Baby led weaning: the right and the wrong way of applying

Did you know about baby led weaning or BLW? Baby led weaning or BLW is a process of infant feeding development. Usually the conventional method, aka feeding (spoon feeding) is still the main guide for parents when providing complementary foods (MPASI).

However, over time, parents began to let children choose and eat their own food or what is called a method baby-led weaning (BLW).

To be clearer, here is information about baby led weaning (BLW) you need to know.

What is that baby-led weaning (BLW)?

Babies who have reached the age of six months usually have started to be able to do many things, including learning to eat solid foods.

Apart from breastfeeding, babies begin to learn to eat solid foods from the age of six months, from baby porridge to soft foods in the form of rice.

Baby-led weaning or BLW is a method of introducing food to a baby by freeing him to eat complementary foods himself from the beginning of the process.

Baby-led weaning or BLW encourages babies to choose the amount of solid food or complementary foods they want, not what the mother wants.

That way, your baby can explore food and find out what he wants.

Your job is to provide the baby with various types of food so that the baby is familiar with various types of food.

The following is the operational definition of the BLW:

• The child sits with the family at meal times.
• Children are encouraged to explore new foods and collect them by hand, even if they don't eat them at first.
• Give food in a shape and size that is easy to handle, right puree or easily crushed.
• Since the beginning, children eat themselves and are not fed.
• Let the child decide how much he wants to eat.
• Children still get milk such as breast milk and formula milk in addition to solid food as they want and decide when to stop.

The difference between the BLW method and the method spoon feeding that is, it tends to be controlled by the role of the parents through the process of feeding the baby.

However, spoon feeding is a method that still supports the baby to be active while eating even though it is not as active as he is when he does baby led weaning (BLW).

Interestingly, BLW has various benefits or advantages, namely:

• Feels fun for baby.
• Feels more natural.
• Babies can learn more about food.
• Babies can learn to eat safely.
• Babies can learn about textures, shapes, sizes and more.
• Babies can join in to eat with other family members.
• Babies learn to control their appetite.
• Babies get better nutrition.
• Good for long term health of the baby.

But the question is, are these benefits really good for babies? Let's discuss more about BLW.

When can start applying baby-led weaning (BLW)?

American Academy of Pediatrics c (AAP) recommends the right time for babies to start doing baby-led weaning or BLW is at the age of 6 months.

At this age, babies are generally able to sit up on their own and pick up objects near them.

In addition, their tongue reflexes are better, they are able to chew and excrete food, and their intestines are better prepared to digest food.

However, age is not the only standard for babies to practice baby-led weaning (BLW).

Some babies may already be able to practice baby-led weaning at six months of age, but some of the others may not be ready.

Usually the baby's unpreparedness to do baby led weaning or BLW because they haven't been able to take something, haven't been able to chew food, or maybe have special needs.

So, the readiness of the baby to start doing baby led weaning or BLW depending on each baby's condition.

Therefore, mothers must know the abilities of their babies before teaching them baby led weaning or BLW.

For mothers who feel their babies are able to practice baby-led weaning , it's best to introduce the baby to BLW at mealtimes with the family.

When eating with other family members, babies will see people around them eating so they tend to want to imitate.

Babies can easily imitate the actions of older people. Babies generally often try to take food from their siblings or parents.

In fact, babies have their own pleasure if they can do what their older siblings or parents do.

What foods are suitable for the BLW?

Suitable food is given for practice baby-led weaning are foods that are easy for babies to hold or what they are called finger food .

In addition, it is important to provide food starting from soft because the baby's teeth have not fully grown.

Cut the food into small pieces so that the baby can hold it. Do not provide food that makes your baby choke.

Give babies a variety of foods from different food groups every day so that the baby's nutritional needs can be met.

Some examples of foods that can be given to babies during learning baby led weaning or BLW is:

• The carbohydrate group, such as potatoes, pasta, bread, or soft rice
• Fat group, such as avocado
• Protein groups, such as chicken or soft boiled meat, eggs, fish without thorns
• Group of fruits and vegetables, such as bananas, papayas, broccoli, carrots that have been steamed so that they become soft
• Dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt

In addition, usually babies who are undergoing BLW are also given food such as:

• Roasted or steamed carrots
• Ripe banana slices
• Cucumber
• Broccoli or broccoli
• The peeled potatoes are then steamed or roasted
• Processed chicken meat
• Fruit pieces
• Boiled green beans
• Baked bread

It is okay to add flavorings like sugar and salt to baby food.

It is intended that the baby is more enthusiastic when enjoying his food because it does not taste bland. Serve the baby MPASI menu that he likes and implement a routine MPASI schedule every day.

Is there a baby who is not allowed to do BLW?

