Relax, it's just eating food!

#babyledweaning is not a technique. It isn't a list of steps to be followed rigorously.

#blw is a philosophy about introducing babies to eating the foods the rest of their family enjoy, alongside them and part of the social experiences of eating food together.

It's easy to overcomplicate matters. If your child has had a reaction to a food through breastfeeding or other exposure, then avoiding that food and seeking medical advice on if/when to introduce it makes sense. If there is a strong family history of allergies or intolerance, then you should also seek professional guidance on how to introduce more commonly allergenic foods. (Current advice is to expose babies early in their food experiences, rather than delaying them. )

We need to remember though, except for these minority of children, most babies can simply taste and experience the foods around them safely without trepidation or fear. Premature introduction of foods other than breastmilk is more risky than doing so during the developmentally-appropriate time frame in the second half year.

Eating food is a vital and normal skill which all children learn to do around the world, as they have since the dawn of time. Every mammal moves from a fully-milk diet to a fully-weaned diet with a gradual transition period when they learn which foods to eat and how to eat them. In Orang-utans, this takes around 8 years. In Humans it is typically a 3-4 year process.

#babyledweaning is not about the end of breastfeeding. It refers to this transitional period when family foods complement the milk diet.

Be warned though: they are watching your every mouthful and action. Keeping them close while they eat is important for safety but does expose your own meal to risk. Be prepared for the most tasty morsel to be whipped off your plate and into the mouth before you know it 🤣 That's what happened to the sliver of brie on my cracker today, as Mr 10mo sat innocently on my lap!!