What weaning 'equipment' do I need?

[AlmondFrangipani]

Just planning for the start of weaning and have seen you can buy all sorts of pots, cube trays, bowls, spoons etc etc. I just wondered what I actually need before I buy the whole of Amazon??!

[Passmethecrisps]

Well! If you are like me then you will buy everything!!!

I bought the very, very soft tommee tippee spoons which were the only thing dd would eat from for a good while.

One bowl with a lid and slot for a spoon

One sippee cup

Ikea coverall bibs * 100000

Ikea antilop high chair

That was it for a good while

[Passmethecrisps]

There were other things . . .

Rubber ice cube trays for purée (depends what you plan on doing I suppose)

I didn't buy but should have bought a filthy cheap shower curtain for going under the chair

[2cats2many]

Hand held blenders are v handy. And stock up on lots of small tupperware containers so you can cook in bulk and freeze. Also a cool bag so you can feed your baby while you're out and about.

[UnderCoverChristmasElf]

Silicone muffin pans can be used in freezer and make muffins afterwards.

[Helspopje]

will you be making your own or buying purees or blw?

for all methods: highchair, teatowel, bib

if blw - cheap wipeable cloth for under highchair (optional) and blw book if you need it

if not - soft tip spoon (i like the heat sensitive ones), can use any old bowl, whizer uperer (ie stick blender), pots or icecube tray and puree recipe book if you need inspiration (annabel karmel is usual choice)

[readyforno2]

If you don't already have one, a cheap hand blender. You can get them in currys for under a fiver

[FreeButtonBee]

I am doing BLW.

IKEA Antilop high chairs

Tomme tippe sippy cup

Shower curtain for under the chairs

Bibetta full sleeve bibs

Suction bowls-
www.amazon.co.uk/Vital-Baby-Unbelievabowl-Set-Orange/dp/B003Z9LB56/ref=pd_sim_by_2?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21. These are brill but DON'T put the bases through the dishwasher or they go kaput!

The nice soft spoons are good for BLWing too - I do a lot of loaded spoons.

[superzero]

Just weaned my 3rd and all I have used is a soft tipped spoon and the back of a fork to mash stuff.
However,the first time around I would have said that my stick blender and plastic pots with lids were indispensable.
I was cautious the first time and scared of giving lumps so puréed a lot and spoon fed,but my 8 month old is now feeding himself easily with his fingers and the spoon feeding phase was very short indeed and right from the beginning he had lumpy porridge,cous cous and small pasta shapes,no purees.

[Edendance]

I second the tomme tipper cups (with handles and fold down spout) they are amazing! Do not bother with other brands! Buy at least 2/3 as they tend to walk around the house/car/buggy and be dropped random places out and about!

The tomme tippee bowl which locks onto the clippable suction thingy is really good, but you won't need those until your little one is feeding themselves, it's the only bowl the little ones I've looked after haven't been able to knock over or pull off! And the weaning storage tubs with the screw on pale blue lids (can't remember the brand) are really good as they're a decent size to use when the child is older for food to take out and about. The tiny pots you often find for weaning will be out of action long before then.

Hand blender a must! I wouldn't bother with something for the floor as you then have to somehow wash a giant piece of plastic... Rather than just wiping/brushing a floor.

Buy bibs which are plasticy fabric (I think it's ikea which are amazing!) only get ones which cover arms too, anything less just isn't worth it. Try to avoid fabric bibs, they take too long to dry whereas the plastic fabric ones can just get dunked in a hot soapy sink of water. Food can slide off easily sometimes but most should have a food catching pouch at the bottom. If you have a water dribbler baby you can double bib with a plastic all arm covering bib and a regular fabric bib which goes around the neck only, over the top, it works a treat! Buy at least 2 arm covering bibs to allow for drying time through the day, and try and have somewhere they can dry between meals.

Probably very obvious but don't worry about trying to put food on a plate onto a high chair tray. You're likely to end up fighting the whole plate of food going on the move all at once! Putting food straight onto the tray limits the amount which can be thrown per second- giving you more time to grab the rest before it hits the floor! (Hense the suction bowl, bowl option!!)

Finally, the ikea high hair, oh so popular and a favourite of a significant of families I've worked for- it's ever so cheap, easy to clean and smallish. But I've never been a fan, totally parental preference of course but I've had many little ones spend hours a day in high chairs for various meals- I don't know about you but if I was sitting in one chair for hours a day I'd want a little padding at least... The Ikea chairs are just hard moulded plastic, I might be being precious but I think that for the amount of time spent in them over the days, months and years- they should have something more comfortable and cushioned

Wow! Sorry it's so long!

