A Unique Child: Baby-led weaning - All by myself

Nurseries are swapping hand blenders for long-sleeved bibs and ground sheets as parents request that babies feed themselves instead of being weaned on pureed foods.

Baby-led weaning (BLW) is the method of gradually moving a child from a milk diet to eating solid food without having a puree stage. It allows a baby to control their solid food intake from the start of the weaning process by feeding themselves rather than being spoon-fed.

BLW aims to be a more natural way of weaning a child because they can follow their instincts, mimic others, learn about food through exploration and set the pace of a meal, instead of having it dictated by the person feeding them. By missing out the pureed food stage, BLW babies can learn to recognise individual foods, discover separate tastes, rather than have them blended together, and explore a variety of textures.

Former health visitor and BLW author Gill Rapley says, 'My view is that with spoon-feeding mush, what is happening is not very much fun for the child. When a child is experiencing a range of foods by touching, tasting, squishing and smelling them, then that is so much more fun. And the taste has to be better when the flavours are not all mixed together. A child is much more likely to refuse spoon-fed mush because they see it as a chore.

'Nurseries in particular can benefit from BLW and may possibly be surprised by how easy it is, because one member of staff can safely supervise several babies at once rather than one-on-one spoon feeding.'

Nurseries interested in introducing BLW should think about what food they will offer. The food should be the right size for a six-month-old to pick up - chip-sized is good because it can be held in a fist. Vegetables should be cut into sticks, not rounds. A classic BLW food is broccoli, because it has a 'handle' to hold, says Ms Rapley.

Vegetables should be lightly cooked so they have some 'bite' to them but are not soggy or raw, and meat should be introduced early for the iron. Solid food should be regarded as an 'extra' and milk feeds should not be reduced until the child is around a year old.

'BLW does take longer, but the whole point of it is not to get food into the children but to enjoy eating and learn about food. BLW babies can recognise foods that most other children do not get the opportunity to find out what they look and taste like until later. It is more engaging for the child,' says Ms Rapley.

'Nurseries should prepare for the mess, but they only need a clean plastic sheet. Just think of it as another messy play session. Babies soon pick up the skill to feed themselves, and the messy stage does not last long.'

BITE SIZED PIECES

Nursery owner Kimberly Munro has experienced BLW with one child and wishes that more parents would take it up because she found it so 'amazing'. Her staff, at Blue Grass Purple Cow Nursery in Stockport, Cheshire, were enthusiastic to try something new. They researched the subject and then followed the mother's lead on which foods she was giving her son. The nursery did not have to change the set menu, but just adapted what was offered.

'We already do fresh vegetables and meat for purees and start by introducing babies to different flavours. The children are all at different stages of weaning, so adding another was no bother to us. In this child's case it simplified mealtimes because we did not puree his food - we simply put it in front of him in bitesize pieces and he put it into his mouth as and when he was ready,' explains Ms Munro.

'He started BLW at six months and now at 20 months has no issues associated with eating. He was really engaged with the process of eating and never seemed to be distracted at the dinner table. He is now in the older age group and eats very well with a good, varied diet. It really was a success and I think it would be a positive thing if more children were allowed to do it.'

Although a few parents have asked for BLW at Nelly's Nursery in south London, owner Sarah Hill finds that very few want to do it exclusively. 'More who have asked want their babies to be offered steamed sticks of vegetables and pieces of meat, but if they don't eat it, they would then like us to offer the child puree,' she says.

Public health nutritionist Annie Seeley recommends a mix of offering pureed and hand-held food. 'With BLW the focus is on learning to chew and hand and mouth co-ordination, and it is excellent in that respect. But pureed food is easier for children to eat and carers can be reassured from a nutritional perspective that they are getting enough calories and a variety of nutrients and not relying on milk,' she says. 'Combining this with hand-held foods, such as broccoli, pasta shapes or pieces of chicken, during mealtimes then gives a good balance and allows the child to also feed themselves. This gives them independence and helps them to get used to different food textures and therefore may help prevent food refusal when they are older.'

SEE IT IN ACTION

Nelly's has found BLW very easy to incorporate into mealtimes, but Ms Hill notes that it does lead to more waste. 'Babies often drop more than they eat and so we have to prepare lots more finger foods than we would in the equivalent pureed form,' she says. If the demand for BLW increases, they would have to look at the associated costs.

Practitioners discussing BLW on the Nursery World forums also expressed concern over children choking. But Gill Rapley assures there is no more choking risk than with any other method of introducing solids. 'It is quite unlikely that a child will get into trouble as long as they are sitting upright and are in control of the feeding. The two simple rules are being upright and in control,' she stresses.

She thinks it is important for practitioners to see BLW in action and advises nurseries to ask parents if there is an older child they can watch. 'If they see a child feed themselves, then a lot of the worries go out of the window,' she says. 'You need to see it to believe it.'

CASE STUDY: A parent's experience

'My daughter started at her nursery when she was nearly eight months old for two afternoons each week. It's part of a big chain of nurseries and I was initially concerned that they wouldn't be supportive of baby-led weaning.

'My mind was put to rest at the first settling-in session when our keyperson took my daughter's details. She asked whether we'd introduced lumps, to which I explained that we have never given her purees and she eats 'normal' food like us. I explained that she didn't eat just finger foods, like bread sticks, but all meals. The nursery nurse showed me the menu for that week and how it's divided into three sections - puree, mash and toddler food - and said, 'So basically, you want her to have toddler food?' That's pretty much it.

'I explained how they should leave my daughter to feed herself rather than hand food to her - just put it on the table in front of her and she'll have what she wants, or not, as the case may be. We agreed to look at the week's menus in advance to check that my daughter could handle the planned food. If it's something tricky, which is rare, then the chef makes sandwiches for her. I also try any new foods at home with her first to make sure she can manage them.

'Choking has never been an issue. I'm happy that the staff are all first aid-trained, but a four-year-old is just as likely to choke on their food as my child.

'So at teatime, all the babies sit around the table, with my daughter at the top. She tucks in to her food while the others are spoonfed, helped, handed food and coaxed to eat. I think the staff must like it that they don't have to do much to feed her.'

FURTHER READING

• Baby-led weaning: helping your baby to love good food by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett (Vermilion)

• 'A parent's guide to weaning' by Penny Tassoni, Nursery World, 14 October 2010.