Essentials when your baby is ready for solids!

Hello, fellow moms! If you have a baby who is about to turn six months old, you might be wondering how to start their solid food journey. I know I was! That's why I want to share with you some tips and tricks that I learned along the way. Here are some things you need to know and prepare before introducing solids to your baby.

Check their readiness for solids. 

Not all babies are ready for solids at the same age. Some signs that your baby is ready include: sitting up well without support, showing interest in your food, opening their mouth when offered a spoon, and having good head control. If your baby still pushes food out of their mouth with their tongue, they might not be ready yet.

Traditional Weaning (TW) or Baby Led Weaning (BLW)

Consider whether to try traditional weaning with puree or baby led weaning. Traditional weaning involves feeding your baby smooth purees with a spoon, gradually increasing the texture and variety of foods. Baby led weaning involves letting your baby feed themselves finger foods, following their cues and preferences. You can also try both methods to see which one works for your baby too. There are pros and cons to each approach, so do your research and decide what suits you and your baby best.

Download the app Solid Starts 

This app lets you to see which types of food are good for babies and how to prepare them in an age-appropriate manner. Just search for the food and the information will appear! This app is a lifesaver for me! It has a database of hundreds of foods, with information on how to cut, cook, and serve them for babies of different ages. It also has tips on how to prevent choking, introduce allergens (peanuts, dairy, seafood, eggs, wheat etc) and deal with picky eating. You can also track your baby's progress and get personalized recommendations (this is a paid feature).

This guide is really useful! Do note that these preparation methods are for BLW method.

Things that are must-haves:

High chair: 

You need a comfortable and safe place for your baby to sit and eat. I recommend the Stokke Tripp Trapp, Stokke inspired chair or the Ikea Antilop with footrest, which are easy to clean and adjust. Go for a chair that offers stability and a good footrest so your LO can sit with a good posture and helps them eat well. It's important to keep your LO buckled in the chair as they can potentially jump out as they grow older and lead to unwanted injuries.

The original Stokke Tripp Trapp that is widely used around the world! It's known for it's quality and versatility, being able to use from babies all the way til adulthood as the seat and footrest heights are adjustable at so many levels!

This Stokke inspired chair is about a quarter of the price of the original Stokke Tripp Trapp yet it's very weighted, stable and has a great finishing much like the original! I got this eventually and has been doing a great job so far.

The Ikea Antilop is a very affordable and popular high chair but is missing a footrest but the good thing is you can buy one separately and can be adjusted as your child grows!

Bibs: 

You will need a lot of bibs to catch the mess and protect your baby's clothes. I like soft waterproof ones or silicone ones that have a big pocket to catch the food.

This bib and food catcher set is great if you are worried about the mess baby will make when BLW.

Mushie silicon bibs have a good snug fit and a large catchment area to ensure food stays in.

Food powder: 

This is a great way to add natural flavors to the food without using salt and sugar, which are not good for babies. You can find food powders made from garlic, anchovies, spinach, black sesame, seaweed, scallop, chicken, mushroom and more.

Baby Angel’s 15ml Mini Homemade Baby Food Powders comes in a wide variety of flavours and small bottles so it's always fresh.

Lilo is a another popular option as well that you can find in NTUC, Mothercare, Motherworks and online shopping platforms.

Suction bowls and plates: 

These are handy to prevent your baby from throwing or tipping over their food. They stick to the high chair tray or table and come in different shapes and sizes.

We use the EZPZ happy mat and love that it's really hard for our LO to remove it as it has a huge surface area. The smiley face also encourages your LO to view mealtime as a happy and positive experience

Munchkin bowls and plates are another brand known for their strong suction and durability!

Straw cup and open cup: 

These are good for teaching your baby how to drink from a cup instead of a bottle. You can start with water or breastmilk/formula and gradually introduce other drinks like juice or milk.

I have another dedicated post on the top straw cups / bottles here.

As for open cup you can try Munchkin's 360 cup which ensures a no spill slow flow experience to teach your LO how to drink easily from an open cup.

Baby-friendly cutlery: 

These are designed to help your baby learn how to use a spoon or fork. I like the Cubble Pre-Spoon, which has a flat head that dips into the food easily. For older babies, you can try the Doddl, which has ergonomic handles that fit their hands.

You can pre-load the spoon with some puree or porridge then pass it to your LO to put into his / her mouth.

At around 12 months or when their pincer grip is developed, this Doddl cutlery set makes it easy for them to grip. My baby loves this!

Food:

This is the most important part! You can start with Gerber rice cereals, oats cereal, porridge, fish (salmon and threadfin are popular options for babies), chicken, spinach, broccoli, or any other food that is soft and easy to digest. You can also incorporate snacks like Ddoddomam rice rusks and Little Blossom rice puffs, which are safe for babies and is my LO's favourite.

Puree cooker and blender: 

These are useful if you want to make your own purees and porridge for your baby. You can cook and blend the food in one device and store it in the fridge or freezer for later use.

The MISUTA 4 in 1 Baby Food Processor Blender and Steamer is a popular option for those who wish to make purees.

Small digital slow cooker: 

This is another option if you want to make your own porridge for your baby. You can set the timer and temperature and let it cook overnight or while you are away. It can cook small portions that are perfect for babies.

This small Bear digital slow cooker is great for cooking soups, porridge, herbal tea, ginger tea

I hope this post helps you get ready for your baby's solid food journey. Remember, every baby is different and there is no right or wrong way to do it. Just follow your baby's cues and have fun!