solids are a lot of work!

lnle

ok, everything is  a lot of work with multiples, but adding in just one solid meal a day takes a lot of time! how will I find time for 3 meals a day later on??

I know they'll get messy, but any tips for streamlining the clean up process? (cleaning babies, bibs, trays, dishes, etc.)

What about tips for streamlining the meal prep process? We haven't had time to make any food in large batches yet but that is our ultimate plan.

sunnybrook.

I'd love to hear if other moms have any suggestions. Things I have found helpful:

1. I put all baby food related things in one cabinet near the table. Everything is there - spoons, food, bibs, washcloths, cups, etc.

2. I bought a plastic bin and put everything in there that I need for the next feeding. Right now they eat lunch and dinner. I set up the lunch bin the night before and I do the dinner bin while they munch on puffs after lunch. This way when its time to eat, I can pull the bin from the cabinet and have it ready to go.

3. I keep a bowl of hot soapy water in the sink. I throw all their dishes in it and let them soak. I wash them whenever I get a chance. 

4. Immediately after eating, I rinse all their bibs in cold water. I use more bibs each day this way, but I don't ever have to worry about stain removal.

5. We bought fisher price healthy booster seats instead of high chairs. They're easy to clean and the trays fit in the dishwasher. 

6. If I need to buy a few minutes to clean or to prep something, I give them a small cup of water or put a little water in their trays to play with or give them puffs or mum-mums. 

HTH!

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i hated doing solids early on when they still had bottles - i felt like all i did was feed babies... but soon after they don't have bottles - and instead drink milk with their meals - so it's more like them eating when you are eating - and they can tehn eat the same things you eat (just cut up small) and it's not so bad.

do you have a dog? because i swear I don't know how people do it without dogs... table food = mess, and my dogs are my "clean up crew" - they clean the floor when food is all over - then i can just swiffer up their doggy slime really easily- instead of dealing with food all over the floor lol

i use a lot of wipes to wipe down hands, faces, high chair trays.... my boys haven't worn bibs in a long time- they rip them off- so i have given up with that... they usually have stains all over their clothes by the end of the day and i'm OK with that.

 

ethansbride2b

I don't have any great tips, but I did put their cereal in tupperwear containers and would measure it out with a tablespoon measuring spoon that way I knew how much they were getting. 

Our pedi said to start the transition to finger foods.  With the three solid meals and bottles, I feel like that is all I do all day is bottle/feed all day long.  Now with them practicing to feed themselves, its even messier.  We have a triplet feeding table so there isn't three trays to wipe, just the one table. 

janjag

Your babies are SO cute.  I would love to pinch their cheeks.

Yes, it is annoying to fit in solids early on.  For a month or two I felt like I was feeding babies all the time.  Eventually they start having bottles less often, and when they start self-feeding it's GOOD.  When they start telling you, NO about foods they don't like, that's BAD  

To streamline, like pp I also keep a big bowl in the sink with soapy water for baby things.

I used one spoon to feed them both.  Tried using different spoons and it was a silly waste of time and energy. 

One other thing, is you might be able to combine breakfast bottle with a solids feeding soon.  I tried, and had to wait a while and try again.

We did batches of purees.  You do have to spend the time upfront, but saves money and tastes better... not that I didn't give jarred food ever.  Easiest purees we did were frozen peas and fresh baby carrots.  Hand emersion blender was great.  Then after pureeing just freeze them in ice cube trays, and then toss into ziploc bags. 

If you're not up for all that, don't worry about it!!   

Yours might be ready for these bibs - they have saved time doing laundry/stacking bibs (you know how the velcro gets all tangled!).  These just get wiped and hung to dry.  I love them.  I could finally put away the huge stacks of bibs.  https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?sku=17368435&utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=shopping

ethansbride2b

The tip above about soaking the bowls/spoons in the water helps.  Its really hard to get the dried food off of them otherwise.

