Baby-led food diversification
What is DME?
Baby-led weaning, or BLW, is a feeding practice that encourages parents to let their children experiment with their own eating habits. In other words, the child learns to eat independently and independently. One of the characteristics that differentiates BLW from traditional feeding is that babies are offered solid foods in chunks, as opposed to purees.
When to start BLW?
What are the benefits of DME?
➜ Promotes fine motor skills : Unlike pureed foods, solid foods encourage children to handle them because they are served in their rawest form. Take the example of a carrot; in DME, you will present it in pieces (often steamed). The baby will then have the opportunity to see what it looks like, but above all, they will be able to touch it, crush it with their fingers, put it in their mouth, etc. When the child discovers food on their own, they accelerate the development of their motor skills, particularly hand-eye and hand-mouth coordination, which is necessary for their proper development.
➜ Encourages Awareness and Development : Another benefit of practicing BLW is awareness. Fruits and vegetables are excellent tools for introducing children to colors, smells, textures, and shapes. Each food offers a distinct and unique experience, expanding the possibilities for exploration.
Moreover, when in contact with them, the child is stimulated by:
- The visual : Orange, green, yellow, purple, red, all the colors of the rainbow are represented. Presenting a plate with beetroot, cucumber, mashed chickpeas and red fruits for dessert is much more attractive than porridge, isn't it?
- The taste : Between the acidity, bitterness, sweetness, and saltiness of foods, children have plenty to sharpen their palate. Some flavors are quite powerful, while others are milder. All this variety is stimulating for a child. However, care must be taken not to give just anything. We'll talk about this later in the guide.
- Touch : Very important in DME, touch is experienced in many forms. Grasping between the fingers, crushing, moving, superimposing, putting in the mouth... All these gestures are also beneficial for learning.
- Smell : Who doesn't remember the comforting smell of a meal from their childhood? Smell is a very stimulating sense. It's a way to influence preferences from a young age, so it's best to diversify your food choices!
- Hearing : As surprising as it may be, hearing also comes into play. The sound of biting into an apple, chewing an avocado, or cutting salad leaves... Everything is a pretext to attract attention.
- The taste : Between the acidity, bitterness, sweetness, and saltiness of foods, children have plenty to sharpen their palate. Some flavors are quite powerful, while others are milder. All this variety is stimulating for a child. However, care must be taken not to give just anything. We'll talk about this later in the guide.
- Touch : Very important in DME, touch is experienced in many forms. Grasping between the fingers, crushing, moving, superimposing, putting in the mouth... All these gestures are also beneficial for learning.
- Smell : Who doesn't remember the comforting smell of a meal from their childhood? Smell is a very stimulating sense. It's a way to influence preferences from a young age, so it's best to diversify your food choices!
- Hearing : As surprising as it may be, hearing also comes into play. The sound of biting into an apple, chewing an avocado, or cutting salad leaves... Everything is a pretext to attract attention.
➜ Encourages sharing and bonding : Are you short on time with your child? Think about it: weaning your baby off can reconnect you with yours. Mealtimes are often a time of shared enjoyment, but with BLW, you can take even more time to enjoy them.
If you've been following along, we've explained above that to let your child eat alone, you'll need to learn to let go. In other words, don't be in a hurry. Your baby (who has no concept of time) will wander. Take the opportunity to observe him. Live in the moment and admire his little exploits. Besides, he won't hide from you when it comes to showing you his!
If you've been following along, we've explained above that to let your child eat alone, you'll need to learn to let go. In other words, don't be in a hurry. Your baby (who has no concept of time) will wander. Take the opportunity to observe him. Live in the moment and admire his little exploits. Besides, he won't hide from you when it comes to showing you his!
➜ Supports autonomy : Your baby will gain independence and confidence. The idea is to show your offspring that you're there, but that you're letting them eat alone. Then, naturally, they'll gain self-confidence because they'll have the freedom to move at their own pace and experiment with their own discoveries.
➜ Encourages dietary diversity :
We all know that children and vegetables aren't exactly a love affair. By practicing BLW from an early age, you significantly increase your chances of getting your little one to enjoy broccoli or zucchini (basically, anything green).
At the age of 6 months, the child will explore his senses. Vegetables will be like a game for him, because he will touch, observe, taste, but also memorize! If he enjoys discovering his food, he will automatically retain a positive experience that he will associate with vegetables. BINGO, at 7 years old, he will then beg you to eat Brussels sprouts!
And a child who eats vegetables is a healthy child!
At the age of 6 months, the child will explore his senses. Vegetables will be like a game for him, because he will touch, observe, taste, but also memorize! If he enjoys discovering his food, he will automatically retain a positive experience that he will associate with vegetables. BINGO, at 7 years old, he will then beg you to eat Brussels sprouts!
And a child who eats vegetables is a healthy child!
What are the disadvantages of DME?
