At Mini First Aid we know that learning how to deal with a choking baby is top on the list for parents & carers attending our first aid classes. And with safe eating advice provided in our Baby Proofing Class, we have your baby’s safety covered.
Focusing on weaning, we thought our readers would love to hear from the experts at "Yorkshire Born Yorkshire Fed" on their top foody tips for weaning your baby. Look out for the discount links that Yorkshire Born Yorkshire Fed have shared with us for some great pieces of weaning kit. And in case you were wondering, you don’t need to be from Yorkshire to find this really, really useful! Over to Sophie . . . .
The basics- what you need to start weaning your baby
The essentials for weaning are dependent on the type of weaning you are doing. Many of the parents I see combination feed, so this list is based on my personal experience and the experience of the hundreds of mums that have done our weaning workshops. If you're doing baby-led weaning, you will need all the same equipment apart from the blender.
Get your basics right the first time and you will save a lot of time and energy. You will need a high chair, bibs, bowls and plates, spoons, cups, hand blender and patience. Below is a list of what you will need, as well as my top recommendations.
High chair
To be honest, you can't beat the cheap and cheerful IKEA antelop high chair. They last really well. I picked up a secondhand one and just had to buy the blow-up insert for when my little ones were small!
Top Tip: If you’re buying from IKEA don't forget to pick up the insert too! (I have so many mum friends who have done just that!). You can also buy the IKEA high chair straight from amazon now. It's slightly more expensive, but think of how much you will save by NOT going to IKEA!
Bibs
All you need is something to cover your smalls clothes. I actually have different bibs for different meals. If I am spoon feeding we just use a material bib. If we are eating something hard and not too messy (i.e. a sandwich) we use a bib with a well that catches any dropped food. For most meals especially the messy ones, we love our BIBaDO bibs. They are a great coverall bib, that is waterproof and saves so much time for not having too much baby to wash!
Use code YBYF2430 to get 2 bibs for £30, they will also offer you this code on their website but please consider supporting YBYF by using our code at no extra cost to you!
Top Tip: If you don't want to fork out for a coverall, if you are having a messy meal you can use a bib and place a muslin on their knee, it makes a little bit of extra washing but keeps their clothes clean.
Bowls/Plates
I see lots of people making really pretty meals on Bamboo plates. Colourful and interactive plating is a great way to encourage your smalls to get stuck into their meals. If you’re on a budget, I got a selection of cheap (BPA free) plates from my local supermarket which I find easier as they don't have the sections that need filling! Don’t forget though, not all meals need to look like a gourmet meal, most of it will end up on the floor!
Top Tip: If Bamboo plates are your thing, stock up on these beautiful plates from Bamboo Bamboo use the code BLW BOSS for a 10% discount.
Spoons
We like to use the cheap and cheerful ones from the supermarket, although the ones we use the most are the Tommee Tippee long-handled ones. Their soft spoon end makes catching bits from faces easier.
Top Tip: Tommee Tippee also do spoons that have a heat sensor, so you can ensure you are not going to give your baby food that is too hot. You can get your own here from Amazon for just £4.29
Cups
I use two different types of cup, both of which I would recommend. The Tommee Tippee free flow cups are great and you can pick them up from around £1.50 (much cheaper from aldi/home bargins than from amazon! We also love a slanted doidy cup, which has really helped her drinking skills (from 9 months, Liberty could drink from a glass on her own, but be extra careful leaving drinks around! *There was no Gin in this glass!)
Top Tip: In our workshops, we cover what cups to use and why, including the fact that you can just go straight to an actual cup! Liberty is 9 months now and loves to drink from my cup (even on her own).
Hand blender
If you are making purees, you can go all out and buy an all singing all dancing blender, chopper and steamer. But in my opinion, a cheap hand blender does just the same job and can also be used for longer than your weaning journey. I have found that other types of blender make the food too thin and dont give you the control a stick blender does.
Top Tip: I prefer a hand blender that splits into two, so if you need to do something in the middle of blending it doesn't fall over and is much easier to clean up afterwards. This one is currently on a great offer at £11.96 and is what I use at home. But most supermarkets also sell them. You can even get them with alternative attachments, such as a whisk or a herb chopper.
Patience
Unfortunately, I have no recommendation of where you can buy the patience you need from!
Top Tip: Realising from the start that weaning is a slow process and some babies take longer than others and some are messier than others, it is easier to take in your stride. An understanding of weaning and what to expect from your baby can also help with your patience. A weaning course is really helpful in preparing you for this. Yorkshire Born Yorkshire Fed delivers weaning workshops covering everything you need to know about introducing solid food to your little pudding. Our sessions now run on zoom so are accessible to everyone for just £20, and as a thank you for taking the time to read this blog, you can use the code ‘mini’ for a 10% discount!
Book your place on our next weaning workshop here!
So what are your top items which you couldn’t have weaned without? Let me know on Facebook or Instagram!
All the best, Sophie x
Disclaimer: Affiliate links. By using the code I provide to BIBaDO or any of the amazon links, I receive a portion of the sale with no extra cost to you.
"Sit Chop Chew" - voted Best Children's Book at the Family Awards 2018 guides you safely through mealtimes!
