Why I Don't Follow Baby-Led Weaning (and you probably won't either)

[@KsandrPann]

Not me thinking baby-led weaning was parents letting their kids decide when to stop breastfeeding

[@erin9868]

I just started the video and thought that's exactly what it was. Lol

[@KsandrPann]

@@erin9868 Tbf that’s a thing! I’ve seen videos of people advocating to continue breastfeeding past 6 or 7

[@darcigayford6779]

Yes it’s a stupid name and it feels somehow tied to on-demand breastfeeding (letting your toddler pull your shirt up in public to breast feed) It feels like it’s all part of that hippy woowoo attachment parenting crap.

[@mirkatteworld4969]

That was my understanding of what it meant back when I was nursing....

[@thatgirlconnor]

Me and my husband as well!

[@beatag0609]

As a Paediatric Dietitian here. You do make some valid points however you miss the role of our senses in learning to eat new food. Often babies who are almost entarley spoon fed do not get enough opportunity to play with food. There is also evidence that babies who are introduced to variety of textures by age 10 months are less likely to be fussy eaters. The "how" is definitely important. I recommend youtbube channel by Emma Hubbard to learn more about the "how".

[@julieblair7472]

Me, an adult, choking on my own spit 3-4 times a week: 🤔

[@niwaswildlife]

🤣🤣

[@biancsleejardim]

@MdoubleHB0I can’t tell if this is a joke or not…

[@sarahjaye4117]

@MdoubleHB0Not even a fan of her and she did seem more likeable before but you have no evidence of it being her diet. You do not sound very intelligent yourself, you sound extremist, lacking in empathy for humans, unhinged and and cult like. Good times 👍

[@MissNoechen]

​@@biancsleejardim they have been trolling in Swayze's comments for a really long time, I think they're serious and think that raw vegan is the only way to be healthy... Don't take it personally, just check out the responses in other comments, that person is literally everywhere, spouting the same stuff

[@sodapop6914]

I literally choked on the watermelon juice from the melon I’m eating while watching this 😂

[@nevimjaka]

Currently doing BLW with my second child. I did not read this book, it sounds terrible, we have other books in my country that are better. However I think the best thing about BLW is that we can all eat at the same time and the baby has so much fun making a mess. First born wasn't really into food for a loong time, second one is stuffing her face with everything she finds but both enjoyed playing with food and learning how to eat it, learning to use utensils and so on. In my country it was and still is very common to force babies to eat. To stuff them full of food, put spoons with food in their mouths when they are not looking, always want them to have one more bite. And I think we are just fed up with this approach and are trying to do the opposite.

[@Hitogata]

I did BLW with my son, and I agree 100%! 👍

[@goldshield10]

This was how I understood BLW. It may have started with this book, but the idea and concept behind it has taken off on its own and taken a lot of weight off the need to feed exactly the way we always have, with strict schedules of what babies should be eating at what months, etc.

[@tessnf]

Yes but the guidelines that recommend "responsive" feeding advice against force feeding

[@nevimjaka]

@@tessnf sure it does :) I never really heard about responsive feeding, not a thing in my country, just common sense of modern mothers, I feel like blw is just a step further to the opposite of force feeding. I'm not judging anything or saying one is better then the other, just explaining the reasons to choose blw are not always those over the top claims mentioned in the video.

[@mbcda]

My step-daughter and her hubby and my step-son and his wife have both followed BLW very loosely. They allowed their babies to feed themselves but also helped them and spoon-fed them. I think there shouldn’t be ‘black or white’ scenarios.

[@Hitogata]

As a mom who did BLW, I agree! The important thing is to educate ourselves as much as possible, but it's OK to be flexible and adapt to the situation and individual child!

[@dabdoubeh]

That baby does look a lot like Kevin Spacey.

[@Nobody-Nowhere]

just let the baby get a job and get their own food

[@danielsykes7558]

😂

[@danielsykes7558]

😂

[@niwaswildlife]

I honestly just thought blw was just letting them hold foods, explore them and take bites, I didn’t realize there was a whole book. 😂 I’ve been saying I did baby led weaning but I guess I have been doing the normal recommendations lol my kids eat some things by hand and I feed them some things, I just go with the flow of them sometimes they want to be spoon fed, sometimes they want to do it themselves, eat by hand or fork. It’s always changing as they grow.

[@tynouiy]

Same here 😂😂

[@emmaponymous]

It's super redundant. Mind numbing. (But I still did something like blw because it's so obvious a thing to do, if baby is into it. )

[@a_guerkchen1187]

@MdoubleHB0just because raw carrots make you orange, it doesn’t mean that raw diets are a universally healthy food choice. Maybe stop spamming identical posts under every single comment?

[@BlackCat69909]

@@a_guerkchen1187 I'm sure they're a bot. Somebody hates Swayze so much that they created a bot just for her, not realizing that all they're doing is driving up engagement and boosting Swayzes channel. I'd just ignore them, they are involuntarily doing something good here after all!

