5 Methods to Rejoice Child-Led Weaning Day

Disclaimer: This isn’t a sponsored submit.

It’s Nationwide Child-Led Weaning Day…and I do know everyone has a day nowadays, however we’re so excited to kick off the 2nd annual BLW day. Right here’s how one can rejoice…

What’s Child-Led Weaning Day?

July 1 is Nationwide Child-Led Weaning Day (…and sure, additionally it is Canada day.)

However July 1 can be the 6 month level within the 12 months…and infants who’re 6 months of age and exhibiting the opposite dependable indicators of readiness to eat can safely begin feeding themselves meals utilizing baby-led weaning!

The primary Nationwide Child-Led Weaning Day was celebrated in 2021 and we’re excited to deliver it again for a second 12 months. Click on right here to learn in regards to the unique Child-Led Weaning Day.

What’s Child-Led Weaning?

Child-Led Weaning is a protected and efficient different to standard parent-led spoon-feeding. Infants who’re 6 months of age and exhibiting the opposite dependable indicators of readiness to eat can begin strong meals safely utilizing the baby-led weaning method.

Child-led weaning acknowledges a child’s inborn capability and want to feed themselves plus opens the door for serving to infants to satisfy their feeding and developmental milestones, helps cut back the severity of choosy consuming and has the potential to decrease the danger of meals allergy improvement too.

The time period baby-led weaning was coined by BLW pioneer Gill Rapley, PhD who can be the co-author of the unique baby-led weaning e-book, “Child-Led Weaning: The Final Information”.

If you wish to be taught extra about Gill Rapley and baby-led weaning, listed here are some extra sources:

• “How did Child-Led Weaning Get its Title? with Gill Rapley, PhD” interview on the BABY-LED WEANING MADE EASY podcast with Katie Ferraro

• “Combo Feeding: Can I Do BLW + Conventional Spoon-Feeding Collectively? with Gill Rapley, PhD” interview on the BABY-LED WEANING MADE EASY podcast with Katie Ferraro

• “The Historical past of BLW with its Founding Thinker Gill Rapley, PhD (Half 1)” interview on the BABY-LED WEANING MADE EASY podcast with Katie Ferraro

How Can I Rejoice Child-Led Weaning Day?

Whereas an actual and rising physique of analysis helps baby-led weaning as a protected and efficient different to standard parent-led spoon feeding, dad and mom are by far the largest advocates for this method.

Listed below are 5 methods you’ll be able to rejoice BLW day:

1. Strive a New Meals With Your Child

Some of the enjoyable issues about BLW is making an attempt new meals, and what makes it much more enjoyable is making an attempt a brand new meals with the entire household! Strive to decide on a meals that no person in your loved ones has tried earlier than and share this new expertise collectively. Infants can eat all completely different meals if ready safely. 

In the event you’re in search of some concepts, I train a FREE one hour video coaching referred to as Child-Led Weaning for Newcomers and everybody on the coaching will get a free copy of the unique 100 First Meals listing! The listing has concepts for fruits, greens, starches, proteins, and potential allergens so that you can strive along with your child. 

GRAB YOUR COPY OF THE ORIGINAL 100 FIRST FOODS LIST

Let me know which meals you strive collectively and the way the household loved making an attempt one thing new! You’ll be able to tag me on Instagram @babyledweanteam

2. Assist Your Child Follow OPEN CUP DRINKING

One other developmental milestone taking place whereas your child is studying tips on how to eat is…ingesting from an open cup! Infants can begin ingesting out of an open up at 6 months of age as a substitute of utilizing a sippy cup primarily based on the advice of feeding therapists. The purpose is to be ingesting out of an open up independently by age 12 months, albeit with some spillage. 

I love to do 5 minutes of open cup apply with breastmilk or formulation after meals. The cup that I exploit is the tiny cup by ezpz. That is my favourite as a result of it was designed by SLP feeding therapist, Daybreak Winkelmann, to be applicable for infants and help their improvement. Daybreak and different feeding therapist colleagues additionally advocate utilizing breastmilk or formulation versus water when starting to apply with the open cup as a result of skinny liquids (water) are harder for infants to swallow than the thicker liquids (breastmilk or formulation) that they’re used to.

I’ve an affiliate code when you’re wanting to take a look at the ezpz Tiny Cup! Code KATIE10 is sweet for 10% off your buy on the ezpz web site.

