Starting Solids

Starting your baby on solids is so exciting! Whether you are trying baby-led weaning, making all your own baby food, or keeping it simple with ready-made foods, here are some of the things you will need to get started:

SPOONS. We really liked the soft silicone spoons by Munchkin for Baby A’s first feeds. Since then we have been using Munchkin’s white hot safety spoons, the spoons that come with the Baby Björn bowl, and these self-feeding spoons.

BIBS & SMOCKS. Sometimes (especially when starting self-feeding) we use the Baby Björn smock (which also comes in handy for art projects down the road), but mostly we use the Baby Björn Soft Bibs. They do the job, catch all sorts of spills (including sippy cup disasters), and you can even pop them in the dishwasher for easy cleaning.

HIGH CHAIR. We have two: the IKEA Antilop as an extra high chair for guests and just because it is super easy to move around and transport, so we bring it with us if we are going to be away for a couple of days and I like to just pull it up to the counter when I’m preparing dinner so that Alec can see what’s going on. And of course, the Stokke Tripp Trapp. We have a white one with a black baby set. A spill mat for under the high chair is also a good idea.

BOWLS. We use the Baby Björn plates/bowls which have great edges to help baby scoop up food and prevent messes. We have also used the Unbelievabowl quite a lot. It is almost as great as it is made out to be. Once in a while it does loosen though, and when that happens, it’s messy. But if you have a table with a very even surface, this is a great first bowl for baby.

CUPS. We have tried them all, believe me. And the best one we have found is by far the Béaba 3-Stage Training Cup. You can use it with a nipple top to begin with, then as a sippy (the only one our baby has ever really taken to), and then as a regular cup with handles. Buy three right off the bat and save yourself the trouble and cost.

FEEDING ON-THE-GO. Besides a good little lunch box (I use the little bottle cooler that came with my breast pump!), you’ll need table toppers, disposable bibs, Take & Toss sippies, bowls and spoons and hand & face wipes. The table toppers give you an instantly hygienic surface for your baby to eat at, and make clean-ups super easy. Disposable bibs with pockets are fabulous so you don’t have to bring home a yucky icky bib to clean afterwards. And Take & Toss stuff is pretty durable, but you won’t feel bad when you forget them here and there. A good high chair/shopping cart cover is also great to keep in the car or stroller basket. We have a black one from Balboa. We also absolutely love these screw-on spoons for ready-made baby food in squeezy tubes. LOVE.