Whether you plan on taking the traditional route, or want to dive into the world of baby led weaning, getting your child to understand and use cutlery and proper dinnerware can be a daunting task.

It will be messy. It may be frustrating.

But it's got to be done!

Luckily there are some fantastic products around now to make the process a whole lot easier!

1 - Divider Plates | 2- Suction Bowl | 3 - Soft Weaning Spoons | 4 - Weaning Plates | 5 - Cutlery Set

1 - Divider plates are fantastic, and this one from Babymoov is extra special. It comes in a little gift box, complete with bowl, cutlery and cup! They allow you to give your child a selection of foods at the same time, so that they can decide what they want to eat - without it getting all mixed together.

2 - If you're baby led weaning you NEED an unbelieveabowl. The suction cup sticks to the table or highchair, and then you click the bowl into place. This means you can give your baby a bowl without worrying that they'll throw it across the room.

3 - When you first start weaning it's best to invest in some soft spoons. You can go for the long type if giving purees, but I prefer these ones. They're regular size (so easier for Parker to hold) but still soft for developing mouths.

4 - Once you think baby is ready to move on from bowls, these are ideal. The non-slip bottom holds the plate in place (or at least does a better job than plates without). Try sticking with plates with a rim, as these not only keep food in, but creates a little barrier which helps them with picking up food!

5 - When your baby hits 12 months you can introduce 'proper' metal cutlery.You'll find these are better at picking up food - Parker definitely gets on much better with these.

Disclosure - This post is part of my work as a Babymoov #stresslessweaning ambassador. I received certain products as part of this role.

5 Things I Love about Baby Led Weaning

If you read my recent post, you'll know there are plenty of things I hate about baby led weaning. Of course though it's not all messy walls and checking salt levels. There are plenty of things I LOVE about it too.

So here are 5 things I love about baby led weaning!

No spoon feeding

We have nothing against spoon feeding (especially weetabix, that stuff is not safe to be left with a child). But being able to just all sit down together and eat, without having to think about it is amazing.

There's never been any moments where they've clamped their mouths shout to avoid the food, (a memory I remember so well with my little brother), and no making a fool ourselves pretending to be an aeroplane - well, during meal times that is! Just place the food down, and you're done.

This may have ended in a sink bath...

All eating together

Tied in with the point above, I love being able to all eat at the same time. I can make one meal, we can all sit down, and eat at the same time! All eating together is great encouragement for getting kids to try new foods as well - if they see you trying something they're more likely to pick it up too.

Watching them discover foods and flavours

There's nothing like watching your baby's face as they taste food for the first time. The faces they pull, the inquisitive looks to you for reassurance, it's all so wonderful!

With baby led weaning you can introduce different textures and flavours from the beginning. Indiana has always loved spicy foods with chille and curries being her favourites from the very start! There's no need to keep it bland.

No cooking / making extra food

Of course I still have to cook food, but I only have to make one meal for all of us! I never needed to spend ages making purees or batch cooking meals - a huge relief as there's never any room in the freezer anyway.

The mess!

I know this was in my hates, but most of the time it's actually the part I love. Seeing their cheeky little messy faces is so worth it! It shows how much they enjoyed their food, and is usually a good indicator that they actually ate some too.

The amount of messy weaning pictures / videos I captured is crazy, but they all still make me smile. There's nothing like a yoghurt faced, spaghetti monster! After all #messisbest

What would you add to the list?

5 Things I Hate about Baby Led Weaning

We followed baby led weaning with both of our children, and it's something we really enjoyed, and would definitely do again if we were to have another child. There are a number of things we didn't enjoy about it though.

So here's 5 things I hate about baby led weaning!

The mess

Honestly, sometimes it is just too much! There are days where they are wearing more food than they have eaten. You will find rice from a meal you had a week later. Your walls will be covered and the pretty highchair you purchased destroyed. (seriously, who's idea was it to put white straps on highchairs?). You'll then need about 10 billion wipes to clean your child up - all while they're rubbing the hand you just cleaned back into the food... brilliant!

The unknown

With baby led weaning you don't really know how much your child has actually eaten. Those first few weeks especially, it's hard to work out whether they actually ate anything at all. Did they eat enough? Do you give them more? I hate not knowing whether they've had a decent meal or not.

Constantly checking food

High levels of salt?

Contains nuts or honey?

