Baby-Led Weaning

Baby-Led Weaning explodes the myth that babies need to be spoon-fed and shows why self-feeding from the start of the weaning process is the healthiest way for your child to develop. With baby-led weaning (BLW, for short), you can skip purées and make the transition to solid food by following your baby's cues. At about six months, most babies are ready to join the family at the kitchen table and discover food for themselves. Baby-Led Weaning is the definitive guide to this crucial period in your child's development, and shows you how to help your baby: Participate in family meals right from the start Experiment with food at his or her own pace Develop new abilities, including hand-eye coordination and chewing Learn to love a variety of foods and to enjoy mealtimes Baby-led weaning became a parenting phenomenon in the U.K. practically overnight, inspiring a fast-growing and now international online community of parents who practice baby-led weaning--with blogs and pictures to prove it! In Baby-Led Weaning, world-leading BLW authority Gill Rapley and early BLW practitioner and coauthor Tracey Murkett deliver everything you need to know about raising healthy, confident eaters.

Gill Rapley is the pioneering champion of baby-led weaning. She has studied infant feeding and child development for many years, gaining a master's degree in 2005 and a PhD in 2015. She worked as a health visitor (public health nurse) for more than twenty years, and has also been a midwife, lactation consultant, and breastfeeding counselor. She lives in Kent, England, with her husband, and has three grown-up children, all of whom tried their best to show her that they didn't need any help with solid foods.