[@a_guerkchen1187]

@@BlackCat69909 thanks for pointing that out, makes a lot of sense🙈😂 it is completely of mislead since a) noone is challenging veganism b) a mostly fruit-based diet is everything but climate friendly in most countries😶‍🌫️

[@naomip3002]

In the UK parents are told that "food before 1 is for fun" and there is a very limited emphasis on the kinds of food you feed your baby. The majority of their nutrition should be from milk still. The general guidelines is that weaning is for exploration and learning how to chew and swallow, not for meeting their daily iron requirements for example. That's not to say we're encouraged to feed them "junk food".

[@hannahc2939]

I did it with both of mine, it is heavily encouraged in the UK by the NHS and promoted by health visitors - home visit nurses for families with young children, Which is what Rapley career history was. We did a BLW weaning course at 5 months with my first ran by the NHS in the area. I was all for it, mainly for the laziness factor, I EBF before that and that was pure laziness too 😅 I'd plan on doing it again if we have a third baby.

[@Ruffles2012]

Genuine question - isn't it more work because you have to clean the mess the baby makes and wash them up after ?

[@hannahc2939]

@@Ruffles2012 not really, I just put a wipe able tablecloth down on the floor and put the highchair tray in the dishwasher, you can also buy bibs with sleeves that attach to highchairs and a few other products that make clean up easier but aren't strictly necessary. Mine were also given a spoon themselves from day one of weaning with foods like yogurt or porridge and neither needed help loading the spoons since around 15 months, they are 3 and 2 now. They have both eaten in restaurants straight away (once they were open post covid) and never made a huge embarrassing mess either.

[@hannahc2939]

@@Ruffles2012 also I would argue its no less mess than cleaning additional kitchen equipment, blenders, ice cube trays etc from making purees so it's much the same

[@DelsonGirl]

A family member of mine chose BLW for both their kids mainly for the ease of not having to cook different things and also because just looking at pureed foods grosses them out so much they would've never been able to handle it. And yeah, both kids handled it differently and reached different food milestones at different months because that's just kids!

[@sarahjaye4117]

@MdoubleHB0Not a fan of her but you might consider seeking help.

[@PhantomPhanPhorever]

I didn’t do it for the benefits nor did I read the book, but it worked so much better for our family than purées. :) We start with really nutritious foods and it helps us eat healthier too.

[@meluvfriends]

"Or just tell them to fuck off" LMFAO why was that so unexpected. Im so happy rn. I needed that laugh 😂😂

[@meluvfriends]

@MdoubleHB0touch some grass or something ya fuckin weirdo

[@rsellung25788]

I really think that BLW and traditional purees and feeding babies with a spoon can go hand in hand. We did a combination for my daughter based on my comfortability and what my daughter could handle/was interested in and I found it was perfect for our family. I actually read the book you talk about in this video and I found parts helpful for ideas and things to introduce. Not everything was great though and I didn’t want to entirely rely on BLW for our family. I do think it doesn’t have to be black and white and it’s important to respect your child and help when they need and allow them to lead when they want to. We also used baby cereals for iron and watched what she liked best to always provide safe foods. I really wish the approach wasn’t always all or nothing.

[@ladylarry75]

i'm mere seconds into this video, but baby led weaning CAN include using spoons (baby operates the spoon) and you can also use purees (especially when baby is using the spoon, and a puree can very easily become a soup), so just a few corrections off the bat. Both my kids did this version of BLW, so they were good with cutlery very early on, which was great and we also introduced chopsticks at the same time, excellent for coordination skills. The other benefits are, it let's baby learn when they want more food or when to stop eating. the maternal health nurses i saw (in Australia) were very encouraging of it too. being sensible and cutting up things like grapes, mostly its the same food the adults are eating.

[@terrydulever]

I've been mostly off youtube the last six months, and I'm really enjoying catching up with your videos! Loving the themes, and your viewpoints, and your ability to cut through all of the bullshit.

[@polkawportugalii905]

I did BLW with both of my kids and it worked really well for both. They both started feeding themselves with spoon & fork v. early. Also both of them had soups from the beginning- just drinking them from the cup. Both of them are eating really well, were breastfed until self weaning and I never worried if they eat enough. Both of my kids were VERY different - first started eating A LOT since day 1. The second one didn’t actually start eating until she was 8 months old.

[@youareherediversity7321]

My fourteen year old was baby led weaned. He is now probably the least picky eater in his school for autistic children. The most important thing for us was for him to be in control. But he had a spoon from the beginning- but he had control of it.

[@andianderson3017]

Which is great! But anecdotal. And not proof of anything for anyone. It’s a great outcome. It makes BLW maybe something to consider, try, or use in a hybrid method. It does not justify moralizing it to other people (or shaming them) or claiming it is scientifically supported. Are you really implying that the rest of the parents of autistic children in that school, who already have a lot on their plate helping their children, failed? Are you confident enough to imply that, or even tell them that? How would you feel if someone did the same thing with some habit you don’t have around something your kid is worse at? I have a friend who did all the baby led weaning, wonderfully healthy choices, attachment parenting stuff you could imagine. She was dedicated. Her autistic child refused to eat so much she was in danger of starvation. She mostly eats bread and is very hard to get to eat anything else. Should I tell my friend she did it wrong? Or is her story, just like yours, an anecdote based on an extremely unique child?

