This is a question that many parents ask themselves:
👉 When should a baby eat 3 meals a day?
We would like a simple answer.
A specific age.
A clear reference point.
But in BLW … it doesn't work like that.
✨ It's not a question of age, but of evolution
In child-led weaning, there are no fixed rules.
Every baby develops at their own pace.
Some people will want to eat several meals more quickly.
Others will take more time.
👉 And that's perfectly normal.
🥄 The major milestones in BLW
As the weeks go by, the baby develops:
- He discovers food in large pieces (sticks)
- then into smaller pieces
- and gradually develops its fine motor skills
These stages do not follow a precise schedule.
👉 They depend on the baby's abilities.
My children's journey in BLW
As you know, I'm a mom to two little wonders: Holly (January 31, 2020) and Lenny (January 16, 2023). They both progressed differently with BLW and started eating three meals a day at different times. I'm going to tell you about their BLW.
Holly and the BLW
Holly was immediately drawn to food and quickly learned how to get it to her mouth. We started by introducing her midday meal, after a short feeding so she wouldn't start eating hungry, and at a time when she was most alert.
Around 8 months old, seeing that she enjoyed it, we added an afternoon snack. It wasn't until she was 10-11 months old that she started eating breakfast, lunch, an afternoon snack, and dinner. Before that, milk was enough for the rest of her meals.
Lenny and the BLW
For Lenny, it was a different story! We were dealing with a real little glutton! At 6 months old, we started introducing lunch,. It was a real revelation: he absolutely loved discovering food! He had a little more trouble getting the food to his mouth, he was so excited ! We sometimes even had to take a break from breastfeeding so he could resume eating more calmly.
He enjoyed discovering new foods so much that by the time he was 7 months old, he was already eating breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner. And all of this with a milk supplement at each meal.
👀 Signs that baby is ready to increase meals
Instead of looking at its age, observe your baby.
You can start offering more meals if:
✔️ Eats with pleasure
✔️ Handles the first bite well
✔️ Shows interest in meals
✔️ Seems still hungry outside of scheduled feeding times
👉 In this case, you can gradually add a meal.
💛 Trust your own pace
In BLW , the baby is an actor.
He's the one who's going to show you:
- if he wants to eat more
- if he is ready to evolve
- if he wishes to discover more
👉 Your role: to propose, observe… and adjust.
✨ Practical guide: how to introduce meals gradually
You can proceed like this:
1️⃣ Start with lunch
2️⃣ Then add an
3️⃣ Then breakfast and dinner
👉 Always according to your baby's needs, never force it
