Yes, you can start baby-led weaning when your baby is 5 months providing that they have achieved these milestones:
- Able to hold up their head and sit in a high chair
- Open their mouth when food comes their way
- Can move food from spoon to throat
- Weigh at least 2x their birthweight
- No longer exhibit the tongue-thrust reflex (automatically pushing food out with tongue)
If your child was born prematurely and/or has a pre-existing medical condition, consult your pediatrician before starting baby-led weaning.
First foods for baby-led weaning (BLW)
New to baby-led weaning? Here are some examples of starter foods:
- Cooked broccoli or cauliflower
- Cooked zucchini batons
- Avocado strips
- Banana cut into wedges
- Melon slices
- Soft mango batons
- Soft-cooked pear wedges
- Well-cooked wedges of sweet potato or pumpkin
- Scrambled eggs or a plain omelet cut into strips
- Cooked tofu strips
- De-boned cooked salmon flaked into pieces
- Whole milk plain yogurt
For more information on starting baby-led weaning get The Busy Parent’s Guide to Baby-Led Weaning here.
