Started with my son right at 6 months.

What were his first foods?

First foods were avocado, banana, mango and melon.

When did baby start to swallow more food?

Started swallowing within a few weeks. It took time and patience! But around 8/9 months old his intake ramped up, it was unbelievable. All that patience and practised learnt skill paid off.

Any tips or advice for new BLW parents?

New baby led weaning parents – gagging is NOT choking!! Learn the difference and do a baby first aid course. Gagging is very normal, and may look uncomfortable but leave your baby to it and they will work it out themselves. Thankfully he had no setbacks/regressions/allergies.

How old is baby now and how does he eat?

Just turned two and is the best eater ever!! I put it down to baby led weaning.

Additional info:

I should add he’s been completely plant based, except for eggs a few times a week, just like mommy.

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When did your baby start baby led weaning? and when did he swallow more food rather than bits?

My baby started at 6 months old. We started with steamed green veggies, family meals like spaghetti bolognese, roast dinners etc what ever we were eating as a family he ate some as well. We did notice a month in, he started to eat a lot more and swallow a lot more food. Now at 10 months old he is an amazing eater and pretty much eats anything!

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1. When did your baby commence BLW?

Jonah started BLW shortly before turning 7 months. He was very interested in our food but we were waiting for him to be sitting unassisted.

2. What were bub’s first foods?

Avocado, mango, banana, sweet potato… Fairly common baby foods I think. We were pretty conservative and didn’t really dive into the “baby eats what you eat” method. He enjoyed matzo balls and pickles early on though!

3. At what month did your baby ‘really’ start to eat / swallow a lot more foods?

I was amazed that it probably only took a couple weeks for him to actually chew and swallow his food. (Maybe because he started a little older than some.) We rarely had a mess on the floor. Just on his body! He definitely needed time to work out his gag reflex so I am grateful for the education and support from other BLW mamas to get us through it! I would have freaked out if I didn’t know the difference between gagging and choking, when to intervene, and when to leave him to it.

4. If you could give one piece of advice to new mums/dads starting out, what would it be?

Our little ones are so smart. We don’t give them enough credit sometimes. From figuring out their gag reflex to figuring out what part of the food to eat, they really do take the lead on this journey. We are just there to help if they need it!

5. Any setbacks ie allergies, intolerances, eating regression?

Jonah got a stomach bug that lingered for a few weeks while my husband was out of the country. I had to be really careful with what I gave him as he was regaining strength. He was so skinny when dad returned. It was heartbreaking… but he got right back into his food routine. There were some other regressions as he was teething or exploring his autonomy.

He also had a sensitivity to dairy but only where it touched his skin. It didn’t affect his digestion. To be safe, we avoided dairy for a while and slowly re-introduced it at the advice of the pediatrician. He is 20 months now and doesn’t seem to be affected anymore.

6. What age is your baby now and is she/he a good eater now?

Jonah is 20 months old and loves to eat. He can still be particular about what he is eating at times. Sometimes he won’t like something but he will still ask for more even though he isn’t eating it! He is still curious and developing preferences, just like I am still learning foods that I like.

Mummy Krissy x

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We started baby Led weaning a few days before Ollie turned 6 months old. He was showing all the signs of readiness and we were excited to begin.

2. What were bub’s first foods and when did he start to swallow?

His first foods were baked chicken, sweet potato fries, and pears. He knew how to bring food to his mouth and loved to play with it but would gag every time he would get a bite. It was very nerve wrecking the first couple of weeks and I there were multiple times I found myself questioning if BLW was the right choice for him. Then all of a sudden it was like a switch flipped and he began to eat everything without any issues.

4. If you could give one piece of advice to new mums/dads starting out, what would it be?

My best advice for a new parent wanting to do Baby Led Weaning would be that gagging and choking are too very different things and it’s important to know the difference. Gagging helps them keep the food where it needs to be and this is how they learn to chew instead of swallowing food. I would also like to point out that all babies are different and can take to eating in many ways. Some aren’t interested for a while or some may gag a lot, but sticking through those rough moments are definitely worth it.

5. Any setbacks ie allergies, intolerances, eating regression?

We’ve also had a few moments of regression with teething and a cold that caused my guy to not eat much and want to play or throw his food – which is a normal phase for babies to go through.

