Baby-Led Weaning Plate - Made from soft & flexible silicone

Baby-Led Weaning Plate - Made from soft & flexible silicone


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Baby-Led Weaning Plate

Before we start talking about Baby-Led Weaning plate, let's first understand what Baby-Led Weaning is.

Baby-led weaning means skipping spoon-feeding purees and letting babies feed themselves finger foods right from the start—at about age 6 months. Some parents worry that this approach might make a bigger mess, but it turns out baby-led weaning can actually be neater and less chaotic than traditional spoon-feeding.

Benefits of Baby-Led Weaning Include:

Allowing babies to control how much they eat: Baby-led weaning puts infants in the driver's seat of their own feeding. They can choose to eat or not to eat, and how much to eat, based on their own hunger cues.

Encouraging self-regulation of food intake: When babies are able to control how much they eat, they're more likely to develop a healthy relationship with food and learn to eat only when they're truly hungry.

Fostering baby's development: Baby-led weaning can help babies develop their motor skills, as well as their ability to understand what they're seeing and tasting.

Best Baby-Led Weaning Foods

When you're first starting out with baby-led weaning, look for foods that are:

Soft and easy to gum or chew: Baked sweet potato wedges, ripe bananas, avocado slices, cooked chicken or fish, shredded meat, soft cheese.

Easy to grasp: Sticks of roasted vegetables, rusks, or teething biscuits.

Warm Food: Baked or grilled flaked fish, bones removed, Smooshed beans, Hummus, and Raw or lightly baked tofu strips.

Avoid These Foods

Foods that are choking hazards:  Nuts; whole grapes, cherries, or cherry tomatoes; raw vegetables; uncooked apple slices; uncooked dried fruit; thick gobs of nut butter; hot dogs; large chunks of meat or cheese; fish with bones; popcorn; and crunchy snacks like chips, pretzels or granola bars.

Bones: Any kind of cooked bones, including chicken, fish, and pork chop bones, are a choking hazard for babies and young children. Make sure to serve your kids meat where the bone is removed.

The food they are allergic to: If there is a family history of food allergies, talk to your baby's doctor before starting solids.

Honey: Infants under 12 months old should not eat honey because it can contain spores of bacteria that can cause infant botulism, a rare but potentially fatal disease.

Tips For Baby-Led Weaning

Create a schedule and stick to it: It's important to offer your baby food at regular intervals throughout the day. A good rule of thumb is to offer food every 2-3 hours. Have fixed eating times for your baby so that they are mentally prepared to eat at those times and eating becomes a part of their daily routine.

Invest in baby utensils and cutlery: Baby-led weaning can be messy, so it's important to have the right tools on hand. Look for suction plates and bowls that will stay put during mealtime, as well as bibs and wipes to clean up afterwards. You might also want to invest in a high chair that can be easily wiped down.

Start Slow: Don't try to do too much too soon. It's important to introduce new foods slowly and allow your baby time to adjust. Start with one or two new foods per week and gradually increase the variety and quantity over time.

Be patient: Baby-led weaning can be a messy process, so it's important to have patience. Your baby will make a mess, but that's part of the learning process. Just relax and enjoy the ride!

Importance of Baby-Led Weaning Plate

When starting baby-led weaning, it is important to have the right tools on hand. A suction plate can help make mealtime less messy and more enjoyable for both you and your baby. Look for a plate that is made from a soft, flexible material that is easy to clean.

A plate with compartments can also be helpful in keeping food separate. This can be especially useful when introducing new foods, as you can put a small amount of each food in its own section.

Mealtime Set Large – Purple Rose - Everyday Baby

Silicone Suction Plates are a good option because these plates are made from soft, flexible silicone that can be bent or folded for easy storage. They usually have suction cups on the bottom to keep the plate in place during mealtime. Silicone plates are dishwasher-safe and can often be placed in the microwave or oven for reheating food.

Conclusion

Baby-led weaning can be a great way to introduce your baby to new foods and flavours. It's important to start slowly and be patient as your baby adjusts to this new way of eating. The right tools, such as a suction plate, can help make mealtime less messy and more enjoyable for both you and your baby. Our Everyday Baby Silicone plate with 4 compartments makes eating easier for your baby. Click here to know more about it.

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