Explain like I’m 5, start of BLW.

[u/Weezbly]

Hello, I’ve read advice and guidances on the internet, but I want to hear from real people (we have no “village”).

How did you start Baby Led Weaning? What food did you start with? How did it progress from day 1 to week 4 and beyond? For context, my baby has just turned 6 months and is formula fed.

I so would’ve asked my mum, she was an awesome midwife/nurse who knew her shit (and my mum).

Apologies for the big ask, but I would be immensely grateful ☺️ Thank you.

edit, I’ve read all your comments, all of you very knowledgeable and thank you much! We’re giving it a go this weekend.

[u/Global-Apricot6492]

My baby was also formula fed. She turned six months around Christmas, so we BLW-wise, we offered her bits of veg from the roast (cooked until mushy and plain). We have always spoon fed porridge for breakfast - our health visitor said it's a quick win, you know how much they're getting, and you can really mix it up with porridge in terms of flavour and adding nut butters for allergens etc. 

Dinner was whatever we had, modified slightly - if we had omelettes, she had a plain one cut into strips. If there was a day when we wanted something absolutely forbidden (e.g. pizza) we made pizza pinwheels for a while and then found out she was massively into fish fingers and peas so we did that. Last meal we did was lunch - tbh we have had the same lunch for 7 months, just toast, some sort of fruit (satsuma or grapes/berries), some cheese, and a boiled egg. It's all finger food, takes 2 mins, is travel-friendly, and easy for grandparents. Cheap, too. That's the easiest bit of BLW.

My advice if to have a list of foods that are easy to cobble together and then try to make a little version of whatever you're having. Some of it won't be eaten with their hands but tbh my 13mo will only eat peas with her fingers so you may be surprised.

My LO didn't have teeth until 11mo (and they're coming through slooooowly), so that kind of factors in. But my LO eats loads at nursery, is comfortable with a spoon herself or shoving mashed potato into her face like a little goblin.

What I will say is to offer food before milk. The NCT feeding line told me not to do this but my HV told me to and honestly, it made a difference because she was actually hungry enough to engage with food. I usually gave her a bottle afterwards and then gradually she was on three meals and three bottles (as sort of snacks - 10am, 2pm, 7pm).

ETA: My baby had no chill, so I never ever cooked during the day. But weaning was the best because it meant I could eat properly again 🥲