Baby Led Weaning- Best Buys!

1.        What Mummy Makes by Rebecca Wilson

I cannot rave about this book enough. Such a fabulous cookbook. Perfect for when we started to get a little bit more confident and experimental with the types of dishes we were giving Teddy. So many meal and snack ideas- and the meals are for all the family. They are really tasty. And easy to make. The book is beautiful and the instructions and everything are so clear.

2.        Bibado Bibs

Very cute and excellent at keeping clothes stain free. So useful for when you are eating out.

3.        Ikea highchair

We made the mistake of buying an expensive(ish) highchair as it was on offer in a shop. We didn’t really think too much about it and it ended up being too big and bulky and a nightmare to clean. It wasn’t easy getting Teddy in and out of it either- which isn’t ideal when you have a fear of choking. By the time Teddy was 1, we had swapped it out for the Ikea highchair which has been perfect. Cheap (only £19), lightweight, easy to clean.

4.        Bamboo plates and bowls

We started off with silicone and I realised that after a while it was making the food on it taste funny (a bit soapy). We swapped this out for bamboo which has been great. I think they look great, as well as being light and unbreakable, they wash really well too.

5.        Open cups- doidy (image below) and dinky cups (image to the right)

Teddy really struggled with the concept of an open cup. He has only really gotten the hand of it now. Both of these cups have helped. The dinky cup is small and easy for him to hold, lift and tip. Also, as it is small, there isn’t much spillage when he does tip it. The doidy cup’s shape means it is easier for him to tip the water into his mouth and meant he could get the hang of it a little easier

6.        Tum Tum Tippy Up free flow sippy cup (no valve)

A cute straw cup- we have the blue bear. Added bonus is that it has no valve so aids in helping Teddy learn to sip and drink properly.

7.        A splash mat

Baby led weaning is messy. Our dog, Toby, is excellent at cleaning up most of the best- and has probably loved baby led weaning more than any of us- but the splash mat is great at catching the vast majority of spillages and flung food.

8.        Chopping boards with different colours or different images so it is easy distinguish between what each one is used for.

To be honest, we probably were not as careful as we should have been about separating our chopping boards pre-Teddy, but since starting baby led weaning, I have thought about the safety behind food preparation in a brand new light. Definitely do not want to be taking any risks. Especially when Teddy had his egg allergy.

9.        Doddl spork and spoon set.

Best spoon and spork that we purchased. Teddy finds these the easiest to use and, now at 18 months, is pretty proficient at using them.

10.   Bento Box Style Lunchbox

Useful for when we are out and about or go out to a café, pub or restaurant to eat. Will link the one I have from Amazon. Really useful as separates the food and has little compartments and tubs included.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071JMJNMY?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder_k2_1_12&amp=&crid=3QDFJS9ZV2W6I&amp=&sprefix=toddler+lunc

Why I Love Baby Led Weaning!

Transitioning Teddy onto solids was highly emotive for me. First of all, I was absolutely terrified, and I mean terrified, of him choking. Secondly, there was something a bit emotional about him no longer just needing my milk. It felt like a huge sign that he was getting bigger and wasn’t my little baby Teddy anymore.

Even though I love/ have loved our baby led weaning journey, I will be honest and say I did struggle the first month with all the anxiety around getting it right and making sure he was safe. I still get nervous about certain things now- for example, even though he is great with quartered grapes, I still won’t give him any unless someone else is with us.

The things which helped ease my anxiety were to:

1.        First of all, do my research. I am going to give a highlight of the best books, apps, social media pages which really helped me decide that BLW was the best for me.

Baby Led Weaning: The Essential Guide by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett.

This is absolutely the best book I read in terms of convincing me that BLW was right for us. It made me realise that BLW is safe and can encourage healthy eating habits. It made me feel more confident in recognising the difference between gagging and choking. It helped me know what a safe, calm mealtime should look like.

Baby Led Weaning in 5 Easy Steps by Courtney Bliss

More of a summarised version of the essential guide, plus it has some recipe ideas. Perfect if you don’t have time to read a longer book.

Solid starts app

Our bible when it came to deciding what food to begin with and how to prepare it safely for Teddy. We would literally refer to it for every single meal. We still use it now.

Baby Led Weaning for Beginners and Beyond (BLWBB)

A wonderfully, supportive FB page with fantastic advice. I really love how a lot of their info is presented as images, making key messages and advice clear and concise. They always have good meal ideas shared on there too.

2.        Made sure I did it at a pace I felt comfortable with. There is no rush. It is not a race. I waited until 6 months and Teddy was showing all the signs of readiness (although he couldn’t quite sit on his own yet, he did need a bit of support). Then we slowly built up the amount of meals and snacks that we gave Teddy. It wasn’t until he was a year old that we were on the 3 meal, 2 snack a day recommendation.

 

3.        Reminded myself to enjoy it- it is truly an amazing thing watching Teddy discover new food and to witness his love of food.

 

4.        Slowly introduce allergens, making sure I introduced each one gradually and in isolation. Teddy did end up with an egg allergy. The second or third time we offered him egg he actually ate it properly and reacted a few hours later with vomiting and diarrhoea. It was really awful. I felt so bad we had given him something that caused him so much discomfort and distress. Thankfully, with guidance from a dietician, we were able to start the egg ladder at a year old and, now at 19 months old, he is absolutely fine with egg.

I love how BLW has enabled Teddy to enjoy the experience of food and eating with us. I love that food hasn’t just been means of nutrition for him, but a way of experimenting, learning and sensory play.

Now at 19 months, Teddy has only just started becoming a little bit pickier with food (particularly vegetables), but on the whole, he is really good eater and does love his mealtimes. He has a good appetite. I think if I could go back to the beginning of BLW with Teddy, I probably would have held off the fruit and stuck with just the vegetables for a little longer because he is utterly addicted- he could eat a whole punnet of raspberries in one sitting!

Teddy is now using his spoon and fork, finally getting the hang of an open cup and will blow on his food if he thinks it might be too hot. BLW has given us the opportunity to model how to eat at the table and he is thriving with this.