They can't have it!

Baby led weaning is shown to be a way of weaning where you just give the baby what you eat. But in reality you simply can't all the time. Luckily we don't add salt to our food anyway so this was never a problem. But just be careful, especially when eating out.

Gagging

Gagging itself is actually a good sign (it's noisy compared to chocking). It shows that your baby is trying to sort a problem themselves. It doesn't stop it being bloody terrifying though!

Always having to share my food!

With both kids eating 'proper' food from the get go, it wasn't long before they noticed ours. If they run out of food, you'll probably end up having to offer yours. And if you don't offer it, 9/10 it's stolen from your plate anyway.

Word of warning - all food looks better off of your plate... even if it's EXACTLY the same as what's in front of them!

Would you add anything to this list?

Toddler Meal Ideas // What my Kids Eat in a Day

I always find I struggle for new, and different ideas when it comes to the children's meals. With baby led weaning they of course eat the same dinner as Jack and I. But breakfasts and lunches are usually different, and where I need most inspiration.

I've watched and read a lot of 'what my baby / toddler eats' videos recently though, and they'd helped a lot. They gave me inspiration to film my own, and now they're some of my most popular videos!

Below is my most recent edition - meals for my 2 year old and my 13 month old. I always film whats leftover to give an idea of portion sizing, and my little ones appetites too. Because let's face it, sometimes it does just end up all over the floor!

I also give you a closer look at some of the fantastic Babymoov products in action, including the light wood highchair, baby bowls and lunch set.

Hopefully this has given you some inspiration, and helped you with your #stresslessweaning journey! Make sure to subscribe to my youtube channel to see more.

Disclosure - This video and post are part of my role as a Babymoov Ambassador. I received the mentioned products as part of this role, but all opinions are my own.

Baby Led Weaning // First Food Ideas

We followed baby led weaning with both of our children, and I'm always asked questions about how to start, or what to start with. Deciding what foods to give to your baby can be scary, especially in those first few weeks where everything is new. But it doesn't have to be! 

Baby led weaning allows your child to eat exactly what you eat (to an extent) - so in theory you don't really need to think much about what to give them. Obviously there are exceptions - no whole nuts or honey, watch the salt levels and be careful with runny eggs. But apart from that let them explore new and exciting foods. I've found both of mine preferred spice and flavour over bland foods. 

Examples of first foods to try include:

Steamed vegetable sticks - carrots, sweet potato, broccoli, etc. Make sure you cut them up into sticks (and aren't too overcooked) so that baby can grab onto it easily.

Fruit - banana, pear, melon, blueberries. I'd stick to the softer variety to begin with as they're easier to manage. A good idea is to keep skin on so they have something to hold. A trick with banana as well is to cut in half then push your finger down the middle - this splits it into perfect segments for baby to hold!

Toast fingers - keep it plain to start with a little butter, but then there are so many possibilities with toppings. Jam, nut butters, cheese spread - or if you have any purees hanging around, this can be a great way to use them up.

Pasta - I've found tubes or fusilli is easiest for little hands to hold onto. Try plain or Parker's favourite is cream cheese and sweetcorn!

Dipping! - Babies absolutely LOVE to dip, so this is a great way to get them to explore new foods. Give them a 'dipper' - this could be any of the above, and then something to dip it in - hummus, cream cheese, sauces or even those leftover purees again!

We have loved using our Nutribaby to steam vegetables to perfection for the whole family. The different levels make it easy to separate foods, and can even be used for meat as well as vegetables. We used to boil our vegetables, but steaming actually keeps in the nutrients that are so vital for babies and children.

Baby led weaning is so much fun, and doesn't have to be scary or confusing. Especially with help from products such as the Nutribaby!

Disclosure - We are part of the Babymoov #stesslessweaning team and received the Nutribaby as part of this project.

Saving Space with Babymoov | Light Wood Highchair

Edit: Since reviewing this pushchair (7 months) we have had a couple of problems. We have had to replace the tray due to the plastic snapping (and the colour coming off), and the opening mechanism is also damaged. The highchair does have a lifetime guarantee, but we are disappointed to have problems so soon.

Living in a flat we really have to be conscious of the things we buy. Although ours is bigger than most I've seen, we still don't have that much space! One area that is especially tricky is our kitchen / living room. It's open plan, there's not much storage space, and there's no room for a separate dining room. Luckily we managed to pick up a dining table that folds down, but what about a highchair?

