Hello goddesses!!!

When Mermaid Daughter was just a tiny three month old, Chris’ beautiful cousin was juggling her six month old on her knee. We were chatting over Chinese food, and she mentioned three little words I hadn’t heard before:

Baby Led Weaning.

I quickly ordered the book & ate it up (ha!)

The philosophy of Baby Led Weaning does away with spoon feeding.

Pretty much, after babe is six months, you let her start feeding herself from your plate.

You start off with the bland vegetables and fruits, then slowly let her start trying new things.

It totally intrigued me. I hadn’t even thought about how I was going to introduce solids – but I didn’t know anything different from spoon feeding & purees & playing choo-choo trains.

{Just so you know – Baby Led Weaning isn’t about weaning from breastfeeding. It’s just a method of introducing food. Breastfeeding weaning isn’t anywhere on my radar at all right now – I’m happy & Mermaid Daughter is happy with ze current State of Boob Affairs.}

Anywaysies, Baby Led Weaning felt intuitive and right and made a lot of sense to me.

Once Mermaid Daughter was around six months, she started reaching for food. So we let her.

Her first meal?

Spinach leaves from my salad.

Mermaid Daughter’s First Meal.

So that’s how it’s continued on.

Mermaid Daughter sits on my laps for meals – we don’t have a high chair, and don’t use them in restaurants. She seems to stay happier, calmer & more content eating from my plate & sitting on my lap (for right now – I know these things change!)

It can be pretty messy sometimes, but I’m pretty relaxed about mess. At home, we eat on the verandah and our Little Furry Vacuum Cleaners (aka Charlie & Angel puppies!) do their special magic cleaning up trick after we’ve finished eating. And when we’re out, I just scoop up afterwards. Good fun!

Evidence:

Mermaid Daughter is now eight months old.

She pretty happily feeds herself – vegetables, rice, cornflakes, vegetarian sushi, fruit.

It will be a while longer before we introduce dairy or gluten – there is intolerance to both of them in our family, so we’ll take time & follow instinct as to if/when she’ll try them out.

In the meantime…

it’s just having fun, keeping it simple, joyful & loving…

Today, I went out to lunch on my parent’s farm. What did our little mermaid do?

She sat on my sister’s lap & ate carrots and peas and roasted pumpkin and lettuce from her plate.

At dinner time, she ate roasted sweet potato and spinach leaves from our dinner plates, and fed her banana to the dogs while giggling like a banshee.

Want a copy of Baby Led Weaning?

Are you an Aussie goddess with a babe-in-arms who’d like to read Baby Led Weaning?

In my zeal to get my hands on a copy… I managed to get two!

I’ve got a spare copy that I’d love to gift on. Just pop me an email (leonie AT goddessguidebook DOT com) & the first goddess can have it 🙂

Okly dokly… bed time for this goddess!

Have a gorgeous day, dearest!!!