Like Goldie, my babies love to play with and rip off their bibs, so somedays its not worth it for me to keep it on them.  They end up getting food on themselves, but I've learned easily not to care too much about it if its just clothes they wear around the house or pj's.  There is just too many other things to worry about. 

kelliwill

In the beginning it's a lot of work.  I felt like i was feeding them all the time.  It's still a lot with bottled and food and they are 9 mos.  I make my own baby food and freeze it in the trays and keep in bags in the freezer.  When it's time to eat I just defrost what I need.  Some days I use two bowls/two spoons and other days I use one bowl one spoon, depends on how things are going.  I like pp have said, clean the bibs after each meal with running water and keep in a large tupperware near the sink.  That way when it's laundry time I don't have to spray them all down, plus they stay cleaner that way.  It's a lot harder when the food gets all dried on them.  We feed them then I throw the dishes/spoons in the sink or dishwasher and wipe each baby with baby wipes (face/hands) before taking them out of their seat.  Then once each baby is out I wipe down the chair.  Honestly most days I don't clean the floor/high chair tray etc. until the end of the day, because their is no point as it will just get dirty in another few hours.  That's me though.  They just now started to make more of a mess because they can now feed themselves a little bit so I will pick up big items off the floor but don't mop the floor until they go to bed.  GL!! 

macchiatto

I would take it slow. Solids are really just for practice all the way through the first year, and they only need so much practice. We started solids at 6.5m, and did them most days (Will hated them at first so we didn't do them every day) for about a month. We moved to 2 meals at 8m and 3 meals about a week after that. We didn't add in a snack until they were 1 and on milk and table food.

lnle

thanks everyone, these are great tips! I have no plans to add a second meal in anytime soon...

#1_BadgeBunny

Goldie_Locks_5:

i hated doing solids early on when they still had bottles - i felt like all i did was feed babies... but soon after they don't have bottles - and instead drink milk with their meals - so it's more like them eating when you are eating - and they can tehn eat the same things you eat (just cut up small) and it's not so bad.

do you have a dog? because i swear I don't know how people do it without dogs... table food = mess, and my dogs are my "clean up crew" - they clean the floor when food is all over - then i can just swiffer up their doggy slime really easily- instead of dealing with food all over the floor lol

i use a lot of wipes to wipe down hands, faces, high chair trays.... my boys haven't worn bibs in a long time- they rip them off- so i have given up with that... they usually have stains all over their clothes by the end of the day and i'm OK with that.

 

all i have to say is i 100% agree with this!!! I have 2 90lb boxers that do the heavy cleaning.  Shhh dont tell anybody but at dinner time if thier high chair trays are still filled with food the pups get some extras hahah before the trays get tossed in the dishwasher.  My LOs do the same thing with the bibs so i have given up unless its like spaghetti i at least try to get the bib on.  I wash everything now via dishwasher.  I keep a tuberware container in the sink and soak the bottles during the day and after bedtime load up the dishwasher and go to bed!

britbswoo

macchiatto:

I would take it slow. Solids are really just for practice all the way through the first year, and they only need so much practice. We started solids at 6.5m, and did them most days (Will hated them at first so we didn't do them every day) for about a month. We moved to 2 meals at 8m and 3 meals about a week after that. We didn't add in a snack until they were 1 and on milk and table food.

  We are not huge solid fans, and will likely be taking it very slow.  They just think it's play time and the pedi said it's more work than help at this point. Sorry not much help, but we're quite there yet.

mlk7klm

For the bib issue....I found bibs that are plastic with pockets for easy cleaning and the have snaps so they can't get them off. This has helped a lot for us with cleaning up. Most food they drop goes into the pocket which I then empty and wipe down the bib. Once a day the bibd get rinsed off.

I was right where you are when we started. I couldn't imagine doing any more then 1 meal a day. In fact I fed them sporadically at first because some days I just didn't have the energy for it. Now my trio is eating mostly finger foods which is much better because 2 out of the 3 can feed themselves! I also like being able to make something for the 5 of us to eat. So even though it looks like a huge task right now.....it does get easier!

Happy eating!  

Kittycat196

We use disposable bibs. they sell them at babies r us. $1.29 or something for 6 bids and it has been buy 1 get 1 free recently. It's so much easier to throw away after they eat then worry about cleaning the bibs.

Also, sometimes we feed them with no shirt on so their clothes don't get all stained. It seems even with a bib some gets through to the clothes.