We needed one that could fold up really small - so that we could store it out of the way when not in use. It also had to be easy to clean and use; we follow baby led weaning which gets very messy. We've had a 3 highchairs over the years now, and I think we've finally found the one that covers everything! The Light wood highchair from Babymoov has been an absolute dream.

Previous highchairs have been plastic, which although easy to clean always seemed to be really bulky. Where this one is wood it folds so slimline it can easily slot into a small place. The tray can be kept on when folded too, which although makes it slightly wider, is nothing compared to previous ones we've owned.

It also ticks the box of being easy to keep clean! The cushion comes separately so no little nooks and crannies for crumbs to hide in, and this also means it's easy to whip off and clean. The tray is removable, and the straps can pop out too for a deep clean (something that I have to do on a regular basis with Parker's love for mess haha).

The best bit of all? The chair actually grows with your child! This means we won't have to get another chair once he outgrows it so he can sit at the table. We'll simply adjust it, remove the tray, and he can sit at the table with us - it truly is #stresslessweaning!

*We're working with Babymoov as part of their #stresslessweaning team. We received this item as part of the project, however all opinions are honest and my own*

Weaning on Holiday | Our Top Tips

Weaning while on holiday can seem scary. Will there be suitable food for my child? What will the highchairs be like? We also had the panic of how to make Parker's bottles - or more so how will we cope without the Prep machine haha.

We've been on two holidays with babies now though (Indie when she was 6 months and Parker at 9 months), and both have been a doddle when it came to feeding. I thought I'd share some of the weaning tips we've picked up along the way. These will be more aimed at the baby led style of weaning though, as that's the route we took with both of ours.

• If you're bottle feeding, take enough formula with you for the duration of you trip. You may be lucky enough to find formula at your destination, but it'll most likely be a different brand. Be careful with bottled water too - make sure to check the mineral and salt content, and it will still needs boiling too!

• If you've travelled to a hot country make sure to keep baby hydrated. Younger babies may want more feeds, although never put extra water in bottles. We made sure to get them used to a free-flow beaker before travelling so they could sip water throughout the day. 

• Definitely take advantage of all-inclusive packages! These are perfect for weaning as there is so much food to offer. Both kids tried so many new and different foods while on holiday, that we would never have at home. And if they didn't like a certain food you could just go back and get them something else! Just make sure all food is piping hot and always check that meat if properly cooked. If you are worried though, most local shops stock baby food, so there's no need to load up your suitcase.

• Make sure to pack your own cutlery, bowls, and lots of bibs. Most hotels won't have suitable things for little ones, so it's always best to take your own! We took a whole load of bibs too so that we didn't have to worry about washing them constantly. For day trips and the flights we used disposable bibs - so easy to use and can just be chucked in the bin after. If ever in doubt though, a muslin round the neck works just as well!

• If you're worried about highchairs, take your own! There are plenty of travel highchairs around but the one we love is the fabric chair harness by The Gro Company. It was so cheap and folds up really small (I keep it in the changing bag most of the time).  

These are just some of the tips we've picked up along the way. Weaning on holiday doesn't worry us at all now, and I do look back and wonder why I ever panicked! As long as you've packed the essentials and are prepared, weaning on holiday can be just as easy as weaning at home - we almost found it easier as we didn't have to clean up the mess haha.

I'd love to hear your weaning tips while travelling? 

Weaning // Parker's Journey So Far

I haven't shared much about Parker's weaning experience, especially compared to Indiana's where I posted weekly. Just like with Indie we have followed the baby led weaning approach. Parker has always been a greedy little boy, so we started just shy of 6 months (23 weeks exactly) he's now 41 weeks (just over 9 months) and he absolutely loves food!

It has been a totally different experience from the first time around though. The main difference is that Parker is VERY willing to be fed. He's never really picked up the concept of pre-loaded spoons; he can do them, but most of the time he prefers to either launch himself towards the spoon, or lets us feed him.

There are many 'purists' (yes I know, this is actually a term I've heard), who would therefore say we're not technically baby led weaning then. But we are. Parker feeds himself every meal. He chooses what he does and doesn't want to eat. He's never had purees, and eats 'real' food. Yes we may feed him a yoghurt or weetabix, but if he wants to stop he'll shake his head and close his mouth - I'd say that's very baby led!