6. What age is your baby now and is she/he a good eater now?

Now at almost 10 months he eats amazingly and loves all sorts of different foods. I highly recommend BLW to any parent that is interested. It’s one of the best choices we have made for our son!

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I would like to thank you for all your post.I have so many stories to share with my BLW journey with my baby girl she is now on her 7th month mark.

1. When did your baby commence BLW?

We started introducing her food at 6th month.I discussed with my husband and with my relative who’s taking care of my little Zerya. We sat down together and discussed the baby led weaning ideas and its purpose so we can agree together. They were both get scared with the idea and through showing them in TV your videos they agree and more confident to have the Baby Led Weaning.

We bought Ikea high chair,bibs,chopping board,peeler,knife to prepare her solid food introduction.It surprised me when I searched in Instagram your account,I found that we used the same things and that made me more confident.

2. What were bub’s first foods?

Her first solid was broccoli,and she loved it! We were so proud of her and really made us more confident do to the BLW. We bought organic vegetables and fruits for her and some of her first food was from our country my cousin sends me because she also did blw.She sent me all the green vegetables.

Zerya was not picky,she ate what we gave her. As the days passed, I started giving her chicken soup and really she loved it. I boilled the organic chicken with ginger, coconut oil for roasting the ginger and then chicken, add water and put all the vegetable such as sayote and prinkle with Moringga powder.

So far we gave these following steamed vegetables :

• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Red Capsicum
• Okra
• Sayote
• Butternut Squash
• Cauliflower

Others:

• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Cucumber
• Avocado
• Egggyolk
• Chicken (In her Soup)
• Lamb (In her Soup)
• Beef (In her Soup, She ate cabbage and beans)
• Lentil Soup with potato, carrots, sweet potato

And today It’s her first time eating salmon,we grilled with coconut oil and pepper and after cooking we added morringga powder.

5. Any setbacks ie allergies, intolerances, eating regression?

So far she don’t have any allergies with the high allergen foods.

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6. What age is your baby now and is she/he a good eater now?

Elijah is now 10 and a half months and he eats so well! Anything you put infront of him he will quite happily eat, he wastes hardly anything. When we go out for meals I have to order him a kids meal otherwise I wouldn’t have any food off my own plate! He’s now learning to use a preloaded fork and spoon as well!

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Been loving your instagram food ideas, especially as Evan is growing along together with Ava!

1. When did your baby commence BLW?

I started with purees at 6 months, which wasn’t easy at all. With all my effort cooking and freezing tiny portions for Even, and barely getting 2 baby spoons of food in, it just didn’t make sense to me.

2. What were bub’s first foods?

I ended up doing to BLW at 7 months with fruit first. And he absolutely enjoyed it ever since. I know he’s definitely eating more and his pincer grasp is significantly better than his peers. He picks up Cheerios with accuracy, even a grain of rice.

I’ve had a lot of doubts from my friends who question that I give my baby table foods, even chicken pieces or pork ribs (especially when he still doesn’t have any teeth at 12mo), but then act completely surprised and jealous when I’m free to enjoy my food during mealtimes.

3. At what month did your baby ‘really’ start to eat/swallow a lot more foods?

8 months was probably when he really started to eat a very good amount. I love that he will keep eating till he’s done, so I’m never concerned or worried that he doesn’t have enough. (then he throws his food lol) second best part about blw: he patiently sits in his high chair as he eats while I get to enjoy my meal in peace, even at restaurants ?

4. If you could give one piece of advice to new mums/dads starting out, what would it be? 

Advice to starting parents: give your baby more credit about eating – and don’t worry about a lack of teeth. (No teeth at 12mo and totally rocking blw)

5. Any setbacks ie allergies, intolerances, eating regression?

When I went on a trip, i didn’t bring a cooker to prepare steamed veggies for him, so we had packed purees. I definitely regretted that when I saw him enjoying his blw back home again, eating everything licking his fingers. Till now, purees and him aren’t good friends, he eats about 2oz a meal most days. But give him table foods, and I constantly have to keep preparing and cutting up more foods for him cuz the plate keeps running out! And I think it definitely helped with the smash cake, cuz he was so curious with touching exploring and tasting!

