This authoritative guide to baby-led weaning — the latest buzz in parenting circles — explains the benefits of infant self-feeding in terms of nutritional health, eating habits, motor development, independence and confidence. Baby-led Weaning is written by the UK’s leading authority on the subject.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"It sounds like common sense: after all, would you want to be strapped into a high chair and force-fed spoon after spoon of bland vegetables? It's surely much more exciting to be able to exercise a bit of control over your diet" Guardian "could radically simplify infant feeding" Daily Telegraph "[Baby-led weaning] makes life so much easier" The Times "I see many happy children, who choose their own food independently and eat at their own pace" Stefan Kleintjes, paediatric dietitian "the benefits are great" Independent
About the Author
Gill Rapley pioneered baby-led weaning in the U.K. She has worked as a nurse for 20 years and has also been a midwife and breastfeeding counselor. Tracey Murkett is a freelance writer.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
28 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
There's nothing new about Gill Rapley's ideas, besides the name, but for parents who think feeding a baby means jars and purees, it's a good read. Before commercial baby foods (and even after for most parents in most parts of the world), babies were simply offered bites off their parent's plate when they were ready to start solids. But when most of us were babies, the recommendation became to start solids at very young ages and purees were introduced (how else will you get "solid" food into a 2 week old?). Now that the recommendations have returned to more realistic expectations of when babies will be ready to eat, more and more parents are realizing that their babies don't need mush - they can eat "real" food right off the bat. If you'd like to introduce this idea to a new parent, aren't certain when or how to start feeding your baby solids, or need support for when Grandma is horrified, this is the book to buy. If you're looking for recipes for "baby" food, tables of what food to introduce at what age, or detailed lists of foods to avoid, you won't find them here. This is just a reassuring introduction to the idea of simply feeding your baby from your own healthy meals.
By the way, for American audiences, "weaning" technically begins as soon as food other than breastmilk (or formula) is introduced. If you're looking for a guide on weaning baby from the breast, you're looking at the wrong book!
By the way, for American audiences, "weaning" technically begins as soon as food other than breastmilk (or formula) is introduced. If you're looking for a guide on weaning baby from the breast, you're looking at the wrong book!
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By Heidi Burns
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Great book. First off this is not a weaning off the breast book, it is an introduction to solids book.
I exclusively breastfed my daughter for 8mos and when I was ready to introduce solids, she wasn't. She was more interested in feeding herself and wouldn't let me spoon feed her. Turns out that was great for me. I spoon fed my boys at 4 and 5 mos old and it was very time consuming and I wasn't sure if they were full or fussy when they'd refuse to eat.
This book eliminates the struggle. Babies have a sensitive gag reflex and by using this book I was able to let my baby take the lead on feeding herself while not overreacting at any sound she made while eating. Also it gives a great guideline of how much and when to feed them solids that correlates with breastfeeding and formula feeding.
If your little one has issues with spoon feeding or heck even if they don't, this is a great book for beginner feeders. I wish I had this with my boys.
I exclusively breastfed my daughter for 8mos and when I was ready to introduce solids, she wasn't. She was more interested in feeding herself and wouldn't let me spoon feed her. Turns out that was great for me. I spoon fed my boys at 4 and 5 mos old and it was very time consuming and I wasn't sure if they were full or fussy when they'd refuse to eat.
This book eliminates the struggle. Babies have a sensitive gag reflex and by using this book I was able to let my baby take the lead on feeding herself while not overreacting at any sound she made while eating. Also it gives a great guideline of how much and when to feed them solids that correlates with breastfeeding and formula feeding.
If your little one has issues with spoon feeding or heck even if they don't, this is a great book for beginner feeders. I wish I had this with my boys.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a great philosophy and practice with well written book to back it up My twins are 5 months old, and I am waiting until they are 6 months old to begin feeding them (or letting them feed themselves.) This book does get a bit repetitive, as the gist can be summed up in one chapter. I sort of wish it talked more about sample menus, ways to cook or cut food appropriately, or simply had larger charts or tables. I suppose the point is that this is a more laid back introduction to weaning, but I still like easily digested charts. Also, I'm sure I'm not the only parent who wants to combine this practice with avoiding common foods that are connected to intolerances and allergies. More information about that would be nice.
