Have you been wondering what essential things you need to have for starting your baby on solids?
In this video I’m going to talk about the 5 must haves regardless of whether you’re planning to
do the spoon feeding purées approach, the baby led weaning approach, or a combination of both.
If this is our first time meeting, I’m Dr. Belousov. I’m a board certified pediatrician,
and I equip parents with knowledge, so they can care for their children with confidence.
The process of introducing a baby to solids is exciting, but a lot of parents are nervous about
it. That’s why I put together this Youtube video series to show you how simple and enjoyable it can
be for both you and your baby. This is the third video in the series. If you haven’t seen the first
2, I have them linked up here. Be on the lookout for more videos released on a weekly basis.
Hit the subscribe button and ring the bell so you get notified when the newest video is released.
The first must have, and the one that you will probably spend the most time deciding on is the
high chair. Since you will be using it several times a day for several years, it’s best to invest
in a high quality chair that will grow with your child. There are several considerations to keep in
mind to ensure that your baby has the best sitting posture that facilitates a safe swallow from the
beginning. This includes that your baby is sitting upright in the high chair and has the feet resting
flat on a footrest. Something that I’ve learned from speech language pathologists is that when
a baby’s feet are resting flat on a footrest, it stabilizes the baby’s core and facilitates
a safe swallow. Unfortunately most high chairs on the market either don’t have a foot rest, or the
one that comes with the chair is not adjustable. If you already bought this type of a high chair,
and need tips on how to create a footrest for your baby, I talk about it in my episode titled “How
to Prepare Your Baby For Starting Solids,” and I’ll have it linked up here once it’s released.
I’m going to mention several high chairs that meet the criteria.
The links for all of them are in the description below, as well as some additional options.
I think the Nomi High Chair has the most genius design. Both the seat and footrest can be quickly
and easily adjusted with no tools required. Because of the unique curvature of the stem,
the seat and footrest will always be at the proper depth to facilitate a good sitting posture.
It easily transforms from an infant high chair to a toddler feeding chair, and can continue to
be used as a sitting chair into adulthood. Since this high chair literally grows with the child,
it eliminates the need to purchase a booster seat during the toddler age range.
Although this seat is on the pricier side, it’s design and features make it well worth the price.
This chair is designed to stand directly at the dining table so the baby gets to be a part of the
family mealtime from the beginning, therefore the feeding tray comes as an extra add on.
The Abiie Beyond Wooden High Chair is another great option. It’s design makes it possible for
it to go from being a baby high chair, to a toddler feeding chair, to then becoming
a traditional dining chair for all ages. There are no tools needed to make the adjustments.
This high chair standardly comes with a feeding tray, but it can be removed and
the chair placed directly at the dining table. The third high chair option I want to mention,
can be modified to fit the criteria, and that’s the Ikea antilop high chair. Many families like
this chair because it’s very affordable. Although it doesn’t come with a footrest, the brand Yeah
Baby Goods has created an adjustable footrest that goes well with this chair. The little black rings
slide onto the front legs and the wooden footrest sits firmly on top of them. It’s easy to adjust
the position of the footrest so that your baby's feet sit flat on it while the hips and knees are
bent at a 90 degree angle. Also since the seat on this chair is deep, and some of the smaller
babies will end up sitting far away from the edge of the tray, a solution is to get the cushion
insert from Ikea or Yeah Baby Goods. The links to all these items are in the description below.
The second must have is a bib. The process of your baby learning to take solids is not going
to happen without mess. Don’t be surprised if most of the first food feedings end up on your
baby's face, hands or the bib. When babies start eating solids, it’s a developmental process of
exposing them to new tastes and textures. So we want to give the baby an opportunity to explore,
but also do the best we can to minimize the mess for you to clean up afterwards.
I know that the silicone bibs with the big pocket at the bottom are very popular. And I’m not
against them, but since they are heavy and wrap around the baby’s neck, some babies get frustrated
feeling that pressure on the back of the neck and get distracted during the feeding because of it.
For this reason a bib that’s made from a lightweight waterproof
fabric is a better option. A great brand to check out is Bapron. They make a bib-apron
hybrid that provides full-coverage and ties around the baby’s back instead of the neck.
