Baby-Led Weaning: Safe Shapes and Sizes by Age

Baby-led weaning is not a philosophy. It is a handover of control, and almost all of the safety in it lives in how you cut the food.

Inside

• What BLW is and is not, with an honest list of what it offers and what it costs
• The readiness bar for self-feeding, which is higher than for spoon-feeding
• The seven shapes that cause choking, so you can assess a food you have never met
• Eight rules that apply at every single meal
• A cutting chart for six to eight months, food by food
• A second chart for nine to twelve months, where the pieces get smaller rather than bigger
• How to keep iron on track when the grippable foods are the least iron-dense

Who it is for

• Parents starting BLW who want the cutting rules in one place
• Anyone combining purée and finger food and wondering if that is allowed (it is)
• Caregivers and daycares who need the shape rules written down

Format

• 8-page PDF, A4, instant download
• Print-friendly, and readable on a phone one-handed at 3am
• Guidance checked against AAP, CDC, NIAID and Health Canada recommendations, with US and Canadian differences flagged where they differ

Educational material, not medical advice. Written for healthy, full-term babies. Always follow your pediatrician, family doctor, or dietitian, who know your baby.