Been doing this baby-led weaning thing, thanks to Hal's early determination not to eat anything off a spoon.
It does make weaning tricky, when health visitors sing only from the baby rice and puree hymn sheet. I was beginning to freak when he wouldn't even succumb to ice cream in 40+ degree weather during the summer in France (Good for you, boy. Stick to your guns. And spite that face). Then he swiped a piece of toast from dug's plate and the rest is history.
It's a bit of a movement, with a yahoo chat group, a queen-bee blogger (who's actually very good and committed) and even a UNESCO study to add credibility. I had to remove myself from the yahoo group because I was beginning to resent the space it was taking up in my inbox, and I giving less and less of a damn about whether other peoples' babies shat undigested sweetcorn. So sue me, I used them. They were my brick cart but now I can walk...
What has been fascinating is watching the mental process of an eight-month-old who has figured out that the fastest way to shovel butternut-squash risotto into his mouth is not with his fists but by using a tool, ie, a spoon. Darwin would have been proud.