[Edendance]

Eeek! Superzero, a warning. Of course your babies are fine, but beware giving out advice about lumps being ok for weaning. Yes your baby is fine and obviously doing well but please do follow the advice, it's there to try and help you and your baby stay safe. Babies can and do die from choking but that of course that doesn't mean that every baby of x age will choke from eating x food.

It's parents discretion of how you care for your children but do the research, especially regarding safety to make your own minds up rather than relying on anacdotal evidence for things.

[JollySeriousGiant]

What advice says not to give baby lumps? Everything I've read says you can give finger food once baby is 6mo and able to sit.

[nailslikeknives]

Recommend tovolo kingsize ice cube trays (amazon). Silicone so the food comes out easily, big so you can half fill them in the early days but fill them up later on. I have 4.
Save pots like lurpak butter (500g, good lids) to store food if you do big batches, will be great when you hit the year mark. I have about 50 full of various batch cook ups in my outdoor freezer. Collect now, fill them later, much cheaper than Tupperware but NEVER microwave them, they melt after 2 secs and I think there must be metal in the label, whoops!
Kenwood mini chopper blends v finely but only good for small batches.
Normal blender blends well enough for most things, plus baby will probably find bigger lumps easier later if the purées aren't perfectly smooth in the first place.
Have fun!

[JollySeriousGiant]

Baby food from 6 months

First foods: your baby’s first foods can include mashed or soft cooked fruit and vegetables like parsnip, potato, yam, sweet potato, carrot, apple or pear, all cooled before eating.Or soft fruit like peach, melon, soft ripe banana or avocado as finger foods or mashed.Or baby rice or baby cereal mixed with your baby’s usual milk.

From this NHS advice page : www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/Pages/solid-foods-weaning.aspx#close

[nailslikeknives]

And mum2mum bibs wash really well and they can be tumble dried, amazon again.

[rallytog1]

I haven't seen any advice about lumps. Dd has never had any truck with smooth purees - she'll only eat lumpy ones! Babies have a very good gag reflex and are very adept at gagging out any bits that are too big or that they don't want to chew.

The Annabel Karmel book does suggest that purees should be perfectly smooth at first, but she does not constitute 'official' advice.

[nailslikeknives]

I went to a couple of sessions about weaning at our local sure start centre, they were v helpful. I also attended one about first aid which included choking. This was all v helpful first time around, plus, I met a couple of lovely people I'm still friends with.

[Edendance]

Yup! that's pretty much what the nhs website says. I just wanted to make the point that you do have to be careful about what is and isn't dangerous from what you hear, and to do research yourself. Soft lumps in food should be fine (like superzeros talking about) but certain foods wouldn't be soft enough, or need cutting certain ways like sausages and grapes for them to be safe. It's just a good thing to be familiar with the guidelines.

Sorry superzero! I realise I jumped on you without reading your post properly...

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/Pages/solid-foods-weaning.aspx#close

[superzero]

edendance I don't mean to be controversial or offer dangerous advice,but I was surprised at how easy it was the 3rd time round and feel like I spent a lot of time faffing around with unnecessary purees the first time.
I obviously would not advocate doing anything that might lead to choking but it was on the advice of my health visitor and the nhs "no rush to mush" leaflets as well as my own experience and judgement that I did things this way this time.

[loopdaloo]

I strongly recommend blw, read up on it as well as traditional weaning methods before you start. Worked fantastically for us and all you really need is a high chair and lots of bibs! Gill Rapley's book is also a must!

[superzero]

X-post ,no worries

[Edendance]

No, my mistake, I didn't read your post properly! It just panics me when I hear so much 'I did x and he's fine...' Type comments with regards to all sorts of things- babies sleeping in their own room from birth, on their tummies, early weaning against Heath visitor advice etc.

On another note, does anyone know the official advice on raisins? I once heard something super late like 3 years old to eat them raw and whole...?!

[UnderCoverChristmasElf]

Asda do long sleeved bibs which are vg

[tracyandeli]

There is a tomme tippe weaning pack in boots with bowls, soft tip spoons etc I got it with my club points so it was free basically. You can also by messy mats for under high chair in the pound shop. Empty yoghurt pots are perfect for freezing your purées as you can push the food out easier I found ice cube trays a pain. Just some tips I found useful.

[loopdaloo]

Btw blw minimises the risk of choking as baby learns how to chew then swallow rather than swallow then chew as with the puree method. And the gag reflex in babies is much further forward than in adults.

[loopdaloo]

Don't know about official advice re raisins but my dd has been eating them since she could pick them up!