If you've ever met a baby you know they are all completely different. There are a million and one guide books but in practice there is not one size fits all and the same goes for weaning.
Baby-led weaning has become a buzz word, known the world over. Over time it's meant different things to different people, get it right and it goes well, get it wrong and it can be catastrophic. What on earth do I mean by that?!
Well, choking hazard is a big deal for one thing and the biggest catastrophe can result. Preparing foods incorrectly (which can happen often with the view that you just give the baby whatever you're having, however hard it is) and not keeping a close eye can result in choking.
Missing opportunity to learn to fill their tummy and make connections with their 8th sense - interoception, the sense that helps us understand our body's sensations such as hunger, thirst, hot, cold. So stands to reason if you fill your tummy with food you satisfy that sense and make that brain body connection. With baby-led weaning the skills to eat challenging textures are not matured so food, whilst it's been a valuable exploratory activity, gets discarded resulting in = food doesn't fill me up, milk does.
Learning to chew foods is a major factor. You need the food that needs chewing to learn, functional activities that are food related are always better for learning to chew than having a chewing aide (there's that brain/body connection thing again). But if you can't chew the food and it feels too hard to swallow, you'll spit it out. Not allowing for sequencing the oral stages required for preparing and swallowing food - I watch my baby do this a lot! Softer, easier to chew foods definitely work better here. Par-boiling will be your new pass time.
The result is, and this is quite a frequent occurrence in clinic, 15 months old stuck milk and maybe 1 or 2 food items they've somehow learned to manage.
Is puree the answer?
Yes and no.
Puree has its place for sure. There are so many popular baby food brands that we all know and love for the convenience; they wouldn't be successful if puree didn't help.
Puree also has its place at the very beginning because a newly weaning 6 month old will be able to tolerate that so much more than a broccoli floret.
I also think puree, well mashed foods have their place for longer. My baby still has some mashed food. Why? Because I'm working on that interoception. Food fills her up ✔️ she can manage a nibbles of soft finger foods but certainly not enough to satisfy her completely!
What's the answer then?
Do both.
I stick to the Goldilocks principal in all meals:
That way you can fill their tummy while giving them the tools to practice those all important chewing skills.
I think this is pure baby-led weaning. Listening to and supporting your baby along their weaning journey in exactly they way they need you to!
What's your weaning journey been like so far?
As always... any questions, give me a shout!
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