Feeding & Nutrition - 9-12 Months
Chew On This
For months, your baby has been getting used to the smooth purees that make up his entire menu of solid foods. Is he ready to give chewing a try?
Teaching your baby about new textures is one of the milestones you'll share during his first year. Pretty soon, he may seem ready to progress to more textured foods.
* Start with a divided dish or two little bowls.
* In one side, put your baby's favorite variety of 2nd stage purees and in the other side put the same variety of 3rd stage purees.
* Give him a spoonful of smooth, then thicker. Keep going back and forth. It may take a week or so, but eventually your baby will grow to accept new textures.
* Once baby has mastered this food, try combo feeding with other foods. Babies this age also love reaching for little pieces of food they can pick up between their first fingers and thumbs. Try putting a row of six or seven tiny pieces of soft banana, peach or pear on your baby's tray while you're feeding him a thick puree with a spoon. Watch as he tries to rake the food into his fist, then put his fist to his mouth. This will help him get used to the idea of feeding himself.
Goodbye Bottle!
Your baby's bottles do so much more than provide nutrition. They comfort your baby and help maintain a routine. But eventually, your baby will get all his beverages from a cup, so it's a good idea to start weaning early. (The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends teaching your baby to drink from a cup before 12 months.)
When you first start out, you need to find the right cup. Cups with two handles are easy to hold, and cups with spill-proof lids keep messes to a minimum. Fill the cup with breast milk, formula or a little water mixed with 100% juice. Then just set it on the highchair during mealtimes. Keep your expectations low. As your baby learns to open his fingers at will, he'll delight in dropping and throwing things like cups. so you may spend more time holding the cup than he does at first.
Keep an eye on how much your baby is getting out of the cup. If he only drinks a little, you should keep giving him bottles. But once you see that he's coming close to finishing the drink, you may want to replace his morning bottle with a sippy cup of breast milk or formula. Every baby is different. Some babies are weaned at 12 months, others at 3 years. All that matters is that you do what's right for your baby and your family.
Mealtime Advice: Strive for 5
Nutrition experts recommend five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day-- a healthy habit you can begin to teach your baby now. But how much is one serving? For younger babies, it's a small taste of single-ingredient pureed fruits and veggies--it could be as little as a tablespoon or less. For older babies, it's 1/4 of a cup or 1/2 of a container (3 1/2 - 6 oz.) of pureed baby food fruits and veggies. A general rule for older babies is that 2 1/2 containers of baby food per day (1 1/4 cups) meet that five-a-day recommendation.
Reach That Five-A-Day Goal
1 The order in which you introduce fruits and vegetables doesn't matter.
You may want to try some of the traditional favorites first (like applesauce, bananas, and carrots).
2 Offer new flavors along with familiar favorites. It may take several tries before your baby learns to like some fruits and vegetables.
3 Respect your child's personal preferences. No one fruit or vegetable is going to make or break your child's diet.
4 Convenience is key. Prepared baby food is easy, safe, portable, nutritious and comes in appropriate portion sizes.
5 Let the colors of the rainbow be your guide each day. The more variety, the better!
Watch for Food Allergies
Babies with a family history of food allergies should be breastfed as long as possible and foods like milk, egg whites, wheat, and soy should not be introduced until well after the babies first birthday. Some foods are associated with allergies that can be life-threatening to some people, like peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish. So you should check with your pediatrician before introducing them, especially if there's a family history of food allergies.