Although Parker loves food, it did seem to take him a little bit longer to get the concept of chewing and swallowing. I think this may be because we started a little earlier though. Once he got the hang of it though it made all the difference - the biggest being he actually started sleeping at night. He eats lots now and has dropped his morning bottle, and we're getting closer to dropping the afternoon one too.

His favourite foods include: pasta (he could eat this all day every day if we let him), potatoes, bread (sandwiches, toast, etc), fruit, cucumber, cheese, rice, tomatoes, yoghurts and anything 'treaty' such as the organix biscuits. He loves water too and will happily drink from his Tommee Tippee beaker - something Indie never did!

One of the most exciting things happening at the moment is that we're working with Babymoov, as part of their #stresslessweaning team! You may have noticed Parker's fab new highchair, which is just one of the fab products we'll be testing over the next few months. We also have the help of a lovely nutritionist to answer any questions - so if you have anything you want to know or ask, make sure to leave a comment below, and I'll pass it over!

Disclosure - We are working with Babymoov as part of their #stresslessweaning team. I have no been paid and all opinions are my own.

5 Baby Led Weaning Essentials

Parker has been weaning now for about 3/4 weeks. He's loving his food and we're enjoying baby led weaning him, just as much as we did with Indiana. I feel like an old pro with it now we're weaning our second child. So I thought I'd write about what we think are the essentials for getting started with Baby Led Weaning.

To start I'll just explain a little bit about the process of baby led weaning (blw). Blw involves the child deciding what they want to eat, and then feeding themselves - with no intervention from you! You don't need purees, they simply eat what you eat. The only exceptions are honey, whole nuts and you obviously need to watch the salt and sugar in foods. You can offer spoons of food, just preload them and give them to baby/put on the tray... and away they go!

But anyway, onto my top 5 baby led weaning essentials!

Books / Support Groups

Top of the list, is some kind of reading material. Be it a baby led weaning book, blog, or even joining Facebook groups (I suggest Baby Led Weaning, or Baby Led Weaning - A Mum's Experience). These will all give information on the basics, the do's and dont's, and where/how to begin. You'll also find recipe ideas, support and a place to share those adorable messy photos!

Highchair

When you first start, a highchair isn't really 100% necessary, ( a Bumbo, or similar will do just fine). However, once your little one is actually eating a bit more, I'd definitely suggest getting yourself a proper highchair.

Image from Ikea.com

We have experiences with two - one is a Mama's & Papa's Pesto (similar just different pattern) and the other the Ikea Antilop. The Antilop is much easier to clean and has a large tray for baby to explore. However it isn't so easy to store, and I just love how much more secure Parker feels in the Pesto - overall though, I'd go with the Ikea (especially as it's only £13!!).

Protection for Baby... and the House

Bibs, coveralls, splash mats... baby led weaning is messy. You may think you know messy, but this is a whole other level haha. If you have carpets, or don't fancy cleaning the floors every day, I'd suggest a splash mat for under the highchair. We just used a cheap shower curtain from the 99p store, so we just threw it away once it was too grubby!

Coverall bibs are also wise for meals where you know baby will be covered head-to-toe - I'm talking about you spaghetti!. Ideally go for the ones with elasticated sleeves so that food can't fall down them haha. For less messy meals crumb-catcher style bibs are the best; babies love going back in to see what they can try again haha.

Another excellent investment are toddler weaning sets; these are available in different options from suction plates to suction bowls and sippy cups. The most exciting part of these sets is that it makes the food time more exciting and less messy for both the baby and the parent. Thanks to the suction base, the plate won’t move around or flip over, while the colorful design will appeal more inviting to our tiny humans.

Wipes, Wipes and more Wipes!

This goes hand in hand with the point above. Once that mess is made, you'll want a lot of wipes to clean it up with. They're also handy for giving tables in restaurants a quick wipe down, before placing food on them. Also a top tip - keep the wipes upside down. This keeps them wetter, so they're much better at removing mess!

Your Camera!

You really won't want to miss those first moments of your baby tasting food. Or the second. Or third! There's also nothing better than a messy baby photo, so you won't want to forget the camera. Some of my favourite pictures I have of Indiana were taken during her first weeks of blw, they really are moments to remember.

