Baby-Led Weaning: Guidance From A Doctor

Highlights

Baby-Led Weaning method has been popularized and long been used around the world. It allows self-feeding babies to use their natural abilities to explore taste, texture, color and smell.

When Dr. Rohini Rau’s daughter completed six months, she had already decided she was going to let her baby lead the way.

Rohini did her own research and looked out for ways to include Indian food as well as other world food into her diet.

She shares her experience on Baby-led weaning along with 100 days of meal plans she followed for her little one.

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Starting solids for an infant who has always known breast milk or formula fees is an overwhelming and emotional journey for parents, especially mothers. It is a very important milestone for the child, for now this six month old infant, who has been dependent on one type of food since its birth is now going to be exposed to what the world has to offer in terms of foods and taste and this can be the time when the child will also develop food choices and preferences which may last a lifetime.

But this journey is not an easy one for the caregiver because this means hours of experimentation, trial, and errors to find out not just what the child prefers but to also check for any food allergies or intolerance they may have towards certain foods. But we know that parenting doesn’t come with a guide because each child is unique and every parent is different so you may have to navigate your own way through the process. However many parents have been kind enough to have documented their baby weaning journeys and these become the testament for new mothers.

Weaning is the process of gradually introducing an infant to its adult diet while withdrawing the supply of its mother’s milk. Once the child can hold its neck, begins to sit upright with support, and shows readiness for other foods, you should know that they are ready to be weaned.

While most parents opt for formula food, or homemade purees and foods, and choose to feed their child, learning from experience what works and what doesn’t, here is another method to wean the baby. Baby Led Weaning is a process where you let your child take charge. It means skipping spoon-feeding purees and letting babies feed themselves finger foods right from the start at about age 6 months.

What is Baby-Led Weaning?

Baby-Led Weaning, a book written by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett, this method has been popularized and long been used around the world. Says an excerpt – “Though many believe that babies should be weaned by being spoon-fed purées, self-feeding allows babies to use their natural abilities to explore taste, texture, color and smell. It also encourages independence and confidence by allowing them to experiment with foods at their own pace”.

When Dr. Rohini Rau’s daughter completed six months, she had already decided she was going to let her baby lead the way. Rohini did her own research and looked out for ways to include Indian food as well as other world food into her diet. She shares her experience on Baby-led weaning along with 100 days of meal plans she followed for her little one.

Baby-led weaner — Dr. Rohini Rau is an Internal medicine specialist and mother to a nine-month-old baby girl. She is also an international sailor and has represented the country at the Olympics. Last year her team had secured 4th place in an international sailing competition after a sabbatical of 7 years. She is also a TED Fellow & TEDX speaker.

“I started BLW from day 1 after my baby turned 6 months old”, says Rohini. “It’s been an amazing journey watching her go from pears to pineapples to dosas, pancakes, pasta and millet khichdi. She started feeding herself with a preloaded spoon. Yes, it was messy! But it was so lovely to see how her eyes lit up with excitement to try new food”.

“If anyone is on the fence about starting Baby-Led Weaning, I would highly recommend it”, suggests Rohini. “It has definitely been one of the most rewarding experiences so far. This is a milestone I am definitely proud of, as my entire family has supported me even though they initially had their doubts. They have listened to me when I’ve told them not to entertain her at the table, not to get alarmed when she gagged, not to worry if she didn’t eat something and not to get angry if she made a huge mess. Also planning the meals every day! It is not easy! But I know it will pay”.

Watching her explore different kinds of food for the last 3 months was an amazing experience for her as a mother. BLW teaches to take cues from the baby, stay calm when she gags or throws food, watch her use a spoon and drink water from a cup. By 7 months, her baby was already eating Capsicum, raw tomato, Brinjal (Aubergine), Ladies finger (Okra), Millets. Rohini gradually added different spices like turmeric, coriander powder, cumin, asafetida, mustard, and fennel.

“It’s amazing how good the food tastes with just natural sugars (fruits) and no salt. We can definitely learn a few things from our babies. I don’t force her to try new things, or force her to eat more. She loves her independence of eating so much that she doesn’t like me trying to feed her!”

Here are some tips she shares on BLW

1. Make sure you have a gap of 30-40 minutes between feeding milk and solids. That way your baby is not too hungry while trying solids and is more likely to be happy and willing to try more challenging foods.

2. Invest in a spoon and start with preloaded spoons right from day 1 – you will be surprised at how fast they understand that they have to hold the spoon to scoop food into their mouth.

