6 Things I Wish I’d Known Before We Jumped into Baby-Led Weaning

As a new mom with access to the internet (or opinionated friends, neighbors, family members, random grocery shoppers, etc.), you can often become overwhelmed hearing “do it this way” or “this way is best.” Feeding your child is no exception. Specifically, starting solids… the when and how and what of it. A friend had shared a couple of resources on baby-led weaning, and it made the most sense. Baby-led weaning centered on what we were already eating so serving it to my son—pared down—eliminated multiple meal preps.

I had it all planned: roasted vegetables, scrambled eggs, fruit, toast. I read and researched. I even took an online course. By the time he was six months, he was eating oatmeal every evening. I was so excited to start exposing him to more foods. We tried scrambled eggs first. He hated them. The look on his face just touching the eggs was comedic gold. The eggs never even made it to his mouth.

Truthfully, it was not until 8 months old that my son would even put food in his mouth. Even then, it would start with a look of disgust, progress to a hesitant nibble (as if we were poisoning him), and only then would his approval show through either taking a whole bite or dramatically opening his palm and letting the food slowly slide from his hand.

My plan was shot on the first go. Or so I thought. Ultimately, I had to adjust. Just because my baby didn’t immediately take to food did not mean it was a failure. We still put him in the high chair every evening. We continued to provide foods to eat. We learned what he liked and what might take time (still looking at you eggs). But we also provided some baby food. I did not make my own purees (this was the whole point of baby-led weaning), but no one has yet come after me for grabbing the Gerber jars.

A few of the lessons I learned:

Flexibility is key. Just because you’re doing baby-led weaning does not mean you have to skip baby food and purees altogether. In my mind, it was either baby food or baby-led weaning. You may be shocked to know, you can do both! Grab those food pouches, friends. I also mashed up roasted vegetables and served those alongside dinner. Even now, it is so handy to grab an applesauce or yogurt pouch for on-the-go.

Avoid comparisons. Not all babies progress the same. Just because your neighbor’s kid eats everything under the sun and yours refuses to eat anything outside of dino-shaped nuggets does not mean you have failed. We just all like different things, babies included. I saw an encouraging post to help frame it, “My baby doesn’t like eggs yet.” (Disclaimer: if you have concerns, be sure to speak with your child’s doctor.)

Repeat exposures. While my son still doesn’t eat eggs, he does eat a whole bunch of other foods. It took several exposures of each food to get there. He needed to touch it and taste it and reject it a few times first. I continue to provide items he has previously rejected to add repeat exposures.

Find their “culinary security blanket.” I always serve something he likes. Generally, that’s a fruit or a vegetable. Either way, I have heard it referred to as a “culinary security blanket.” Most often, he will eat those items and then maybe—or maybe not—try some of the newer items. If he asks for more of his favorites, I provide it without making him try to new item.

Don’t dwell on it. If I make a big deal out of something, the baby makes a big deal out of something. Food is no exception. If I sit and hover or watch every bite he takes, he notices. Shockingly, he doesn’t love the attention! I serve the food and continue with my meal or walk away. Granted, my husband and I share a look or thumbs up if we have a culinary “win,” but I don’t praise my son. I just take it in stride and normalize it.

Be patient. Imagine a complete shift in your nutrition. I’m not talking a new dish or vegetable you have learned to love. Rather, imagine you have been living on liquids your entire existence and now, BAM, learn to chew and swallow and taste and smell a whole host of new things. That has got to be overwhelming. Kids are going to continue going through different phases, food or otherwise, and each one has a season. Just enjoy this one!

Laura Oblinger
Laura grew up in Mulvane, and aside from the grad school years, she has lived in the Wichita-area her entire life. After an initial career as a high school English teacher, she now works full-time as a lawyer. Laura met her husband in high school and the two navigated years of infertility before welcoming their son in 2020. The family are avid Kansas State Wildcat supporters and can often be found supporting the local foodie scene in their purple and white. Laura is also an avid reader, baker, and Disney enthusiast.