1. “Babies are more likely to choke when fed with the Baby Led Weaning approach”
2. “If I’m not eating it, I shouldn’t give it to my baby”
In an ideal world, you would sit down to every meal with your baby at the dinner table and have a lovely, leisurely time enjoying the food. But, let’s be real for a second. Being a parent is hard work. The time when baby is occupied with food might just be the only “free” minute you’ve had all day. Maybe you want to wash dishes while baby sits in the high chair next to you. Maybe you’re not hungry. Or maybe your diet just isn’t as healthy as you want your baby’s to be?
Some parents believe that in order to be successful with Baby Led Weaning, you have to model the eating behavior for them each and every time. I see the value in that. I agree that spending quality time at the dinner table is beneficial for developing proper eating habits throughout life. However, most adults aren’t eating an ideal diet suited for an infant. (One full of fruits and vegetables, low in sodium and sugar, and easily presented in french-fry shaped pieces).
Let’s clear up some baby led weaning myths right now:
It’s okay for you to offer baby avocado even if you don’t like it yourself.
It’s okay to feed them while you are completing another task next to them. (NEVER leave baby unattended while eating. Always be sure to pay attention to them throughout their meal!)
It is not dangerous or detrimental to their development to offer them foods you are not eating yourself.
If you do want to eat as a family, I can help you! I have put together a whole month’s worth of original recipes and shopping lists to feed your baby led weaning baby AND the rest of the family. Cook once, feed everyone!
3. “There is no place for puréed foods in Baby Led Weaning”
4. “If you spoon feed your baby but want to try Baby Led Weaning, you have to do a 2 week long ‘reset’ before offering them solid food”
I’m not sure where this idea came from, but it is not necessary to do any kind of “reset” before offering baby real food. I understand the theory – baby is probably used to eating purees because it is the only food they have been offered. Therefore, they may try to swallow solid food the same way – but I disagree.
No matter what first foods you offer your baby, they have lived their life knowing how to do one thing to take in nutrients – suckle. Offering them purees doesn’t really change this habit very much. They are still swallowing a liquid-type substance and are not required to chew. Therefore, taking a 2 week break from pureed food and offering only milk isn’t really doing much to change their approach to solid food.
I have done this transition myself without a break. With my first child, I started with pureed foods because of all of the resistance I encountered when I mentioned the BLW method. As a first time mom I was nervous and easily influenced by those who had “been there done that”. But, I quickly changed my mind and decided she could handle “real” food.
There was no break, no “reset”, I simply stopped offering purees and started offering other things. The transition was seamless and she never choked.
Long story short? If you want to try BLW, go for it! As long as your baby shows the signs of readiness for solids and you have chatted with your pediatrician, you are good to go.
5. “You can offer your baby anything you want, except for honey!”
This baby led weaning myth is partially correct, but potentially dangerous as worded. Honey is absolutely off limits for children under 1 year of age. Honey can contain botulinum toxin which can cause botulism in infants. This can be extremely serious and even fatal. That being said, honey is NOT the only food that is off-limits for young infants!
- Cow’s milk should never be offered to children under 1 year of age. However, yogurt and cheese made from cow’s milk are acceptable since the proteins in these food have been partially broken down.
- Small, hard foods like whole nuts, popcorn and peanut butter (on its own) can all be serious choking hazards and should not be offered to infants.
You should also limit the following:
- Bread (limit to one slice a day since it tends to be high in salt/sugar and may cause constipation)
- Fish high in mercury content such as tuna, mackerel, or swordfish (limit to two servings per week to be safe)
- Processed foods like potato chips, canned soups/sauces, condiments and fried foods tend to be loaded with salt & sugar and offer little to no nutritional value.
Proceed with caution:
- If there is history of food allergy in your family you may want to introduce foods one at a time to be sure there is no adverse reaction. Talk with your doctor before starting solids if you are concerned.
- The following foods can be a choking hazard and should be sliced up before offering to baby: whole grapes, bony fish, fruits with pits (cherries, olives, etc.)
I hope this was helpful for you and that it eases your mind a bit while starting your Baby Led Weaning journey. The Facebook groups can be helpful, but be careful not to take everything people say as fact. A lot of people are misinformed or looking to put other moms down.
Do your own research, and make your own decisions for your family. Don’t fall for these baby led weaning myths! It’s important to trust your instincts as a parent and try to have some fun!