BABY-LED WEANING AT 6 MONTHS (our honest + realistic experience)

[@BethGraceMoore]

What was your babies first food/what are you planning on serving first? 🥰 💗 PS - If you're having a hard time knowing where to start when it comes to BLW, I would HIGHLY recommend the Happy Healthy Eaters courses! You can save 15% on the digital courses and meal plan that we use with the code "BETH": happyhealthyeaters.com/?ref=3818

[@Kachii3]

Thank you for incorporating the gagging part. Too many videos don't show the scary part of BLW, even when its mentioned. This definitely makes me a lot more confident in starting BLW with my 6 month old. Thank you!!

[@happygabs123]

Yes to this whole video! I worked in childcare and I was 100% behind baby led weaning! it's honestly easier , you know exactly what you are feeding your baby, and in my own humble opinion it is cost efficient because then you are just buying your regular groceries. There isn't an urge to buy baby "designated" food unless you want to for snacks but there are plenty of like 5 ingredient or less recipes you can make your baby that mimic the store brought snacks (yogurt melts, puffs).

[@ericagoehring1089]

Combination for us! One tip...offer food when you are eating, too. The community aspect of sharing food will set you up for happy family meals later.

[@Ibetteyoutube]

Wow thank you for sharing!! This is exactly how my 6 month old is acting with solids and I quit baby led weaning for a week. That gagging was really freaking me out. This gives me comfort, starting again this week 🙏

[@BethGraceMoore]

You got this! 👏🏻 it’s crazy because this was the worst gagging incident we ever had and i never had anything like this beyond this point - we stayed consistent and now after 2 months of BLW she doesn’t gag at all anymore!

[@rosemaryterry9805]

I know this video is ancient but your real, human reaction was actually beautiful to watch and so reassuring. Also the mess. Very reassuring. Spot another mother at the start of her BLW journey!

[@shelbystandring9153]

I did BLW exclusively with my girl. There were definitely a couple scary moments but for the most part she got the hang of it pretty quickly. She’s now 2.5 and a really decent eater! You’re doing an awesome job, and so is Vivi! It’s amazing how those little people know their bodies so we’ll already at such a young age. You guys got this! ❤️

[@evelynsblessedhome]

She’s so cute! Her smile after she ate! She was so proud of herself! 😩🙌🏼

[@whitemageFFXI]

Oh my goodness, that is scary. Thank you for being so honest and vulnerable. My little one is still a month or two away from starting solids and I'm excited but really nervous about it.

[@BethGraceMoore]

One of the things that's comforted me is that their gag reflex is the furthest away from their throat at 6 months that it'll ever be - gagging is just a protective mechanism! You've got this 💗

[@hayleyblake3311]

Seriously everything you’ve shared about motherhood so far I’ve been on the exact same page. We have the same high chair, took the same starting solids course, and I’ve had the same feelings/nerves around it. Honestly starting solids has been the least enjoyable part of having a baby so far which is weird since so many people told me how fun it was. Our little guy has quite a few food allergies too so far which has only added to the stress. Hoping it gets easier with time but it’s helpful to see other moms going through similar things.

[@hayleyblake3311]

Adding because I hadn’t finished it - baby boy did the same thing with gagging many times in the beginning. I found that he would gag and throw up if I fed him milk less than an hour before a meal. Now I do an hour in advance and when he gags he doesn’t throw up since his stomach isn’t as full. It’s so scary to see that so I feel you girl! Hope this helps ❤️

[@BethGraceMoore]

That's so crazy haha!! Aww I feel you - nerve wracking to say the least but I'm sure it will get easier for both of us with time! Cheering you on!

[@Puppygoogoo87]

Loved this! Thank you for sharing. My LO is 5.5 months and we’ll be starting blw solids next month. Currently doing purées!

[@BethGraceMoore]

So exciting! You're going to have so much fun 🥰

[@Descript]

Such a cute reaction! Thanks for sharing, Beth!

[@kcc808]

My daughter is turning 6 months old next week so thank you so much for making this video. Including the gagging part. That's what has me anxious the most >_< but I know she'll need to go through this to learn.

