If you've found your way here, the chances are you're either deep into the wonderful (messy) world of weaning, just about to start, or googling all those burning feeding questions at 3 am while your baby sleeps. I’ve certainly been there myself!
My name’s Lucy, and I’m a registered paediatric dietitian who has specialised in children's nutrition and feeding for the past 16 years. I’ve been fortunate to work with thousands of families to support their child’s feeding journey across nursery settings, the NHS and private practice. I even wrote a book last year (The Ultimate Guide to Children’s Nutrition) to give parents a bible for those first five years of feeding a child, because, let’s face it, there’s so much noise out there and things change so quickly! I've also been running my social media accounts (@childrensdietitian) for over five years, sharing practical, evidence-based guidance for parents. I'm also a mum myself, to a now very boisterous three-year-old girl, which means everything I share is filtered through both a professional lens and the very real chaos of parenting a little one.
Weaning is one of the topics I get the most questions about, as the transition to solid foods can feel so daunting for many parents. So, here’s a whistle-stop tour of weaning, including the most-asked questions, plus the often-untold story about why letting your baby get messy is so important!
Understanding Messy, Baby-Led Weaning
How does baby-led weaning differ from traditional spoon-feeding approaches?
Weaning, put simply, refers to the introduction of solid foods, and from my perspective, I often reframe it as ‘learning to eat’. You may also see weaning described as complementary feeding, which rightly highlights that weaning isn’t about stopping your baby’s milk overnight, but rather a gradual transition onto solids that happens over many months.
There are various approaches parents take towards weaning, and whilst there is no right or wrong way, it can be helpful to understand the difference:
- Traditional (or ‘spoon-led’) weaning usually involves offering foods (e.g. pureed, mashed) on a spoon by a parent. Parents largely control the pace and the texture and are actively involved in feeding their baby, although parents are still encouraged to follow their baby's cues and lead.
- Baby-led weaning offers a slightly different approach. Instead of starting with purees, parents offer soft finger foods that their baby can pick up and feed themselves from the very start, often adapting options from the family's typical meals. With this approach, the focus is on the baby leading the feeding, e.g. deciding what to pick up, how much to eat, and what to do with it.
Combination approaches that mix spoon-feeding with finger foods are popular with parents.
What does messy weaning actually look like, and why does the mess matter?
Once you start weaning your baby, most parents quickly come to understand what messy weaning looks like. Food on the tray, the floor, you, your baby’s body and hair and perhaps even somehow on the wall or the dog. The reality is that learning to eat is a whole-body process for babies, which means mess is not only inevitable but also completely normal and part of feeding development. I encourage even the most mess-averse parents to lean into it.
Developmental Benefits of Messy Eating
How does messy weaning support a baby’s sensory development and skills?
Now for a bit more science and background behind the mess! One of the main ways babies learn about the world around them is known as sensori-motor learning. In simple terms, this means learning through the senses and through movement. Touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound all work together at once. When your baby grabs a piece of mango and squishes it, licks their fingers, then drops it on the floor to watch it fall, it might seem chaotic or even pointless (because the goal is eating right?), but in reality, it’s a bit of ‘baby science’. They are gathering information about the world in the most instinctive way they know how, whilst building a bank of experience about that food for later and practising how to eat it.
Food is one of the richest sensory experiences you can offer a baby, and when babies are given the freedom to handle food themselves, they are building neural pathways that help them make sense of new experiences. This is also why repeated exposure matters so much. A baby who turns their nose up at broccoli on day one is not a fussy eater. They are a baby who hasn't had enough chances to explore and learn about it yet. Research suggests it can take anywhere from 10 to 15 exposures to a new food before a baby accepts it, and those messy, hands-on experiences all count.
Food is also a great way for a baby to practice their developing motor skills. When a baby picks up a piece of soft-cooked carrot and squishes it between their fingers, they're developing fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and grip strength. They're also building confidence in their ability to interact with the world and to embrace new experiences!
How does self-feeding and food ‘play’ help babies develop positive food relationships?
As a mum myself who likes a clean and tidy house, I can empathise with how stepping back to allow your baby to feed themselves (and clumsily at first), or watching a mealtime that feels much more like play, can feel counterintuitive.