6. What age is your baby now and is she/he a good eater now

Bub is now 12mo has NO teeth and is totally rocking blw!

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1. When did your baby commence BLW?

2. What were bub’s first foods?

One night i just handed her a piece of steamed carrot stick to try and my husband and i couldnt believe how fast she figured out what to do. Well…she threw most of it everywhere but she also had some in her mouth. She has since joined us every dinner time and now eats most of what we offer. I have also been experimenting on cooking for her since I want make sure her food doesnt have any preservatives or sugar or salt. Good thing is, my husband and I are also eating healthier now because we want to share the same meal as Bekah. I didnt think baby food would be appealing.haha.

3. If you could give one piece of advice to new mums/dads starting out, what would it be?

I guess for parents who want to give it a try, just dont be disappointed if baby wont dive into the food immediately. I believe every thing babies do is an opportunity for them to learn so if baby decides she likes to wear the spaghetti you prepared, let her. Oh and they do get better. 

4. What age is your baby now and is she/he a good eater now?

Now at 8 months, Bekah can pick up quartered grapes from her tray…sometimes even without looking! Thats some pincher grasp mastery!  I get my ideas from ‘babyledweaningideas’ instagram page. Its very inspiring and Ava’s such a sweetheart.

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What were bub’s first foods?
We started Freddie with just fruit and veg as he wasn’t quite 6 months old. His first food was banana and mango. I slices both into thin strips. He was able to hold them well and bring them to his mouth. He seems to really like the taste of the mango, kicking his legs with excitement but wasn’t a fan of banana.

At what month did your baby start to eat/swallow a lot more foods.
Freddie is now almost 7 months. I would say he is just actually eating a reasonable amount of food I.e there isn’t much/anything left on his tray at the end.

Any advice for parents just starting BLW?
Practise using spoons, sitting in the high chair and drinking from a cup at meal times as soon as possible. Every day from 4 1/2 months Freddie would sit with me for one meal and practise/play with a spoon and cup. This meant that right from the beginning he was able to eat from a loaded spoon himself and at 6 months could use the cup himself. Also, enjoy it! It’s so fun, I love meal times!

Any set backs?
Freddie had a tongue tie cut at 4 months old so I wondered whether he would struggle with eating and he had not long learnt how to use the muscles in his tongue to feed from a bottle. I have found him enjoying blw so much has had a knock on effect in terms of how well he uses his tongue to drink his milk from his bottle!

What age is baby now?
Freddie is nearly 7 months old now. He absolutely loves food and clearly loves meal times.

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1. When did your baby commence BLW?

Evelyn is about to turn 9 months so we’ll be starting our 4th month of BLW. She started at 6 months old and swallowed from day one. Granted it wasn’t a lot at first, But I was still surprised!

2. What were bub’s first foods?

Some of the first things we introduced to her were avocado, banana and sweet potato. There hasn’t been anything along the way that she hasn’t liked! I think her favorite is plain Greek yogurt that we give to her in frozen form.

3. At what month did your baby ‘really’ start to eat/swallow a lot more foods? 

At about 7 and a half months she was really comfortable with eating and started taking a little more than she would handle and would gag more than previously. That lasted about a week and then it calmed back down. At 8 months she started eating a lot more! I remember giving her half of a banana and after a few minutes I thought maybe she dropped it.  But it was gone! She ate the whole thing! She’s such a good eater and loves everything we give her! 

4. If you could give one piece of advice to new mums/dads starting out, what would it be?

Some advice that I have would be to research completely before starting. Know that gagging is normal and know the difference between gagging and choking. Learn infant cpr. Learn when is the appropriate time for your baby to start. I’ve heard some people show interest with blw because they just want to feed the baby off their plate. I don’t think that’s a good enough reason. Baby led weaning has so many benefits besides it being “easy”. It’s natural in the way that they’re chewing before swallowing vs purees when they swallow before they chew. It teaches them to know when they’re hungry and full instead of with purees when you’re trying to feed a whole jar of purees so you don’t waste it. It allows them to experience with so many foods and learn to love them. So my advice is to have a passion for baby led weaning and go into knowing as much as you possibly can! 