Of course these are just my opinions, and just the basics too. There's a whole world of cutlery, cups, and other top tips! Feel free to ask questions, or let me know if there's anything else you want me to cover regarding baby led weaning.

This post contains Affiliate links. This is a collaborative post.

New Tastes | Weaning Begins...

So the time has come, and Parker has had his first tastes of food! He has been showing the signs of being ready for a few weeks now - learning to sit, able to pick things up and put them in his mouth, and even stealing our food haha.

He's also been waking A LOT during the night, and eating a whole lot more in the day too. We know these aren't always signs of being ready to wean, however we decided they must have been for Parker... having 5-7oz of formula every 2/3 hours was a bit excessive haha!

Tuesday the 12th at exactly 23 week,s we started Parker's baby led weaning journey. We know he's still a little under 6 months, so will only be starting slowly at first, and then introducing more in a few more weeks.

We started off with simple porridge so he wasn't too put off by any strong flavours. I made it a little thicker and then loaded the spoon to give to him. The second he saw it, he launched himself forward and instantly took the spoon to his mouth! The 'yum yum' sounds soon followed and you could tell he was loving it (especially when he cried as the spoon was taken away haha).

I cannot believe we're at this stage already! I wanted my little boy to stay a baby forever, but it looks like he's taken matters into his own hands... like a true baby led weaner!

Indiana's 5 Month Update

I know I must say this every month, but I can't believe our little munchkin is 5 months old! It's crazy to think next month will be her half birthday, and in 3 months I'll be back at work. So here's how she's been this month:

Weight

I got her weighed last Wednesday when she was 21+1 weeks and she weighed 15lb 5.5oz! She was exactly 14lb when I had her weighed 3 weeks before, so I couldn't believe how much she'd put on in less that a month haha.

Daily

Routine is still going strong, although her morning and evening one can change daily. Some days she's up at 7, others like today she's not up until nearly 9! These makes her bottle times change, but whatever the day she goes 4 hours between, and still has a dreamfeed at 10ish. She still has no set naptime routine either, but I try and put her down 2 hours after she's woken up. But she can have between 30 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes sleep! We have a lot more playtime now too. She hates being left alone too long and will start moaning if she is, so I have to keep her amused most of the day now haha.

Bedtime

Hello sleeping through the night again.. finally! We made it out of our giant leap and ever since her sleeping pattern has been much better. Routine is till the same, and she's usually in bed my 7.30 every day, with her dream feed. She's then up anytime between 6-7, but she will usually sleep in until 7.30/8.

Eating

She's still on Cow&Gate Comfort with size 3 teats, we don't really want to risk trying to switch her again, so if she's happy so are we. We still make 8oz bottles but she again takes anything between 5 and 8 ozs (5 a day). Most of the time she finishes it these days though. Still no weaning yet either! She's still not interested so we're really hoping to do baby led weaning.

Sizes

Still in 3-6 months clothes which she fits perfectly now, apart from her sleeves are sometimes a bit long bless her haha. Size 3 nappies still fit too, although I'm sure once our stash runs out size 4 will be needed! We've washed and I've organised all her 6-9 months clothes ready for our holiday next month. I can't believe how big she's getting!

Milestones

• She is great at grasping toys - she can pass them between her hands and has such a look of concentration as she does it

• She's moving to level 2 on her Jumperoo! She's flat footed on level 1 now, but she's now jumping so high in it too haha!

• She's rolled loads this month, although poor Jack still hasn't seen it

• She has such strong legs - she can stand with you just holding her hands, and even locks her legs so you can't sit her down.

• She can sit unaided for a few seconds, she's getting much better!

• She's discovering her feet and toes, she sits there just staring at them

• She's also starting to recognise her name, and she responds to it nearly every time now

We still have no teeth but she's teething quite badly at the moment. Her clothes get soaked in dribble, and so do her teething toys haha. You can clearly see white marks under her gums now, so who knows when they'll pop through! We have also started baby massage which she loved, so I'm hoping to keep that up! We also went swimming for the first time on Sunday 27th April when she was 5months and 1 day old, she seemed to enjoy it haha! I just can't wait to see what she'll do this month!

17+6 Weeks Old

19 Weeks Old

Preparing For Our Holiday

20 + 3 Weeks Old

Cousins - Growing Up Too Fast!

21 + 2 Weeks Old

What was your little one up to at 5 months old?