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baby
-led weaning by melanie forstall lemoine, ph.d. t here is nothing quite like looking at your little one when his mouth is wide open, beaming with excitement for a spoon filled with pureed bananas. this transition is an adventurous time for him as he begins to explore the culinary world around him. it can even be a milestone for you as you sharpen your skills of ?choo-choo? and airplane noises to help get him to open up for a bite. however, for some families, this stage of feeding development is skipped almost entirely.
baby
-led basics while introduced in the united kingdom roughly 10 years ago, the practice of
baby
-led weaning has gained traction recently for families around the world, with some supporters here in the us.
baby
-led weaning is the practice of introducing solid
foods
to
babies
, largely eliminating the step of spoon feeding purees and other processed or homemade
baby
foods
. while
babies
are still fed breast milk or formula until the age of one, with
baby
-led weaning,
babies
go straight to solid
foods
. imagine, instead of one-on-one spoon feeding sessions, your
baby
joins the family at regular meal times to feast upon cooked pasta, pieces of ripe fruits, rice, flakey fish, or cooked egg yolks. supporters of the practice embrace the inclusiveness that
baby
-led weaning provides a family during mealtime. feeding the
baby
is no longer an isolated event, instead, everyone dines together at the table. pediatric speech language pathologist & feeding specialist, megan dewberry, m.a., ccc-slp of the baton rouge general reports that this practice also helps
babies
develop healthy food habits. ?
baby
-led weaning families are encouraged to dine together which exposes
babies
to different textures and smells, and they are able explore a variety of
foods
.? this practice has a positive impact on
baby
?s other senses, too. she continues, ?the
baby
gets to decide how much food she intakes, and gets to communicate when she is full. with
baby
-led weaning,
babies
are encouraged to pick up and grasp
foods
as a method of sensory exploration.? how to start first and foremost, before you attempt this practice, it is important to discuss it with your
baby
?s pediatrician. together, you can make a plan best suited for the needs of your little one. however, once a family determines
baby
-led weaning is a good fit, there are specific signs to look out for that indicate when a
baby
is ready for solid
foods
. according to dewberry, interest is critical. ?
babies
are ready for solid
foods
when they show an interest in food and have enough core strength to sit upright.? she encourages families to watch their
babies
and pay attention to subtle cues. ?
babies
interested in food watch you closely when you eat, they look at the food you are eating, and appear as though they would like for you to share with them. eager
babies
will often reach out for the food.? introducing new
foods
to an uninterested
baby
would not be a safe or efficient feeding experience. in order to safely introduce solid
foods
, a
baby
must have adequate core strength to sit up unassisted in a traditional high chair. experts discourage the use of a soft bumbo-type seat for feeding as they do not allow for the proper pelvic positioning needed for safe feeding practices. k now the risks if your
baby
has both interest and strength, introduction of solid
foods
will more likely be successful. however, 2 8 b r p a r e n t s . c o m | s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 8
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