Hugo is now six months old although it feels like only yesterday he was born. I’ve spoken openly about his feeding journey and his experience with suspected CMPA and Silent Reflux. These past six months haven’t been the easiest for any of us, but we have made it through the tough times, and we are on a road that is much smoother. It’s time to start Hugo on solids, and we are embarking on a weaning journey together. It has been seven years since my first son was weaned and I found the process this time a tad overwhelming. Everyone has advice, and all the guidelines seem to be ever changing, but I feel confident now that we have found our feet. While embarking on this journey I have found a few items that I would deem my weaning essentials, so I’ve put them all together in the hopes it might help someone else when they start their weaning journey.
What Weaning Essentials Do I Recommend?
Bibetta Weaning Pack
We have been using the Bibetta Weaning Pack since we started solids and I have to say that this collection of easy to clean products is a must have for any baby starting solids and are weaning essentials. It contains:
1 x UltraBib – A comfortable bib with an added pocket to help catch falling food.
1 x UltraBib With Sleeves – Perfect for messy mealtimes and protecting precious clothes. Completely covers baby which has saved some of Hugo’s best clothes from becoming a stained mess.
1 x Placemat With Pocket – Fits on the table with a non-slip backing and a handy pocket to catch anything falling. Saves the table from becoming a mess!
The Bibetta Weaning Pack comes in many different styles, and if bought as the bundle there is an overall saving of 20% compared to buying individually. Priced at £26.99 we just couldn’t be without it now. The items are easy to roll up and put in a change bag making them perfect for eating out and on the go!
Dr Brown’s
I was always aware that Dr Brown’s made bottles and I had heard such great things about them in the past. However, I wasn’t aware that they also had weaning accessories like their Tummy Grumbles Reusable Snack Bags and Milestones Cheers 360 Cup.
Tummy Grumbles Reusable Snack Bags
I love these cute little snack bags they are easy to open and close which is ideal when I am juggling Hugo on the go. They are lightweight, water resistant and can be put in the freezer! Cleaning them to reuse is a breeze because they go in the dishwasher on the top shelf! I use them for transporting snacks on the go. They don’t take up much room in the change bag, but they hold a fair amount.
They are £7.00, and you get three in a pack in small, medium and large!
Milestones Cheers 360 Cup
This cup is a great next step transition for baby. They can drink from any edge, and it encourages them to hold it themselves. I like the design and functionality of the cup because it has no spout it makes exploring independently much easier for Hugo.
The cup is BPA free and costs £5.99.
Both of these products have become weaning essentials for us and I’m so glad we found them!
Annabel Karmel Weaning Book
Of course, there are millions of books and resources on weaning available, but I have to say that this book by the iconic Annabel Karmel is a really easy to absorb and refer back to book that I would class as entirely essential. The book contains 60 easy to follow recipes that are nutritious and healthy. They also taste good too, and that’s Hugo’s opinion as well as mine. It talks you through baby-led weaning, debunks weaning myths and offers some really supportive advice. Having this book to refer to really helped ease me into the process of weaning and made everything feel less overwhelming.
The book has an RRP of £12.99 and is available to buy *here.
Goodies Organix
The thing I love about Organix food is that it has a No Junk Promise! We as parents want to fill our babies with only the best and the problem with pre-packaged foods is that sometimes they contain hidden nasties that we really don’t want our little ones consuming. The trouble is, and I’m sure most mums can relate it’s hard to juggle everything and sometimes when you are busy you need to be able to reach for a prepared snack to ease the strain of everything else. I know that when I reach for a Goodies Organix products for Hugo, he is getting good quality organic ingredients with nothing else added. They have such a great selection of finger foods which are ideal for transitioning through the weaning stages and both Hugo, and I are big fans!
The Organix Pea Puffs are ideal for first finger foods for babies starting weaning as they are the perfect shape for them to hold on their own. A 15g single bag costs just 79p and they are available in most supermarkets. Find out more about these weaning essentials from Goodies Organix here.
Bumbo Multi Seat
This seat is suitable from 6 months up until 36 months and it grows with your child through each step. You can use the seat on the floor, as a booster or as a feeding seat. It has a three-point harness which keeps Hugo secure and safe in the seat. The foam insert is removable, so it will mean that even as Hugo grows he still has sufficient room to be comfortable. I like the handy tray which is stored in the back of the seat when not being used, but ideal for placing items for Hugo to grab and snack on and it has been an ideal tool while baby led weaning.
The seat is lightweight and petite in size making it perfect to store and move around. It means that if I want to have Hugo in the kitchen with me one minute and then in the dining room the next, there are no issues or difficulty to move the seat. We as a family eat out a couple of times a week, and the Bumbo Multi Seat is ideal for taking on the road with us. It doesn’t take up much room in the car and is easy to carry, but it gives us the freedom and comfort of using it in a restaurant. This has been particularly helpful when the restaurants we have been to have only had the wooden style highchairs which are just a little too big for Hugo and don’t offer much support. It really is no hassle attaching the Bumbo Multi Seat to a chair, and within seconds Hugo has somewhere comfortable to sit and eat with us. The Bumbo seat is high up on my list of weaning essentials and it has really helped make the process easier!
The Bumbo Multi Seat is available from *Amazon.
Doidy Cup
We have been experimenting with the Doidy cup during this weaning journey, and I’m really impressed. The Doidy Cup was scientifically designed and has a unique slant which helps teach infants to drink from an open cup. Hugo finds the cup really easy to hold and lift to his mouth with little intervention from me. The cup is steriliser safe, can be put in the top shelf of a dishwasher and is freezer proof! Doidy cups are also fully recyclable which in a world full of plastic is refreshing!
Doidy Bowl
From the same people that make the Doidy Cup they also have the Doidy Bowl which has the signature doidy slant. Hugo can push the food around the bowl without spilling it over the edge, and the handy suction pad on the bottom means that the bowl stays put too! The bowl is made from soft silicone which means you can easily roll the bowl up if travelling. It’s BPA, PVC, Phthalate free and is microwave and dishwasher safe.
The Doidy Cup and bowl are both available to buy here:
Doidy Cup: £3.80
Doidy Bowl: £9.99
Special Combined Pack: £12.50
ACE Cleaning
Let’s be honest its impossible to wean without a bit of mess and baby food stains EVERYTHING! You can use the worlds best bibs but unless you and your baby are both wearing a biohazard waste suit every single feed there are going to be moments where things spill and preparation is essential. Personally, I stockpile some ACE Cleaning Products. I’ve previously reviewed them, and they are tough on stains whether it’s on your clothes, high chair or general vicinity of your child.
The products don’t have a chemical smell, and they leave everything feeling clean and fresh without any leftover residue which is reassuring when you have a little one putting everything in their mouth. ACE has even managed to get tough baby food stains out of both Hugo and my clothes when we have had a baby led weaning spillage! When it comes to the post-weaning cleanup, you need products you can rely on, and I would definitely say ACE is essential!
For more information on ACE cleaning products head over to their website here.
I hope you found this weaning essentials post useful. If you want more information on weaning then this guide from the NHS is useful but it’s always worth speaking with your health visitor or GP if you have any questions you are unsure of.
What are your weaning essentials?
Thank you for stopping by! Check out my last post here.
Love as always!
MO
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I received some of these items on a gifting basis for inclusion in this weaning essentials post. As always all words, opinions, and views are my own. Links marked with * are affiliate links this does not cost you anything. For more information on any of this please head over to this page.
