Baby-Led Weaning Education

What you will be able to do

• check your baby against the signs of readiness for solid food described in New Zealand guidance.
• set up every meal safely and prepare finger foods in the right shapes and textures for your baby's stage.
• tell gagging from choking and describe the first aid steps taught in New Zealand for babies under 1.
• name foods to avoid in the first year and the foods that are a choking risk for young children, and explain why.
• plan iron-rich finger foods and introduce allergenic foods one at a time in safe forms.
• adapt family meals for your baby and build towards three meals a day by around 12 months.
• recognise when to ask your Well Child nurse or GP for help with feeding.

1. 1What baby-led weaning is, and when to start

   What baby-led weaning means in practice, how it fits with New Zealand advice on starting solids, and how to tell when your baby is really ready for solid food.

   • Baby-led weaning in plain words
   • Is your baby ready? The three signs

   BLW readiness check

2. 2Setting up safely, and the right shapes and sizes

   How to set up every meal safely, how to cut food so your baby can grip it, and which foods need changing or avoiding in the first year.

   • A safe seat and a safe set-up
   • Shapes and sizes that work for small hands
   • Foods to change, and foods to avoid in the first year

   BLW safe food shapes and sizes guide

3. 3Gagging or choking? Knowing the difference

   Why gagging is a normal part of learning to eat, how to recognise choking, and the first aid steps taught in New Zealand for babies under 1.

   • Why babies gag, and how to stay calm
   • Recognising choking and what to do
   • Lowering the risk at every meal

   Gagging vs choking cardBLW safe food shapes and sizes guide

4. 4First foods, iron and milk

   What to put on the tray in the first weeks, why iron needs special attention in baby-led weaning, and how milk feeds and drinks fit around food.

   • What goes on the tray first
   • Iron, milk and drinks
   • Tracking first foods and building variety

   First foods tracker

5. 5Introducing allergens the BLW way

   Which foods can cause allergic reactions, how to offer them in safe finger-food forms, and how to spot and record a reaction.

   • The allergenic foods, and how to offer them as finger foods
   • Spotting a reaction and keeping a log

   Allergen log

6. 6Moving to family meals

   How meals build from first tastes to three meals a day, how to adapt family food for your baby, and how to handle mess, worries and the need for extra help.

   • From first tastes to three meals a day
   • Adapting family meals for your baby
   • Mess, worries and when to ask for help

   BLW meal ideas plannerFirst foods tracker

• CheckerBLW readiness checkCheck whether your baby shows the signs of readiness for solid food described in New Zealand guidance and whether your set-up is ready for baby-led weaning.
• CardsBLW safe food shapes and sizes guidePrintable cards showing how to cut and cook common foods so your baby can hold them safely at each stage.
• CardsGagging vs choking cardA quick-reference card to keep by the high chair, showing how to tell gagging from choking and the first steps taught in New Zealand for babies under 1.
• TrackerFirst foods trackerLog the new foods your baby explores, how they were prepared, iron-rich foods and how meals are going over the first 8 weeks.
• TrackerAllergen logRecord each allergenic food you introduce, how much and in what form, and any reaction, so you can keep them in your baby's diet and share clear details with a health professional.
• PlannerBLW meal ideas plannerPlan a week of baby-led meals that share your family's food, with iron-rich foods and introduced allergens built in.