[@XanderL]

@@andianderson3017 Breathe. We all know what an anecdote is. I'm more curious how the baby had control of a spoon from the beginning?

[@andianderson3017]

@@XanderL Clearly some people don’t know what an anecdote is as they keep using them as proof. You breathe. I can’t believe you’re freaking out about spoons. We all know she didn’t mean from birth.

[@youareherediversity7321]

@@XanderL he didn’t have control of the spoon from the beginning- he learnt it through practice and experience. Yes, this is no more than an anecdote. I gave it as an example of how the strategy can be very successful.

[@TheVivaciousNerd]

@@andianderson3017 No one was moralising? Just sharing experience

[@kboyd268]

Just started the video but I'm so glad to see someone talk about this. I was all for it until my son became 6 mo (last month) and I was like uhhh I am not comfortable with this.

[@kboyd268]

@MdoubleHB0 what lol

[@kboyd268]

@MdoubleHB0 my comment has nothing to do with cooked food 😆 it was about being uncomfortable giving my 6 month old things he could choke on as his first food outside of breastmilk/formula. Blw says to skip purees but I was too afraid he would choke when learning to eat.

[@SBNunez]

I tried this at 7 months and it was horrible. He was great with picking up the food, but he didn't understand that he had to finish what he had in his mouth before putting more in his mouth. He started choking after the second bite (thank God I'm a nurse) and I never did that again. He's 10 months now and I let him grab the snack from my hand and wait until he's done with the first piece before I give him the next one. My son eats a variety of food, but I still like to blend it.

[@Ruth-tbk]

We did BLW with our first. We tried purées and cereals every once in a while, but she wasn’t ready to eat anything at all for a long time. And when she finally was, she was old enough and had the physical ability to eat fingerfoods and family meals anyway. In the meantime, trying to feed her unsuccessfully stressed me out so much that just handing her food and letting her do her thing was a big relief for all of us. I have a really big dislike for spoon feeding children as a result of the whole process. With our twins we’re probably going to start BLW and see how they do. They’re 4.5 months old and no where near ready to start solids anyway. Like you said, I think the style of weaning you choose should be dependant on the individual child and the family‘s lifestyle and eating habits.

[@lewamush9325]

Thank you for a fantastic video, currently weaning my 8 month old twins and our health visitor is so pro BLW and really quite pushy, tried it for a month but it makes serving sloppy dishes we regularly eat like chilli, bolognese, risotto etc a nightmare because they just get frustrated without being able to spoon feed themselves 🙄

[@katfoster845]

I think that's probably why it doesn't work for some people. I don't eat sloppy food like that due to sensory issues, so it wouldn't be an issue. I don't like food that's all mixed up together, I need to see what I'm eating separately.

[@Hitogata]

It's OK to do both!! I did BLW with my son, but I also spoon-fed him soup. It doesn't have to be black or white.

[@lewamush9325]

@@Hitogata Thanks, I see that now for sure! The anti-spoon brigade freaked me out at first but I feel so much more comfortable doing a bit of both

[@kmariebrinkmann]

When I was pregnant, I planned on breastfeeding and baby led weaning. Then motherhood happened and reality taught me a few things. My child couldn't breastfeed and did not give one tiny shit about my baby led weaning plans. But he's fed, healthy, and happy, and that's all that matters. That said, if he had been able to breastfeed and took to BLW easily, I'd probably be an insufferable supporter of it. Humans. 🙃

[@darbiwest3934]

I did BLW with my kids, I didn't read the book. I started slowly with whole foods, fruit, yogurt, tofu, veg, sweet potatoes... and then moved to smaller portions of what I was eating. My kids did great, my 17 month old uses silverware like a pro and eats all the things. My 4 year-old does too.

[@katie8325]

This makes me feel so much better. I’ve never been comfortable with the pure BLE approach and I’ve been told several times that I’m hindered my child’s development… it’s v stressful!

[@dontaskgabbie]

As a nanny I prefer it. I like to lean toward “real food” when baby can sit up on their own. Also I specialize in twins and it just helps if they can feed themselves

[@CrisM779]

I'm so glad you made this video. For a long time, I felt like I was doing something wrong with my daughter since meal times have always been a chore for her. It just took a lot of patience and spoon-feeding to find things she enjoyed eating and then she finally discovered that food can be good and started trying things from our plate. Before that point, anything I'd give her to try would end up on the floor. Also, once she was past that texture issue, she moved on to various types of solids in the course of a week, so the fear that spoon-fed kids will never deal with lumpy food is unfounded.

