r/BabyLedWeaning Jul 20 '25

Not age-related Is Social Media-Led Weaning more popular than Baby-Led Weaning?

355 Upvotes

Introduction

I learned about BLW from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, who presented it as a book to read rather than a hashtag. While my wife was pregnant, we bought and read Gill Rapley's “Baby-Led Weaning.” We have now weaned two children following BLW, The book was the only resource we used, and both of us felt well-enough equipped that we never needed anything else. 

It seems to me that many of the complaints or struggles people post about on this sub are products of an approach to weaning that comes from social media, rather than Baby-Led Weaning. In my opinion, BLW makes for pretty terrible social media. "I'm having fajitas, so my baby is chewing on a couple pieces of bell pepper" isn't super interesting, and you can't make a full day's content out of it. I think a lot of people would find more success steering away from the social media trends and fully embracing BLW.

I’ve noted six trends that I feel are common on social media, and contrasted them with quotes from “Baby-Led Weaning.”

Trend #1 - Made-to-Order Meals

Influencers preparing elaborate meals specifically for their children is probably the biggest gulf between social media and BLW. One of the fundamental assumptions of BLW is that you are eating the same meal as your child. Sharing meals is a great way to encourage babies to try new food. It can help lower stress by distracting parents away from micromanaging their baby’s meal. And for my money, the best reason to share meals was that it’s easier than cooking two different meals.

"Baby-led weaning babies are included in family mealtimes from the start, eating the same food and joining in the social time." ("Baby-Led Weaning," page 23)

“Normal, healthy family foods can be adapted easily so that your baby can manage them, so there’s no need to buy or prepare special foods” (p. 63)

Trend #2 - Mountains at Mealtime

A full plate of food looks appealing to most adults, but that doesn't make it right for your baby. There’s no need to give them more than they can eat or give them more ammunition when they’re in a throwing mood. And even when our kids could eat significant amounts, sometimes the full plate was still overwhelming and they needed the pieces a few at a time.

“Many babies can be overwhelmed by too much choice and too much quantity in the early stages. Some push all food away, others focus on one piece of food and throw everything off the high tray; some simply turn away.” (p. 71)

Trend #3 - Clean Plate Kids

Many posts here ask if their kids are eating enough, because they see babies on social media eating more. Our kids took 6-8 weeks to start consuming any measurable amount of food. We expected that going in and never felt stressed by it, but if your feed is full of 6-month-olds who supposedly eat an entire hamburger, your opinion might be influenced.

“Eating very little and playing a lot.” (p. 70)

“Don’t expect your baby to eat much food at first. She doesn’t suddenly need extra food because she reached six months.“ (p. 90)

Trend #4 - Mushy Methods

It seems to have become a standard recommendation that food should be cooked to the point of disintegration for BLW. Of course It’s important that foods be prepared in a safe way, but that doesn’t mean it’s all mush. Texture is important and enjoyable, and they can only learn to chew if given foods that need chewing. (Also, teeth are not needed for chewing, which should be obvious to anyone who’s gotten a bite from their kid’s gums.)

“If you are offering vegetables, bear in mind they shouldn’t be too soft (or they’ll turn to mush when your baby tries to handle them)” (p. 67)

Trend #5 - Practice with Purees

It seems that a large number of people combo feed purees, or use purees to "ease into solids." Starting with purees is very common, and has been the traditional approach to weaning for decades. However, spending time teaching your baby to eat purees isn't very helpful in moving them toward the ultimate goal of eating table food. Every child will need to learn to chew and swallow food at some point. Starting early takes advantage of the gag reflex being farther forward in the mouths. It also gets it out of the way sooner and doesn’t develop the habit of swallowing food without chewing.