Even though the baby has entered the age of six months and has shown signs of ready to eat solid foods, not all babies are allowed to undergo BLW.

List of baby conditions that should not be taught baby led weaning or BLW are as follows:

• Premature babies born at 36 weeks gestation or less.
• Low weight babies.
• Babies with developmental delays.
• Babies with special needs who can't chew well or have difficulty picking up food and moving it to the mouth.
• Babies who have a family history of allergies, digestive problems, or food intolerances.
• Babies who have hypotonia, a condition characterized by muscle weakness. For example, your baby continues to open its mouth, sticks out its tongue, and keeps drooling (uncontrolled excessive saliva production)
• The baby has a cleft lip.

How to practice baby-led weaning is it safe for babies?

Baby-led weaning will be safe for babies if practiced in the right way. A few tips to practice baby led weaning safely according to IDAI are:

• Avoid giving foods that can choke your baby such as nuts, whole grapes, apples with skins, popcorn, and others.
• Avoid fast food or contain too much sugar and salt.
• Do not leave your baby when he is eating or when the baby is near food.
• The baby must eat while sitting, meaning that he is able to straighten his chest and hold on to that position.
• Provide food in a form that the baby can hold as a main diet or baby snack.
• Make sure the food is soft and soft enough that it crumbles easily when your baby eats it.
• Introduce the baby to a variety of foods.
• Invite the baby to eat with other family members.

Pay attention if the baby has allergies. When experiencing allergies, babies will usually experience certain reactions.

Therefore, avoid giving foods that have the risk of making the baby allergic. Babies who are just learning to eat usually find it difficult to eat moderately hard foods, such as meat.

In fact, meat is rich in various nutrients in it. The solution, you can process the meat to be as tender as possible so that it is easier for the baby to eat.

Is there a risk from baby led weaning (BLW)?

Besides being considered good for baby development, baby led weaning or BLW also has the potential to raise the following risks:

1. Babies are at risk of malnutrition

According to research in the Italian Journal of Pediatrics, babies who undergo the BLW method are usually underweight (underweight) than babies who are not BLW.

Teaching baby food intake baby led weaning or BLW is usually not as much as babies who are fed (spoon feeding).

This is because when eating alone, babies tend to eat what they want. Meanwhile, babies who are fed by others cannot help but eat whatever is intended for them.

So, because they tend to eat what they want, babies who are taught by BLW may be at risk of experiencing malnutrition.

In fact, babies who undergo BLW may also lack intake of iron, zinc, and vitamin B12 which are actually important at this age.

Malnutrition can be caused by your little one who regulates his own food desires. Most of the BLW babies usually prefer to drink milk instead of eating solid food.

In fact, the nutritional needs of babies who have started eating should be fulfilled more from solid food.

2. Mess while eating

Naturally, babies eat messy and untidy. However, for those of you who don't like dirty and messy circumstances, maybe you won't like this BLW method.

Because, your little one will play and have fun with the food in front of him.

This will very likely make the food fall, fall apart, and litter your dining table.

There are many lessons that babies learn when feeding themselves during the BLW process.

Babies learn to grasp, pick up, put food in their mouths, then chew and swallow them.

Babies definitely have a hard time doing it the first time, but over time they will get used to it. You as a parent should be more patient in dealing with it.

3. Choking

The biggest risk from baby led weaning or BLW is that your little one can choke on his food which tends to be solid.

Choking will certainly be very dangerous if it happens to your little one because food will block the baby's airway.

If this happens, you should immediately take your little one to the nearest health service for help.

Choose what's best for you and your baby

BLW is the right choice to provide complementary foods for babies. But remember, BLW is not the only way.

As a parent, your goal is to offer a variety of foods (solids) that help your child switch to solid food, either by method baby led weaning (BLW) or not.

How, this depends on you and the readiness of the child. According to the Indonesian Pediatric Association (IDAI), the BLW method is not recommended as a safe method of providing complementary foods.

On the other hand, there are various risks that are risky for the baby. So far, the method that is more recommended is to continue to provide complementary foods in accordance with WHO recommendations.

You need to determine the baby's feeding portion, the baby's feeding schedule, to the portion and frequency of feeding according to the baby's needs.

Before doing the method baby led weaning or BLW requires sufficient preparation and knowledge so as not to endanger your little one.

Find as much information as possible about the method baby led weaning (BLW) in various sources.

This is because the BLW method has not been recommended to be applied so there are still many things that need further attention.

Do not let the BLW method make it difficult for babies to eat, which can lead to nutritional problems in babies.

In essence, do whatever is good and right for your baby. If necessary, consult a doctor to determine a strategy for providing complementary foods for babies.

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