Feeding 11 month old

[Megnolia]

My daughter is BF, and eating solids now at 8 months. I'm hoping by 11 months we'll get by with mashing buffet foods rather than taking "baby food". I make all her food now.

 

I am thinking of taking her own plastic bowls, spoons, sippy cups and getting her meals from the buffet then taking them into the dining room when we eat in there. Anyone done this? I think this would make it easier to choose plain things like steamed veggies rather than try to find things on the DR menu for her. If there aren't suitable things on the buffet, is it possible to ask for a single item in the dining room, like a plate of broccoli or beans or something like that?

 

I'm also really enjoying the "must pack" lists on here! Lots of good tips and things I hadn't thought of.

[cb at sea]

Why go to all that trouble? The dining room will have plenty of mashable foods...they will even puree if needed. Just make the 1 trip to the dining room....easier and more enjoyable for everyone! Your waiters will dote on your child...she'll be fed and so will you...without the hassle of running all over the ship!!!!

[Ggdean]

The waiter/asst will take care of everything. We have a 1,3&5 year old and this is their second cruise (my 16th). The waiter would even have somethings for the baby at our table when we arrived. Applesauce, crackers, yogurt, cereal. The first night we had asked him what they had and he told me not to worry he would take care of it and he did. Also my kids never really ate baby food so by 11 months they were happily eating small bites of fish (salmon, sole, tilapia) potatoes, etc. They were very into finger foods as opposed to being fed.

[Megnolia]

Glad to hear it's not a hassle to ask for baby friendly foods at the table. I definitely think she'll be ok with a number of finger foods like you mentioned, Ggdean. My biggest concern was making special requests every night becoming a burden for the waitstaff and kitchen.

[Ggdean]

Glad to hear it's not a hassle to ask for baby friendly foods at the table. I definitely think she'll be ok with a number of finger foods like you mentioned, Ggdean. My biggest concern was making special requests every night becoming a burden for the waitstaff and kitchen.

 

First they work on tips so I would definately toss them an extra $20 beyond the standard tip. I guarantee they would rather a special request from you for a baby than the cranky old guy who demands everythin and will not go to dinner the last night so he doesn't have to hand in the tip envelopes.

[Kerry's Girls]

Don't forget about all the soups as well - full of soft veggies, meatballs, etc that you can pull out of the soup and use as finger food or feed to baby. It actually is very easy to order for little ones from the regular menu, and, as others have stated, the waiters are happy to have a small plate of steamed veggies, etc. ready for your child.

 

Best,

Mia

[mikesteg]

The waiters will also speed up service for you so you're not there for 2+ hours, but it's good to let them know it is OK to do so. They are trained to make it a leisurely/upscale experience so they will err on the side of caution rather than risk rushing you out.

 

You won't be out of there in less than a hour+ regardless, unless you skip a course or two because baby gets fussy. Much better to get to the desert menu and linger a bit at that point, rather than have to make a hasty exit when the timer expires. :D

[SadieN]

read post 4 or 5

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1484792

[B_Mc]

We just used a disposable place mat on top of the highchair trays (instead of bowls or plates) and my DS wasn't really good with cutlery at 10 months so he just finger fed himself. We had no problem feeding him from our plates or the menus. He loves fruit and pasta so there was always something available for him!

[Megnolia]

Great idea with the placemats - did they have them on the ship? She's good with finger feeding, so that would be helpful to avoid any smashed dishes ;)