Baby-Led Weaning Adventure

Little Ladybug is now 5 months old, which means she'll be trying out solids soon!  I'm committed to waiting until 6 months to start, though it's tempting to give her a try and see what she thinks!  She's showing some signs of readiness, mainly an interest in everything we do and putting everything in her mouth. Her dexterity is improving rapidly. But she can't sit up well yet, and she's had digestive issues since birth (a topic for another post), so we're going to wait a few more weeks.

My plan is to try out baby-led weaning and see how she takes to it. I've read up on how babies are ready to put sticks of soft veggies and fruit in their mouths and "chew" with their gums at 6 months.  Self-feeding is more fun for little ones, and they enjoy having control over the process. I know it freaks me out if someone tries to shove something in my mouth before I can see it, take in what it is, and prepare myself to eat it. I can imagine having a spoon thrust in their face is frustrating for many babies, too.

I'm also really interested in helping the bug learn to enjoy all kinds of food. I was a picky eater as a child, and I'd like to try to avoid that fate as much as possible with my little one(s). Being able to feel different food textures, instead of eating only mush, may help make eating different foods more interesting.

So check back in a few weeks for an update on how baby-led weaning is going for us. As with everything, I plan to keep an open mind and am willing to do some spoon feeding, based on how things are going. I'm not going to be a fanatic about sticking to one method of feeding, so don't be surprised if some purees make it into the bug's diet.

Have you tried baby-led weaning, or another method that you love? I'd love to hear about your experiences!