15 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was so excited about this concept, but it just didn't work for us. My son became extremely frustrated with the large chunks of food. I offered him the sizes that Rapley recommended, and let him pick up what he wanted, and it just made him cry he was so frustrated. When I tried the homemade puree, he gobbled it up! I talked to a few pediatricians about Rapley's claim that the gag reflex moves down the tongue as the baby ages and none of the Dr.'s that I consulted agreed that this was true. One pediatrician actually said, "That is totally false. When I check for a gag reflex on a new born, I touch the back of the throat." We had a few scary choking episodes. Rapley tries to assuage the readers fear of choking by calling it gagging, but it still made my heart beat too fast and tears come to my eyes. By making my own gourmet purees, my son who is now 14 months (and still breastfeeding) loves to eat all kinds of foods from duck with fennel and garlic to sushi rolls!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Marcie
Format:Paperback
After reading a few books on pureeing-based baby feeding, I felt even more overwhelmed on how to introduce solid foods to my child. This book made the whole process so much more simple: no tables on when to introduce what, no list of "no" foods until a certain age. There are a few basic rules, like avoiding raw honey and choking hazards, but otherwise it's whatever the child can feed him/herself from what is offered.
I like that the leading author had credentials, and had performed her own research on child feeding. One book that I had read, Super Baby Food, gave dietary information and inconsistent data as well as poor referencing, from a woman whose only background is being a mother herself.
Probably thanks to the co-author, the book was easy to read. There are many separated sections, so that when your child interrupts your reading, it is easy to pick up again where you left off.
The reason that it didn't make it to five stars is that it gets very repetitive. The first half of the book is great, but as you continue through the remainder you feel like that you've already read about this information. Perhaps that was the only way to make a book out of a simple subject.
I like that the leading author had credentials, and had performed her own research on child feeding. One book that I had read, Super Baby Food, gave dietary information and inconsistent data as well as poor referencing, from a woman whose only background is being a mother herself.
Probably thanks to the co-author, the book was easy to read. There are many separated sections, so that when your child interrupts your reading, it is easy to pick up again where you left off.
The reason that it didn't make it to five stars is that it gets very repetitive. The first half of the book is great, but as you continue through the remainder you feel like that you've already read about this information. Perhaps that was the only way to make a book out of a simple subject.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, practical guide
I bought this book because the concept of baby led weaning really appealed to me but as a first time mum I wanted some specific ideas as to how to go about it. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Briony
5.0 out of 5 stars
Our experience
So I can say now after one year and 4 month that I'm very grateful to Gill for the book. It helped me to overpower my fears as a new parent.
Published 4 months ago by rina
4.0 out of 5 stars
Informative and worth considering when starting to wean your child
I found this book very useful, as I have just started to wean my twin boys. I find that I do a combination of baby led weaning and traditional weaning. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Nicolette de Zoete
5.0 out of 5 stars
Relax and let them eat!
I LOVE this book, and I am NOT a reader. When my son was getting close to starting solids, I sought out this concept - basically exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months, and... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Angela S. Cardas-Meredith
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting points
Although I still plan to continue feeding by son purees, this book gave great tips that I will try to introduce food in their natural state, by cutting fruits, vegetables, and meat... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Rachel A. Flavin
4.0 out of 5 stars
Simple n natural way to wean
Love this book. Very logical, outlined well n explains clearly how baby led weaning is simple and a great choice for both baby and family
Published 13 months ago by LouG
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cannot say enough good things about this book!!
This book is amazing!! I love the idea of BLW!! I read it about 3 years ago when it was time for my first daughter to begin solids. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Trishalv
4.0 out of 5 stars
Stop searching amazon for baby feeding books, go get your credit card,...
We started our son on this from when he was a little over 6 months and though the concept is simple it is the best parenting adivce ever! Read more
Published on November 26, 2010 by Lauren Masci
5.0 out of 5 stars
An honest approach to healthy eating for your child...
Finding this book was the best thing I've done as a parent...honestly. One of my biggest concerns is that my child will be a picky eater. Read more
Published on October 9, 2010 by Polka Dot
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love BLW!
BLW is great- we skipped purees and went straight to real food- now he eats broccoli, steak, chicken, etc. Read more
Published on August 5, 2010 by tex mex
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
So You'd Like to...
|
|