5. Any setbacks ie allergies, intolerances, eating regression?

The only issue I ever noticed was with tomato sauce. It didn’t sit well with her stomach and she ended up puking. It didn’t surprise me as I was allergic to tomatoes as a child. So we’re steering clear of those for now. She’s been fine with “allergy foods” such as nut butter and eggs. Since day one we’ve loved baby led weaning. It’s such a fun and natural experience. I love watching her get messy and experiencing new foods. 

6. What age is your baby now and is she/he a good eater now?

Evelyn is about to turn 9 months so we’ll be starting our 4th month of BLW. She started at 6 months old and swallowed from day one. Granted it wasn’t a lot at first, But I was still surprised! At 8 months she started eating a lot more! I remember giving her half of a banana and after a few minutes I thought maybe she dropped it.  But it was gone! She ate the whole thing! She’s such a good eater and loves everything we give her!

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1. When did your baby commence BLW?

We were late to the BLW train! I actually never heard of it til Carlos was 7 months. He was good at eating purees but not the best. I actually found it boring and limiting, and couldn’t imagine my son enjoying it either. So when I heard of BLW through a support group, I researched into it and then, when I noticed how much Carlos adored feeding himself, we began.

2. What were bub’s first foods? His first food was Avocado. He did not enjoy it! Haha.
3. At what month did your baby ‘really’ start to eat/swallow a lot more foods? 

Immediately when we started at 7 months, Carlos began to swallow the food right away. He has always been an excellent eater and more often has finished his plate from the start.

4. Any setbacks ie allergies, intolerances, eating regression? 

The first time he had peaches (6 months) he broke out in eczema all over his face. We stayed clear of them til 9 months. When we started again, no more eczema! So no current allergies or intolerances! Yay! 

5. What age is your baby now and is she/he a good eater now? Carlos is 10 months and is an excellent eater. His absolute favourites are scrambled eggs, and blueberries! 

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Bub started BLW at 6.5 months

2. What were bub’s first foods?

First foods were scrambled eggs and avocado

3. At what month did your baby ‘really’ start to eat/swallow a lot more foods?

My daughter started actually eating and swallowing food by 7.5 months

4. If you could give one piece of advice to new mums/dads starting out, what would it be?

Advice to new BLW parents is to sit back, relax, and watch your little one learn!!

5. Any setbacks ie allergies, intolerances, eating regression?

Zero setbacks.

6. What age is your baby now and is she/he a good eater now?

Daughter is now 11 months. She is an AMAZING eater!!!! She has never once refused ANY food and she has eaten ALL her food given at every meal!!!! Thank you BLW!!!

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1. When did your baby commence BLW?

Our BLW journey started when Max reached for his Dad’s apple at just a week shy of six months old. I excitedly chopped off a wedge for him to munch on but a mild panic and worry Google later it had been taken from him and I had to refresh myself on Gill Rapley’s book that I’d skimmed read the month before. Unfortunately, I was due to return to work a few days later and had to relay all of the information to Max’s nana who was nervous and sceptical about the whole approach and so the majority of the meals were during my time with him.

2. What were bub’s first foods?

We started on steamed vegetables and fresh fruit initially and only ventured into ‘true’ BLW of sharing our own food with Max when he was around seven and a half months old. He now eats pasta, chicken, avocados, polenta and scones amongst lots of other goodies. I’ve only just begun baking Max his own snacks to take with him to his nana’s house during the week which I find really exciting and rewarding, even when it ends up on the floor! At first he joined us just for breakfast or tea but now regularly has three meals a day in addition to his four bottles.

3. At what month did your baby ‘really’ start to eat/swallow a lot more foods?

We started to notice Max swallowing purposefully when he was almost eight months old and this is when we started to include him in every meal we could. He’s now nine months and can eat a whole banana, slice of buttered toast and a yoghurt in less than fifteen minutes! We really enjoy having Max at the table eating with us; he’s become more social, laughing along with stories being told around the table, and it’s so nice being able to eat food while it’s still hot and not have to take turns to feed Max before we’re able to eat.

