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Baby Care
Updated on 3 November 2023
Babies transition and learn new skills every day. They reach important milestones, such as smiling, crawling, sitting without support, etc., by age 1. In between all these skills, they also learn how to feed themselves. Baby-led weaning is a popular way of introducing babies to their first foods.
Weaning means babies start eating solid food from exclusive breast food. Blw means babies usually learn to feed themselves. Babies transition from liquids to purees to mashed solid foods. Under usual circumstances, babies are fed with a spoon. In baby-led weaning, the baby learns to pick food by themself and eat on their own without the parent having to feed them.
It is best to wait until the baby is ready. The baby should have good neck strength and be able to sit on a highchair unassisted. They should be able to move the food up-down in their jaws. Studies show that most babies above 6 months can self-feed. They may not be able to perform complex chewing processes but can comfortably eat soft, cooked food. The pincer and palmer grasp can bring the thumb and index together and pick up the food in hand. This ability develops around 9 months of age. It is best to start baby-led weaning around 6–9 months.
It is safe to allow the child to eat on their own. Every child weans at different periods. Parents need to allow their babies to take their time. Some may take a few extra months. Parents must ensure the child is sitting on a highchair supporting their backs well. They should not slip or slide down.
Gagging is a very common reflex that causes the child to cough and have watery eyes. But gagging is a safety reflex.
On the other hand, choking happens when food gets stuck, and the baby makes a sound or noise.
Choking can be prevented by avoiding choking hazards such as popcorn, grapes, raisins, hot dogs, and raw vegetables.
It is also useful if parents familiarise themselves with the Heimlich manoeuvre. As a precaution, these steps should be followed:
Starting foods of appropriate sizes and textures can encourage babies while preventing choking hazards. When weaning the baby, breastfeeding or infant formula continues to provide most calories that the baby needs. Their breast milk or formula intake gradually reduces as their intake of solids increases.
Starter foods:
Baby-led weaning is an alternative method of introducing solid foods to babies.
It has various benefits, but it is important to be cautious.
Baby-led feeding promotes healthy social behaviour and prevents overfeeding of babies.
The key is to select the right type of food and texture while allowing the babies to learn, explore, and enjoy the process.
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Written by
Parul Sachdeva
A globetrotter and a blogger by passion, Parul loves writing content. She has done M.Phil. in Journalism and Mass Communication and worked for more than 25 clients across Globe with a 100% job success rate. She has been associated with websites pertaining to parenting, travel, food, health & fitness and has also created SEO rich content for a variety of topics.
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