3. Offer them water/ milk in an open cup – EZPZ or a shot glass. My little one loves taking sips from my glass as she can see through. But with a little help she is able to hold the glass with her hands and bring it to her mouth.

4. Some days they definitely eat better than others – so don’t worry if there isn’t much going in on certain days. They make up for it on other days.

5. Make cleaning up fun! Use a bib; I take her to the sink to wash her face, hands – sometimes her entire body. Try not to clean in between and wait for them to finish their meal. You could bring a container of water just to wash the hands and face to prevent dropping food on the way to the bathroom.

6. Be adventurous! And trust that your baby knows how to eat it. Even if they bite off something too big – they will gag and be able to spit it out. If you think they need help – try making them look down so gravity can do the trick. DO NOT put your finger in their mouth and do a blind sweep as you might end up pushing the food even further.

7. Bigger is better – In the first few months – they find it easier to hold onto food that’s bigger ( e.g. half a tomato, finger size width/ length, pancakes or dosas as big as your palm, whole strawberries, quartered grapes (length wise), watermelon – large thin rectangular pieces ) just to mention a few.

8. Try spices – everything apart from salt and chilli. You will be surprised at just how good it tastes and your baby loves tasty food too.

9. Using a high chair helps – especially with a footrest. Try and restrict high chair use only for food and not to put them in for play or other reasons.

10. Try not to let people around you talk to the baby while they are eating. It is easy to distract them, and they might get used to looking at your reaction especially if you give them encouragement on eating.

Dr. Rohini Rau’s meal combinations through her 100 day BLW journey

When I was raising my kids, I had no idea about BLW. But today, through blogs and social media, mothers are willing to share their experience with other new moms and this is a beautiful bond we women can share with each other especially at the part of motherhood where most of us feel lost and alone. Rohini took help from other moms @solidstarts @weaning_tales_by_mommas for guidance, support and recipes on her BLW journey and now shares her experience with others. More power to her!

You may contact Dr. Rohini Rau for guidance and consultation at rohinirau@gmail.com

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It’s a difficult world out there. You were my little girl and now you are ready to take on the world. You will have your own new experiences. You will make mistakes. You will stumble, fall and learn to get up. You will make new friends; some of whom I may not even approve of. You will fall in love and might have a heart break or two. You will learn and discover many things on your own, but there are a few things that I always want you to remember –

You are beautiful

There is no such thing as a perfect body. The society, the billboards, the tv commercials and the movies may suggest that there is, but in reality, people come in every shape and size. It is okay that you want to look your best. But always remember that a good heart is what makes you more beautiful and a smile is the best makeup you can wear.

Understand your hormones

Getting a period is an important part of womanhood, it means you can be a mother if and when you decide to be one. You may see your friends being unperturbed during that time of the month, while you may wriggle in pain, or may be irritable.It is fine to feel how you are and its okay to talk about it. Each woman has a different menstrual experience. Try to understand your cycle and how your body responds to it. Don’t let your hormones takes over your life, just be prepared for it.

Stand up for yourself

You will meet people who will try to judge or change the way you think, the way you talk, the way you carry yourself, the way you act. It is okay to listen to them, if you wish to. But do not be afraid to voice your opinions and your beliefs, even if you think you might offend someone. Be respectful to them, but do not think twice about standing up for yourself. You do not have to accept the things that you are not okay with. If you are not happy with the way someone is treating you, the way someone is talking to you, the way someone is touching or looking at you, let it be known – loud and clear.

Do what you do – because you want to, not because the society expects you to

More often than not we let the society mould our thoughts and actions – what clothes to wear when, what profession to choose, when to marry and when to have babies. We do not need to live by these rules. Do what you love. Follow your heart and that ways you will never be disappointed. And yes, you can choose to be single all your life. You can decide to focus on your career, or be a doting mother to your babies or do both. The choice is yours. But of course, be sensitive to people whom you are sharing your journey with.

Be Financially Independent

Money can’t buy you happiness, but it still is important. The confidence you gain from being financially independent cannot be gained in any other way. You can never predict the hardships or unforeseen incidents that may happen in the future. But the confidence that you can handle things on your own, if need be, can be very reassuring. You don’t need a man, or for that matter anyone to take care of you. You can take care of yourself.

Everyone is equal

You are equal to the men around you. Don’t let the society make you believe otherwise. You deserve the same opportunities, the same chances, the same freedom, the same choices that men get. And if there is anything they can achieve, you can too. It is your capability that determines the heights you reach and not your gender. Treat men also with the same respect that you expect them to treat you.

I want you to remember all this, but most of all want you to remember that I will always have your back and will always be around when you need me. You were my little girl, and you always will be.