LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE

Does baby-led weaning mean you feed your baby the same foods the rest of the family eats? Are you supposed to eat every meal together with your baby? Do you bring the baby to the table or are they in the high chair and how long should a feeding even last?

You probably KNOW that family meals are beneficial - and that babies can start eating with the family from their first bites...but the actual LOGISTICS of how you make this happen can be a little tricky.

In this episode I’m walking you through 5 main considerations about having your baby at family meals for baby-led weaning. We’re covering the WHERE, WHAT, WHEN, WHO and WHY about family meals for early eaters and how you can make them happen at your house without losing your mind or having to short-order cook for your baby!

SHOW NOTES

SUMMARY of episode

In this episode I’m covering:

• WHERE?: Where’s the safest space to feed your baby? And how come my fancy high chair didn’t come with a tray? What if I have a bar or counter height table, how does the high chair work then?

• WHAT?: Do babies eat the same foods you eat? How do you modify foods safely so babies can enjoy parts of the family meal even early on in BLW?

• WHEN?: When are babies eating with us? Is it every meal? How long should a feeding be? How often do we feed them?

• WHO: Who should be around when baby is eating? Why is my baby staring at me during mealtimes and what does that mean?

• WHY?: Why are we even worried about whether or not babies are eating with us? The benefits of family meals extend way beyond diet diversity and nutrition quality. Check out this episode for the exact steps on how to get your baby to eat with your family!

LINKS from episode

• READ the article “5 Benefits of Using a Baby Plate or Bowl (vs. Feeding off the High Chair Tray or Table)”.

• HIGH CHAIRS mentioned in this episode (these are affiliate links):

  • Stokke Tripp Trapp high chair

  • Nomi high chair

• GET MY 100 FIRST FOODS LIST on my free online workshop “BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS” - sign up for this week’s workshop times.

TRANSCRIPT of episode

RESEARCH links from episode

Family meals research studies referenced in this episode:

• Cameron, S. L., Taylor, R. W., & Heath, A. L. M. (2013). Parent-led or baby-led? Associations between complementary feeding practices and health-related behaviours in a survey of New Zealand families. BMJ open, 3(12).

• Dwyer, L., Oh, A., Patrick, H., & Hennessy, E. (2015). Promoting family meals: a review of existing interventions and opportunities for future research. Adolescent health, medicine and therapeutics, 6, 115.

• Jones, S. A., Walter, J., Soliah, L., & Phifer, J. T. (2014). Perceived motivators to home food preparation: focus group findings. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 114(10), 1552-1556.

WANT MORE BLW INFO?!

• SUBSCRIBE to the BABY-LED WEANING MADE EASY PODCAST - new episodes are released on Monday and Thursday and subscribing means you’ll never miss what’s new (+ you’ll get notified about special bonus episodes too!)...subscribe here.

• FOLLOW my baby-led weaning Instagram page @BABYLEDWEANTEAM for daily video trainings - lots of great info on how to safely prepare ALL sorts of foods!

• SIGN UP for my online workshop called BABY-LED WEANING FOR BEGINNERS. Inside this free online workshop you’ll learn everything you need to know to get your baby to eat 100 foods before turning 1 without you having to spoon-feed purees or buy pouches. Everyone on the workshop gets a copy of my 100 First Foods list...plus lots more tips on making the transition to family meals with your baby. Register for the free BLW workshop.