Starting Solids
We started solids with Levi! It was both daunting and exciting. His pediatrician recommended we start a few weeks before his 6-month appointment. I had been waiting on it though because I kept feeling like things had to be perfect (no surprise from a perfectionist). I felt both the need to “follow directions” and start before his appointment, while also being indecisive on what his first food should be. I got it in my head that it had to be just the right thing. It felt like such a monumental moment, surely it had to be just right. He had been showing so much interest in food, watching intently as we ate, and hit a number of the other readiness signs I’d read about, but still I waited. Then I read the chapter in Emily Oster’s Cribsheet on starting solids and did a little research on Solid Starts and realized that there wasn’t one perfect way to start and also that, likely, my delaying it and feeling like it needed to be just right had more to do with my feelings on him getting older and the “big” milestones he was passing than it did about the importance of his very first food. So I relaxed a little and gave him some avocado.
I had read about both the baby led weaning and purée approaches to baby eating and decided rather than feeling like I had to adhere to one philosophy, that I would try them both. I found the Solid Starts website (and app) very helpful. They have a huge database of foods you can look up with information like what age it’s appropriate for, allergy likeness and ways to prepare it depending on your baby’s age. They also have a lot of helpful articles. I particularly recommend the one on choking vs. gagging if you’re a first time parent—it helped to ease some of my anxiety about seeing Levi gag. I also started listening to the Baby-Led Weaning Made Easy podcast and it has a lot of interesting information!
We’re only a few weeks in and I’ve already seen him improve his skills so much! I’m not doing the best job with planning ahead for his meals yet though. And while I don’t feel a lot of mom guilt in other areas, this is one that has been getting to me a little bit. I decided to order an actual high chair, after an arguably annoying amount of research and waffling, in hopes that having the right setup would help me to feel ready to get in a better routine with feeding him regularly. Quick sidebar about routines as a new mom: I’m a very routine-oriented person. Having a baby and being that way is HARD. Just when you think you’re getting into a good rhythm, your baby grows and changes and you need to switch it up. Just got your handle on the 3-hour schedule? It’s time for the 4-hour schedule! Feeding going well after a long struggle? Now introduce solids!
Back to the high chair. We’d been using this portable one that can attach to tables and counters. It’s super convenient because you can tuck it away and bring it with you to restaurants or on trips. I’ve been big on not trying to overdo it with all the baby gadgetry and thought the more things I could borrow from friends, rent, skip out on all together (if not necessary) the better. I loved the idea that this portable high chair wouldn’t take up much space and would allow Levi to sit at the table with us. And while I still like it for the travel/take with you features, I decided to get an actual high chair for a few reasons. 1. Cleaning - because this is fabric, it very quickly becomes covered in banana, avocado, whatever you’re feeding your baby. It’s washable so that’s great, but you’re not going to wash it everyday so in the meantime you’ve got a kind of crusty highchair. With a traditional high chair, you can wipe it down after each use. 2. Having it out and ready - now this is counterintuitive for me, I originally wanted this small portable high chair because you could put it away, but now that baby is here, I don’t want to have to take it out and set it up every day when it’s time to feed Levi. It made the task of feeding him seem more daunting because it wasn’t ready. Sure you could leave it attached to your table or counter, but I found that Levi was smashing food against the arms and so food would get underneath those crevices and I’d have to take it off to wipe down the table/counter. Don’t get me wrong, I still think this high chair is great and I love that we have it, but I want a high chair that’s easy to wipe down, can function as a standalone and at the table and is out/set up and ready right when you need it. It’s one of those things that I couldn’t have known until I was at this stage. I ended up ordering the Stokke Tripp Trapp, which I really didn’t think I would. It’s a classic choice and after figuring out what I wanted from a high chair, I get why. It hasn’t arrived yet, so I can’t fully review it, but here’s why I went with it.
Small footprint - We don’t have a small house, but we don’t have a big house either. Like I mentioned above, I want this to be able to be out and ready, but I didn’t want it to take up too much space. The base of this high chair is minimal while still being sturdy, a lot of the more traditional shaped high chairs actually need a lot of floor space.
Standalone & table use - You can use this with a tray or pull it right up the table.
Adjustable footrest - This is one thing that is on all the lists/reviews about high chairs. Babies come in all shapes and sizes and getting a proper-fitting high chair is important for sitting up properly which in turn is important for swallowing and learning to eat!
Toddler seat - I don’t really know if we’ll need or use this feature, but after you’re out of the baby stage, you can remove the baby parts and use it as a toddler seat.
Resale - Kind of a weird one, but this seat has been around a long time and continues to be a top rated choice. With that comes a hefty price tag! BUT I was looking to see if I could buy one second-hand and saw them being sold on Facebook Marketplace, sometimes for barely less than new. They also seem to stay in pretty good condition—another plus!
The high chair is supposed to arrive next week! So I’m hoping with that in place and sitting down to “meal plan” for him ahead of grocery shopping this weekend, I’ll feel a little more prepared to take this on more seriously. We’ll see how it goes! I know at this age it’s much more about exploring than actually getting any nutrition from food, but I still want to be able to let him explore a variety of foods. Who knows, maybe it will even help me to get more inventive with meals for the rest of the family!
I’ve linked a couple other things I’ve found helpful so far, like these silicone bibs (the little tray is so handy) or these smocks for messier meals, spoons (these are great for babies without teeth and are also small enough that they can navigate them on their own), and bowls and plates. I don’t think you need a ton of these. We wash things frequently enough that we don’t need a whole stock pile of dishes at this stage.
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