Starting solids
Starting solids can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be stressful. Remember, when you first start your baby will be eating very little - maybe 1/2 a tsp worth of food.
I started offering mid-morning only for two weeks, then offered at breakfast as well and to be honest, I put off introducing dinner for a while! This staged approach made it achievable and I personally enjoyed watching my baby attempt/learn to eat - it’s pretty hilarious.
There are a lot of opinions on when to start solids and how to feed your baby. I listened to my paediatrician and Dr Golly (obsessed with him) and started solids at 4/4.5 months old. Our baby was interested in food and could hold her head up (they don’t need trunk control, only head control), so she was ready! Our baby was a happy spitter and our paediatrician said starting solids would help reduce this as well. I’m of the mindset that letting our baby learn to eat early helped her continue to sleep through the night and helped with regressions - by the time extra calories were needed, she was able to get them.
I started off with purees and once my baby was able to pick up food, offered a mix of purees and finger food (baby led weaning). From about 7 months old our baby exerted her independence and wouldn’t let anyone spoon-feed her! Suited me just fine!
Early feeding: Bumbo
I picked this up second hand on Facebook Marketplace for $5! This was great to use in the very early stages of solids, before our baby had trunk control and could sit in a high chair. It’s easy to clean and pack in the car for travel or visiting friends.
High Chair: Tripp Trapp
Yes the Stokke Tripp Trapp is a bougie purchase but I don’t regret it. It’s an elegant design that doesn’t look out of place at our dining table. Our baby loves it and will be able to use it for years to come. The adjustable foot plate can move down as bub grows - having somewhere to rest feet is important to encourage sitting at the table and eating (just as it is for adults). You will have to purchase the Baby Seat and Tray, but you can find a good bundle by shopping around. It can be finicky figuring out how to take the tray on and off and adjust the traps, but I didn’t find it to be a big deal and to me it’s worth it.
Once bub is too big for the Bumbo, the Izimini is great for travel, the park, the beach, visiting friends… the list goes on! It packs into a small carry bag that could fit in a suitcase and is super light! We received ours as a gift - a great present.
These spoons have been amazing. Once she was able to, our baby wanted to feed herself. We’d put food onto the spoon and hand it to her, or set it down for her to grab. These spoons were easy for her to pick up than others we tried and the short handle meant she couldn’t flick food around as easily. Once we started teaching our daughter to use a fork, we used our Laguiole Mini Cutlery Set (a gift from our baby shower) and love it - the fork is blunt, but can still skewer food (unlike most baby plastic forks).
Tableware: Brightberry
I admit I haven’t tried many brands, but love this one. I’m not a fan of divided-section plates so I go for the Easy-scooping Suction Plate and the Suction Bowl. They also make a Suction Sticker for the Stokke Tripp Trapp, which you’ll for plates and bowls to stick to the tray!
Bibs: b.box
I have the b.box bib and I like it. Disclaimer I didn’t like it when my baby was young - it was too big on her (she was a small baby) but she eventually grew into it. The closure means she can’t pull it off, it has adjustable sizing and is apparently designed to catch more food - I’ve never tried another bib so can’t attest to whether this is true or not! Brightberry have bibs if you’re doing an order from them - I haven’t tried them but they have great reviews. The only bibs I wouldn’t recommend are Tommee Tippee Roll N Go - I didn’t like the feel of the silicone. When my daughter was too small for the bibs I used these smocks - they weren’t 100% mess proof but they did a good enough job. I no longer use them as they’re a bit of effort. If starting solids in warm weather you don’t need the smock - let bub eat in just a nappy.
Waterbottle: B-Box
My daughter struggled sipping out of the B-Box Sippy Cup when she first started, so we used their 360 Cup until she got the hang of it.
Puree:
Most pouches are full of additives and sugar, but not Norish. They use freeze-dried technology to lock in nutrients from whole foods, creating a nutrient dense powder. I used these when I was time-poor and when we were travelling. Just add boiled water and mix (use bottled water if tap is not an option). These don’t smell or taste great to an adult, but my daughter loves them. Rafferty’s Garden is a great option for ready-to-go pouches without any additives that are available at the supermarket.
Recipes
Baby Food Bible is my literal bible. I love their easy, healthy recipes that the whole family can enjoy. Their Instagram is worth a follow for great tips and additional recipes. Boob to Food is another great resource, I don’t have their books (yet!) but their website has great recipes.
A great mess-free feeding option - pureed fruits & vegetables, smoothies, yoghurts, cereals, oats or porridge. The additional 5mm spout (recommended for under 2) is worthwhile as my daughter just pokes at the 12mm spout, making a mess. She took a while to learn how to use it and hold it herself, but she got it at about 10 months.
Reusable pouches: Haakaa
I use the Haakaa Silicone Yummy Pouches every day - my daughter inhales yoghurt and it’s more cost effective to buy a tub of yoghurt and refill the pouches myself! If I’m feeling frisky I’ll even make flavoured yoghurt (usually using frozen mango or berries), whizzing the fruit with yoghurt in a blender. These were great when my daughter couldn’t use the Subo, but we still use them and always have some ready in the fridge.
Allergens: Le Puree
The Allergen Starter Pack makes starting allergens stress-free. It covers Almond, Walnut, Peanut, Cashew, Soy, Egg and Sesame and has four sachets of each allergen to allow for repeat exposures. They also have a larger Allergen Bundle that includes Seafood, Wheat and Milk.