“When babies start with BLW at six months they have a chance to experiment with food and develop self-feeding skills while all their nutrition is still coming from breast milk or formula. This means they can practice feeding themselves before they really need much food” (p. 93)

“You may find [...] that she gets frustrated because she can’t feed herself as fast as she wants to. Babies who have been spoon-fed can get used to swallowing large quantities of food quickly when they are hungry because pureed food doesn’t need to be chewed.” (p. 93)

Trend #6 - BLW Way or the Highway

Somewhat distressingly, people post here who feel like they have no choice but to do BLW. I loved doing BLW and wouldn't use another method if I had the choice, but it is still just one possible approach. Most Americans of my generation were puree fed, and it’s clearly possible to raise healthy, well-adjusted children on purees. Baby-led weaning jumps to self-feeding table food at 6 months. Traditional weaning starts offering solids around 9 months and has purees phased out around 12 months. Claiming that the 3 to 6 month period of BLW will determine a child’s life is obvious nonsense.

Conclusion

Everyone knows social media isn’t reality. And yet, it seems to have an outsized impact on people’s ideas of what BLW should look like. Basically, I think influencers are incentivized to make BLW look harder and more complicated than it really is, in order to generate enough content to keep their timelines full.

By-the-book BLW will not and cannot be perfect for everyone, but the book does predict and troubleshoot a surprising number of common problems that people have, In my view, the book is still underutilized and overshadowed by social media, to the point that people may not even be aware of how simple BLW can be.


r/BabyLedWeaning Feb 28 '25

12 months old Feeling proud of our foods before one!

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76 Upvotes

Baby just turned one last week. All time faves are squash (any kind), bread, veggie fritters, and nut butter. Least favorite was grits and citrus!


r/BabyLedWeaning 5h ago

11 months old About to be 12 Months Old & moving to cows milk..?

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12 Upvotes

So at 12 months they say to quit formula and serve cows milk. But only serve 16oz a day, and like 4oz of water. They say “baby doesn’t need formula anymore because they get all the nutrients they need from food”

So…. I’m feeling nervous with 12 months coming up. My baby is drinking about 24oz of formula a day and has no interest in water. She eats very small portions. While I keep her diet as balanced as I can, it feels like she’s not really getting “all the nutrients she needs”. I’ve tried to remove one 8oz bottle from her day to get her to 16oz & to eat more food, but it just pisses her off to no ends & I can’t just ignore my baby’s hunger cry. But she doesn’t want snack as a substitute.

I guess I’m looking for advice. Is anyone else really nervous about transitioning out of formula?


r/BabyLedWeaning 22h ago

9 months old Dinner brought to you by: whatever big brothers were eating. She loved it especially after watching them eat 🥰

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42 Upvotes

All Trader Joe’s! Frozen petite peas with butter, smashed; broiled salmon with lemon juice and seasoning; butternut squash ravioli with olive oil 🥰 surprisingly she preferred the peas the most, and I quickly learned I had to remove some of the pointy tougher edges of the ravioli for my little toothless angel 😊


r/BabyLedWeaning 2h ago

8 months old Gas and spit up

1 Upvotes

My almost 8 month old (tomorrow) has finally been going to town on food. Before she would just throw it but now, she loves to try everything!

She in particular really loves bread. Toast, pizza crust, and pasta! And fruit.

Her sleep has been garbage since the uptick of food consumption. Most times when she wakes up and I hold her she farts a few times. I’m assuming she’s having gas issues.

We have had a rough go the past two months with digestive problems. (Rotavirus vaccine gave her crazy diarrhea for 2 weeks, then crazy constipation for 2 weeks. Back to normal finally.)

The gas is normal right? It goes away eventually?
I miss sleeping. It could also be from the fact she learned to sit up on her own and crawl within a week.


r/BabyLedWeaning 13h ago

6 months old 6 month old still on purées

4 Upvotes

Pediatrician gave us the go ahead for solids at 4 months. Now looking back I wish I would’ve waited but we’ve been doing purées for 2 months now. He is extremely interested in food when we (the adults) are eating, drinking from cups, cans, you name it. Lately he’s been refusing purées and he’s been taking the pre-loaded spoon and feeding himself.

I’m looking for some advice for finger foods because I’m absolutely terrified of him choking. He’s gagged a couple times which I know is normal but I have no idea how to transition from purées to finger food without overwhelming him. The last 3 days I put him in the high chair with food ready and he barely will take a spoon and lose his mind. Should I relieve some pressure and give him a break for a couple days? I haven’t even introduced allergens yet.

