I wonder how many new moms have heard of baby led weaning? I know I had not until a friend recently commented on a picture of homemade baby mush I made that I posted on Instagram. But I didn’t actually learn about it or do any research on it until I was asked to read and review Bananacondas: The Natural Method to Raise a Child Who Will Eat Anything. The book was written by two sisters, Katie Heaney, a registered and licensed dietitian and Lynn Fingerhut. I finally had the chance to read it while on vacation two weeks ago with my family (hence my poolside pic), and not only did I love it, but it taught me some interesting things when it comes to feeding and introducing food my six month old daughter.
So, what exactly is baby led weaning? It simply means allowing your child to feed themselves rather than spoon feed them. Recent studies show that the majority of babies start becoming interested in food and reaching for food around six months. The book explains that children are developmentally capable of feeding themselves, and don’t actually need to be spoon fed. When my friend first mentioned the idea of giving a baby whole pieces of food, I instantly thought, “No way! My kid will choke!” But I’m not going to lie, after reading Bananacondas, I’m beginning to rethink the way I feed my daughter.
I started making and spoon feeding her homemade baby food about one week before she turned six months. While she seems to enjoy everything I make, she is definitely very curious about the food my husband and I eat to the point I feel guilty eating in front of her at times. The thought of allowing her to eat what we’re eating scared me. Being a first time paranoid mom, I worry about possible allergic reactions, choking and I admittedly become sad at the thought of her not needing me as much. Now my husband on the other hand, wants to feed her everything under the sun. He has let her suck on lime wedges, apple wedges, gives her ketchup and maple syrup (boy does she like both of those!), sweet potato fries and probably a handful of other foods I’m not even aware of. But unlike me, he’s never worried about her choking and basically wants to allow her try anything she is interested in. So when I started reading Bananacondas I thought, “Damn! Maybe he is right!” GASP!
The concept actually makes complete sense to me. Bananacondas specifies that babies start doing things such as rolling over, sitting up, crawling and walking when they’re physically ready, and that they will also start feeding themselves real food when they’re ready. It discusses that breastfed babies use and develop muscles in their mouth that helps them chew food even before they have teeth. The book references kellymom.com that the goal of introducing solid foods is to help a baby develop hand-eye coordination through finger-feeding, and to add new textures to their diet.
I have to admit that every time I’m spoon feeding my daughter her perfectly puréed organic fruits and veggies, I question myself as to how I’m supposed to know when she is full and had enough. The truth is, I don’t know! For the last month I’ve sat across from her attempting to teach her the sign language for “more” and “all done” in an effort to figure out if I should keep spooning it in, or clean it up.
I think one of my favorite topics Bananacondas touches upon is eating as a family, and not making “special meals” for your kids. Because if you start making them special meals now, they’re going to continue to think they can get special treatment as they get older. Once again, I stand corrected because I always believed that babies should have their own food and eat on their schedules. But go ahead and ask me if I want to keep making two dinners every night? The answer is a big fat hell no! I barely find the time to get one dinner cooked, let alone two, and the mere thought of continuing to make separate meals into her toddler years is exhausting. No thank you!
For the last two weeks I have slowly started stepping outside of my mommy comfort zone a bit. Now I have to admit, I’m not quite there yet, but I’m taking small steps towards baby led weaning. My husband and I have also started having our daughter sit with us in her highchair during dinner time (unless she crashes early) rather than waiting to eat until she is in bed. Habits start young, and we absolutely want to get in the habit of eating dinner as a family.
So here is a picture of my daughter gnawing on a pickle while out to lunch when we were on vacation – just a few hours after I read the book. This was my first attempt at allowing her to try something I probably wouldn’t have before. Yes, I know I’m holding the pickle when technically I’m supposed to allow her to do it on her own, but again this was my first attempt. When my husband saw me giving her the pickle he immediately said, “Wow honey! That book really got you thinking and intrigued you!”
Now, there are of course certain foods you should avoid, but the book lists some foods that are good to try, and you should always consult with your child’s pediatrician with any questions or concerns. But I’m thrilled I was given the opportunity to read Bananacondas and I’m excited to continue allowing my daughter to try more finger foods on her own. I’ve emailed back and forth with author Katie Heaney a few times and told her I’m sure I’ll be bugging her with questions along my baby led weaning journey.
I’m giving Bananacondas two thumbs up and recommend all new moms check it out. It’s an interesting, educational and easy read. It’s honestly been a bit life changing, not only for me, but for my baby girl!
Below are some pictures of my daughter eating and exploring a plum. I cut it up for her, peeled the skin, but I didn’t purée it. She squished it between her fingers, looked at the pieces very curiously, tasted and sucked on her hands and even started sucking on her highchair table (hilarious, btw!). Then, she put it in her mouth, gnawed on it with her gums and ate it! I was completely mesmerized watching her! My baby girl is growing up before my very eyes, and it’s with bitter sweet excitement that I’m starting to give her the wings to do and try things on her own 🙂
Happy finger food feeding, momma’s!
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