For Kate: What Baby-Led Weaning Looks Like

I was just reading Kate's blog and saw that she has been reading up on Baby-Led Weaning! So clever, so smart. We are trying that in our home too, along with a bit of mush - like most parenting choices, I am just mashing together other people's ideas that fit with my own philosophy and laziness. So I like not having to puree every meal we eat, I like not having to buy jars and jars of food, and I like good manners. Ergo, my daughter will eat un-mashed foods herself and I will give her some food to eat off a spoon. Maybe I'll end up with a child who will eat anything using impeccable table manners or maybe I'll end up with a child who gags on everything and can't be taken out in public while eating. I'll let you know.

If we had to judge based on current attempts, I'd lean towards the latter - here is what yesterday afternoon's meal looked like:


If you open the photo and zoom in on her pants, you'll see banana mashed into her crotch - I understand those pelican bibs are the answer to this particular dilemma. Said banana (and mango) is up to her elbows and can be found in the deepest recesses of her nasal passages. Also, behind her ears. But she ate it, and with pleasure, so we're calling it a win.

So far, in addition to disgusting rice mush (which she likes), she has tried sweet potatoes, carrot (steamed and raw), avocado, applesauce, banana, mango, cantaloupe, pureed pears, and yesterday some yellow pepper. She is least kean on the cooked carrots and sweet potatoes. Oh, and she did gnaw on a french fry offered to her on the ferry by her grandfather.

I would say overall, I like it. I do still offer rice on a spoon, usually mixed with fruit. However, I don't put it in her mouth anymore. I hold it about 4 inches in front of her mouth and then she pulls the spoon into her mouth to gum on it. This is much messier, but since the alternative is chasing her mouth while she bobs and weaves like Mohammed Ali, we're sticking with it. I don't know how much food she gets either, but we're believing that this phase of eating is mostly for pleasure so I'm not worrying too much about it.

Now, there is this teency, tine-cy downside. You know, the part where they suddenly stop eating, throw their mouth open sound-lessly and turn very red? I think it's called choking? Good news - the first-aid Scott taught us works. Oddly, she really enjoyed yellow pepper but darned if one of her larger bites didn't slide right down her throat. Once it was dislodged, she went back to chatting as per usual and was glad to eat more banana - Mummy was done with yellow pepper for the day.

The choking and the mess combine to make it a less than an ideal choice for grandmothers and aunts. My mom tries to act cool but I can tell it's killing her. Not the concept - I think she actually kind of likes the concept. It's the sticky fingers. And ears, and elbows and really, anything within an 18-inch diameter of the ground zero that is Talia with food in her hands.

I'll look forward to hearing how it goes for you friend! Do send photos!

A.