Baby Led Weaning: A Complete Beginner's Guide for UK Parents

Baby led weaning (BLW) has transformed how many UK families approach starting solids. Instead of purees on a spoon, you offer soft finger foods from the start — and let your baby take the lead.

It's messy. It's a bit nerve-wracking at first. And it's wonderful.

What is baby led weaning?

Baby led weaning means skipping purees altogether (or mostly) and offering age-appropriate pieces of real food that your baby can pick up and explore themselves. The idea is that babies learn to chew before they learn to swallow — the opposite of the traditional approach.

The term was popularised by Gill Rapley, a former health visitor who wrote the bestselling Baby-Led Weaning book.

When to start

The NHS recommends starting solids at around 6 months — not before 17 weeks. Your baby is ready when they can:

• Sit up with minimal support and hold their head steady
• Coordinate eyes, hands, and mouth (pick something up and put it in their mouth)
• Swallow food rather than pushing it back out with their tongue (the tongue thrust reflex)

Don't start based on signs like watching you eat, waking more at night, or seeming unsatisfied after milk — these are not reliable signs of readiness.

First foods for BLW

Start with soft foods cut into chip-sized strips (easier for babies to hold). Good first foods include:

• Soft-cooked vegetables: broccoli florets, carrot batons, courgette, sweet potato
• Fruit: ripe banana, soft pear, mango strips, avocado
• Starchy foods: soft toast fingers, cooked pasta, rice cakes
• Protein: flaked salmon, soft-cooked egg, hummus to dip into

Always avoid: honey (under 1 year), whole nuts, whole grapes, raw apple (choking hazards), added salt, added sugar.

What about gagging?

Gagging is normal and is not choking. It's a safety reflex — your baby's gag reflex is positioned further forward in the mouth than an adult's, which is protective. Gagging looks dramatic but is your baby's body doing its job.

Choking is silent — no sound, no colour, no movement. Learn infant first aid before you start weaning. St John Ambulance offers free online training.

Making it work day to day

• Offer food at family mealtimes where possible — babies learn by watching
• Don't put food in their mouth for them — let them self-feed
• Expect most food to go on the floor for the first few months
• Milk is still the main nutrition until 12 months — food is for learning
• Offer water in an open cup from 6 months

Tracking your baby's weaning journey

Use TinyYears to log what your baby tried each day, what they liked, and how they got on. Looking back at your weaning notes when you have a second child is invaluable — and the photos of those first messy meals are absolutely priceless.

Download TinyYears — free for every parent.