8 tips and tricks for starting solids

The transition to solids is a journey, and if you’re a new mum, still finding your feet – it can be a stressful time. 

While we have a fabulous starting solids kit, and a cookbook for baby – which both offer a great starting point for weaning, we’re about to go into detail on how our Munch baby range can help the transition into solids go smoother. 

Check out these eight tips and tricks to make starting solids more enjoyable for both Mum & Bub. 

When you have a newborn, the idea of sitting down to a civilised family meal might seem farfetched during the first few months; you may be lucky to feed yourself! But sooner than you think, your baby will be ready to join the family at the table.

Not every meal will be peaceful, and much of the food may land on the floor, but the key is to not set high expectations and just enjoy this time.

Remember to try and relax, and have fun with this process! Bubs will watch you, and monkey see – monkey do. Try eating at the same time as them, show them how you chew and move food into your mouth so they can watch and learn.

TIP ONE: Start with getting the equipment sorted, it’s going to be messy! Be prepared to change bubs clothes and chuck them straight into the wash. These few bits and pieces will make your life 10 times easier…

• A heap of bibs, with poppers preferably.
• Some good laundry soap for soaking out the stains on clothes and bibs.
• Baby organic facecloths - can be used after mealtime to keep your little one clean.

TIP TWO: Once you have all the equipment, it’s time to get cooking! Most kitchens will have basics such as a blender, electric jug, and mashers – but having the correct equipment on hand to store and serve bub’s food makes the world of difference. We recommend: 

• The Munch organic purees for baby cookbook – ithas a step-by-step guide for age-appropriate textures, serving sizes, and tips for fussy eaters. 
• If you’re making baby food, freeze it in advance. Our food trays were designed for this reason – available in 4 compartment or 7 compartment trays and made from silicone. It’s so easy to pop out one portion at a time, opposed to regular ice trays! 
• Have a foost knife on hand, in case you have any other little ones begging to help you prepare food in the kitchen.

TIP THREE: Pre-loading spoons are a great way to encourage fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and self-feeding. These are our favourite cutlery items & small equipment for small humans: 

• Bamboo baby cutlery – with silicone tops and rounded handles for little hands to grasp. 
• Bamboo baby spoons three-pack – in a colourful variety, to grab their attention! 
• Eco hero cutlery – Biodegradable baby cutlery made from natural rice husk.
• Baby feeders - are the best for introducing solids safely as the small holes DO NOT allow large chunks of food through. They’re also a helpful tool for teething babies.

TIP FOUR: Once bub is ready to start self-feeding, or if you are doing baby-led weaning (BLW), baby-sized dinnerware and serve ware is needed:  

• Silicone baby bib – with a pocket to catch food, and silicone material for easy wipe. 
• Silicone cups – with a straw or handles to make it easier for bubs to grip.
• Eco hero toddler cup – has a soft silicone spout, to promote natural drinking actions.
• Baby silicone bowl – with a scooping lid to assist toddlers in transition to self-feeding.
• Eco hero baby suction bowl – for a non-slip meal, perfect for BLW. Mums tell us all the time – no matter how hard bub tries, they cannot move or throw their suction bowl! 
• Eco hero baby suction plate – stimulating as little ones love all of the compartments.

TIP FIVE: Often you will be out and about with bub, to the supermarket, the park, or a friend’s house. It can be a tricky thing to work out feeding in public or in new environments where they’re uncertain. Try to make eating fun by playing games to get babies to open their mouths or by making food look fun (for example, cut toast into shapes with cookie cutters!). Our favourite Munch products for on the go feeding include: 

• Eco hero dinner set – 5 piece feeding set, with cutlery, a cup with handles, a baby plate, and a bowl. Contains no plastic, and stacks into the cutest little eco-hero. 
• Food cup – spill-proof for any baby to take on the go, with a soft opening for babies' hands to slide in and out, while keeping food securely inside. 
• Reusable stainless steel containers - 3 packs of different sizes with leak-resistant lids.
• Reusable food pouch – like the ready-made baby food pouches from the supermarket, except you know what goes in them. They’re reusable and freezer-safe!

TIP SIX: Most babies start teething around 6 months old, which is roughly the same time they’re recommended to start solids. Although each baby is different it can be common for these challenges to come hand in hand. Once they start teething you can soothe this by giving them something to chew on, or something cold to suck on, such as… 

• Teething and breastfeeding necklace – their soft pressure on baby’s gums keeps them distracted from the pain and engages them while in your arms.
• Silicone teething necklace - redirects their attention from chomping and pulling on your clothes, hair, face, or whatever else they can get their little hands (and teeth!) on.
• Wooden bracelet teether - to help baby self-soothe and develop fine motor skills and hand and eye coordination.
• Butterfly teething toy – can be frozen and has multiple surfaces and edges to soothe sore gums, and aid comfort. 
• Attachable teether – sick of losing teethers? These simply attach to your pram or high chair. 

TIP SEVEN: According to Plunket, once babies’ teeth come through – it’s not a good idea to put them to sleep with a bottle, as this can start to cause tooth decay. Instead, they recommend a dummy to settle them. Munch has fully Silicone dummies that are 100% recyclable through our silicone send back programme – something rare for dummies! If you’re worried about babies losing their dummies, we have fabric dummy chains, or silicone dummy holders, which can be attached to clothes. 

TIP EIGHT: If there’s a mum in your life who you want to support around this time – we have perfect gifts for a baby shower, or just to help out a stressed new Mumma. Our favourites are: 

• Baby organic cotton swaddle - Infants who’re swaddled wake up less often and fall asleep more quickly. This increases REM sleep by an average of 50%. A well-rested happy baby means well rested happy parents! 
• Baby brushes + Baby Shampoo - Comes in a beautiful cardboard present box. Brushing babies' hair has major benefits on their wellbeing; keeping their scalp stimulated while assisting to prevent cradle cap, generating blood flow and removing dried skin.
• Baby berry t-shirt - influence children in a positive healthy way by having them wear wholesome food like fruit and vegetables. 
• Baby shower gifts – that’s right, we have an easy baby shower bundle for those who don’t know! It is available in $100 value, or $200 Receiving a gift hamper full of eco products for the baby and new mother is such a memorable experience.

There are so many great resources for new mums out there, and trust us – we’ve been there! You can do this. Go eco Mama and little eco warriors!