Minimizing the Mess with Baby-Led Weaning
Just starting solids? Check out our guides on starting solids with real food and preview our virtual course.
Letting babies self-feed has a number of amazing benefits in the short and long term. But staying clean is not one of them! Baby-led weaning is M-E-S-S-Y. That said, there are a few things you can do to minimize the mess in the early days:
Cover your floors with waterproof splat mats. Use more than one!
Put baby in footed pajamas and cover with a bib. Then just unzip!
Order a ton of baby washcloths. Nothing works better!
Use a pitcher filled with warm water to wash hands, arms, feet and lower legs after each meal.
Kalani, 12 months, washes her hands and arms in a plastic container.
Amelia, 10 months, washes her hands in a cup.
Don’t rely on suction plates or bowls to keep clean.
(But do use these fabulous products to help your baby self-feed.)
Adie, 18 months, lifts her suction plate off the table.
Max, 19 months, tips his bowl upside down.
Use both a straw cup and open cup at each meal.
At the beginning of the meal, start with the open cup with just a little bit of milk/formula/breastmilk in it. Then as the meal wears on, switch to a straw cup. (The end of the meal is when babies are most likely to throw things.)
Mina, 8 months, plays with a straw up.
Get a dog. Or two.
(Seriously though, be careful with what your dog eats and if baby starts to feed dog a lot, put your dog in another room during mealtime so it doesn't become a game. xo)
Join our email list for tips, recipes and more
Sign up for new guides, recipes and special offers
The content offered on SolidStarts.com is for informational purposes only. Solidstarts is not engaged in rendering professional advice, whether medical or otherwise, to individual users or their children or families. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or your medical or health professional, nutritionist, or expert in pediatric feeding and eating. By accessing the content on SolidStarts.com, you acknowledge and agree that you are accepting the responsibility for your child’s health and well-being. In return for providing you with an array of content “baby-led weaning” information, you waive any claims that you or your child may have as a result of utilizing the content on SolidStarts.com.
