Starting your little one on solids can be a difficult process. They’ll usually start to show interest by reaching out for food or opening their mouth when offered a spoon.
By around six months of age and not before four months, it's important that they’re well supported when sitting for their meals, with good neck and head control so they can properly tackle what you feed them. (Here comes the aeroplane!)
As you start to delve into the world of solids with your little one, with things like mushy peas and mashed pumpkin, there’s a range of baby feeding tools for mealtimes. We have many of the essentials you’ll need to start your little one on solids, some of which will continue to be useful as they grow into toddlers and eat finger foods.
Here we look at a few things you’ll want to have handy, and why these are ideal for your infant’s first solids.
Feeding Products and Supplies for Fussy-Eaters
In the blink of an eye, your newborn will be reaching new milestones, and eating solids is a particularly exciting one. They no longer require all their nutrition directly from your body or a bottle. They’re also getting hungrier, and they’re ready to try something new.
It's a time where you’ll see them pulling funny little faces as they try something unfamiliar, and they begin to explore new textures with their hands.
Making sure your little one has the very best baby feeding tools has a range of benefits. Your child is learning how to grasp, lift, scoop and develop hand-eye coordination. It may get a little messy but seeing your tiny human reach this milestone is worth it.
Starting Out with Spoons
When choosing your tiny human’s first set of utensils, they’ll need something easy to grip that is gentle on their little mouth and gums. Starting out, you'll do most of the work, but giving your little one a spoon to hold will familiarise them with it and how to use it.
We recommend avoiding your typical stainless steel spoons while they’re so young as these will be harsh on their tiny gums and teeth. Our food-grade silicone baby feeding spoons are a perfect solution and easy to grip in your little one’s tiny hands. If your bubba is teething, these are also acceptable to chew on.
We have adorable little giraffe utensils that are bound to be a favourite, as they’re:
- Stain-resistant
- Easy to clean
- Safe to serve with warm or cold meals
- Microwave and dishwasher safe
- Non-toxic
Suction Bowls for Mess-free Mealtimes
Time to say goodbye to chaotic mealtimes. Most parents appreciate the security of a baby suction bowl, placemat plates and anti-tipping bowls, especially when bubs go through a stage of throwing snacks and other items to the ground or curiously grabbing for their bowl, plate or other utensils.
We've already established how messy this stage can be, which is why our suction bowl is ideal for eliminating some of the spillages. Once you attach this baby feeding tool to the high/low chair or table, it suctions to the surface so it’s securely fixed and doesn't move, no matter how clever your little one is.
These are great to have on hand at home, in your bag or at Grandma’s. They’re just the right size for the tiniest member of your family when they’re starting with rice cereal or trying out individual vegetables. As they get older, bowls are perfect for snacks, as are our divider plates with various compartments to keep different foods separate.
Our bowls come in a range of beautiful colours – pebble, pastel yellow, pastel green and blush. For further peace of mind, they:
- Have a raised lip on the bowl, being ideal for little hands to grab
- Come with a food-grade silicone spoon
- Toxin and BPA-free
- Dishwasher and microwave safe
Bibs to Catch All The Mess
As a parent, you can never get enough bibs, especially a silicone catch bib. These are virtual lifesavers – especially if your little one is a messy eater. They’re perfect to have on hand when starting with solids, right through to when your little one becomes a toddler.
This is a must-have and top of the list for essential feeding supplies. This bib is not only perfect for keeping your tiny human clean, but for protecting the highchair and floor, too. They come in a range of beautiful colours – from traditional pink to rusty clay – with many practical features for day-to-day use, including:
- Scoop front to catch crumbs
- Adjustable neck strap
- Easy to wipe clean
- Made with 100% non-toxic, food-grade silicone
- Soft and durable
These can be thrown into the dishwasher for a thorough clean, along with all our other silicone products designed for meals.
Giving Feeding Essentials as Gifts
If you're looking for something different to gift friends with a newborn, or for when they're a tiny bit older, take a look at our baby gift bundles – with everything you need to get their little one started on solids. Perhaps you're just looking to get yourself organised.
These bundles will see your bubba through from solids to bigger meals and finger foods. Our bundles come with a mix of products, including some of the following:
- Range of customisable colours of your choice
- Bowl
- Spoon
- Fork
- Plate
- Catch bib
All our products are free from harmful chemicals, made from food-grade silicone and are dishwasher and microwave safe. Whether gifting or keeping for yourself, each item is easy to clean by wiping it down or putting them through the dishwasher. The fork is soft and perfect for use when tiny humans are learning to eat by themselves.
Making Smart Choices for Your Family
Now that your tiny human has reached this new phase in their life, they will begin exploring fresh and new textures. The products mentioned above will help you share tasty treats with your little one now and into the future or as gifts to friends and loved ones.
We know introducing babies to solids is made easier when you have suitable feeding supplies. As you share this new phase in your baby's development, you can have peace of mind when buying from Mama & Boo.
We care about the products we make for families, which is why we always ensure our silicone is BPA free and food-grade. We purposely design each product with new eaters and busy toddlers with growing appetites in mind. While we cannot guarantee that there won't be any mess at the table, we know that all our products will be long-lasting and gentle on little hands and mouths.