The onslaught of baby food gear can be overwhelming for parents, especially when you can’t remember the last time you had a full night’s sleep, not to mention a hot meal.
Never fear! We’ve got your back with these innovative new products to help you and your baby master mealtime.
For milk-lovin’ mamas
Calma bottle by Medela
Gulp! Breast-feeding moms sometimes need to use bottles in order to go to work or escape the house for a few hours, but breast-happy babies don’t always cooperate. Open wide for the Calma bottle, which has a nipple that allows baby to control the milk flow. Your newbie eater has to create a vacuum to get the milk, mimicking breast-feeding behavior and making the transition from mom to bottle, and vice versa, much easier.
$17.99–$24.99, available from Medela and Amazon
Sensible Lines breast milk freezer trays
Stick ’em up! These innovative trays freeze breast milk into 1-ounce “sticks,” a handy shape that lets the frozen milk fit into any size of bottle. Made of safe plastic, these trays can be used again and again, unlike pricey disposable bags. And because babies don’t always drink the entire amount contained in a storage bag (normally 3–6 ounces), the small portion size helps save more of your hard-won milk.
$21.99, available from Sensible Lines and Amazon
Baby Brezza Formula Pro
Nicknamed “Baby’s First Latte Machine,” this is a sanity saver for on-the-go parents with a few extra dollars to spend. The Formula Pro mixes, heats and dispenses formula at the touch of a button.
Compatible with every brand of formula and style of bottle, it stores enough formula and water for as many as 20 8-ounce bottles. You can set the Formula Pro to make anywhere from 2 to 10 ounces of formula at a time. Double tall, extra foamy!
$149, available from babybrezza and Amazon
UpSpring Baby Milkscreen
Step away from the couch, ma’am. What if you’ve just curled up with a glass of wine and a book, thinking baby was down for the night, only to have her wake up wanting to nurse? Alcohol metabolizes out of breast milk at a different rate for every woman. This screening tool is intended to give moms peace of mind: The test pads change color when your milk contains .02 percent alcohol or more, so you’ll know when a little tipple might impact your little one.
$14.99, available from UpSpring Baby and Amazon
For wannabe chefs:
Béaba Babycook Pro 3 and Babycook Pro 2X
The Babycook Pro will help any parent feel like Martha Stewart when it comes to homemade baby food: It steams, purees and heats as much as 4.7 cups at a time. Got twins? The Babycook Pro 2X has two large bowls to cook twice the deliciousness for your famished double bundle. If there are any leftovers to freeze for next time, you can defrost and heat them right in the container. This nifty appliance also has an audible timer to let you know when dinner is served!
$149.99 and $199.99, available from Béaba
Munchkin Fresh Food Chopper and Steamer
Chop till you drop! This two-in-one kitchen tool chops fresh vegetables with a single hand motion; then the blade converts to a steamer vent for cooking in the microwave. Once that veggie goodness is steamed, all you have to do is mash and feed. This affordable kitchen staple is BPA-free and dishwasher-safe.
$6.99, available from Munchkin and Amazon
For manner minders:
NumNum Dips
These innovative new utensils are ideal for capturing and holding baby’s first foods. The grooved handle is perfect for slippery little hands, and the head is flat, so there’s no right or wrong way to hold it. NumNum’s package comes with two spoons: One has a dimpled head to catch thinner purees; the other, a channeled head for thicker foods. Both versions are PVC- and BPA-free, dishwasher-safe and soft on tender gums. Your baby will soon be dining like a perfect lady or gentleman.
$9.99, available from NumNum and Amazon
Béaba 360° Spoon
Toddlers can get frustrated trying to feed themselves when they don’t quite have the right motor skills down. Never fear, hungry (impatient) kiddos: The 360° has a unique rotating handle, so the spoon stays horizontal no matter which way it’s turned. (It can also be “locked” into place for older children.) This smart spoon comes in three bright color combos and is BPA- and phthalate-free.
$9.95, available from Béaba and Amazon
Dribble Bibble bib
They say necessity is the mother of invention. This proved true for Deborah, a mom who invented the Dribble Bibble bib because she was constantly changing her drooling baby’s wet clothes. This reversible bib is made of quick-drying, waterproof material. One side is perfect for absorbing drool or formula, and the other side has a pocket for catching solids. It’s made in the U.S. and is free of BPAs, vinyl, PVC and phthalates.
$19.99, available from Dribble Bibble and Amazon
Klean Kanteen’s Kid Kanteen sippy
Bringing baby out on the trail? This sippy cup from the eco-canteen experts is made of food-grade stainless steel, which means no leeching of BPA, PVC or other chemicals. The cup has a spill-proof, removable valve and a wide mouth for easy cleaning, and it comes with a dust cover, a loop to attach to your stroller or diaper bag and a lifetime guarantee. You can also replace the sippy cap with a sport-bottle lid when your li’l sipper outgrows this version.
$16.95, available from Klean Kanteen and Amazon
For high rollers:
Peg-Pérego Rialto booster and Prima Pappa Zero 3
The Rialto, a new addition to the Peg-Pérego family of products from Italy, is intended for babies 9 months and older. This totally perfetto chair folds up, comes with its own carrying case and weighs a mere 6 pounds; its seat adjusts to five different heights, and the removable tray is dishwasher-safe.
The Prima Pappa Zero 3, Peg-Pérego’s latest chair, is lightweight and folds up easily for stand-alone storage. Approved for infants from birth, it has seven height positions and a reclining seat with four settings, so it can grow along with your baby up to age 3. Buon appetito!
Rialto: $99.99, available from Amazon
Prima Pappa: $199.99, available from Amazon
For squeezers and shakers:
BooginHead Squeez’Ems
Easy squeezy: These reusable food pouches, which can hold any pureed food, from yogurt to applesauce to smoothies, are great for toddlers on up. Made of a single piece — so you won’t have to chase down lost parts — they are safe for the freezer, microwave and top rack of the dishwasher.
In 2013, a new orange screw top replaced the older flip top, so now your little one will have a much harder time opening the pouch and making a mess! Squeez’Ems are BPA-, phthalate- and PVC-free.
$9.50 for a two-pack, available from BooginHead and Amazon
Infantino Squeeze Station
Love baby-food pouches, but don’t love filling them up? This handy gadget squeeeezes your homemade purees into pouches for you. It comes with three tubes for filling as many as three pouches at a time, a press and 10 pouches with caps. The whole gadget can be disassembled for the top rack of the dishwasher, and it’s PVC-, BPA- and phthalate-free.
$21.25, available from Infantino and Amazon