[@vectoon3739]

Can't even say how relieved I am. I just want to thank you so much for doing this research. I didn't do BLW with my first because I was too afraid of choking but felt the "fear mongering" from those who do it. My now four year old is still picky we will see about the newborn when it is time for solids.

[@malene3986]

Arwh, the first two thirds you made me so angry. If you knew how many kids age three, who does not know how to feed themselves; has major sensory issues with their hands; who are so picky it’s a serious social issue; who cannot walk even haft a mile because they’re still in a stroller every time they go somewhere with their parents… BLW is a part of a movement against that extreme nursing curling - even lazy - kind of parenting that was so dominant in the 80s 90s and 00s: not letting the baby eat themselves (risk of choking and too much to clean up afterwards), driving them in a stroller everywhere (because it’s just easier), not letting them get their hands dirty (because virus and bacteria, ew!), getting the pre-made baby food (cuz it’s cheap and easy a and super wasteful, but people didn’t care about that back then). And the they send their kids off to kindergarten and school and wonder why they have a hard time thriving. Now, I know these things are super complex, but how we wean and feed and eat together is part of these complex things.

[@mariafos4554]

I did blw with my daughter, same age as your youngest, and it worked really well. But, I'm a Stay at Home mum, so I had the time to sit with her while shee ate. So far she still eats everything, although has phases and every now and then goes off something she liked and a couple of weeks later asks for it all the time 🤷🏻‍♀️ We also did purees in pouches and spoon feeding when eating out of the house, because I'm happy cleaning my floor, but won't be the mum that leaves a mess behind in a restaurant. As with everything in parenthood, it seems that if you're not doing everything the hardcore way, you're ruining your child's life, guess that they make their lives so hard that seeing other children thriving on more "relaxed" ways drives them nuts with jealousy. As you said, do your best, make sure what they eat is age appropriate and let go of society expectations.

[@lifeonthefranch4452]

We are doing BLW with our child currently. I am doing it because we had to really force bottle feedings and so i want to give more choice with solids. I also love that we can all share meals together even though sometimes (especially im the beginning), we had to serve our child a modified version of the meal. Now, he only wants to eat exactly what we do. We do offer spoonfuls of puree, but they will grab the spoon from us and feed themselves. It has worked for us do far and i wouldnt change it at this point, but i think blw is MORE work overall. We had to adjust our meals to have wat less salt and sugar (which is good for us but involved finding and trying new recipes). Sometimes i have to make a separate similar meal that excludes honey or maple syrup or added sugar. And sometimes it is not possible to share a meal- like hot soup and then baby is not happy.

[@smoran6579]

My kid is super independent and wants to do everything herself we did a mixture of both with majority being blw. She's my first so I don't have anything to compare it to but my daughter is an excellent eater. She eats literally everything I give her including veggies/ protein. She doesn't have any allergies so far and she is going on 18months.

[@stephv1563]

Thanks for making this video. I was looking forward to doing BLW until my twins arrived and I was totally overwhelmed. Our pediatrician recommended the solid starts app (which I do think is helpful!) and I was watching 6 month old babies self feeding on their Instagram while my twins had zero interest and would even stick out their tongue so I could place a puff in their mouth. We were also not really even able to have sit down meals because we were barely surviving with no local family and full time jobs. It was way easier to just buy purée and I felt so guilty and like I failed especially since I was to able to keep up with pumping for them either. I was worried they wouldn’t even be able to eat cake on their first birthday. Right around their birthday they suddenly did start picking up their puffs and we had a great cupcake smash on their birthday. So they just did it when they were ready. I will say the solid starts app was super helpful as far as ideas to feed them and how to safely cut things. It sounds like a much better option than this book for people curious about BLW. Feeding is such a sensitive topic, thank you for providing a thoughtful review. ❤

[@hanwirtz4305]

All three of mine have done baby led weaning. No issues, everything went well....😂 i just gave them a goddamb spoon lol swayse why didnt you give them a spoon 😅

[@faylinameir]

We started solids at 5 months old with my daughter because of a rarer ecoli infection and it helped. It was purées but at 6 months we switched to BLW and it was amazing. My daughter loves all foods and isn’t picky at all. She’s 4 now and thin trim and healthy. We can all have different opinions but if done right BLW is wonderful

[@najuh74]

would love to see a video on the ARFID profile that's been going viral. it's a child with a "mommy run account".

[@jillcanfield8873]

Interesting but I doubt Swayze will cover it because she doesn’t show kids’ faces on her channel and that’s pretty much all that content is composed of. I’m a bit confused by that account, if we’re referring to the same one, because every single one of the foods is processed/packaged. Wouldn’t someone who is trying foods out of their comfort zone want to try foods that have lots of different textures, like fruits and vegetables? But it’s all basically different types of chips and cereals. The foods are very lacking in diversity.

[@swylde]

My stepson was blw and now at 7 still won't eat anything pureed because of the texture. So i definitely agree that a combination of the two is probably best.