I speak to many parents who worry that their baby isn’t actually eating much to begin with (which is very normal by the way), and that a baby poking at a piece of avocado or repeatedly dropping the same piece of toast seems pointless, but what's happening in those moments is actually really important. When babies are in control of their own eating, mealtimes stop being something that happens to them and start being something they are actively part of. That sense of autonomy, of choosing what to pick up, what to taste, and what to push to the side one day and pick up the next, is actually a strong foundation for a healthy relationship with food.
Babies who are never pressured to eat, and who are free to explore at their own pace, are more likely to grow up children who feel relaxed and confident around food. The goal in these early months is not a clean plate or number of mouthfuls. It’s a baby who looks forward to sitting down with food, who is curious rather than anxious, and that starts with the mess, the play, and the freedom to explore.
Weaning Alongside Breastfeeding & Foods to Start With
How does weaning fit alongside breastfeeding?
Starting solid foods doesn't mean stopping breastfeeding, and guidance for parents is to continue offering their baby’s usual milk (breast milk or formula) throughout the weaning journey. In fact, milk continues to contribute significantly to a baby’s nutritional needs during those months when solids are introduced. As babies gain the skills to eat and gradually consume more in the way of solids, milk intake tends to decrease. It’s important to remember, however, that breastfed babies will feed for other reasons, like comfort and regulation.
What foods are best to start with if you’re baby-led weaning?
Six months of age is the recommended starting point for baby-led weaning, as babies have typically reached the key developmental milestones needed to start learning to eat safely. The best first foods are soft, easy to grip, and free from common choking hazards.
Good starting points include:
- Soft-cooked vegetable sticks or batons such as carrot, broccoli florets, and courgette
- Soft fruit like ripe banana, avocado, and well-ripened pear without the skin
- Strips of soft scrambled egg or omelette
- Fingers of soft-cooked potato or sweet potato
- Toast strips with soft toppings like mashed avocado, hummus or cream cheese
So, you have the confidence to let your baby get stuck in, make sure the food is soft enough to squish easily between your finger and thumb. Offer pieces roughly the size and shape of your finger (1-2 adult fingers) so babies can hold them in their fist (as they usually pick up food first with their palm, not fingers), with a bit poking out the top. Remember, always sit with your baby during meals and let them lead.
Weaning Equipment
What equipment do parents need to support messy weaning?
It can be easy to be drawn into buying a whole manner of weaning and feeding equipment, but in my opinion, the genuine weaning essentials would be:
- A highchair with good positioning support and an easy-to-clean tray
- A blender (if planning to do any purees)
- Some basic cooking equipment, e.g. pans, roasting tins, steamer
- Bibs, and even a coverall bib if you want to embrace mess without too much stress!
- Some easy-to-clean bowls, plates, spoons and a cup
My Top Mamas & Papas Messy Weaning Picks
As a feeding specialist, I spend a lot of time exploring essentials for weaning, and these are my top three picks from Mamas & Papas:
- The Eno Highchair – This is a great option for three main reasons. It’s easy to clean (and you can remove the tray), its shape supports your baby’s posture, providing support around their hips and back, and it has an adjustable footrest, which is incredibly supportive for a safe, stable position when eating.
- Long-Sleeved Bibs – My daughter lived in these during weaning, as they really helped me to relax into the mess and not churn through another set of clothes that day. Plus, durability and washability were a big yes from me.
- Bug 3-in-1 Floor & Booster Seat – As a mum who needed to get out and about during maternity leave, I loved the versatility the Bug gave me for taking my daughter's weaning journey beyond the house. It meant I could keep giving her opportunities with food outside the home and take it away with us when we went on holiday.
My Top Weaning Tips
These are my top tips for parents anxious about messy, baby-led weaning:
- Set your expectations before the meal and keep the bar low - Put the splash mat down, strip your baby to their vest if needed, grab the bib and accept that the highchair will need a good wipe.
- Try to avoid mid-meal wipes and swipes – Yes, your baby may look like they’ve lost a fight with a bowl of pasta, but resist the urge to keep interrupting the mealtime with wiping faces, plates or trays whilst your baby is still exploring. Save the clean-up for the end and invest in some reusable washcloths just for mealtimes.
- Separate food eaten from food explored – In the early weeks, not much might actually make it in. That's okay. Messy, playful meals are serving a bigger purpose than they are often given credit for.
- Offer small amounts to start with, one or two pieces of a few different things – Starting small means less waste and less clean-up.
Good luck – and remember – mealtimes won’t be this messy forever!
