he is so fast in munching from the spoon, that I have a 3rd spoon ready for the next bite.
We don't pressure him to use tools. If he wants to eat with his hands that's okay, tol. Only thin soup is an exception - too messy. 😂
@@mamechan4144my baby either eat the liquid type food with her hand or with spoon but only licking and not properly using the spoon thank you for telling me your story i will try my best now!
I think whichever approach you take the most important thing is to not start too early before their gut is actually ready for food, and the cereal they recommend to start with when you do the puree approach has no nutritional benefits and is like getting your kid hooked on junk food from the very begining. But she didn't address these arguments.
A mix of both is best for me. Why do you have to choose one?
You can definitely do a mixed approach and this approach does work very well. . It is what you are comfortable with.
Hi, great video. But you Just don't talk about the fact that going From puree to "normal" food Can be difficult. When we tried to change the texture of the meal it became challenging to Make Our daughter accepts the food. That's why for my next kid I will try BLW.
You’re right, that’s exactly what I see in parents around me. My baby is 8 months old and he eats everything (I did BLW). While all my friends that did puree are struggling right now to switch to solid food. At the end it might be the same, but the transition is a lot harder for babies eating puree.
It’s a great idea to try BLW with your next child. Don’t feel to much pressure with it, you can also mix BLW and puree 😉.
I do purée right but I let him hold the spoon so is it blw?😂
I am sorry but Blw in 6 month does not make sense
I think that is a method where the child has to become independent sooner than he is able… is sad trend
Modern Mothering
These are words from people who most probably can't stand the mess, read scientific data, and are basically lazy.
in asia most baby are spoon feed and there is not an obesity issue. its all up to the diet kids exposed to.
Should finger food be introduced only after a baby has most of their teeth?
I ve just started weaning my 6 month old. She has two teeth already and likes to bite everything… well everything but food. I ve tried different foods and textures but she still gags and throws up any food she managed to swallow.
If i spoonfeed her, she s absolutely fine. I was hoping to use both methods but BLW is not going well and i feel helpless 😢
You can definitely use a combination approach. Also if it helps... when you first start introducing solids the aim is exposure not necessarily how much food your baby ends up swallowing. If your little one touches or smears the food (even to throw it) is a successful meal. With time as your little ones fine motor and oral motor skills improve she will start swallowing more food. I hope that helps!
6 months is still really early. Even the most basic eating skills like chewing and swallowing have to be learned and it takes time!
It’s normal for you baby not to eat a lot at first. They are discovering. The gag reflex will atenuate with time too. Keep suggesting food to your baby. You can repeat many times the same food too. Start with easy texture like avocados and bananas (you can leave the skin or pour baby cereal powder on it to help with grasping).
At first my baby was mostly squiching and throwing food on the floor. But after 3 weeks, he got the hang of it, and started to eat a lot. I started a little bit before 6 months because my baby was ready ealier than average, so the age might not be the problem. You baby is ready when they can seat alone and exchange objects from one and to the other. There are others criteria to look for but those two are usely the last one to be acquired.
I started with BLW but my baby freaks out with solids in her mouth. Decided to switch to purees and let her self feed with a pre-loaded spoon and she preferred that. After a while, she started refusing the spoon, and I switched to finger foods for a few days, then came back to purees ans she was ok again. I began mixing finger foods and purees but one day she choked on a chicken strip (actual choke, not gag), so i freaked out and stayed away from finger foods for a while.
Now, I'm mixing everything lol. Spoon feeding and hand feeding her small pieces of solid food, and letting her self feed purees and finger foods. Sometimes she's happy to be spoon fed, sometimes she keeps grabbing the spoon to feed herself. It changes every meal 😂
I'm very happy with this approach now, bcos she's happy eating the way she wants to. Some ppl say mixing approaches is confusing for baby, but hey…don't underestimate your baby's intelligence, they're really smart! I don't think they'll get confused so easily!
TKS
I'm doing a mix! My 5-month old baby has had pureed potatoes, chili breakfast beans, and green beans (yes, I got the ok from my pediatrician to start before 6 months, my baby was very clearly ready). She has also had BLW meats to lick and chew on (but not eat, it's for taste, texture, and the iron from the meat juices) and she has loved ham steak, and also sliced beef. And I do mean LOVED. She actually cried when I took the remaining beef away. Even for puree, I watch her reaction to make sure she's ok with being given the food so it's still somewhat baby-led.
As I saw, sadly parents who are spoonfeeding are not modifying the texture as their child grows - at least where I live.
Anyway my baby is sooo interested in feeding herself that I would not have the possibility to spoonfeed her even if I would have wanted to 😂
😂 Some bub's are super independent and finger foods are the only option!
I allow my son who’s about to be 7 months old to feed himself with the spoon. It’s messy but he likes feeding himself. I’m gradually thickening his food.
I tried to do spoon feeding until my child began to steal my food at about 6 months turns out he wanted Mexican food like beans way more than bland baby food. He was like um Gerber chicken is gross gimme Tacos lol. I still feed him baby food because people give it to me and it's a fast food to have available on the go but mostly he eats what I eat especially since he has teeth now and really appreciates biting everything especially people lol
Responsive feeding
I live in Japan and they do spoon feeding here. I don’t think people here are picky eaters nor or they obese. I think whatever people choose should just be their preference
Exactly!