4. Any setbacks ie allergies, intolerances, eating regression?

Don’t get me wrong, it hasn’t been all smooth sailing. There’s a lot of raised eyebrows, worried expressions, swift fingers in Max’s mouth at the first hint of a gag (not mine and therefore promptly swatted) and even an after-hours trip to the walk-in after an allergic reaction to egg. However, I know that we have researched this way of weaning and have more knowledge and that makes me more confident to proceed. The allergy hasn’t impacted Max and I’ve actually found it quite easy to avoid egg. My partner has a nut allergy so we’re used to checking ingredients and there are plenty of substitutes to use in cooking.

5. If you could give one piece of advice to new mums/dads starting out, what would it be?

My advice to ‘newbies’ would be:

• Attend a First Aid class and drag along anyone else who will be looking after baby (you’ll just be sat at work wondering if they’re going to be able to cope). Similarly, read and get them to read Gill Rapley’s book on baby led weaning.
• It’s also been amazing that when eating at my partner’s parents’ house he has taken the lead with feeding Max and fending off any comments or suggestions.
• Try new, adventurous foods when in the comfort of your own home to make you more relaxed.
• Join a social network for support, recipe ideas and reassurance whenever it’s needed. Baby Led Weaning Ideas has been great for us and I’m sure Max is appreciative of the tasty treats!
• And finally, just keep going. For almost three months everything Max ate ended up on the floor or in his air but now he finishes whatever he’s eating and if we’re not quick enough he’ll start on ours!

6. What age is your baby now and is she/he a good eater now?

Baby led weaning has been a lot of fun and really rewarding to do with Max and as a natural worrier I thought I’d struggle. Watching Max lead the way though has made me really proud and in awe at his abilities and I’m so glad we did it this way…even if I still sit on the edge of my seat to watch him eat sometimes.

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I have a horrifically fussy, traditionally weaned four year old and when I had Sonny, I knew I didn’t want to have another child growing up on nothing but cheese sandwiches and beige food!

1. When did your baby commence BLW? 

We started BLW at exactly six months.

2. What were bub’s first foods?  

His first foods were all the usual veg softened down a bit, along with giant pasta shells mixed with pesto, pin wheels made with pesto and cheese, and blueberries and strawberries.

3. At what month did your baby ‘really’ start to eat/swallow a lot more foods? 

We didn’t really notice Sonny properly take in food until just before 8 months. We noticed a huge change in the contents of his nappies too!

4. If you could give one piece of advice to new mums/dads starting out, what would it be? 

Advice I’d give anyone starting out is have patience; don’t expect your baby to just wake up at six months, pick up food and start eating. It takes time. Also, embrace the mess. There is a lot!

5. Any setbacks ie allergies, intolerances, eating regression? 

We haven’t had any set backs at all. We’ve been lucky. The only issue we get is getting the grandparents on board and trying to get them not to panic when he gags on anything.

6. What age is your baby now and is she/he a good eater now? 

Sonny has just turned nine months and eats pretty much anything put in front of him. He’s jumped from the 25th centile to the 75th! The only thing that he doesn’t seem too keen on is egg but I’ll keep trying!

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2. What were bub’s first foods?
First food was avocado. Then we tried sweet potato, then toast.

3. At what month did your baby ‘really’ start to eat/swallow a lot more foods?
He really started to swallow a lot more around 8.5 months.

4. If you could give one piece of advice to new mums/dads starting out, what would it be?
I would say relax and have fun with it. Remember not to worry if baby isn’t swallowing much or just doesn’t seem into it some days, they will get there! Also, take it at a pace that makes you comfortable. I only felt comfortable giving very soft foods at first, but as my confidence grew so did baby’s!

5. Any setbacks ie allergies, intolerances, eating regression?
We’ve had a few small regressions when he’s not feeling well, but that’s it! We also have been dealing with throwing food on the floor, which we just ignore and say “all done” after 1-2 chances.

6. What age is your baby now and is she/he a good eater now?
He’s 11 months. He’s a good eater for sure! He is just coming out of a regression due to a cold, but his eating is getting better every day. I’m amazed at what he can eat with only 7 teeth! I’m having such a great time making us a meal and feeding him what’s on my plate, it makes things so easy!

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