Raincoat for weaning babies - UPDATED

Product name: Lapp på Lapp 416 Förklapp Laban gul (http://shop.textalk.se/se/shop.php?id=12282)

 

What is it?A bib with arms, made from a raincoat-like material and with a handy ‘pocket’ at the bottom, which protects baby’s clothes when eating solid foods

Why did it catch my attention?This was a Christmas present for my son from his grandmother – very well timed as we started weaning him only a few days before Christmas and quickly discovered the new challenge of avoiding to get vegetable puree all over him when eating

How old was my baby when I bought it?He was 5,5 months when he got it, but it is helpful from the day you start weaning your little one

What value does it add for us?It keeps the colourful, orange, carrot-based vegetable puree that has become his favorite dish at lunchtime from splashing all over his clothes

What does it replace?Other bibs, using a raincoat when weaning or unnecessarily frequent washing

How did my baby respond to it?He lets me put it on without protesting and seems to like the funny ‘Spöket Laban’ pattern

How much does it cost?SEK 140 at the Lapp på Lapp webshop

Can I see any drawbacks?At the very early stage of weaning where my son is for the moment, it would have been even better if his fingers were covered by built-in gloves as well since he tends to get it all over his fingers and then use them to spread the food all around his face, nose, eyes etc.

** SINCE THIS POST WAS WRITTEN I HAVE FOUND AN EVEN BETTER PRODUCT: SILLYBILLYZ LA-LÄTSCHEN**

The main advantage with Silly Billyz is that the back is closed with a popper instead of tying two laces together as on the Spöket Laban one. Otherwise a fairly similar product and still no gloves!

Backseat entertainment!

Product name: Wimmer Ferguson Car Seat Gallery (Manhattan Toy Car Seat Gallery)

What is it?A piece of cardboard with plastic pockets and a bunch of black & white and colourful graphics to keep baby entertained in the backseat. The cardboard has Velcro straps intended to help attaching it to the neck support of a car seat, but I have to admit we did not get it to stick in our BMW

Why did it catch my attention?After the first longer drive with our then 5 week old son, I realised that the only way to be able to drive any further than 1,5 hours from home was to find something to keep him entertained in the backseat

How old was my baby when I bought it?He was a little bit more than 5 weeks, but the first time we used it he was almost 7 months. According to the customer feedback on Amazon UK babies like these pictures from the age of between 3-10 weeks

What value does it add for us?When babies reach the age where they are a bit more attentive, they have something interesting to look at when driving. The pictures are nice and there are enough of them (20 in total, half of them black & white and half of them coloured) to change them around and give your baby more variety

What does it replace?This product is not more advanced than the drawings my friend made for her little one herself using a black felt-tip pen

How did my baby respond to it?The main lesson learned from the first drive (London to Stratford-upon-Avon) was that the graphics were so entertaining that they kept him awake instead of sleeping as he should have done according to schedule. We heard him scratching his feet against the cardboard  and laughing out loud for the whole 1,5 hour drive!

How much does it cost?£13 on Amazon UK

Can I see any drawbacks?The quality of the cardboard, Velcro and plastic pockets is not very durable. We did not get the Velcro straps to work so found our own method of attaching it to the backseat

How to help babies practise sitting up on their own

Product name: Galt Farm Playnest (Galt Playnest - Farm)

What is it?A fabric covered inflatable ring supporting a baby when learning how to sit up on his/her own. It has a funny bright-coloured pattern and some nice touchy-feely-noisy textures around the ring that provide great entertainment for the little one. There is a variant of this product that in addition has baby gym arches with toys above the ring

Why did it catch my attention?Having noticed how my little one needed to practice the muscles that would help him be able to sit up on his own and discovered these rings at a Gymboree class, I turned to Amazon and ordered one of our own!

How old was my baby when I bought it?He was around 5 months when I actually bought it, but had been trying it out at Gymboree since he was 3-3,5 months

What value does it add for us?My son gets to practise sitting up on his own and has much more fun than lying down, since once he discovered the view from there he got bored lying down on his back. For his mother, the playnest is a safe place to leave him to play while I need to do other things in the flat. In the absence of the toy arches that the related product has, we have made sitting in the playnest more fun for my son by simply putting his various toys around on the surface of the ring which makes it flexible and the fun never-ending

What does it replace?To some extent the bouncer (which my son outgrew very quickly) and the car seat with a toy arch attached to it, but in terms of being useful for his motor skills the alternative would be to have an adult sit with him and support him

How did my baby respond to it?He seemed to feel very comfortable in it from the very start and can stay there for over 30 minutes without getting bored

How much does it cost?£27 on Amazon UK, add £12 to get the one with the toy arches

Can I see any drawbacks?It takes up a lot of space and when tired my baby tends to forget keeping his back up and slides down into the hole in the middle, so it is important to keep an eye on the baby at all times while sitting in the playnest

Funky soft toy mirror from Manhattan Toys

Product name: Whoozit See Me Mirror (Whoozit See Me Mirror)

What is it?A mirror with some funky soft toys and colourful fringes on the frame. It has two ribbons at the back that gives you the flexibility to attach it to for example a cot, a playmat or the backseat of your car

