Hodgepodge Parenting: Why do you do that? (baby-led "weaning")

First, I use the term "weaning" according to the British definition, which means the addition of complimentary solid foods along with breast feeding (or formula feeding), NOT the American meaning, which implies the cessation of breastfeeding.

Ok, so what is baby-led weaning? It's an approach to introducing baby to solid foods that doesn't involve rice cereal, spoon feeding (at least not at first), store-bought baby food, baby food processors, or any of the headaches that come along with a parent's attempt to get baby to eat solids.

Instead, baby-led weaning is based on two simple principles: the parent is responsible for making safe and healthy foods available to the baby, and the baby is responsible for choosing if she wants to taste it and how much she wants to eat. Breast milk is supposed to be a baby's primary source of nutrition for the entire first year of life, with the second six months serving as a transition period for baby to start learning about the different textures and tastes of other foods.

Putting all problematic breast feeding reasons for introducing solids early aside (since I've already dealt with my share of these woes and refuse to relive them again), the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization (which holds more weight to my international mind) both recommend NOT introducing solid foods to a baby before she is about 6 months old. There are several reasons. For one, a baby is not developmentally ready to consume solid foods if she still has the tongue reflex which causes her to automatically push out anything that might pose a choking hazard. So trying to bypass this natural defense mechanism by stuffing a spoon farther into her mouth is not advisable. Also, the baby's intestines are not fully ready to handle harder-to-digest foods, potentially leading to allergies or reflux. You can get the reasons straight from the "horse's" mouth here.

That's not to say that we have been 100% obedient to this advice. This is "hodgepodge" parenting, after all. We have dabbled on a few occasions with a few solids, but pretty much only to gauge Natalia's readiness for seriously starting solids. She has been drooling like crazy and "looking for teeth" with her fingers/fist in her mouth for several months now, and is extremely interested in what we eat and drink, twisting herself in her front carrier to watch me drink a glass of water, for instance. So we've been curious if she might not be ready.

Basically, in keeping with the easy-peasy approach to baby-led weaning, if a baby can reach out and grab a piece of food (that you've determined is safe for her to eat), and put it into her mouth without your help, then she is ready.

So, we've tested her tongue reflex by seeing if she remembers the sugar-free popsicles that were an evening favorite of her mommy's during pregnancy.

At 4 months, she remembers the popsicles all right. Still, the verdict? Not yet ready.

Every week or two, whenever we have a baby-friendly food available and the thought crosses my mind again, we have given Natalia sweet potato, banana, ripe pear, applesauce, pita bread, and most recently, Daddy's delicious butternut squash soup. After introducing one of these, we then wait for at least several days to make sure there isn't any allergic reaction, before giving her either the same or a different solid.

Wanting to feed herself applesauce.

On Easter Sunday, Natalia first "drank" water from her own sippy cup. She has been itching to participate in grown up meals for quite a while now. As her 6 month half-birthday approaches, we will continue to offer Natalia a variety of real foods, foods that we would also eat. No weird combo mush specially mixed by baby food manufacturers with added sugar or salt. And since we breastfeed exclusively, there isn't a bottle to add rice cereal to anyway.