Baby Led Weaning Essentials You NEED Before Introducing Solids
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What an exciting time, your baby is just about ready to try their first foods! Before you begin, make sure you have these baby led weaning essentials on hand first.
Introducing solids, especially via the baby led weaning method is an exciting milestone that allows your baby to explore foods, develop fine motor skills, and build a healthy relationship with eating.
But let’s be honest—it’s a little scary! The good news? With the right baby-led weaning essentials, you can make this transition as smooth as butter and reduce the inevitable cleanup (because baby led weaning can lead to a big mess) at the end of the day.
Whether you’re just starting BLW or looking for the best baby-led weaning products to add to your baby registry, this list will help you choose the must-have feeding tools that make introducing solid foods easier, safer, and more enjoyable for both you and your little one.
So, what items will you really need to wean your baby? Let’s find out!
This post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a commission if you click or make a purchase. In addition, the information on this site is NOT intended to be medical advice. Please seek professional medical care if needed. See my full policy for more information.
Baby Weaning Essentials When Starting Solids
1) Baby Led Weaning Course
Deciding to begin baby-led weaning can feel overwhelming, but Malina Malkani’s “Safe & Simple Baby-Led Feeding” course offers a compassionate and expert-guided path to ease your concerns as worried parents. I mean, it’s at the top of this list for a darn good reason!
As a pediatric registered dietitian, best-selling author, and mother of three, Malina understands the challenges parents face when introducing solids. Her course is thoughtfully designed to provide you with the knowledge and confidence needed to nourish your baby effectively aka feed your baby solids confidently!
By enrolling in this course, you can:
- Reduce the risk of food allergies through informed and timely introduction of allergenic foods.
- Integrate your baby into family meals earlier, fostering a sense of inclusion and shared mealtime experiences.
- Lower the likelihood of food fussiness by encouraging diverse taste exploration from the start.
- Enjoy stress-free mealtimes with practical strategies and meal plans tailored for your baby’s developmental stage.
- Spend less time, effort, and expense on baby food preparation by utilizing simple, nutritious recipes.
- Support your baby’s motor skill development through self-feeding practices that enhance both fine and gross motor abilities.
- SAVE 10% on your purchase with my code: MOMAFTERBABY (thank you Malina for extending this offer for my readers)
Malina’s expertise and personal experience offer parents like you a trusted resource to make the transition to solids a joyful and confident experience for both you and your baby. I cannot recommend her course enough!
2) Sturdy High Chair
When it comes to feeding solids, it’s crucial to ensure you have a sturdy high chair for your little one. You want your baby’s high chair to be supportive and stable, but more importantly, promote a healthy sitting dynamic (this can help prevent choking by the way).
You’ll want to look for a chair that provides good back support, a footrest, and an easy-to-clean surface.
Other bonus features would be things like a removable tray, something that’s compact for small spaces — but remember most important is stability.
That being said, there’s no doubt there are a TON of high chair options out there. So, here are my choices:
- The Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair. is a top-rated option that grows with your child, featuring a 5 point harness and a very easy-to-clean seat! It’s no surprise it’s one of the most recommended highchairs around.
- The Stokke Clikk High Chair is another highly rated, but more budget-friendly high chair! Plus, if you like to travel, this chair is travel-friendly!
3) Silicone Bib with a Pocket
Baby led weaning can be messy, but a high-quality silicone bib with a deep pocket helps catch food and minimize mess. Unlike traditional fabric bibs that quickly become soaked and stained — trust me, I learned that the hard way, silicone bibs are waterproof, durable, and SO easy to clean.
All you do is rinse them under water, wipe them down, or toss them in the dishwasher for effortless maintenance.
Another great benefit of silicone bibs is their adjustable fit, allowing them to grow with your baby from early feeding stages to toddlerhood.
Brands like Mushie Silicone Bibs and OXO Tot Roll-Up Bibs offer soft yet sturdy designs that won’t irritate your baby’s skin. Plus, they have a deep catch pocket that prevents food from falling into their lap during mealtime which will save you lots of time during clean up.
4) Silicone Suction Baby Plate
You’re 100% able to use any plate you’d like, but I highly suggest the EZPZ First Foods Set.
This little set comes in handy because the plate has a non-slip design where it practically suctions onto almost ANY surface it’s on.
This means less mess for parents to clean and easier for baby to explore and navigate when their food stays in place.
If you don’t want the full set, you can also grab one of the mini-mats instead.
This ended up being my favorite mat out of all the ones we had and I loved that you could just roll it up & stash it easily in the diaper bag when we’re on the go!
5) Long Sleeve Bib or Splash Mat
Listen, baby led weaning or puree feeding can be super duper MESSY. If you want to keep your baby’s clothes (and your floor) clean, a long-sleeve bib or splash mat is a must-have for BLW.
These full-coverage options protect against food spills, splashes, and sticky messes, making cleanup much easier — I went through so many fabric bibs and clean-up headaches before I started using a long-sleeved baby bib.
Bumkins Sleeved Bibs are a favorite among BLW parents because they are lightweight, waterproof, and machine washable. They cover your baby’s arms and torso, ensuring that food doesn’t end up all over themselves. These bibs also come in fun prints and colors, making mealtime more enjoyable for little ones.
For floor protection, Gathre Mats provide a stylish and easy-to-clean surface. Simply place one under your baby’s high chair to catch crumbs and spills. They wipe clean in seconds and can also double as play mats, making them a versatile investment.
6) Open cup for baby
Using a small open cup, like this cute little tiny cup is an excellent way to help baby begin learning the first steps to drinking from an open cup!
I began using the tiny cup with my son when he was able to comprehend the idea behind grabbing things and bringing them to his mouth — that way he’d be able to grab the cup and bring it to his mouth.
Plus, learning to drink from an open cup at an earlier age helps support baby with their oral and speech development.
Try out the tiny cup for yourself (they come in a variety of cute colors too — we used the grey ones!).
7) Baby Led Weaning Utensils
Giving baby the opportunity to explore with tiny utensils for those tiny curious hands-only helps their sensory and motor skills develop further, so don’t forget to offer it to them.
I’ve tried a few different brands with my first and these are the 3 I really liked the most:
- NumNum Pre-Spoon GOOtensils (100% recommend when baby isn’t coordinated and needs help learning the concept of using a utensil)
8) Water Wipes
Alright, you can totally get away with simply using a washcloth and some warm water here.
However, I love the idea of having a set of baby wipes available because baby led weaning is messy work.
Although it’s important to allow baby to explore and have fun with their foods, you also want to be able to clean up nearby messes when food lands on the floor, nearby furniture, or even on baby’s head!
I personally found that water wipes work phenomenally well for wiping up, but again — a washcloth and water work well too!
From high chairs and silicone bibs to suction plates and baby-friendly utensils, these essentials help make mealtime enjoyable, safe, and stress-free.
Don’t forget to add these items to your baby registry if you’re preparing for your little one’s feeding journey!
