What I Wish I Knew Before Starting Baby Led Weaning

From one parent to another: the messy, honest truth about BLW

kid, food, fruit, baby bottle, childish, natural, health, baby, baby bottle, baby bottle, baby bottle, baby bottle, baby bottle

When we decided to try baby-led weaning (BLW), I was excited. The idea of letting our baby explore real food on their own sounded empowering and fun — not to mention less spoon-feeding sounded like a win!

But of course, like everything in parenting, it was a little more complicated than the Instagram photos made it look.

Now that we’re further along on our BLW journey, I wanted to share a few things I really wish I had known from the start. If you’re just beginning or even just considering it, I hope this gives you some reassurance, a few laughs, and maybe even a shortcut or two.

1. It’s Supposed to Be Messy – Like, Really Messy

I knew BLW would be messier than spoon-feeding, but I didn’t expect avocado on the walls messy. And the floor. And sometimes in my shoe?

We learned to lean into the chaos. A good long-sleeved bib and a splat mat under the high chair became absolute essentials in our house. They don’t eliminate the mess, but they do make cleanup a whole lot easier.

Also, if you haven’t picked out a high chair yet, we’ve had great luck with this adjustable and easy-to-clean one

Trust me — you’ll want something that’s simple to wipe down.

2. Gagging Is Normal – And Terrifying

One of the scariest moments in our early days was seeing our baby gag for the first time. I panicked. But after doing a little research, I learned that gagging is actually a protective reflex — completely normal, and different from choking.

Still, the fear is real. What helped us most was taking a quick infant CPR and choking safety course online. It gave us the confidence to continue BLW safely — and that peace of mind made a huge difference.

3. They’re Learning More Than They’re Eating

For the first few weeks, I kept thinking, “Are they even swallowing anything?” And the truth is… probably not much. That’s normal!

In the early stages, BLW is about exploration, not nutrition. Your baby is learning how to hold, taste, chew, and move food around in their mouth. Milk (breastmilk or formula) is still their main food source and that’s totally okay.

So if it feels like more food ends up on the floor than in their belly — you’re not doing it wrong.

4. You Don’t Need to Cook Anything Fancy

I’ll admit it — I got sucked into making banana oat pancakes and vegetable fritters… at first. But the foods that our baby actually loved were the simplest ones:

• Steamed broccoli
• Avocado slices
• Scrambled eggs
• Soft roasted sweet potato

If you’re eating something healthy and baby-safe, you can usually just modify a portion for your little one. This BLW-friendly steamer basket made it easy to soften veggies without adding salt or extra seasoning.

No Pinterest-perfect meals needed.

5. Your Baby Will Surprise You

Some days, our baby goes wild for steamed zucchini. The next day? Full-on rejection. Welcome to BLW.

The key is variety and low pressure. Keep offering new foods alongside familiar favorites and don’t stress if they toss it on the floor (again). This is about building a positive relationship with food, not perfect eating habits from day one. Or day two.

When you take the pressure off, meals become more fun — for everyone at the table.

Final Thoughts

Looking back, I’m really glad we chose baby-led weaning, even if the early days were messy and a bit nerve-wracking. It helped our baby become confident, curious, and open to trying new foods.

If you’re just starting out, know that you’re not alone. BLW can be intimidating, but with a little preparation and a whole lot of patience, you’ll find your rhythm.

And if you’re looking for a little extra support, check out some of the tools and resources that helped us most:
• [Our favorite BLW bib]
• [The high chair we love]
• [A safety course we trust]
• [Simple kitchen tools for BLW prep]

(As an affiliate, I may earn a small commission if you purchase through these links — at no extra cost to you. I only recommend what we’ve personally used and loved.)

You’ve got this. Mess and all.