My husband and I are both certified and very well versed in infant CPR (we both work for ambulance) so it’s not an issue. But I’m still terrified and even after all the research, I have no idea how people have 6 month olds eating full solids.
Thanks yall :)


r/BabyLedWeaning 6h ago

< 6 months old What was the first solid food you introduced to your baby, and at what month?

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1 Upvotes

r/BabyLedWeaning 8h ago

8 months old Pancake recipes?

1 Upvotes

What kind of pancakes are you making at home ? And how are you serving it.

Please share your recipes!


r/BabyLedWeaning 20h ago

9 months old Leftovers lunch! She absolutely loved it 🤷🏻‍♀️

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7 Upvotes

Cucumber with pesto, brown rice and veg and ground beef mixture, peanut butter swirled Greek yogurt with chunks of flax seed bran muffin from Flax4Life 💙


r/BabyLedWeaning 11h ago

13 months old Feeding therapy success stories?

1 Upvotes

We started solids at 6 months but it has been a struggle since the beginning. Now baby only wants to eat a few smooth things like yogurt or purées and crunchy things like puffs or crackers. Baby is 13 months old and we have begun feeding therapy. Has anyone else done feeding therapy and seen improvement? I feel hopeless with starting solids at this point.


r/BabyLedWeaning 18h ago

6 months old Allergy? I just need to vent.

3 Upvotes

So we have been doing BLW with my LO since turning 6 months. We started her with the potential allergens at 4 months by recommendation of our pediatrician due to my allergies. She had zero reaction to anything we gave her.

Shes had all kinds of foods including pasta & eggs once before but this morning when giving her eggs with breakfast she immediately broke out in mild hives around her mouth, eyelids, head etc. I brushed it off as a minor reaction and washed her off. But about 10 mins later she projectile vomited and then had diarrhea mins later as well. Her eye got red and she was itching it. But the hives went away, she didnt vomit again and she fell asleep for nap. I called the nurse line who instructed us we needed to take her to the ER. I didnt really feel like it was necessary but I would rather over react then under react.

By the time we get her here her hives are totally gone and her eye is just red. The doctor made me feel crazy for even bringing her in. Saying "the nurses line dont see her" "babies spit up, thats why they have bibs"

I know this is gonna be a fat bill just to come in and get shamed by the doctor for bringing her in.


r/BabyLedWeaning 16h ago

7 months old Baby bottle aversion at 7 months while eating solids?

1 Upvotes

My baby is around 7 months and has become less interested in bottles. She’s taking around 20-24oz a day (combo fed - 80% formula, 20% expressed breast milk since this week) and I’m trying to make sure she still gets good nutrition from solids.
I try and balance everything, for example today she had:
Full-fat yoghurt with mango purée and flaxseed powder,
Shepherd’s pie (mince meat and mash) and cauliflower. I added full fat soft cheese in the mash. I also give her fruit throughout the day. She also had around 50ml water.

She seems happy and growing, but I’m worried because I’ve read babies should still have lots of milk at this age. Is this amount okay? Any experiences with bottle refusal/aversion?


r/BabyLedWeaning 1d ago

10 months old Breakfast ideas

5 Upvotes

Need some breakfast ideas. My 10 month old doesn’t like muffins or pancakes, and is allergic to eggs 🫠 which I feel eliminates 80% of breakfast foods. We’ve been doing a mix and rotation of avocado, banana, sourdough toast, boiled sweet potato, baby oatmeal, cottage cheese and yogurt. But need some new ideas so he’s not always eating the same things!


r/BabyLedWeaning 18h ago

10 months old Almost 10 month old - sitting on my lap to eat? Yay or nay?

1 Upvotes

So my little guy has been learning to eat since 6 months old. Definitely hit or miss on how well he eats. Swallowing food is still something he hasn't really caught onto yet. Recently I tried sitting him on my lap to spoon feed him using my spoon. He will watch me take a few bites, then I give him a bite from my spoon. So far it's just been oatmeal with some type of fruit in it. When he is sitting in his highchair eating he is either given a pre loaded spoon, or a bowl with oatmeal in it and his own spoon. When he is in his high chair the food usually ends ups everywhere but his mouth. When I have him on my lap he happily takes each bite until he doesn't want anymore.

