4 tips for feeding baby (and you)

For babies, every day is an exploration, and they like to do a lot of that exploring with their mouths. Make sure you have the right feeding environment for baby and you – from a calm space with comfortable seating to safe and easy-to-use tableware. And with all the focus on baby, don’t forget to feed yourself. It’s just as important as feeding baby. In fact, if you’re breastfeeding, feeding you is literally feeding baby.

Child sitting on adult’s lap eating finger food at a wooden table with sliced fruit and vegetables in bowls and saucepans.

A dark green STRANDMON armchair with an ochre cushion and an angle-poised lamp and shelves with books and plants.

Tip 1: Find the perfect nursing chair

With all the other things to consider around feeding, it’s easy to forget the setting. Whether you’re breastfeeding or using a bottle, baby can feed for up to 20 minutes – long enough to become very uncomfortable in the wrong space. Make sure your seat is comfy and easy-access, and that you surround yourself with warm lighting, soft textiles and natural light.

Discover our whole armchair & chaise longue range

Dinnertime

More feeding products

Vegetables cut into the shape of little men and stuck together using toothpicks on a wooden table top with a SMÅBIT peeler.

Tip 2: Have fun with baby’s first food

What should baby’s first solid food be? There are as many opinions as there are people to give them, but a safe bet is any type of soft fruit or veg peeled and cored (and made into funny faces!). Favourites are pear – avocado or otherwise, banana, sweet potato and broccoli (yes, really). If they’re rejected, hold them back for a while and try again. Babies are forgiving…

IKEA 365+ glass ramekin dishes full of home cooked food with layers of rice, beans, broccoli and chicken on a countertop.

Tip 3: Fill up your freezer

Feeding baby can become an all-consuming task. It’s easy to forget about feeding yourself. In the build-up to a new arrival, you’re often asked what you need. One of the best presents you can ask for is a few homecooked meals for the freezer. Our new freezer-friendly IKEA 365+ range of food containers make storage simple.

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“

Feeding baby in a highchair at family mealtimes is the perfect way to involve them and get them used to the dining experience.

”

Jenny Wik, Interior Designer at IKEA

MATVRÅ kids place mat with colourful vegetable figures and children’s plastic beakers with flying milk, biscuits and cloths.

Let’s get messy

Mealtimes should be messy times when baby first discovers food. Long before baby can hold a spoon or fork, they will want to explore food with their fingers. We developed the MATVRÅ place mat to help make messiness manageable. Easy-to-clean plastic with no phthalates or harmful chemicals, its colourful non-slip surface dampens the clatter of bowls while keeping baby amused.

See our whole nursing, feeding & eating range

Highchairs

Our highchairs (okay, let’s just call them thrones) meet the toughest safety standards – including tests with a static weight equivalent to a female Southern fur seal (they’re pretty large!). With a wide, stable base and rounded edges, our highchairs are made from non-toxic materials and have a safety belt.

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