Peloton’s Emma Lovewell Is Embracing Baby-Led Weaning With Daughter

In August, beloved Peloton instructor Emma Lovewell welcomed her first baby with fiancé Dave Clark. And now, the first-time parents have reached the point where they are embracing baby-led weaning. If you’re not familiar with BLW, let me give you the TL;DR. After around 4-6 months of solely drinking milk and/or formula, babies are ready to start solid foods, per the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

BLW is a way of slowly making that transition by offering infants small portions of whatever Mom and Dad are having for dinner and letting them eat what they want with their hands (or with a baby-safe utensil) while everyone sits around the table.

“They learn by doing,” the AAP said. “When your baby bites off too much, the extra will spill out of their mouth, helping them discover what fits (or doesn’t).”

The whole process, though perhaps unsettling and emotional (they grow up so fast!), promotes independence, improves their motor skills, and more. It’s even believed that offering a variety of flavors and textures at an early age leads to less picky eaters later on.

At the SHE Media Co-Lab at SXSW, Lovewell shared that she and Clark are in full BLW mode with their daughter Skylar, who they let “grasp food and shove it in her mouth.” That morning, she even ate a lemon. (A LEMON!)

“It was very cute,” Lovewell said, and we are dying to know what baby Skylar’s face looked like after eating the sour fruit. I know my reaction to a bite of lemon is anything but cute.

“My thought on the whole process is I’m trying to give her nutritious vegetables first, because we all know that kids don’t like their vegetables,” the fitness instructor continued.

And though she might have high hopes for this process, she also has a refreshing take.

“And who knows,” she said, “she could end up being the pickiest eater, but I’m just doing what I have.”

We love how laid back Lovewell seems. She’s taking the pressure off of ensuring Skylar isn’t a picky kid because, let’s face it, there are no guarantees. So why should new parents drive themselves crazy trying to create the perfect BLW menu?

So far, Lovewell and Clark have learned that Skylar does not like avocado, but she does have an affinity for another green.

“She loved [overcooked] string bean,” Lovewell said. ” … Her chubby little hands grab onto the string. That’s really cute.”

What else is really cute, you ask? The fact that Lovewell and her little string bean-loving cutie reached a special milestone at SXSW. Lovewell taught a class during SHE Media’s Co-Lab, and Skylar got to watch.

“This is her first time seeing mama at work!” Lovewell excitedly told the class. ” … My baby’s dancing with her dad!”

The father and daughter were standing off to the side, bouncing and enjoying the family’s first “Bring Your Kid To Work Day.” It must have been such a special core memory for Lovewell. Just like the first time she saw her daughter’s “chubby little hands” grab a string bean and love the veggie.