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| |    Tips and Tools for Starting Baby on Solids by Susan E. Davis reviewed by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. Although it may be hard for you to imagine your newborn ever sitting up, much less eating solid foods, that day will come faster than you think. And if you're very organized, you'll pick up a few feeding supplies now so that you don't have to do it later. This article outlines everything you'll need, from utensils to highchairs, plus some bits of wisdom they don't teach you in Lamaze class. Bowls There's a reason why children's bowls and plates are made of plastic: so they don't break when your child drops them--again and again and again. Whether your baby is delighted with his meal or takes your feeding him as a personal affront, at some point he'll throw, drop, or knock over his bowl. Save yourself the anguish of losing a good piece of china--stock up on some cute baby dishes and introduce the good stuff later. For extra protection against messes, get a bowl with a suction cup on the bottom so that junior can't pick it up at all. A note of caution, though: These bowls can be extremely frustrating for some babies. One friend's six-month-old launched into high chair rage when he discovered he had no control over his bowl. Spoons When your infant first starts eating solid foods, he'll probably have trouble coordinating the tongue action required to get the food in his mouth, swish it around, and then swallow effectively. Small spoons, preferably with a plastic coating, are easier for a baby to handle than standard, grown-up size ones. Cups Sometime during his first year, your baby will be ready to start experimenting with a "sippy cup," which is a small plastic cup with a cover and a spout. Sippy cups come in all sorts of sizes and styles, but their primary purpose is to help your baby make the huge leap from sucking from a bottle to drinking out of a cup. Some sippy cups have removable valves in the top that prevent fluid from spilling out if the bottle is knocked over. Those valves also force the baby to suck harder to get a drink. Which kind you (and your baby) prefer is a matter of personal choice. Some parents like to start their babies off with a valveless cup because it's easier for the baby to get the good stuff out. Other parents prefer the valve top because it means fewer messes. (I let my daughter try a valveless cup for exactly one day. Her fascination with pouring the juice out onto the floor soon put an end to that experiment.) Speaking of spills, it's good to invest in some sort of floor covering to place beneath junior's eating chair. Scraping baby food off the floor gets old fast, even for the most dedicated parent. It's not important what you use; newspapers, a plastic tablecloth, or a large plastic mat all will work. Just be sure to put down something to protect your floor. Your back will thank you for it. Food grinder Yes, you can buy dozens of little jars of baby food for your budding gourmand, but at some point you might want to make your own baby food, too. Homemade food is cheaper and more nutritious than bottled food, but it definitely requires more of your time than a pass down the grocery store aisle, so it might not work for you all the time. At a certain point, though, it simply makes more sense to grind up your own meat and mash your own potatoes than to buy them in the jar. You can grind up food with a fancy food processor, but a blender or a manual food grinder work just as well. The only caveat with a blender is that it can be hard to scrape the food out of the bottom. Highchairs Eventually you may decide to get your baby a highchair for eating. Highchairs safely put babies at table height, which allows them to participate in family mealtime gatherings. They also allow adults to feed a baby without leaning over too much and usually have a slick plastic tray that's easy to clean up after spills. Highchairs come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and costs. You can buy a basic model for around $50 or one that later converts to a table and chair for your toddler. Some chairs have adjustable heights, which allow you to take off the tray and push the chair up to a table; others have a reclining position for young babies, like four-month-olds, who are exploring solid foods but can't yet sit up. Adjustable height and a converting option are handy pluses. But the reclining feature poses a choking hazard and is just plain dangerous. When shopping for a highchair, look for
Booster seats are another alternative. They allow older babies to sit at table height while in a grown-up's chair. Some models don't have trays, so your baby will be eating off (and spilling on) your table. But they spare you the trouble of tripping over a highchair every time you have to go from the table to the stove. Just make sure that the seat can be strapped onto the chair; otherwise it's too unstable for safety. The seat also should have a safety strap to go around your baby. Some baby stores sell hook-on chairs, which look like booster seats but hook on to the edge of your table. Avoid them. Safety tests have shown them to be extremely risky, as children can shove the whole chair off the table just by planting their feet against the table's edge and pushing.
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