Why did it catch my attention?At about 3 months of age, my little son started to love watching himself in the mirror, and I was looking for a mirror that (a) was soft and that he would be unable to hurt himself on and (b) that would fit in his cosleeper so that he could entertain himself for an hour or so in the morning while his mummy got some extra sleep! ;-)

How old was my baby when I bought it?I started buying mirrors for him when he was 2 months old, and found this one when he was just over 3 months

What value does it add for us?This is an appreciated toy that helps my son keep himself entertained on his own and is flexible enough to be attractive to bring along when we are travelling. In addition to the mirror, my son really loves playing with the smiley Whoozit face and the multi-coloured fringes

What does it replace?Other toy or non-toy mirrors

How did my baby respond to it?He has always loved this mirror, which differentiates it from a few other toy mirrors I bought for him and that he in many cases started to appreciate 2-3 months later when his motor skills were developed enough for him to be able to grab it and play around with creating reflections

How much does it cost?£15 on Amazon UK

Can I see any drawbacks?The seams don’t look very solid to me, and as he grows stronger I am quite sure that Whoozit will get torn off at some point soon

Baby's own lunchbag

Product name: Ella’s Kitchen Organic Baby Food (http://www.ellaskitchen.co.uk/)

What is it?The original innovation from Ella’s Kitchen when it started back in 2006 was the wrapping – packing the food in a pouch instead of a jar makes it even easier to bring lunch along when you are out and about with your little one, and the colorful illustrations on the outside are made to appeal to babies

Why did it catch my attention?A friend of mine with three children under the age of 5 who tends to take them out quite a lot pointed me to the brilliant pouches with baby food

How old was my baby when I bought it?I bought it for the first time when he was around 6 months, but this product is relevant from the day you start bringing solid food along for the baby to have a meal anywhere else than home

What value does it add for us?It makes it even easier to bring his lunch along and the wrapping provides some entertainment for him when waiting for the food

What does it replace?Baby food jars and cubes of home-made baby food. Since 2006, several other producers have imitated Ella’s clever packaging

How did my baby respond to it?It depends on the flavour, for the moment his favourite is the surprising mix of broccoli, pears and peas!

How much does it cost?From around £1 at Sainsbury’s and other grocery stores. Originally invented in the UK, the poaches are now also available in grocery stores in the US, the UAE and the three Scandinavian countries

Can I see any drawbacks?At the early stages of weaning the content of the pouches is too much for one meal, which in our case has resulted in throwing a lot of leftovers away

Baby food machine for unskilled housewives

Product name: Philips AVENT SCF870/21 Combined Baby Food Steamer and Blender (http://www.avent.com/)

What is it?A blender with a built-in steamer function that makes it much easier for mothers lacking in housewife skills to make ‘proper’ baby food

Why did it catch my attention?My brother-in-law had found this item on Amazon long before my baby reached the age of weaning and asked if he wanted one for Christmas. Knowing my complete lack of housewife genes it was an offer that I could not resist!

How old was my baby when I bought it?He was 6,5 months and had been weaning for 1,5 months when we got this into the house, but it is relevant from the day the baby starts weaning

What value does it add for us?My son gets to eat ‘real’, vitamine-rich food once in a while and I feel better than when giving him ready-made stuff only

What does it replace?The lengthy process of steaming and blending healthy food for him the normal way and doing the lazy mother and giving him something I bought from Ocado instead

How did my baby respond to it?Looking at it, he thinks it is a toy and wants to chew it. When it comes to food, the first thing we tried was avocado and that went down very well with him

How much does it cost?£56 on Amazon UK

Can I see any drawbacks?It was probably just bad luck, but on the first one we got the steamer was defect, so we had to return and get a replacement. Otherwise no drawbacks noticed so far – it is a very handy and easy product to use!

A tandem tooth brush to teach babies how to brush their teeth

Product name: MAM Learn To Brush Set (Mam Learn to Brush Set, 6 Months, Colors May Vary)

What is it?Two baby tooth brushes – one with an extra long handle that parent and baby can hold simultaneously so that the baby can be guided in how to use the brush correctly and one ‘normal’ brush for the baby to use alone once he/she has gotten his/her head around what to do

Why did it catch my attention?The day I found the first tooth in the bottom gum of my son’s mouth I realised that I did not have anything in the house that could be used to clean it! I found this brush at our local Boots store and liked the idea of learning together before he gets old enough to be able to brush his teeth himself

How old was my baby when I bought it?He was 6 months old, but the relevance of this product is linked to (a) the arrival of baby’s first tooth and (b) timing for weaning. The Scandinavian sources I have read recommend to start cleaning your baby’s teeth from the moment the first one appears

What value does it add for us?I was able to brush my baby’s teeth while making him feel included. The pedagogic effect is yet to be proved over time…

What does it replace?Other tooth brushes, alternatively using a cotton stick to clean your baby’s teeth

How did my baby respond to it?In the same way as he does with weaning spoons – he grabbed it and wanted to play with it!

How much does it cost?Around £2-2,50 at my local Boots in West London

Can I see any drawbacks?With a baby grabbing the toothbrush to ‘help’, the process is not especially smooth – but at least with my baby this would be an issue regardless of toothbrush!