➜ Cleaning : Are you an undisputed master of cleaning? Not a crumb lying around on the floor? Then, DME may be testing your nerves. Indeed, a baby who eats alone is a baby who makes a mess everywhere. Between the food he tries to catch, but which ends up on the floor, the fruit that stains clothes or the mashed vegetables that literally cover his face, cooking experiences can become... anecdotal!
➜ Time :
If you're naturally in a hurry and mealtimes are timed, then BLW may not be for you. When you decide to let your child feed themselves, you have to be prepared to wait.
We don't need to tell you anything, children take their time. It must be said that there are so many areas to explore, everything is ripe for discovery! Eating is no exception to the rule.
If time is a constraint for you, but you still want to practice BLW, don't worry, there are solutions. For example, you can:
We don't need to tell you anything, children take their time. It must be said that there are so many areas to explore, everything is ripe for discovery! Eating is no exception to the rule.
If time is a constraint for you, but you still want to practice BLW, don't worry, there are solutions. For example, you can:
- introduce DME on days when the schedule is lighter or more flexible.
- practice self-feeding only on weekends.
- prepare DME snacks and allow your child time to explore.
Finally, note that with baby-led weaning, there are no strict rules. Do what you can while still respecting your little one's needs.
- practice self-feeding only on weekends.
- prepare DME snacks and allow your child time to explore.
Our advice for successfully transitioning your child's diet
➜ Take your time
Your child won't gain independence after two BLW meals. This practice requires taking your time, both during the meal and over time. At first, babies will tend to play with their food. You need to let them find their bearings, let them discover and explore before they can truly feed themselves.
Ultimately, weaning is nothing more than a new stage of learning. For it to be beneficial, be willing to take your time and observe both successes and failures, because there will be meals where half the plate ends up on the floor. But that's how we learn, isn't it?
➜ Trust your child
As we stated above, children have natural reflexes and their own signals that warn them of danger. Understanding this can make it easier to let go of your fears.
Trusting your child means trusting yourself. And baby-led weaning is a good challenge to step out of your comfort zone. But it's also a way to get to know your little one better.
Take advantage of this time spent together to observe your baby's behavior, gestures, and attitude. In no time, you'll see achievements that will make you proud!
➜ Learn to let go
In DME, nothing is perfect.
And that's fine. Assume that what you're doing is already fine. In fact, while reading this guide, you may have realized that you're already practicing BLW in your daily life.
So don't expect everything to be exactly as you imagined it. By making this rule a priority, you'll see that the experience of self-feeding can take on a whole new dimension. For example, you can accept that:
➜ Get support if necessary
Nothing beats your own experience with your child, but for those who are more concerned, know that there are online training courses, workshops, and professionals who can support you in practicing BLW. This will allow you to: 
Your child won't gain independence after two BLW meals. This practice requires taking your time, both during the meal and over time. At first, babies will tend to play with their food. You need to let them find their bearings, let them discover and explore before they can truly feed themselves.
Ultimately, weaning is nothing more than a new stage of learning. For it to be beneficial, be willing to take your time and observe both successes and failures, because there will be meals where half the plate ends up on the floor. But that's how we learn, isn't it?
➜ Trust your child
As we stated above, children have natural reflexes and their own signals that warn them of danger. Understanding this can make it easier to let go of your fears.
Trusting your child means trusting yourself. And baby-led weaning is a good challenge to step out of your comfort zone. But it's also a way to get to know your little one better.
Take advantage of this time spent together to observe your baby's behavior, gestures, and attitude. In no time, you'll see achievements that will make you proud!
➜ Learn to let go
In DME, nothing is perfect.
And that's fine. Assume that what you're doing is already fine. In fact, while reading this guide, you may have realized that you're already practicing BLW in your daily life.
So don't expect everything to be exactly as you imagined it. By making this rule a priority, you'll see that the experience of self-feeding can take on a whole new dimension. For example, you can accept that:
➜ your child has his own resources to avoid putting himself in danger.
➜ some meals are chaotic.
➜ Cleaning up after every meal is unpleasant, but it's just a quick change.
➜ Some days you don't have the patience.
Adopting this mindset will allow you to step back and focus more on those little moments of happiness, rather than on fears and/or failures.➜ some meals are chaotic.
➜ Cleaning up after every meal is unpleasant, but it's just a quick change.
➜ Some days you don't have the patience.
➜ Get support if necessary
Nothing beats your own experience with your child, but for those who are more concerned, know that there are online training courses, workshops, and professionals who can support you in practicing BLW. This will allow you to:
➜ act safely.
➜ better understand your child's needs.
➜ gain organization for meal preparation.
➜ diversify the recipes.
➜ to know which foods to avoid.
➜ know what equipment to use.
➜ reassure you.
➜ better understand your child's needs.
➜ gain organization for meal preparation.
➜ diversify the recipes.
➜ to know which foods to avoid.
➜ know what equipment to use.
➜ reassure you.
And finally, don't hesitate to check out our various articles that promote DME for your little angel and that he will certainly love 😍
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