The Difference Between Traditional Spoon-Feeding and Baby-Led Weaning
There are a few different methods to starting solids. This post will cover the benefits of baby-led weaning and cons as well as pros and cons of traditional spoon feeding. How you choose to start solids is a personal decision and will vary from family to family and across cultures.
Baby-led weaning is done by providing baby finger foods that are appropriately sized and shaped or pre-loading spoons of purees and allowing baby to self-feed. Spoon-feeding by the parent is skipped and baby instead freely explores food and decides how much he eats and when he is done with the meal.
Pros:
- Increases independence of baby
- Allows baby to control his appetite and honor hunger and fullness cues, decreasing chances of eating disorders and obesity later in life
- Develops fine, gross, and oral motor skills critical for speech and language
- Develops social skills and table manners by being a part of the family meal
- Exposed to a variety of tastes, textures, and smells of whole foods
- Easy modifications of family meals for baby
- Decreases chances of picky eating
- Less expensive
- Easier to eat out
Cons
- Messier than spoon-feeding
- May have more food waste- but splash mats can help decrease waste
Spoon-Feeding
Traditional spoon feeding is done by the parent feeding either store-bought or homemade purees off a spoon. By 9 months babies should transitioning to finger foods to avoid developing a preference for smooth textures and avoid relying on caregivers to feed them.
Pros:
- Less messy
- Less time-consuming if using store-bought purees
- Less food waste
Cons:
- Baby may become reliant on caregiver for feeding
- Less exposure to varied textures and visuals of food in its whole form
- Less opportunities for fine, gross, and motor development
- Exposed to fewer foods, possibly increasing chances of picky eating
- Not in control of how much food is eaten, possibly leading to over- or under-eating and confusion of hunger and fullness cues. Over-eating can cause a decrease in breast or bottle feedings which is the main source of nutrition for the 1st year
- Less opportunities to learn feeding skills by family role modeling
- No opportunity for baby to play with and touch food
- More expensive
Both purees and finger foods can be offered when doing BLW. The key when starting solids, whether you’re doing traditional spoon feeding or BLW, is responsive feeding. Responsive feeding is done by being attentive to baby’s hunger and fullness cues and responding appropriately. Responsive feeding can be done during spoon feeding by watching baby’s cues and providing another spoonful of food if baby signals he’d like another or ending the meal when baby signals he is full. You can also preload utensils with purees and allow baby to self-feed!
If you’re wondering what feeding supplies you’ll need to get started for feeding baby, check out the baby-led weaning supply list that has recommended supplies and books by feeding specialists including the best high chairs, cups, utensils, and more!
Resources
Black MM, Aboud FE. Responsive feeding is embedded in a theoretical framework of responsive parenting. J Nutr. 2011 Mar;141(3):490-4. doi: 10.3945/jn.110.129973. Epub 2011 Jan 26. PMID: 21270366; PMCID: PMC3040905.
Rapley G, Murkett T. Baby-Led Weaning, Completely Updated and Expanded Tenth Anniversary Edition: The Essential Guide―How to Introduce Solid Foods and Help Your Baby to Grow Up a Happy and Confident Eater. 10th ed. New York, NY: The Experiment, LLC; 2019.
Coulthard H, Harris G, Emmett P. Delayed introduction of lumpy foods to children during the complementary feeding period affects child’s food acceptance and feeding at 7 years of age. Matern Child Nutr. 2009 Jan;5(1):75-85. doi: 10.1111/j.1740-8709.2008.00153.x. PMID: 19161546; PMCID: PMC6860515.
Harris G, Mason S. Are There Sensitive Periods for Food Acceptance in Infancy? Curr Nutr Rep. 2017;6(2):190-196. doi: 10.1007/s13668-017-0203-0. Epub 2017 Apr 29. PMID: 28596932; PMCID: PMC5438435.
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