SHOP EZPZ FEEDING GEAR CODE KATIE10

3. Let Your Child Get Messy!

BLW mess is among the prime deteriants that I hear from dad and mom nervous about doing baby-led weaning…and belief me, I get it! Child-led weaning can undoubtedly get messy at occasions, however all the exploring and sensory experiences on your child are each developmentally applicable and useful to studying tips on how to eat.

For at the moment, dive into that meals you’ve been hesitant to strive due to a attainable mess ( you, pasta with crimson sauce) to present your child a full sensory expertise. Allow them to discover the style, texture, colours, and smells of a brand new meals and attempt to lean into the enjoyment of a brand new expertise and studying as a substitute of specializing in the mess. That is additionally an superior time to snap a enjoyable image for reminiscences!

I even have some suggestions to assist with cleanup and managing the mess so that you’re not completely wired 🙂

• Take your child to the sink and run fingers beneath operating water after which use water to wipe face

• Bare consuming will be an disagreeable sensory expertise for infants (and results in a full bathtub!) so I wish to us a full-coverage bib that doesn’t prohibit infants’ actions. Bapron Child is my favourite…they don’t prohibit vary of movement, they’re waterproof, they are often thrown within the dishwasher, they usually’re so cute! My affiliate code KATIE10 is legitimate for 10% of bapronbaby.com if you wish to examine them out!

• Use a splash mat beneath the highchair. A clear splash mat beneath the highchair lets you recycle dropped meals again as much as your child’s plate and protects your flooring from dropped meals. Bapron Child additionally makes an important waterproof splash mat. I exploit it beneath highchairs at residence however additionally it is nice to deliver on the go if consuming at a buddy or relative’s home the place you undoubtedly don’t wish to drop meals on the ground 🙂 

SHOP BAPRON BABY CODE KATIE10

4. Watch Different Infants’ Gagging Movies

Gagging is a mandatory and pure a part of studying tips on how to eat and is completely different from choking. It will not be comfy to look at, however it’s a part of the educational course of and as soon as child is 6 months of age and introduced with age applicable texture meals, your child will be capable to deal with it, even when she or he doesn’t have tooth!

When your child is first beginning to eat she or he will chew off items that child won’t know what to do with. Child will discover and munch or chew, and among the meals is perhaps swallowed, however child will seemingly spit meals out and play with it as properly. That is all a part of studying HOW to eat. As a result of breastmilk and/or formulation continues to be the first supply of vitamin till age 1, don’t fear that child isn’t consuming “sufficient”. Studying HOW to eat is simply as necessary as what child is consuming or how a lot!

You might not be capable to forestall gagging (keep in mind it’s completely different from choking!), however you’ll be able to put together your self for when it occurs. I encourage dad and mom to look at movies of infants gagging on meals (bizarre sounding, I do know!) to assist change into extra acquainted with the sounds to have the ability to stay calm via your individual child’s gag. 

My favourite half about educating BLW is the visible affect as a result of seeing actually is believing for individuals who are hesitant to begin. I lately began Youtube channel in order that I may actually stroll dad and mom via baby-led weaning and their fears with extra visible examples…and there’s a gagging video for you!

Click on right here to see our first YouTube gagging video “10 Infants Gagging on Their First Meals (Why it’s a GOOD Factor!): Child-Led Weaning”

WATCH BLW GAGGING YOUTUBE VIDEOS

5. Share a Video of Your Child Self-Feeding

Irrespective of the place you might be in you and your child’s BLW journey, keep in mind it’s YOUR journey. Parenting can generally really feel a bit lonely particularly whenever you’re studying tips on how to do one thing new, however you’re undoubtedly not alone in baby-led weaning!

To rejoice BLW Day, share an image or video of your child consuming REAL FOOD.

Use the hashtag #blwday and tag me @babyledweanteam to rejoice you and your child whereas additionally giving some encouragement to different BLW households on the market. 

Some concepts so that you can share

• Present us the final meals your child tried

• Present us your newest BLW win (completely okay in case your child isn’t consuming a lot but and your win is simply getting the meals on the plate and the child within the chair!)

• Present us household favourite meal that your child acquired to be included in

• Present us BLW on the highway

• Present us studying about BLW when you’re not fairly prepared to begin but (take a look at my FREE Child-Led Weaning for Newcomers at babyledweaning.co 🙂

Comfortable Child-Led Weaning Day! Nonetheless you rejoice, be sure you tag me on Instagram @babyledweanteam and use #blwday in order that I can cheer you on 🙂