This isn't bad, although far too anecdote focused for my taste and oddly (defensively?) repetitious about not needing to be concerned if your baby isn't chubby - that focusing on that is somehow old fashioned and raises the spectre of obesity which is just plain odd. This ties in with raising an independent, confident, child. Because of it I can anticipate watching (with pleasure) my granddaughter learn to feed herself. This book provided me with the knowledge to relax and go along with my daughter's approach.

This is a major factor in today's world where so many adults and children are overweight. With this approach, where babies are given both opportunity and time to feed themselves, parents can avoid the possibility of their babies eating too fast or too much, and so avoid having children who are obese.

Babies have a gaging reflex that prevents large pieces of food approaching the air-passage, and they will cough out food they cannot swallow, PROVIDED they are sitting upright. Most important of all they will not choke over solids. Yes, mealtimes will be messy, but that's OK! Given time and opportunity, they will learn to feed themselves. Babies do not need to be spoon-fed by adults. They need to eat with the family and be given all the time they need to feed. They may not take a balanced meal in one go but will, over days, take what is required. Given sufficient exposure to a variety of foods, babies will learn the skills for feeding themselves and will also take whatever they need. In the first few months, babies will play with solid foods, exploring their color, smell, texture, but that is no reason to worry, as they are still gaining their main nutrients from their mother's milk. They can be given much the same food as their family, as long as the food is such that they can grasp it in their little hands.

The latest thinking is that babies should not be introduced to solids until six months of age. This book helped me understand my daughter's approach to solid foods and re-assured me that my granddaughter would not choke to death or starve because of it! I learned much that I had not known before: I am so glad I read this book! When my daughter started introducing finger foods to her six month old, and I saw the little one 'gag', I was horrified and thought she was about to choke! I was used to babies having pureed foods and had a hard time understanding that babies could eat everything their parents eat (within reason)and that they should feed themselves from day one of weaning. I try to keep up with my daughter's reading about child rearing, since it gives me an understanding of her approach to raising her baby, my precious granddaughter.

Baby-led Weaning by Gill Rapley