[@superdoopersnoopers8]

interesting that one of the studies mentioned "fussy" infants could have a harder time with BLW. obviously this is just another anecdote, but we did it with my daughter, she was SUCH a fussy baby, and she would have NEVER let us spoon feed her 🤣 we did BLW but we offered a spoon (including sometimes offering to help feed her with it) when we would offer spoon-appropriate foods. she mostly just used her hands for a while (and had a ton of fun making a mess), but she did pick up utensils pretty early.

[@erinmeadows14]

I did more spoon feeding and parent led feeding for my first till 9 months since he was premature and it was what was recommended by his feeding therapist. For my second we did BLW (didn’t read any of the books) because of ease and he showed a lot of interest in feeding himself. Even with yogurts and mashed things he preferred to scoop and feed himself from 7 months on.

[@Amyjwashere]

I am a toddler teacher for one year olds and once in a while we get “baby led weaning” parents. Super frustrating, not enjoyable at all lmao. The kids usually throw most of the food on the floor to begin with. You still need to help with feeding if they can’t/won’t eat it. It’s really not better or worse just different. I like to feed babies most of their food, then let them “play” with or “feed themselves” toward the end. 😂🤷‍♀️

[@Hitogata]

I feel blessed that I didn't have to send my baby to school until 2.5 yo. My son did really, really well with BLW.

[@Amyjwashere]

@@Hitogataexactly, I believe kids shouldn’t be at any kind of daycare until 2-3, but some people need all day care, which sucks. So we just do the best we can for each kid!

[@Hitogata]

@Amyjwashere Yes, of course! I completely understand!! It's just sad that some teachers, like the one in this comment, find it so difficult to follow the parents' wishes 🙄

[@selenam8930]

OK this comment is totally off topic and probably won't be seen but I just noticed you've got the labyrinth worm and it brought me joy. That's it. That's my comment. Fellow labyrinth worm owner here to say hi.

[@hannahmitchell87]

Just a slightly bewildered yet reverent head nod to all the parents out there. I don't know how you do it, especially amidst the sea of BS trying to guilt trip you! X

[@anklebitr79]

OMG this brought back memories of the mom group I used to be a part of.... (My kids are 19 and 15.)

[@AshesFeu]

"Send them this video, or tell them to f** off, your choice" 😂 I cackled! I don't have any kids myself, but I have 2 niblings. One kid did well eating solid foods, the other throws most of it on the floor. It really does depend on the kid, the fear mongering is so weird. Fed is best. People really cling onto parent shaming others for no good reason.

[@marianaamoedo5942]

My child didn't accept pureed vegetables until around 3 years old and wasn't a fan of being spoon-fed, so I took the recommendations from BLW to start including solids to her diet and introduce her to "whole" foods. I also had to let her use the spoon as best as she could. One problem with all of this is that kids don't get enough nutrients from their food, because they stop whenever they want, but it was great for experimentation and exploration of textures and flavors. Then I had to complete with formula, since she didn't want my frozen breastmilk so yeah, such a fun time it was.

[@cariiinen]

Best parenting advice! "Your baby will probably be the ultimate device anyways"

[@Reznic007]

I did BLW with all three of my kids but not right away with my first. My second was my fussy kid and he did great with it (obviously just my experience). All three of my kids weren’t fans of us spoon feeding them so we actually found that BLW worked better. Also with our second and third it was just SO much easier than trying to worry about purées and stuff and just let them eat whatever we were already eating. All of my kids are the opposite of picky though they do have their preferences. We let them decide what they eat and how much. Also just as a side note I thought it was hilarious when you were talking about your third and how they eat everything cuz that’s exactly how my third is. She’s a few months younger than your third and was stealing the older kid’s food ANY chance she got since she started walking 🤣 she eats just about anything we give her.

[@oliviataylor9679]

I was definitely mixing puréed baby food in my smoothies in my “banana island cleanse” days. I can only think back to the content I was consuming being the culprit but I did that. I, a childless human, deliberately ate baby food prunes and convinced myself it tasted like a chocolate milkshake 😂

[@amyschmelzer6445]

I breastfed both of my kids. At 6 months I added homemade purees to their diet. The first kid enjoyed the experience, but the second kid wanted nothing to do with solids until 7 months when I started offering things he could pick up himself. I never read the BLW book but that was basically the approach we took from that point.

[@LauraFreyReadinginBed]

Oh lord. I had my first baby in 2009 and this everywhere. It never really made that much sense to me either. Going right from EBF to BLW was some kind of badge of honor on the parenting forums🙄

[@bortnib]

We have just started on solids and do a mix. Bub likes holding things and having their own spoon but wants us to spoon feed because i think even as a baby they know theyre getting more in when we steer the spoon

[@hals999]

My son didn't have a single tooth until 14 months. I personally had to replace all my teeth from health complications. I KNOW how hard and frustrating to feed myself during that time. I was.intuitive about it Some things I helped with some things I gave to him his first year I didn't really do a ton of meals just trying it out. He is thriving every baby is different just like us so I wouldn't ever say one way Is the only way. Wic is basically shoving this in people's faces insisting breast feeding after one causes cavities...seriously. if there are teeth present give them a brush just like food. I agree with you