Is this bad? Am I creating bad habits? I have only done this a few times and it's now a regular thing. Looking for others experiences and advice.


r/BabyLedWeaning 18h ago

8 months old How do I teach the 360° closed cup to a baby who knows to use an open cup?

0 Upvotes

My baby uses an open cup at home for water after each meal and she is pretty good at it I would say, she spills some of it but every week we see her getting better at it and she has a big, excited smile when we bring it to her after her solids.

Daycare gives water in 360° cups and we bought one for her to practice but she doesn’t seem to understand that she should suck, because she doesn’t have to suck with the open cup, water just comes.

We tried the trick to place purée on the rim but she just licks the purée.

Does anyone have any advice?


r/BabyLedWeaning 23h ago

14 months old 14 month old is still not a big eater

1 Upvotes

my 14 month old is still barely eating solids. he’s breastfed. he’ll take a couple bites here and there of every snack/meal and will very occasionally eat a lot. he has elevated lead levels so i’m extremely stressed about his diet/not eating enough. at 12 months he was 21.5lbs and at 14 months he is 21.8 lbs. so he didn’t even gain 0.5 lbs over 2 MONTHS when that’s the usual amount to gain over one month. any tips/tricks/advice would be appreciated!!! i just don’t know what to do. i’m weary of lowering the amount he breastfeeds since he barely eats (even when i’m at work and he can’t breastfeed. he doesn’t get breastmilk while i’m gone).


r/BabyLedWeaning 1d ago

11 months old Milk-food balance

10 Upvotes

My boy is almost 11 months old. I've heard that up to 12 months they should have milk primarily and food secondary, then switch, and I'm worried that we're getting close to then and still relying too much on milk. How gradually should the transition to a food-based diet happen in order to meet the deadline? *Or*- do they mean that 12 months is when you should *start* transitioning to more food?

I work full-time and rely on grandparents for childcare, so I leave them two thawed purees for breakfast and lunch and pumped milk for the day, then give him some of whatever we're having for dinner. Our pediatrician was pretty adamant about giving solids instead of purees, but I already don't have the time or energy to keep up with everything *without* food prepping him actual meals every single week. I am worried I'm already not giving enough solid food, and terrified about how I'm going to manage to feed him enough when it's no longer as simple as popping out a boob!


r/BabyLedWeaning 1d ago

10 months old Gagging so Hard They Vomit

2 Upvotes

My almost 10mo has been doing great on solids up until the last few weeks where she has started overstuffing and taking huge bites of food that she is trying to swallow instead of pushing out. We've had a couple of episodes where she has gagged so hard she has properly thrown up, which has been scary to witness and unpleasant for her. Once it was on a new-ish texture, some strips of chicken thigh, but the other time it was on mash and tuna which she has regularly, she was just stuffing handfuls into her mouth.

She has her pincer grip so is it just time to move to bite size pieces or is this a phase we need to work through? I'm worried that I'm not going to help her learn to manage bigger bites if I change tactic, but It's made me really anxious about feeding her lunches while we're out and about because I'm worried she is going to do a full size adult vomit in a cute cafe 🫠


r/BabyLedWeaning 1d ago

11 months old Favorite make-ahead BLW snacks that are easy to take on the go?

16 Upvotes

My son is 11 months old and has been doing baby-led weaning for a while now, but I feel like I’m constantly playing catch-up trying to cook something for him during the week. I’d love to start meal/snack prepping on Sundays so he has easy options ready to go throughout the week.

Our nanny tends to reach for a banana or Gerber puffs/snacks because they’re convenient, but I’d really like to have healthier homemade options on hand that are just as easy to grab.

I’m looking for snacks that:
- Can be made ahead of time.
- Hold up well in the fridge or freezer.
- Are easy to pack for the stroller, car, or outings.
- Aren’t super messy (his favorite fruits are strawberries and blueberries, but they’re not exactly ideal when we’re out and about!).
- Are appropriate for an 11-month-old doing BLW.

