If you browse the social media often, you will notice that baby-led weaning (BLW) is becoming famous. More and more mommies are trying this approach. However, many are afraid of this method because they fear that their little ones are not able to digest whole foods.
Conservative people would prefer traditional weaning (TW). They would rather start feeding their babies with purees to be on the safe side. Still, many are confused. Is BLW better?
Read on to find out the pros and cons of baby-led weaning.
Read also: What is Baby-Led Weaning?
Pros of baby-led weaning
If you are still doubting whether to start giving whole foods or purees to your six-month-old baby, here are the advantages of BLW.
Save time
With BLW, you save time because you do not have to puree fruits, vegetables, and even meat. All you have to do is slice or cut the food into finger-size and let your baby feed.
Introducing textures
By giving whole foods to your little one, you are introducing different textures to your infant. This helps prevent you from transitioning from feeding purees to letting her swallow lumps of food as your baby is growing up.
Less fussy baby
Parents who have tried both methods found that babies fed using BLW style are less fussy than TW style.
Food appreciation
Nutritionist and dietitian, Dr. Joanna McMillan, said that babies appreciate food more. She explained that by using their hands, infants are more involved in eating. She also said that letting them chew on a bone helps them know about the idea of chewing once their teeth appear.
Read also: Baby Led Weaning: 5 things you need to know before you start
Cons of baby-led weaning
Sure, the pros outweigh the cons of BLW. Still, for starters, you might want to know the cons so that you do not get overwhelmed when the time comes.
Messy
The first con of BLW is that it is messy. Since infants are studying the texture of the food you give them using their hands, they either smash or throw the food on the floor, the table or everywhere.
Food and money wastage
You would not want to eat food on the floor. Throwing away food means throwing away some bucks.
Incomplete nutrients
Babies starting with baby-led weaning do not get all the nutrition that they need because they are still on the exploration stage. Babies need iron from food in their sixth month because they do not get enough from breastmilk anymore.
Read also: First-Time Parents' Guide to Newborn Baby Grooming
Amount of food eaten
Since the little ones control what goes into their mouths, you are not sure how much food they are eating.
Choking
Moms who would prefer to follow the baby-led weaning method should be aware of the difference between choking and gagging. They should learn how to do infant CPR just in case their baby chokes. Choking is deadly, while gagging is safe.
