23 Week Old Baby Reader Story 💡
Baby-Led… What?
Baby Week to Week 23 Mama Natural Baby getting his greens in.
As the baby of four children, I was done with fancy high chairs and gadgets by the time my son came along. From birth, he sat in my lap during family meals—he has watched me eat for many months. So I knew he was ready to try solid food when he would start mimicking the same oral movements as chewing. Thanks to my mom tribe, I was vaguely familiar with baby-led weaning and didn’t need to do much research. I simply offered bites off my plate—potato, Brussels sprouts, green beans, bananas, chicken breast…you name it! If it was on my plate, baby could taste it (within reason, of course!). I used common sense, skipping anything crunchy, like seeds or raw carrots, that couldn’t be mashed between gums or dissolve. As his physical development progressed and he could keep his core off the ground when moving around on the floor, or get himself into sitting and standing, I brought out the booster seat. Baby will now sit at the table and use his own dexterity and speed to feed himself. He eats steamed peas, carrots, sweet potato chunks, broccoli, cauliflower, sliced bananas, pears—all the same foods you would find in a jar, only not pureed.
It’s so low key and makes my life so much easier. I don’t have to pack jars of food and snacks. Whatever I’m eating, baby can eat. Plus, I know he’s getting a nutritious, well-rounded meal.