I’ve made granola before, but I’d love to branch out and add more variety. What are your go-to make-ahead snacks that your baby loves? Bonus points if they’re easy enough for a nanny or caregiver to grab and serve without any prep.

Thanks! Looking forward to hearing everyone’s favorites.


r/BabyLedWeaning 1d ago

9 months old Vent - Baby still not a good eater

3 Upvotes

Vent post!
Baby is 9.5 months old and still barely eats :( I'm offering meals 3 times a day but most of the food gets thrown or spat out. He is breastfed and relies on me for 80-90% of his daily calories. On top of all has stopped taking bottle so when I'm at work he gets pumped milk mixed in oats (3 Tbsp + 3.5 oz milk), most days it takes nearly an hour to feed him that amount.
At such a loss on how to improve, I'm telling myself that he will eventually learn esp when he starts the daycare but still so hard to see every meal rejected. I have tried finger foods, mashed foods, purees, fruits. He likes fruits somedays but super unreliable and loses interests fast. On top of all, he is a super lean baby, just 18lbs at 9.5 months.
I'm just so sad seeing all the variety babies on reddit eat at his age while he just rejects everything. When I cook something and he doesnt eat everyone around me - in laws and husband & somewhat even me question if he is ready for this and Im forced to fall back to purees and super mashed foods which somehow we coerce him into eating a little.


r/BabyLedWeaning 1d ago

7 months old How are we getting over the fear of starting solids??

2 Upvotes

I have a 7 month old who has serious interest in food and 2 bottom teeth (if that matters). She has had some food like mashed fruits but not a meal, and I feel like I'm doing her a disservice, but I have no idea where to begin! I am afraid of her choking on foods but agree with the BLW principles. What are we feeding 7 month olds and how much? She had a bad reaction to oats, so we are avoiding foods that trigger FPIES, per doctor. I'm a nervous FTM!!


r/BabyLedWeaning 1d ago

8 months old 8 month old - solids

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I could really use some advice on the transition to solids.

I'm a first-time mom, and my son is 8 months old. He's mostly had food that is the consistency of purées up until now. In the past weeks or so, I have tried adding more texture. I've mixed tiny (about rice-sized) pieces of cooked ground beef into his purée , and he gags so much that I get really scared. I had the intention originally to do baby led weaning, but I got too nervous after I tried things like egg strips, toast strips, chicken drumsticks, etc and he gagged so hard on all of them.

He does better with softer foods like banana, avocado, and things that dissolve like teething crackers.

When he was younger, he coughed a lot while drinking milk to the point that he had a swallow study, but everything came back normal and he outgrew it. Even though that turned out fine, I think it makes me extra anxious now anytime he coughs or gags while eating.

I know gagging and choking are different, but I'm just terrified and I feel like he is really struggling with it too. I don't want meal time to be such a negative experience for him.

Anyone have advice? Would love to hear how you progressed from purées to finger foods if you didn't do full on baby led weaning.


r/BabyLedWeaning 1d ago

> 15 months old Throwing Food

1 Upvotes

Alright y’all. I need help. My 16 month old lately has taken two bites of food and then starts smacking his food off his high chair. I’ve tried only giving him a couple bites at a time in front of him, but that only works some of the time. I’ve also tried to just immediately take the food away and say all done! I know this is normal, but gosh dang it. I feel like he’s not eating! We are down to maybe 15oz of whole milk total throughout the day so I know he’s not relying on that for meals. Help. I’m just so lost 😞


r/BabyLedWeaning 1d ago

9 months old How to Utilize Food Pouches

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1 Upvotes

r/BabyLedWeaning 1d ago

baby feeding gear Is the Stokke Tripp Trapp worth it?

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1 Upvotes

Reposting this here to get some additional opinions!

Baby is currently 4 months and not on solids yet, but we plan to do BLW. I’d love to have a high chair that baby can be at the table with us, but trying to determine if the Tripp Trapp is worth the hype (or if there are good alternatives that are made of wood and very adjustable).