Today I’m sharing some of our favorite products from a big milestone, starting solids!
I will admit that introducing solids to Millie was not my favorite task. I was (and in reality, still am) really afraid of choking and wish that Millie could stick with purees until, I don’t know, she’s 10?
We tried purees at first and she was not a fan. It’s pretty normal to be skeptical of food since babies are so used to milk. All the new flavors and textures can be overwhelming. But after a few failures of getting her into purees, I eventually switched to baby-led weaning. I had heard and read a lot about it and once we started, it was clear this was Millie’s preference.
Since my anxiety was a bit high with solids, I took the Feeding Littles infant course. There is ton of free baby-led weaning content online and on social media, but to me it was worth spending a bit of money to have it laid out in a clear step-by-step approach, with lots of safety information.
I highly recommend the course if you’re feeling in the dark about how to start solids. In addition to the course, there are products that make starting solids a bit easier. Every baby is different, so it’s hard to say for certain what your little one will be into. From personal experience and some trial and error, these are the products we love.
Our Favorite Products for Starting Solids
1. Loulou Lollipop Silicone Bibs: These bibs are super cute, easy to clean (dishwasher safe), and catch most of the food that doesn’t quite make it into Millie’s mouth. They are available in tons of fun colors.
2. Munchkin Click Lock Weighted Straw Cup: While sipping through a straw seems like second nature, it’s actually something babies need to learn. This weighted straw cup makes it relatively easy, as kids can hold the cup at any angle and still get water from it. Ours has been slammed on the ground many times and is still in good condition.
3. ezpz Tiny Cup: We have this cup but I will admit we haven’t used it a ton since Millie learned how to use a straw. This is a good item to help kids learn to drink from an open cup. It definitely seems like a more advanced skill so we need to keep working on it.
4. Bumkins Splat Mat: At first I thought this was an unnecessary purchase, wouldn’t we just clean the floor after meals? Uh no. Millie throws SO much food on the floor and I’m pretty lazy about clean up. Ollie usually swings by after meal time to eat whatever Millie tossed on the floor and then after a few days I throw the splat mat into the washing machine. I do occasionally take a wet wipe to the floor, but this mat does a good job of protecting the floor from flying yogurt.
5. OXO Tot High Chair: I chose this chair after hearing praises from Hello Adams Family. It’s on the pricier side but I’m really happy with it. It’s easy to clean (I don’t have anything to compare it to but seems easy enough!), and it will be used for many years.
6. Stasher Bags: To avoid waste, these bags are great for storing small snacks that don’t get eaten in each meal. They are more environmentally friendly than ziploc bags or tinfoil.
7. ezpz Tiny Bowl: This is the bowl we use for morning yogurt and it mostly sticks to Millie’s high chair. Sometimes if she’s very quick she can pull it off and throw it on the ground, but for the most part it stays put. It’s shallow so it’s easy for her to pull food out of.
8. BEABA 2nd Stage Ergonomic Baby Cutlery: The GOOtensils are my number one utensil selection (next on the list), but they are a bit pricey so we only have two of them (well, we did, then Ollie ate one…). This set is well-priced and is a good addition to the GOOtensils. Since these are shaped like a more traditional spoon, it’s a good tool to practice getting food off of the indented portion.
9. GOOtensils Spoons: These were recommended by the Feeding Little’s course. They are easy to load up and since they are flat, simpler to eat from than a traditional spoon. I love these as the first utensil to introduce to babies.
If you’re starting the solids journey, know it’s OK to be overwhelmed and nervous! I definitely was, and still am. But now that Millie is getting the hang of food, meal time is actually pretty fun. I hope these product recos are helpful for you.
If you have any questions about starting solids (I’m clearly no expert, but can share my experience!) or have recommendations to add, please comment below.