[@TheKaradinkins]

I did mostly baby led weaning with all three of my kids starting at 6 months. I'm going to be really honest, I wanted to do it because I'm so impatient and I hate sitting there with a spoon waiting for my kids to be ready for a bite 😆. Not that I never fed them with spoons either, I definitely did when they were eating yogurt or applesauce because who wants to clean up that mess but for the most part I just made sure to have some things appropriately sized for them to do it themselves. I will say I don't know if it's because of BLW or just because we eat such a variety of foods but my kids are not picky at all. They will eat anything from Asian stir fries to jambalaya to tacos. And my two older ones (4&2 years) will eat spicy foods because they always want to eat exactly what we're eating. The baby who just turned 1 still can't handle spice but anything else gets hovered up so fast 😂

[@kait112]

I just remember getting yelled at by a hardcore BLW mom that I shouldn’t follow my doctor’s advice and give my son rice cereal mixed with breast milk with a spoon when he was 4 1/2 months old. It really stressed out and confused me when I was a new mom (he’s almost 7 now and feeds himself well)

[@AngieMcGazz]

I hated this book for all the reasons you mention. Bang on about it being so much to do with the child. My first born was spoon fed more because she was a poor feeder with both milk and solids. My second just picked up food from 5 months and started chewing. And if we are talking purely anecdotally, my second child is now a pickier eater than his older sibling (though he’s autistic and has food texture issues).

[@MarinaMinkin]

We are doing baby les weaning. I feel like it helped my daughter be more independent and confident. She also uses utensils really well. Now that she is always 2, we leave her snacks on her desk and she loves it, because she basically wants to eat 24/7 😂 we do have to clean up and replace the snacks, but I like how she can eat what she wants and when she wants

[@agentofawesomeness1233]

My mom fed my brother and I what my parents were eating it was just puréed which isn’t hard to do when you have a hand blender. And I plan on doing that with my kids. And we like everything because of that I think.

[@dutchik5107]

I mean I guess you can start with overboiled carrots and stuff if you breastfeed for a long time. Ya know. The carrots that turn to mush before you even bite down.

[@PumpkinMozie]

Tried BLW and it didn’t work at all for us. Also put my already-bad PP anxiety through the roof because I was constantly worrying if my baby would choke. Making purées was way easier and less stressful for both me and baby.

[@susanbartlett5052]

Haven't read the book. My 3 kids are now in their 20s. They would not take anything i tried to spoon into their mouths, they would spit it out, wiggle away, cry, etc. I adapted what i was making for us and they all had good ability to get the food in their mouths. All were not picky and healthy, etc. Started food around 6mos, water in sippy cups and continued breastfeeding a few times a day.

[@lalalili2982]

As always; annoyingly sensible take.

[@Darmok_onthe_ocean]

I mean, I had a baby 17 years ago, but we def did the spoon thing. I was young and single and had absolutely zero patience for feeding time. Honestly it’s why I breastfed for so long. The mess was too much for my type A self.

[@AlliB1311]

I did baby led weaning with both my kids and although I really liked it and it worked for us, I don't think it's some magic bullet. Every child and every family is different so different food approaches will work for different people. I didn't read this particular book....I had a different one that I felt was actually pretty good. Anyway, I encourage people to try it if they want, but it's not a be all end all thing.

[@lexyjo]

Lol if i had stuck to this with my son he would have starved 😂 But one upside is that it helped us identify very early on that his needs regarding neurodivergency are much higher than mine & his dad's ❤😅

[@tuliptutu]

A responsive parent with the spoon is not a problem. A parent who is not reading their kids’ cues, with a spoon, can create pressure for a kid. But you don’t know what you don’t know right? The benefit of having dedicated time and space carved out to observe your child with food and no pressure, is beneficial for parents who are learning to read and then trust their kids’ cues.

[@abberdailmarie4887]

I did both blw and purées at the same time w all three babies. All three quickly preferred blw and rejected purées

[@roxyboxie1016]

I baby led weaned all my kids while still breastfeeding. I never read a book about it just did it. They all turned out good.

[@roxyboxie1016]

I always waited till 6 months before starting. It was strictly breast or bottle depending on child.

[@katie8325]

I didn’t so blw either and felt like a terrible parent for not doing it! This video is very timely

[@XanderL]

2:20 You just struck an old source with no explanation because...?

[@kprit4089]

Hey Swayze, have you seen the recent study done by Moms Across America that tested the level of heavy metals in fast food? It says that the rice at Chipotle contains high levels of arsenic and idk how dangerous it actually is. Chipotle is my go to for a fast food vegan option 😢

[@VGobaira]

Still a great channel. Love your content!

