Supper's On!
Author: Heather Slee
Soon your baby will be ready for-gasp-solid food! Once your pediatrician gives you the go ahead for starting stage one foods (rice cereal, squash, bananas, etc. Ask for a list), you will need to get some safe, baby-friendly utensils. And probably a larger memory card for your camera.
The main things you'll first be looking for are bowls and spoons. And, truly, you can use any bowl, even a paper disposable bowl. However, I wouldn't recommend using the good china; it will be messy and therefore slippery! But you'll find a myriad of colorful plastic bowls in the baby aisle at any major store. Spoons are another story; definitely invest in a few baby spoons. Try to go for spoons that are rubbery, have small heads, and possibly bendable. This will come in handy when your infant grabs the spoon from your hand and tries to "help," even if that means shoving it in their ear. Many spoons come with grips on the handle so that you can hold on tight when there's slippery food everywhere and the baby is more entranced with the spoon than the food. One spoon that I found online, the Boon Squirt, has a handle that stores the food, and you simple squeeze it to fill the spoon head!
Another possible mealtime accessory is the sippy cup. Sippy cups are simply cups with lids (and sometimes handles) and little spouts from which the baby drinks. You may want to give the sippy cup a try around seven to nine months, but you can check with your pediatrician to be sure. There are hundreds to choose from; some claim to be spill-proof, some are "ergonomically correct," and some are just plain cute. Try out a couple different kinds to see which your baby prefers.
Another popular item is the warming dish, for parents that want to give their babies food that warms their bellies. Many brands, like the Sassy Baby Warming Dish (around $5) or the Munchkin Stay Put Divided Warming Dish (around $8), have a tray for warm water underneath or next to the plate for food, which keeps food warm. This is the safest way to go; it will ensure your baby's food doesn't get too hot and burn their fragile little mouths.
All in all, there are many eating utensils out there made just for baby. And, it's up to you which ones you want to use and which ones you want to skip altogether. Bottom line: I recommend getting a few bendable, rubbery baby spoons. The rest you can probably skip for now! But sometimes it's just a lot of fun to buy all that cute baby stuff-so go for it if you want to!