Some research and interesting articles I have picked up on my travels that will be of great use to you.
Have a look at our Baby Led Weaning Short Stories written by other BLW'er parents!
What is Baby Led Weaning?
In a Nutshell....
The main theory is a baby is ready to eat when he/she is physically able to do so. When the research took place they tested it on babies from 4 months old but none were able to actually pick up the food and feed themselves until around the 6 month mark.
It encourages good eating habits too as the baby can explore the food in its true form. Also they eat as little or as much as they desire rather than being spoon fed. It is very messy and absolutely no spoon feeding involved in it.
It is a slow process but with practice they get very good at it! When I first started I didn't think anything was going in BB's tummy but the nappy was proof it was!
BLW weaning starts on their first food... there's no purees to start and then finger food as that is not the baby leading iykwim! This is why more and more mum's who wait until 6 months to wean go straight to BLW.
The best bit is, it is so much fun!
For further information and research, take a look at the following links. The best place to start is Gill's guidelines!
Gill Rapley's Guide for Baby Led Weaning
MSN Group to chat, & share experience on BLW
Annabel Karmel & Gill Rapley Radio Interview RE Weaning
Gov' Simple but Useful Leaflet on Weaning
Wikipedia Article and Summary on BLW
Observer Article 17th June 07 - Pureed food 'isn't natural for babies'