[@ashleyblenkarn1416]

You are such a champ! Babies choking is so so scary! You handled that so well! 💗 it still terrifies me when they take big bites 🙈🙈

[@jenlal3788]

Ty for the vídeo… I have such anxiety with BLW.. but I don’t want my son to miss out on texture bc of my anxiety.. seeing your daughter and your strength in moving forward gives me the confidence to start and my son is 7 months and has done purées only and fruit in those mesh things 😅😇

[@evelynsblessedhome]

Love your posts. It’s so relatable!

[@erinyvv]

God bless you all ❤️❤️

[@brookefrederick4916]

Omg your baby is so precious ♡

[@BethGraceMoore]

Thank you 💗

[@whitemageFFXI]

She's a beautiful baby!

[@BethGraceMoore]

Thank you 💗

[@lly5054]

Can you make a video about toys at this age❤

[@Ray-no2mq]

Such an awesome video! Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us. Our little one is 7 months and we've slowly begun introducing solids. We've done mostly mashed foods on a preloaded spoon just because when I give her anything whole (steamed broccoli, watermelon, egg strips, etc.), she manages to break little pieces off which she either spits out or could choke on. Did you notice this with your baby (who is the most adorable child, btw!!)? I know small pieces of food are not recommended at the start so we're unsure how to move forward!!

[@BethGraceMoore]

So glad you find it helpful! ❤️ And yes, our first did that alllll the time. It would freak me out so much! I would say that you can still move forward with offering whole foods as long as they are cut correctly (reference Solid Starts for this) and pass the "squish test" - i.e, when you squeeze the food between two fingers, it's squishy enough that it wouldn't fully restrict airways. As long as those two criteria are met, it's very unlikely that gagging would lead to choking and your baby can likely work those big pieces out either by learning the bite is too big and spitting it back out, or actually chewing and swallowing!

[@mamalovestoshop]

She is adorable!! Great job mama :-)

[@BethGraceMoore]

Thank you! 💗

[@cbomia]

Beth we would love to send you a gift for her to help with baby led weaning! 🎁🎁💝

[@bethanydunlop7703]

Wow that can be scary, I’ve definitely know what that’s like, I’m an RECE so I worked at a daycare and some of the kids at my table have come close to choking and it’s scarred me a little😅 but good for you sticking to it because she’s gonna need to learn how to eat, so keep it up girl it will get easier I’m sure!🙂

[@BethGraceMoore]

Ah that would be a wild place to be for meal times haha! Thank you! So true - they all need to learn at some point! 💗

[@katyarieth5475]

When I started solids with my oldest daughter (who’s now almost 2) I also struggled with the fear of her choking! We started with puréed foods right away but she didn’t really enjoy them so we transitioned into pretty much the same thing you are doing with combining puréed and solids. Now at almost 2 she eats loves meal time still! I followed solid starts on Instagram for lots of good information on foods and how to serve them.

[@BethGraceMoore]

That’s amazing - I hope we’ll have a similar story! ❤️ We love the solid starts app too!

[@bayleepenner8836]

I held my breath the entire time she was gagging and exhaled right along with you!! lol i tried blw a few days ago with banana and my son did something similar but he bit a big piece off and spit it out and i immediately took it and mashed it up and fed it to him with a spoon 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@BethGraceMoore]

Ughhh seriously! The first little bit of BLW can feel so stressful especially as a FTM.. I want to say that I won't be stressed with baby #2 but no promises haha 🤪 I also did a lot of mashing things up in those early days just because my anxiety over it wasn't helping either of us but the more confident I became, the more confident she became too!

[@bayleepenner8836]

@@BethGraceMoore what do you do when they bite off a big piece?

[@BethGraceMoore]

@@bayleepenner8836 Basically just watch and wait! They need to learn how to bite bigger pieces eventually, and at 6 months their gag reflex is the furthest back that it ever will be again - so it's actually the best time for them to learn how to properly chew bigger pieces. I use the Solid Starts app to make sure everything I'm serving is cut correctly (that's my job) and then her job is to explore + learn how to properly bite and chew :)

[@bayleepenner8836]

@@BethGraceMoore thank you!