Grandma’s Guide to Baby Led Weaning

Last Updated on March 6, 2020 by lydiaf1963

When my grandson turned 6 months old my daughter began to introduce solid foods into his routine. But it wasn’t the rice cereal and fruit purees I fed to her and her brother. Instead she gave him chunks of avocado and steamed carrots. And rather than spooning yogurt into his mouth she dipped a funny looking spoon into the container and handed it to him so he could learn how to manipulate the spoon into his mouth. The concept is called Baby Led Weaning and I wish I had known about it when my kids were babies.

At first most of the food ended up on him instead of in his belly, or gummed into submission. Eventually he started to swallow some of the food he was exploring with his mouth. There’s no worries about nutrition as my daughter continues to nurse him. At 10 months he’s learned how to handle just about any food…and does pretty well with only four teeth!

While learning to manipulate the food with his hands and his mouth P is also stimulating his brain and nervous system by exploring new tastes, colors and textures. Best of all, there’s little special preparation required other than to be mindful of seasonings and to make sure the food is presented in a form he can handle. He eats pretty much what his parents eat.

That being said, my daughter likes to present P with a variety of foods during the day. That’s where this FreshyBag comes in handy. She’s fortunate to work with her in laws so bringing P to the office isn’t any trouble. The bag is big enough she can pack plenty of food for the two of them. She likes the sturdiness of the bag and that it’s easy to wipe out at the end of the day. It can even be machine washed. The bottom compartment is large enough to hold a bottle of water and P’s cup and spoon. The zippers are sturdy but if something happens the bag has a lifetime warranty.

What an advantage baby led weaning has given my daughter. If, for some reason they’re out and about and she doesn’t have P’s prepared food with her, it’s simple enough to prepare something for him from her own plate. At 10 months old he has experienced a much wider variety of foods than his mother did at the same age plus he can handle a variety of shapes and textures without choking. I’ll admit that was my biggest concern when my daughter was explaining it to me.

Thanks to FreshyBag for providing their product for review. Visit their website and sign up for their Insider Tips for Healthy Living Newsletter. They’re also on Facebook.

As Grandma, I don’t have to understand the ins and outs of Baby Led Weaning to see it’s a great concept. (And I’m pretty sure my grandma would have informed me that’s how she fed her six children.) If you’re interested in learning more check out these links:

Baby Led Weaning (website and companion book)

Article in The Guardian (interesting comments, too…it wouldn’t be the internet if without arguments)

This video which shows the wide variety of foods which can be eaten (there are many, many more available to view)