Our Favorite Feeding Supplies
As pediatric feeding therapists and busy moms to babies and toddlers, we have come in contact with so many baby products over the years. But not all baby gear is created equal. As a general rule, we recommend skipping most items in the baby aisle in lieu of a blanket and time spent freely on the floor, but there are a few practical items you will want to have on hand during that first year.
What worked for both of our families and what we recommend for others is investing in fewer, higher quality pieces that you will use over and over again as baby grows.
A few quality feeding supplies to use once you start transitioning to solids and cup drinking are all you will need to go from first bites to full table foods in baby’s first year and beyond.
Please be sure to read our posts on how to choose a high chair to learn about our favorite highchairs and ideal positioning for feeding and when should my baby start solids first so you know what your goals are in purchasing these products to support baby’s feeding skills.
You can shop for these items directly by clicking on the item’s name below each photo. We participate in the Amazon Affiliates Program. If you click on a link below and buy the product, we earn a small referral fee without any additional cost to you. These products are genuinely our favorites as therapists and moms. We won’t recommend anything we haven’t tried or don’t fully stand behind.
Our Favorite Teethers
Silicone smoothie straw (cut down to approx 4 in or tied in a knot for easier manipulation)
Tips for choosing a teether for your baby
When looking for a good teething/mouthing toy, look for these characteristics:
Lightweight and easy for baby to manipulate
Large enough to not be a choking hazard
Small protrusion that can easily be placed farther back in the mouth for chewing practice at the molar area (not just front and center)
Variety of smooth and bumpy textures and firmness
Easily washable and durable for when teeth come in
You can also check out our blog post here for why teethers and mouthing on toys is important for feeding and speech development, and our post here about starting solids for HOW to use teethers to progress feeding skills starting at 5-6 months.
Our Favorite Spoons
Tips for choosing a spoon for your baby
Once you're ready to start feeding your baby solids, either with purees or via self-feeding with a baby-led approach, a good spoon is super important. You'll want to find something that is easy for baby to hold and manipulate, because before you know it, baby will want to join in on the feeding process and try the spoon themselves! Baby will need to fit the entire spoon in their mouth and clear the spoon easily with the lips.
When looking for a spoon, consider these characteristics:
Short handle that is easy for baby to hold and control
Small shallow bowl
Easily washable and durable
Our Favorite Cups
Tips for choosing a cup for your baby
Cup drinking is an important step toward advancing your baby’s immature oral-motor and swallowing skills to support safe progression of feeding to include more complex textures and will lay the foundation for later speech sound development.
Most parents think that their baby should start with a "traditional" hard or soft-spout sippy cup, but we recommend skipping these altogether and going straight to a straw or sippy cup. We address the WHY and HOW in this blog post here, full of information on how to transition baby to a cup and why we (and most all feeding therapists) recommend skipping the sippy!
When looking for a cup, consider these characteristics:
Small and lightweight for baby to easily bring to their mouth
Small open cup (like in the center of the photo) or even a small medicine cup works at first!
Straw cups without valves (or with straws long enough to cut below valve- like the pink Munckin cup on the left)
Easy to use and clean
Our Favorite Plates
Tips for choosing a plate for your baby
Most feeding therapists recommend sticking with a plate without dividers, so your child can learn that it's OK for food to touch and mix together slightly (a common issue with picky eaters). While this is great for many meals, we also recommend having a few divided plates and bowls on hand for when part of the meal is really runny or requires scooping with hands or a utensil. We think a variety of a few quality plates is a good idea in general so you can pair the plate with the food you're offering.
When looking for a plate, consider these characteristics:
Small enough to fit easily on a highchair tray or table
Single bowl or flat plate
Bonus points if it suction cups to the tray or table!
Remember to check our blog on When Should My Baby Start Solids? for an overview of the motor skills we need baby to have mastered before introducing solids and how to get baby ready for a good first experience with food in the highchair.
We truly hope you enjoy your feeding journey. Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions along the way, we’re here to help.
-Bree & Jaclyn
*We participate in the Amazon Affiliates Program. If you click on a link above and buy the product, we earn a small referral fee without any additional cost to you. These products are genuinely our favorites as therapists and moms. We won’t recommend anything we haven’t tried or don’t fully stand behind.
We’re Bree & Jaclyn
Pediatric therapists and moms with a mission to empower you with knowledge to encourage your baby’s development and continue confidently into your parenthood journey.
If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below and we will get back to you. As always, the information we share is meant to provide general education and tips and is not intended as medical advice. If you have a specific question or concern about your child’s development, please speak directly to your child’s doctor or therapist.
