4 tips for feeding baby (and you)
For babies, every day calls for exploration, and they like to do a lot of that exploring with their mouths. Make sure you have the right feeding environment for baby and you – from a calm space with comfortable seating to safe and easy-to-use tableware. And with all the focus on your baby, don’t forget to feed yourself! It’s just as important as feeding baby.
Tip 1: Find the perfect nursing chair
With all the other things to consider around feeding, it’s easy to forget the setting. Whether you’re breastfeeding or using a bottle, baby can feed for a long time – long enough for you to become very uncomfortable! Make sure your seat is comfy and easy-access, and that you surround yourself with warm lighting, soft textiles and natural light.
Tip 2: Let baby take the lead
All of our tableware, including KALAS, is designed from baby’s perspective. We’re talking cups, bowls and cutlery little hands can hold to spur their motor skills. Our tableware boasts lots of bright colours while also being dishwasher and microwave-safe. It is also made from BPA- and phthalate-free materials.
Tip 3: Have fun with baby’s first food
What should baby’s first solid food be? There are as many opinions as there are people to give them, but a safe bet is any type of soft fruit or vegetable peeled and cored (and made into funny faces!). Favourites among babies are pear, avocado, banana, sweet potato and broccoli (yes, really). If they’re rejected by your little one, try again the following day.
Tip 4: Fill up your freezer
Feeding baby can become an all-consuming task that it's easy to forget about feeding yourself. In the build-up to a new arrival, you’re often asked what you need. One of the best presents you can ask for is a few homecooked meals for the freezer. Our new freezer-friendly IKEA 365+ range of food containers make food storage simple.
Feeding baby in a highchair at family mealtimes is the perfect way to involve them and get them used to the dining experience.”
Jenny WikInterior Designer at IKEA
Let’s get messy
Mealtimes should be messy times when baby first discovers food and long before baby can hold a spoon or fork, they will want to explore food with their fingers. We developed the MATVRÅ place mat to help make messiness manageable. Easy-to-clean plastic with no phthalates or harmful chemicals, with a colourful, non-slip surface.
Highchairs
Our highchairs (okay, let’s just call them thrones) meet the toughest safety standards – including tests with a static weight equivalent to a female Southern fur seal (they’re pretty large!). With a wide, stable base and rounded edges, our highchairs are made from non-toxic materials and have a safety belt.
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