What is baby-led weaning? Essential knowledge to begin your baby’s weaning journey!

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Starting solids is an extremely important milestone for any child. It not only helps the baby supplement essential nutrients but also helps them form eating habits and skills for the future. Currently, there are many popular weaning methods such as traditional weaning, Japanese-style weaning, and Baby-Led Weaning (BLW). Mothers can apply any method they choose, however, it is essential to equip themselves with basic knowledge about weaning to accompany their child during this stage.

What is weaning?

Weaning is the major transition from a diet entirely of breast milk or formula (liquid diet) to a diet of purees, then gradually to lumpy foods, and finally to solid pieces.

When should you start weaning? Typically, babies can start weaning from 6 months to 1 year old. When a baby is 4 to 6 months old, they enter a developmental stage where breast milk alone cannot fully meet their nutritional needs. Therefore, at this time, the baby needs to supplement with other foods such as baby cereal, porridge, vegetables, and fruits (weaning means adding to the baby’s diet alongside breast milk).

Things to note when weaning your baby

Do not wean your baby before 4 months of age

By 4 months of age, the baby’s digestive system has gradually matured, and the stomach can secrete the enzyme amylase, which has the function of digesting starch. However, according to experts, babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months, and the most appropriate time to start weaning is at 6 months of age.

Wean your baby in stages

Stage 1 (4-6 months old):

This is the stage where the baby starts to get acquainted with weaning. The goal is for the baby to swallow food to the throat using their tongue. So, how should you start weaning? Mothers should cook liquid foods that are easy to swallow and do not require chewing, such as mashed porridge, strained porridge, pureed and cooked vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots… At this time, the baby’s stomach is still immature, so you should not give them protein from meat or fish yet, but start with soft tofu to ensure safety.

In the following weeks, you can add soft, easily digestible vegetables such as amaranth. In this stage, the baby is just getting used to weaning; absolutely do not force the baby if they are not cooperating!

Stage 2 (6-8 months old):

At this time, the baby’s tongue starts to become more flexible, and the tongue, jaw, and gums begin to learn how to mash food. Mothers can give the baby mashed foods such as tofu, minced meat, shrimp, and foods the baby can hold by themselves, such as fruits, vegetables, bread, pasta, etc.

Stage 3 (9-11 months old):

The tongue is now more flexible, and the baby can mash food with their gums. The texture of the food at this time is like a banana. Mothers can give the baby unstrained porridge and eggs. At this time, the baby also has the behavior of reaching for food, and their grip is also more proficient.

Stage 4 (12-18 months old):

At this stage, the baby may have weaned off breast milk, so meals can be divided into 3 main meals with accompanying snacks. Mothers should give the baby solid foods along with the family, accompanied by snacks and drinks like milk, yogurt, etc.

Provide a complete range of nutrients

When weaning, mothers need to pay attention to supplementing all nutrient groups for the baby:

– Protein: animal sources such as meat, fish, eggs, milk, shrimp, eel…; plant sources such as soybeans, soy products, and other legumes.

– Fat: oil, fat, butter, nuts.

– Carbohydrates: rice, flour, bread, noodles, pasta, potatoes, corn.

– Vitamins and minerals: various vegetables and fruits

Do not add salt or seasonings to your baby’s food

Mothers who think that adding a little fish sauce or salt to weaning foods will make the dish tastier and stimulate the baby’s taste buds are making a big mistake. Leading experts on children’s health always advise mothers not to give their babies salt or fish sauce because their kidney function is still weak. Adding salt to your baby’s food will make their kidneys work too hard.

Monitor post-meal reactions and “output”

When starting a new food, mothers need to observe the baby’s attitude as well as observe their “output” that day to see if they are allergic to any food group.

=>> See more: Baby Starting Solids: Should You Give Baby Porridge or Cereal?

Be patient! Slow and steady wins the race!

When you start weaning your baby, they may be uncooperative or playful, but parents should not be too worried or stressed. It’s important to understand that weaning is about teaching your baby eating skills (holding, grasping, swallowing) and recognizing the taste of food. When feeding your baby, you can observe their attitude to see if they like or dislike certain foods.

Also, you should not force your baby to eat. They may refuse food because they are not yet familiar with its taste. Therefore, parents need to be patient and try again several times. Forcing the baby will create a fear of food, making weaning even more difficult!

Popular weaning methods today

Currently, there are 3 popular weaning methods that Vietnamese mothers often choose and apply to their babies: the Japanese weaning method, the BLW (Baby-Led Weaning) method, and the traditional weaning method.

Traditional weaning method

The traditional weaning method is no stranger to Vietnamese mothers. To make weaning food, mothers will grind food such as meat, vegetables, and fish together. This method is suitable for babies 6 months and older. When the child has teeth, they will eat porridge with pureed food.

Advantages:

• If you apply the traditional weaning method, the baby can eat a large quantity from the beginning, so they can gain weight easily.
• Pureed food is safe for the digestive system.
• Because it is a traditional method, it is easy to receive family support.

Disadvantages:

• Eating a lot of pureed food can affect the baby’s ability to eat solid foods later on.
• Because many foods are pureed together, it is difficult to detect which food the baby is allergic to if an allergy occurs.
• Many pureed foods can make it difficult for the baby to distinguish between different ingredients.

Baby-Led Weaning

This method is widely used in Western countries. With Baby-Led Weaning, or BLW, mothers do not puree the food and do not spoon-feed the baby. Instead, they let the baby self-feed. The mother will only sit and guide the baby to put the food in their mouth; the rest is up to the baby.

Advantages:

• The baby can develop chewing and food control skills.
• The baby is actively “in charge” of their food intake, giving them the freedom to explore the flavors they like.
• The baby can easily participate with everyone in the family during mealtimes.

Disadvantages:

• Because the baby self-feeds, the amount of food intake cannot be controlled, and weight loss or stagnation can easily occur.
• Because the baby starts with solid foods right away, the risk of choking is high.
• Mothers spend a lot of time cleaning up the “battlefield” after the baby finishes eating.

Japanese weaning method

Japanese weaning involves making thin porridge by straining it through a sieve to a ratio of 1:10, rather than stirring it into a paste. Vegetables and meat are also prepared separately with appropriate textures.

Advantages:

• The baby gets acquainted with different types of food, helping their ability to recognize food flavors develop.
• Eating according to this method is good for the baby’s kidneys.
• The baby is not forced, creating a comfortable feeling when eating, while also developing the habit of sitting and eating quickly and attentively.

Disadvantages:

• Mothers will spend a lot of time teaching their baby to sit and hold a spoon.
• Preparing different types of food separately is also very time-consuming.

Above is the most detailed information to help mothers learn about what weaning is, when to start weaning, and the most popular weaning methods today that mothers can refer to. Hopefully, this will be helpful for mothers during their baby’s weaning process.

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