BLW vs Purees: Which Way is Better?
Starting your baby on solids is a fun and exciting milestone in your baby's life, but it can be overwhelming too.
On top of the food prep, decisions about what and when to feed your baby, introducing allergens etc etc, there's also the question of HOW to feed your baby.
You might have heard of baby-led weaning (BLW) and been told it’s the best way to feed your baby. But what exactly is BLW and is it really superior to the traditional method of purees and spoon-feeding?
If you're confused about BLW vs purees debate, let's break it down.
First, what exactly is baby-led weaning?
Traditionally, parents have been told to start their babies on pureed foods and gradually work up to chunkier textures and eventually finger foods and family foods.
But in recent years an alternative way of introducing solids called ‘baby-led weaning’ has been gaining popularity.
Baby-led weaning (aka 'baby-led feeding’) is a way of introducing solids where babies feed themselves right from the start ('weaning' means starting solids in the UK, where the term was coined).
Instead of pureed foods and spoon feeding, baby-led weaning generally involves offering soft finger foods to babies 6 months of age+ that are easy to hold, for example, a wedge of avocado, a strip of steak or a steamed finger of sweet potato.
Babies are in full control of their eating, picking up food with their hands and putting it in their own mouth.
So is BLW better than spoon-feeding?
There are advantages and disadvantages to baby-led weaning, as there are with spoon feeding.
Ultimately, both options are safe and appropriate for most babies and it really comes down to what works best for the family.
But, in order to make the decision, it’s important to know about some of the advantages and disadvantages of each feeding style.
Potential advantages of baby-led weaning
Increased independence and self-regulation of food intake (babies can control what and how much they eat)
More opportunities to practice important oral and fine motor skills
Exposure to a wider variety of different foods as babies are often more likely to eat the same foods as the rest of the family
Greater convenience and ease for parents as there's less need to prepare special foods for baby
Potential disadvantages of baby-led weaning
Fear of choking - many parents feel too fearful about choking to be comfortable giving their baby finger foods right from the start.
However, it’s worth noting that studies have shown there is no greater risk of choking with baby-led weaning compared to spoon-feeding
Less control over how much your baby eats and this can present an issue in terms of ensuring they have an adequate intake of important nutrients such as iron
Hungry babies can get frustrated while learning how to self-feed (when they just want the food in their tummy now!)
It can be very messy!
Potential advantages of spoon-feeding
More control over what your baby eats and their intake of important nutrients such as iron
Less concern about choking
Less mess (although it can still get pretty messy!)
Potential disadvantages of spoon-feeding
Can require a lot of time to cook and prepare purees
May need to prepare separate meals for baby as family meals may not be suitable
Less self-regulation of intake (however, you can still practice ‘responsive feeding’ when spoon-feeding, allowing your baby to be in control of what and how much they eat - more on this later)
Should everyone be doing baby-led weaning?
Not necessarily. While there are advantages to baby-led weaning, the truth is that many parents just don't feel comfortable starting with finger foods - even if they intended to do baby-led weaning before starting solids.
They may feel anxious about choking or worry that their baby isn't getting enough food.
While these aren’t necessarily issues parents need to be worried about, they are understandable concerns and ones I experienced myself while introducing solids to my babies.
While food, nutrition and the development of eating skills are important, it’s equally important that you and your baby feel comfortable and relaxed and that mealtimes are an enjoyable activity rather than an anxiety-ridden ordeal.
The good news is you don’t have to choose...
Despite the debate about BLW vs purees, the good news is that there's no right way, and you don’t actually have to choose a particular feeding method.
In general, I find that a combination of purées/spoon-feeding and finger foods (from 6 months) works well for most babies and parents and is a great way to get the benefits of both options.
And no, combining finger foods with purees doesn’t confuse babies!
There are some BLW advocates who claim that combining the two is dangerous as it increases the risk of choking, but there’s no evidence to support this theory.
Purees can also be loaded onto a spoon for babies to feed themselves - your baby is still in full control of what is going in their mouth and can choose to eat the puree or not.
Similarly, baby-led weaning doesn’t mean you can’t offer purees - in fact, it’s a good idea to give some purees so that your baby learns to manage a range of textures.
Overall, it's up to parents to choose whichever method they’re most comfortable with, purées and spoon-feeding, baby-led weaning or a combination approach are all safe and healthy ways to introduce solids.
The most important thing is to make sure you offer a wide variety of foods and textures so that your baby gets the nutrients they need, while also developing the skills needed to eat a range of different foods.
Signs of readiness for solids
Whatever feeding method you choose, it's important to make sure your baby is developmentally ready before introducing solids.
Most babies are ready for solids at around 6 months, and while some may be ready earlier, solids shouldn't be introduced before 4 months as babies’ immune and digestive systems aren't sufficiently developed to handle solid foods at this stage.
Because babies are all different, looking out for signs of readiness in your baby is important, rather than going by age alone.
Signs of readiness include:
Being able to sit up with little or no support
Being able to grab hold of things
Being able to accurately guide items into their mouth.
Responsive Feeding
Whether you’re baby-led weaning or spoon feeding, I always recommend a ‘responsive feeding’ style.
Babies are born with a natural ability to regulate their intake and know what their body needs.
Ideally, we want to nurture this ability as much as possible instead of overriding it, so that we can encourage lifelong healthy eating habits and a positive relationship with food.
Responsive feeding involves allowing your baby to take the lead and decide whether and how much to eat, looking out for and responding to their hunger and fullness cues.
This doesn't mean you can only let your baby self-feed, even spoon-feeding can be done using a baby-led approach.
Signs your baby is hungry
Getting excited when they see food
Reaching for food
Leaning towards the spoon and opening their mouth when offered food
Signs your baby has had enough
Turning their head away
Closing their mouth or pursing their lips when food is offered
Pushing food away or spitting it out
Getting distracted (e.g. looking down at the floor)
Or the dreaded throwing food on the floor!
Whichever method you choose, remember…
Introduce solid foods at around 6 months of age, but look for 'signs of readiness' before starting your baby on solids rather than going by age alone
Even when your baby starts solids, milk feeds (breast milk or infant formula) should continue to be their primary source of nutrition up until the age of 12 months.
Offer a variety of healthy foods in a variety of different textures as per advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics
Adopt a responsive feeding style, allowing your baby to take the lead and go at their own pace, responding to your baby's cues
Introduce finger foods early on (from 6 months), allowing your baby to self-feed
Include babies in family mealtimes as much as possible so they can watch and learn and develop a positive relationship with eating
Introduce common food allergens from 6 months and aim to expose your baby to all common allergens by 12 months, offering them regularly to maintain tolerance
If you would like individual guidance about introducing your baby to solids, a registered dietitian can help.