[@christinedillon4968]

Thank you so much for making this video. I can confirm, BLW does not work for every child, even though the proponents of BLW make it seem like it should be easy and natural for every kid to be into finger foods starting at 6 months. I have two children. We tried BLW with my first and she just didn't "get it." I'm pretty sure part of my PPA was due to her not taking to solids right away and the messages from BLW accounts on IG that told me it should be "easy." Eventually, at around 10 months something clicked and she started eating finger foods. With my second I was determined to "do it right" (since obviously, I hadn't with my first, right?). We offered him solids/finger foods regularly and much like his sister - he just didn't get it. I tried not to stress about it. The BLW community makes it seem like you just keep offering and "follow baby's lead" and everything will work out. We even tried offering purees after a few months just to see if it was a texture thing and he hated it. I kept telling myself "he'll eventually get it" like his sister, but he never did. 10 months came and went and at his 12 month appointment we found out that he had not gained any weight or height since his 9 month appointment and his growth percentiles plummeted as a result. He's been exclusively breastfeed all this time and hearing that my nursing him (around the clock) was not enough to sustain him gutted me. We became desperate to get him to eat and have had to pretty much force feed him puree foods. Now at just about 14 months we are starting to work with a feeding therapist because his ability to eat finger foods beyond puffs and soft bread is limited and we are still concerned about his weight. There is a message in BLW that "foods before one are just for fun" and I have to say: NO. Baby needs to start eating solids because at one year, breastmilk or formula or whatever other milk you feed your baby WILL NOT BE ENOUGH. We hope to someday have a third kid and I can tell you now, no way in hell will I go through this again. We will start with purees and then finger foods.

[@lisalu3994]

The only problem I have with baby led weaning is how some parents just think that any food is safe to give them whole. Like un chopped grapes, banana, which is renowned for getting stuck in the throat.

[@tamzinpetrus8035]

I felt so much mom guilt for not doing blw. I tried it once with my twins, and one of them gagged really badly and I freaked out 😂 I went straight to spoon fed after that.😅 the twin in question still gags when she eats and she's now almost 3. I think she inherited her dad's preference to inhale food instead of chewing it 🤦🏽‍♀️

[@Beebophop91]

When this book came out my best friend was really into it, and I still remember at a picnic holding some of my baby’s food (I think it was a rusk, or something my friend had ok’d regardless) towards her baby’s mouth, and she was horrified because BLW says never to do that apparently. Her reaction was as if I’d given the baby a cigarette. 😂 Her baby, her choices ofc, it was absent-minded of me and in retrospect I should have handed the food to her to give her baby. Anyway, anecdotally all our kids are teenagers now, she’s time poor so her kids eat mostly packet foods and ended up being pretty rigid with food. And my kid won’t eat any fruit, even after gobbling it down in puree and as finger foods as a baby. 🤷‍♀️

[@skylahenry8552]

How did they miss the comparison of soft food to solid food and crawling to walking

[@keepXonXrockin]

Friends of a friend did the whole let the baby feed itself by giving small pieces thing. Also at a friends place during a party. The food basically went everywhere, other guest's clothes, other guest's plates, the floor, the decor... The parents found it hilarious and adorable and the rest of the party found it pretty disgusting.

[@katfoster845]

In fairness, that's just what happens when babies and toddlers eat. It's pretty impossible for them to eat neatly. Spoon feeding doesn't work for some kids at all and isn't necessarily less messy.

[@keepXonXrockin]

@@katfoster845 there were encouraging their kid to throw food, I think that's lacking respect for other people's home.

[@Mary-tw9nh]

It was Tracy Anderson, who suggested that you eat puréed baby food. At least that’s how I remember it.

[@48mountains]

I have no idea how my parents did it but I’d rather eat w my hand then utensils and I am not from a culture where that’s normal, wonder if how my parents fed me has anything to do with it

[@hannahmitchell87]

reduces washing up & probably gives you a fuller sensory experience!

[@fruji7477]

It's all just funny to me. Just mix and led the baby try what they want. I started with both my kids really early (4-months) because they were interested (opend their mouths, tried to get into my food when sitting on my lap). So the first 2-3 months I spoonfed them, then they had really soft foods and started to hate the puree (my 4year old still hates the texture), besides yogurts, appel sauce or other sweet stuff. Just let the kids decide

[@KarlaMontgomery]

-I don't see anything wrong w that baby drawing. -I keep hearing about baby-led weaning so thank you for finally explaining and breaking down the fear mongering. - I went to private school in Puerto Rico and the popular girls brought pureed baby food glass jars as a dieting thing. circa 90s.

[@RandomPerson1313]

I enjoy doing blw. But we are not super strict. I just think it is nice. Plus I hate spoon feeding and my kids eat everything but you know anecdotal

[@alexandriasanders9499]

Tiny baby is two now?! Where has time gone.

[@emiiii]

I did BLW with my son. He’s 4 now and to this day he makes an ABSOLUTE MESS at the dinner table. I have to remind him to use utensils every 5 seconds. I blame BLW for this 🤣

[@GracieStudart]

Love for you to talk about the heavy metals found in baby food. Currently have a 3 month old and am looking to introduce purées in the next few months. I’m trying to figure out if this is just conspiratorial or actually true. I would love easy options, but with the current lawsuits going on I’m slightly concerned.

