Day Three: Asparagus & Banana

I haven't been able to post lately since Harper has been sick. Since she has been sick I haven't really been giving her anything, but this is from a few days ago and I haven't been able to post it yet!

Setup: Same as always!

Process for Asparagus: My sister and I had gone to the store to pick up some more fruits and veggies for Harper and happened to see some asparagus. We decided to cook it for dinner too! I just took two pieces and steamed them for about 7 minutes.

Result: At first she made the craziest faces when she put it in her mouth. She got used to it though and chewed on the pieces for a good bit. I think she liked it!


Process for Banana: Now banana is a tricky thing to give a baby. It's so mushy and slimy so it was hard for her to hold. I decided to cut a banana in half, skin and all, and then peel some back but leave the skin on the bottom. Don't worry I washed the skin very well before hand.

Result: This was her favorite food yet by far! She didn't want to put it down! It was too funny. :)


Hopefully Harper will feel better soon and I will be able to give her some more things! 

Day Two: Carrots, Apples, & Toast

Sunday's are always a bit hectic so Harper was mostly eating on the go!

TIP: Before we left this morning for church, I cut up some apple pieces and threw them in a small mason jar with a lid and threw that in her diaper bag. Then when we were out eating after church, I had something to give her just in case they didn't have anything there. Definitely helpful!

Setup: For the carrots, we did the same setup as yesterday. Bumbo, tray, bib, etc. When we went out to eat after church is when I gave her the apple piece and she was in a highchair with a bib and then for the toast she was just sitting on the couch, haha.

Process for Carrots: Steamed in the steamer until pretty soft (about 10 minutes), but not as soft as that sweet potato yesterday! Oh, and they were baby carrots, so they were perfectly sized.

Result: She did really good with them and could hold them well. She mainly just gnawed on them for a bit and then got bored. Over all it was good though!


Process for Apples: The same as pears, washed, cut, and given raw.

Result: Of course she enjoyed them and she got a few pieces off, but spit them out. She loved just sucking on them.


Process for Toast: Well her GiGi was eating a piece, so we just tore off a crust, no butter, and handed it to her.

Result: She really liked it, but she did get a huge chunk off that I had to fish out of her mouth! I think she would have done better with a more toasted toast, if you know what I mean.


Definitely a successful day!  

Day One: Sweet Potato & Pear

Alright, so today was the first day of BLW for Harper! Yay! We learned a lot today.

Setup: We used her bumbo with her bumbo tray because I don't see the need in wasting money on a high chair at the moment! I put one of her old receiving blankets under it just in case.

Process for Sweet Potato: I had bought a Baby Bullet and steamer before I knew about BLW, so I decided to keep the steamer and use it. I cut up some sweet potato into different shapes, sticks, wedges, and just randomly cut pieces. Then I steamed them for about 10 minutes

Result: The sweet potato was kind of mushy and the wedges I cut didn't work out so well. I'll definitely remember that the small stick method is best for sweet potatoes! The sticks she could easily pick up and stick in her mouth. She got a few pieces off and made some funny faces, but all in all I think she enjoyed it.

Sweet Potato is MESSY! It got everywhere and when I took her out of the bumbo there were pieces everywhere! It was too funny

Process for Pear: I cleaned off the outside of the pear really well and then cut off some slices into sticks. I gave the pear to her raw

Result: She loved it! She could easily pick up and hold the pear pieces (they were slightly slippery though). She didn't get any pieces off, but the pear was really juicy and she definitely got a taste!


In the end she was very sticky and messy, haha! I ended up giving her a bath right after, but it was definitely a successful day!

What is BLW?

Hello everyone! I'm Mallory and I decided to do this blog about my daughter's and my own journey in BLW. Thanks for reading!

You're probably all wondering what BLW is and what this blog is all about. Well my daughter, Harper, is turning 6 months old in one week. Most people know that at six months, or sometimes sooner, people will begin to give their baby baby food. This is normally in the form of a purée of some sort, banana, sweet potato, peas, you get the point. Well BLW stands for Baby Led Weaning. It's a form of feeding your baby that does NOT include puréed foods. You give your baby table food.

Now I know most of you are now thinking, are you crazy Mallory? But you don't know all of the facts and research I've done on BLW to come to this decision. Here are some things to consider:

1. In BLW, a baby feeds itself. Yes that's right, you don't have to spoon feed your baby! In BLW, a baby picks up it's own food that is offered to him/her. He or she feeds themselves with no help from a parent! The baby is given fry shaped pieces of different foods to try. The foods can be anything from a simple banana to chicken!

2. He or she learns how to chew food BEFORE swallowing. Most babies are given puréed food by their parents on a spoon and put into their mouths which they then, of course, swallow instead of chew. A BLW baby learns how to chew up their food before swallowing. Now you're probably wondering, won't they need teeth for that? Well...

3. You would be surprised how strong baby gums are. Plus, a baby gets its front teeth first which are not used to chew. Baby gums are perfect for chewing on bananas, sweet potatoes, and so forth. ( and now you know I'm not talking about puréed ones either ;) )

4. Hand eye coordination: BLW incorporates hand eye coordination. A baby learns to bring food to its own mouth to eat, not for you to bring it for them.

5. You're probably thinking,won't she/he choke? Well if you ask this, you need to remember the difference in choking and gagging. Gagging is when a babies gag reflex pushes the food to the front of the mouth so the baby will spit it out instead of taking it into is wind pipe. Now, yes, your baby will gag. Choking is rare. You actually have a greater risk of your baby choking if you feed them puréed food. (interesting huh?) When a baby doesn't chew then swallow, he/she is way more likely to choke on something!

6. Your baby will WANT to eat! We all know the typical "airplane noise" a parent makes when trying to feed their baby. In BLW, since a baby feeds itself, it wants to eat! It's a fun experience for them and not something to stress about!

7. The baby can eat when you're eating and what you're eating. There's no picking out a time each day for your baby to eat so that you can feed them. Your baby will be eating breakfast when you are! Your baby gets to now be a part of meals instead of just watching. On top of that, wouldn't you love to be able to not have to cook extra "baby foods" and just have your baby eat what you're eating? Well in BLW, if you're eating healthy, that's exactly what you don't have to do! Say you're cooking a stir fry. After its cooked, just pick out a few veggies, let them cool a bit, and offer them to your baby! Could it get any easier?

8. Since the name "Baby Led Weaning" sounds as if a baby should wean itself from breastfeeding, think again. Harper will be breastfeeding just as often as before! You should not stop unless that is what you want to do. Breast milk should still be a baby's #1 source of nutrition



If none of that convinces you, do your own research! There are tons of BLW websites and even youtube videos. You shouldn't automatically feel like you have to feed your baby what everyone else is. Read up and make the decision for yourself!

Now I'm not saying there is anything wrong with puréed food because there's not! I'm just writing this blog to inform and document how my own daughter does with BLW to help others who might want to try it out! Each day, once she starts, I'll try to post a picture of her eating and how it went. I hope this will help some one out or just be entertainment for someone. :) Thanks for reading!