Another great option is the Bumkins SuperBib. It’s lightweight, waterproof and closes over
the back of the baby’s shoulder with a velcro material. And if you would like to have a bib that
provides full coverage, then check out the long sleeved bibs, such as the ones made by the brand
Baby Noah. It has an adjustable adhesive strap that closes over the baby’s back. The cuffs of
the sleeves fit around the baby's wrists, to help prevent food from getting onto the arms.
If you’re finding this information helpful, hit the thumbs up button below.
The third must have is a feeding bowl. Remember that in the first several months of starting
solids, food will be complementary to breastmilk or formula that the baby is already taking,
not a replacement. Therefore we expect that the baby will be taking small amounts of the food
initially, and there is no need for a large bowl. Babies are very curious about everything,
and food is no exception. Even if you’re planning to start off spoon feeding your baby purees,
it’s ideal to give your baby an opportunity to reach into the feeding bowl and explore the new
food of the day. If you’re doing baby led weaning, it’s better to put the strips of food that your
baby will be feeding herself into a shallow bowl, rather than putting them directly onto the feeding
tray. It’s only around 9 months of age that babies typically develop the pincer grasp, the ability
to pick things up using the tip of their thumb and index finger. But until then the baby will
be using all fingers in a raking like motion to pick the food up. The walls of a bowl will
actually make it easier for the baby to grasp the strips of food, and make for a less frustrating
experience than sliding the food around on the feeding tray in an effort to grasp it.
Babies have a tendency to grab items and throw them down, the bowls that suction onto surfaces
are ideal. There are a lot of options out there, but I personally think that the ezpz tiny bowl is
the best one on the market for starting solids. It’s perfect for first foods, such as purees,
yogurt and baby cereal, and also supports the baby-led weaning method of feeding.
Another great option is the ezpz Mini Mat. It’s an all-in-one placemat and plate that suctions
to the table. I like that it has three different compartments. This especially comes in handy if
you’re planning to do a combination approach of spoon feeding your baby a puree and giving your
baby the opportunity to explore and self feed that same food cut up into strips and placed into one
of the other compartments. And it also works well to have the new food in one of the compartments,
and then add another one or two foods that the baby has already had before into the other
compartments to make for a more balanced meal. In upcoming episodes I will go into detail on how
to prepare the food, how to properly spoon feed your baby, and how to safely do baby led weaning.
The fourth must have is a spoon. When choosing a feeding spoon,
something to keep in mind is that babies gnaw on everything, and with teething it intensifies.
Spoons that are made of a soft silicone are more gentle on the gums and teeth.
If you plan to start off spoon feeding your baby purees, then the First Essentials Rest Easy Spoons
are a great choice. I also recommend having a small handled baby self feeding spoon that you
give your baby to hold and experiment with for at least several minutes during the mealtime.
Learning to self feed is an important developmental milestone, and there is no reason
to put off giving your baby the opportunity to start learning the skill set from the beginning of
the feeding process. And if you’re doing the baby led weaning approach, purees are still a texture
and consistency that your baby should experience. With this approach you would be loading the puree,
yogurt or baby cereal onto the spoon and your baby would be the one putting it in the mouth.
The ezpz tiny spoon has a thick non-slip round handle that makes it easy for the baby to hold.
It also has sensory bumps on the spoon bowl which serve to activate sensory awareness to decrease
gagging. Another great option is the Olababy Soft Tip Training Spoon. It’s made of a flexible food
grade silicone, and easy for the baby to hold. A feature that many parents like about this
spoon is that it has a wide base, allowing the parent to preload the spoon with food and stand
it upright for the baby to pick up and self feed. The fifth must have is an open cup. Did you know
that the first type of cup you should introduce to your baby is an open cup? The American Academy of
Pediatrics recommends that babies start drinking from a cup at 6 months of age. There are many
benefits to teaching a baby to drink from an open cup. It facilitates the development of muscles in
the baby's mouth and oral motor skills that will help with forming sounds as your baby starts
learning to speak. It also allows your baby to learn a more mature swallowing pattern. The open
cup that’s most suitable to use starting around 6 months is the ezpz Tiny Cup. It’s adorable,
and was designed by a speech language pathologist to fit the baby’s mouth and little hands. I will
have a separate video with all the details on how to teach your baby to drink from an open cup.
In the comments section below let me know which of these recommendations you liked the most.
I’m looking forward to seeing you in the next video.