Introducing your baby to their first solid food at around six months is such an exciting time for parents \u2013 and baby! And one of the first big weaning-related decisions you\u2019ll have to make is between spoon feeding or baby-led weaning. So, what\u2019s the difference?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your baby weaning options<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As the name suggests, if you opt to spoon feed<\/strong> your little one, you\u2019ll be serving up pureed fruit and vegetables and feeding them with a baby-safe spoon. With this weaning method, babies are first introduced to smooth purees and then progress on to textured foods and finally on to proper solids. Common first foods include pureed apple or pear, butternut or carrot. Try Squish Apple 100% Puree or Squish Pear 100% Puree.<\/em> As your baby becomes more comfortable with eating solids and practicing chewing (or \u2018gumming\u2019 if they don\u2019t yet have teeth) their food, you can start mixing different textures and flavours together to make their meals more interesting. Try Squish Mango & Banana 100% Fruit Puree, Squish Apple & Guava 100% Fruit Puree or Squish Pear & Sweet Potato 100% Fruit & Vegetable Puree.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you choose to exclusively adopt baby-led weaning<\/strong>, you\u2019ll skip the purees and let them get used to chewing bigger pieces of food from the start. With this approach, baby is in charge of what \u2013 and how much \u2013 they eat, from a selection of finger foods that you place in front of them. Think soft boiled or steamed sticks (they should be big enough for baby to grasp comfortably) of carrots, sweet potato or avocado. They\u2019ll also have to pick up the morsels and transfer them to their mouths by themselves, giving them a chance to practice their hand-eye coordination and the pincer grip. Baby-led weaning allows a child to experiment with the textures of the different foods you\u2019re serving so prepare yourself for a mess!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Can we somehow still include purees as a dip option here?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Can you do both?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, you can! Both feeding approaches have their positives and there\u2019s no reason you can\u2019t do a combination of spoon feeding and baby-led weaning. If you\u2019re short of time you can spoon-feed your little one puree and, when you have more time, let them feed themselves. Consider spoon feeding your child breakfast and lunch and try baby-led weaning for suppers when the family is seated around the table together \u2013 it will also give you a chance to eat as your hands will be free. The added bonus of nighttime baby-led weaning feeds is that you can pop your child in the bath afterwards!<\/p>\n\n\n\n