Trusting Tiny Hands: a gentle introduction to baby-led weaning by Dr. Dee | Feminine Systems ⸻

When a baby reaches for food for the first time, it’s not just about nutrition—it’s about agency.

It’s about invitation over instruction, and presence over pressure. This is the quiet revolution of baby-led weaning.

As a doctor and mother, I’ve learned that nourishment doesn’t begin in the kitchen—it begins in trust. And baby-led weaning (BLW) is one of the most beautiful ways to cultivate that trust.

What is Baby-Led Weaning?

Baby-led weaning is a gentle approach to introducing solids where babies feed themselves with whole, age-appropriate foods—no purées, no spoons from adults, no control battles.

Instead of the traditional method of spoon-feeding mashed food, BLW encourages babies to:

• Explore food with their senses,
• Practice hand-eye coordination, and
• Listen to their body’s hunger and fullness cues—a skill many adults are still learning to reclaim.

When Can You Start?

Solids are recommended to be started after 6 months.

The signs of readiness include:

• Sitting up unassisted
• Loss of tongue-thrust reflex
• Interest in food
• Ability to bring objects to their mouth

This typically happens around 6 months of age, but the real marker is readiness, not the calendar.

What Can You Offer First?

Think soft, safe, simple.

Some gentle introductions:

• Steamed carrot sticks and any vegetables like broccoli
• Ripe apple slices
• Soft-cooked sweet potato wedges
• Banana spears (with peel halfway on for grip)
• Boiled egg yolk, homemade yogurt, liver, boiled fish pieces

Let your baby hold, taste, smell, and decide how much to eat. Gagging is normal. Choking is rare when foods are sized and cooked appropriately.

Why I Advocate for It as a Doctor

From a clinical perspective, BLW supports:

• Oral motor skill development
• Digestive and immune system training
• Early allergy exposure (when approached with care)

But beyond that, it’s a practice that mirrors the feminine system of learning: Non-linear, intuitive, sensory, and self-directed.

We are not just teaching babies how to eat. We are teaching them how to tune in, how to self-regulate, and how to be in relationship with food—not dominated by it.

The Weaning Ritual

In Feminine Systems, we speak of ritualising moments. What if we made first foods a ritual?

• A cloth on the floor.
• A silver or clay plate.
• A lit candle.
• A soft hum of a song passed down.

Let your baby feel that eating is not a transaction—it’s a sacred moment of becoming.

Common Concerns

Choking? When foods are appropriately prepared and baby is upright and supervised, risk is low. Learn the difference between gagging and choking—it will calm your heart.

Mess? Yes. But this is how autonomy looks—unfiltered, joyous, sticky. Invest in a bib, a dog, or a deep breath.

Nutrient balance? By 6 months, breastmilk or formula is still the primary nutrition source. Food is about exploration. Iron-rich foods like lentils, cooked spinach, and egg yolks can be offered early on. Follow the four-day rule—the rule suggests that when you introduce a new food to your baby, you should give them that same food for four consecutive days before introducing another new food.

Baby-led weaning is a lesson in letting go of control—something we all must learn in parenthood.

So, to every mother asking, “Am I doing this right?” I say:

If you’re watching your baby with wonder, not worry—yes, you are. You’re not just feeding a body. You’re feeding a future of trust, freedom, and embodied wisdom.