Yes, I have figured out the secret, ladies. How do you keep your baby clean when you're starting solids and it seems there's more food on her shirt than in her belly? Well, let me tell you a little story.
We have a dish in our house called Messy Beans. It's nothing more than a can of vegetarian baked beans with a touch of cinnamon. Kiddo loves them, gets giddy when I announce we are having them for dinner, jumps up and down … and then proceeds to strip. Yup, Kiddo eats messy beans naked or, really, near-naked (she does have on panties).
This has occurred ever since she was a baby. When we started to introduce solids, I took off her shirt and pants or onesie or whatever she was wearing, and she would sit in her high chair and eat in her diaper.
How did I keep her clean? By getting her dirty, not her clothes. I fed my baby naked.
Now, I'm not a stain freak. If she has a shirt that has a stain on it and she loves it, I could care less. But, Naked Baby Eating did save many a onesie from the wrath of the messy bean drippage and spaghetti sauce seepage. And, when I think about it, I saved a bit of money as the stain removal stick-thing definitely lasted longer. As she got older, we don't do it as much, but when it's an uber-messy meal and we're hitting the bath right after, she just strips before picking up the spoon.
When I talk with new mommy friends and tell them this is what I did, I get some mixed results. Some have thought of it and utilize this Naked Baby Feeding method as well; others haven't tried it but will; and still others adamantly don't feed their baby sans clothes. And, sure, the days of Kiddo eating naked are coming to an end, since she will be older … at which point we will start the Crapped Out Shirt technique. Have a shirt that you don't care what happens to it? Change into that before messy beans are served. She can spill without worry — and with her shirt on.
It may be odd, but Naked Baby Eating is a great technique. Feeding the baby solids, trying to get new foods introduced, making sure she eats enough while seeing how much she spits back out — all of it is much more important than a few stains here or there. Naked Baby Eating, well, it made my life a little easier. The secret to keeping your baby clean? Feed her naked.
Does your baby eat naked?
Image via chimothy27/Flickr
