Weaning & Nutrition

Baby led weaning is an approach to weaning that's popular with parents. Rather than spoon-feeding your baby and helping them with it, baby led weaning is a more relaxed approach where you offer different finger foods to your little one and teach them to feed themselves from the word go.

If you're thinking of going down this route, you will skip the step of pureed or mashed food and go straight to soft but solid finger foods. Check out these handy baby led weaning ideas. For more on weaning methods head to ourguide to month six with your baby.

Traditional or spoon-fed weaning has been the standard for years, and chances are it's how we were all weaned as babies. At around six months, babies are gradually introduced to pureed foods, then to mashed foods, then to finely chopped foods, and finally, finger foods. For all this time, you're feeding the baby with a spoon or the tip of your finger.

Baby led weaning skips all of these steps and goes straight to the finger food without you there to help feed them! This lets them experiment with foods on their own and get used to the different types and textures of food.

So, you know what baby led weaning is, but you're still weighing up your options. We get it; you only wean your baby once, and it's a big decision to pick the best way for you and your baby. If you want to hear some of the benefits of baby led weaning to help guide your decision, we've got you covered.

The benefits of baby led weaning include:

1. Promoting independence- When you give a six-month-old baby a choice to pick up their food, decide how to eat, what to eat, and how much to eat, they're exploring the different foods on their own terms and gaining independence as they go.
2. Getting them used to different textures- Feeding your little one a range of different baby led weaning foods can get them used to all of the different textures out there and get used to how certain foods feel.
3. Avoid picky eaters- It's not set in stone, but there are plenty of parents out there who think that letting babies pick their own foods leads to them having wider food tastes as they get older and skip the dreaded fussy eater phase. Trust us, that's a parenting phase you'll want to avoid at all costs!

For a full guide to weaning, see our guide to month six with your baby. Transitioning from solely breastfeeding or bottle feeding to solid foods is a huge deal as a parent. You might be left wondering, when is the right time to start weaning? In the same way as most stages of parenting, every baby is unique, and the time they’re ready to begin weaning might differ.

Most experts agree that you should wait until your little one is around six months old before weaning. If you think your baby is ready to start weaning before then, make sure to speak to your health visitor. Check our guide on when to start weaning your baby.

There are a few signs to look out for to show that your little one is ready to start weaning-that's the most important thing regardless of whether you think they're the right age to start weaning. If you're looking for the signs that your baby is ready for weaning, we've got you covered.

1. Sitting up unaided-The first important thing to look out for is that your little one can sit up straight on their own without having to be held up.
2. Holding their head up-To make sure they can move their hands up towards their mouth and face to eat, you'll want your little one to be comfortable holding their head up and moving it from side to side on their own.
3. Curious about what everyone else is eating-Has your little one recently started eyeing up your dinner? You might think it's just them wanting what you have, but it could well be a sign that they're getting ready to eat solid foods.

If you've seen one of these signs, or even a couple in your little one, is it enough to show they're ready for weaning? This article has a handy list of signs you’re ready to start weaning.

So, your little one is about to be six months, and you're ready to get started with weaning. Big steps, but does that mean you can't breastfeed anymore? Absolutely not! Your baby has needed you every time they've been hungry for a whole six months, and it's definitely not coming to a complete stop.

Weaning is a slow process, and it's best to keep breastfeeding until your baby is at least 12 months, if possible. Take a read of our guide on when to stop breastfeeding for more information.

If this guide hasn't answered your question, or you're looking for more information on weaning and how it works for you, check out our guide to your baby's overall development from 6 to 18 months.