[@bearclaire]

Make your own you can freeze portions somyou can batch make and have easy access

[@GracieStudart]

@@bearclaire yes I understand that. Purées are relatively easy to make. But that said, some are saying that certain purée brands specifically have heavy metals in them while others say it’s the growing process for the food that causes the heavy metals, thus it doesn’t matter if you make them yourself or not (some have reported that making your own can actually have more heavy metals) If it doesn’t matter either way then I would avoid specific foods (ie sweet potatoes) versus avoiding premade food on the whole. Either way it would be an interesting video topic.

[@ihavenomorenameideas]

Here's a radical take: talk to your pediatrician about your kids' eating habits if you have concerns or questions!! My son (born 10lbs and in the 99th percentile for weight and height consistently) was spoon-fed until about 11 months because he didn't like getting his hands messy, and hadn't quite mastered using baby utensils. He's 5 now and has no problems with finger foods, or touching messier foods as long as its his choice. He is admittedly a picky eater now, but (surprise!) he's a normal kid and we're working on it by trying lots of things. My daughter (born 6.5lbs and average size now) started on pureed foods at 4 months because she maxed out the amount of formula she could drink. She was spoon-fed until 7 months when we included mashed and regular solid foods. She has no food issues and will eat anything you give her. The difference between them, though, isn't the result of a few extra months of spoon-feeding; they're just different kids. People should really stop treating everything in their child's life like an emergency with dire consequences. That is exactly how you give your child anxiety.

[@joanamarques6184]

could you please react to some Jenny Mustard's videos? I'd love to hear your comments because she seems to eat in a very balanced way and is an ethical vegan, but she's so different from you ahah

[@emmaponymous]

2008 it was just anecdotes. Extremely repetitive because the concept is just obvious and simple (and loosely defined). Lots of filler content to make a "book". I was a nanny and most of "my" babies were already doing "blw" adjacent -- except two of them. One gagged on literally everything, including bottles with longer nipples 😢 and another whose mom was petrified of choking hazards. The rest of them did seem to enjoy feeding themselves and more importantly, liked eating with family and siblings. At an interview, I witnessed the parents effectively force feeding a 4 month old pureed carrots. They had a highchair that reclined so baby couldn't pull away from spoon, and had to swallow or gag. It was traumatic to watch let alone how baby felt. The parents were MDs and very confident they knew best. So while I disagree its child abuse to spoon feed, spoon feeding can become abusive. 😒

[@Hitogata]

Omg 😢 Respecting the child is so much more important than the method. Poor baby...

[@emilykuhl1984]

We did BLW. It worked for us and our child ate anything and everything, until they became a toddler. Now they are going through a picky phase like lots of kids do. BLW worked for us but I didn't find there was anything special about it. We also (with permission from our dr) gave our child a multivitamin once they stopped breastmilk and formula.

[@rebeccabowen101]

I about passed out the first time my son sent me a picture of my granddaughter sucking on a chicken wing!😂 But, she handles BLW like a champ. I’m gonna get them one of those choking devices! 😉

[@tudormiller887]

Great video.👍Watching in 🇬🇧

[@kathrynrn3487]

We definitely did a mixed approach

[@winterishere440]

I did a mixture of both BLW and pures. I don't believe in extremes and eating is about adapting to your environment. I think BLW helped a lot in my baby not being a picky eater and knowing when they are full. My baby appreciates a variety of food, textures and flavours. Soups and pouridges helped my baby in learning to manage the gag reflex. To swallow correctly...and it would ease my mind about meeting their nutritious goals for the day. The only thing I have to point out is that, for what I've seen on this channel videos, Swayze is a picky eater. Always has been. Maybe having a child which is also a picky eater, it's not a problem for her. It's just their taste and preferences. But for a lot of other people, especially people in other cultures, it's important that children realize that food is for nourishment and taste and preferences comes second.

[@katerinajoan257]

My baby basically forced me to do baby led weaning. She doesn’t let me feed her. Needless to say, she’s now 1 1/2, and barely eats anything but milk 🙁.

[@Jsaf94]

Please do a video on the new Netflix documentary Hack Your Health / Tim Spector / Zoe tracker

[@AngelSBolander]

Thank you so much for this vid!

[@lotusmarilyn2825]

A mom that decides how much another body wants to feed it self and shoves a spoon as much as she wants it is just .....beautiful ?

[@CarJul666]

Normally, I'm against book burning, but I'll make an exception for this book.

[@cnccvincc]

Before this was a thing my parents did this with me, but thats probably because i refused to eat baby food and would only eat what everyone else was eating. Guess i figured if great grandpa could eat something with no teeth then i, too, could eat things with no teeth.

[@RachelBernholtz]

Can't stand the book and can't stand the Facebook groups around BLW. That being said, did BLW with 2/3 kids. Loved it. For me, it was the simplest way to feed my children. I had to do purees for the 3rd and it was so much more work and annoying (for me).