9-12 months
Breast milk and more
Although your baby’s diet will be expanding dramatically over the coming months, his usual milk will remain a large part of his diet until he approaches his first birthday. It’s reassuring to know that if your little one is a slow weaner or a fussy eater, the nutrients in breast milk or formula will help him to grow and develop.
How much milk should my baby is having at this age?
Until your baby is at least 12 months old, she will need, at the very minimum, 20fl oz (600ml) of formula milk or breast milk every single day. Some babies might need more, particularly if they are heavier and growing quickly.
During growth spurts, even more milk may be required, so do try to meet your baby’s demands, thereby making sure her body’s nutritional needs are met. She’ll let you know if she’s not getting enough.
How much water do babies need?
If your baby is being breastfed, he will need no extra fluid at all. However, if he’s thirsty, by all means offer a little cooled previously boiled water or some much diluted fruit juice. Bottle-fed babies often need more fluids, but because their food at this stage tends to be quite watery, and is typically based on fruits and vegetables which have a high liquid content, they really don’t need much. You could offer 1-2fl oz (30-60ml) of water two or three times a day, and if he drinks it all, offer more. Try to assess what your baby needs, and then act accordingly. Be sure that your baby is getting enough milk-this provides him with a great deal of liquid.
Do I need to stop breastfeeding now that my baby has teeth?
There is no need to stop breastfeeding as long as both you and your baby enjoy it. While the introduction of teeth can cause a little discomfort in the early days, if your baby tries to use your breast as a teething ring, or accidentally or playfully bites you, if she is latched on correctly, teeth will make no difference to the process. In fact, you can be sure that your nutritious milk is helping to produce even healthier teeth! The World Health Organization suggests that breastfeeding should be continued for two years. This may seem a long time at this point, but it’s something to aspire to, if you can manage it.
My baby seems to think it’s funny to bite me; what can I do?
Babies love to experiment with their new skills and tools, and may realize that they get an instant reaction by using their teeth to best effect. Making mommy shriek may seem very amusing, but it’s important that you lay down the law early on, or you will have very sore breasts, and your baby may find that his nursing days are over. Say “no” very firmly when your baby bites you, and remove him from the breast. He may become distressed, and want to return. That’s fine, but if he does it again, remove him and leave it for longer. He’ll soon learn that he won’t get his usual feed if he nips. Try to wait until your baby is hungry before offering him a feed. A hungry baby will not usually bother with games. If he’s in a playful mood and just wants a little comfort, amuse him with games, stories, and songs instead, or cuddle him. Babies are more likely to bite if they aren’t fully engaged in feeding, so some pre-emptive action might save you from a little pain.
Do I need to breastfeed for longer if my baby seems to suffer from reactions to food?
There is quite a lot of evidence to suggest that long-term breastfeeding does offer some protection from allergies. It is, however, very important that your diet does not contain any of the foods that are considered to be problematic, and you will be able to establish exactly what these foods are only with the help of an allergy specialist. In the short and long term, however, you will be offering your baby your own antibodies through breastfeeding, which will help to prop up her immature immune system.
So, offering your baby breast milk for longer will ensure that she gets the nutrients, calories, and antibodies she needs to grow and develop properly, and minimize the risk of allergies.
Can a drink of juice or another snack take the place of a feed when I am weaning?
No, babies do need their regular milk to provide them with the right calories and nutrients for growth and development. You may find that your baby is hungry or thirsty between feeds and meals, at which point it is fine to offer an extra drink or a healthy snack. If it’s close to a mealtime, try to stave her off, so that she will eat enough healthy food to keep her going.
Did you know…?
That smoothie is a fantastic way to offer fruit (and vegetables) to babies, because they are effectively purées in a more liquid form? It’s important to consider the number of fruits involved-the equivalent of a shot glass is plenty-if you are to avoid upsetting your little one’s digestion. Berries, ripe bananas, mangoes, grapes, papaya, and pears all provide the basis for a great smoothie. Throw in some cucumber, bell pepper, or carrot juice to increase the nutrient factor.
9-12 months
Fun with finger foods
Finger foods are a wonderful way to introduce your baby to various tastes and textures, and will help to encourage independent eating. Your baby will enjoy the process of feeding himself as well as the new variety of foods that you offer. The more you encourage this process, the easier the transition will be.
How do we progress from purées to lumps?
The simple answer is a little at a time. All babies develop at different paces, but by now your baby should be a confident purée eater, and will probably have mastered some finger foods. Not all babies find the transition easy, and some actively avoid lumps for as long as they can. Try to stay calm and work at your baby’s pace.
You can begin by mashing rather than puréeing some of her favorite foods, as these will be familiar to her, and she’ll find the process less daunting. You can also try adding a few of her usual finger foods to her purées-some toast fingers alongside her puréed vegetables, or some mini pasta shapes stirred into her broccoli with cheese. Let her get used to every stage before rushing her on. You are much better off letting her explore mashed foods for a few weeks before moving to finely chopped.
How can I tell if my baby is ready for finger foods?
There are two schools of thought about this one. Some people believe that finger foods should be offered first, and in many cases instead of purées. Others believe that purées should be offered first, and when babies are developmentally ready to pick up, bite, chew, and swallow finger foods, they can be offered-somewhere after nine months.
Personally, I think that there is no reason why the two approaches can’t be combined. If your baby is a confident eater, offering a variety of finger foods alongside purées is a good way to accustom him to different textures and tastes, and also encourages him to learn the basics of self-feeding. Babies naturally begin to pick things up and explore them, inevitably putting them into their mouths, at around five or six months. From this point on, offering food instead of a toy can provide a nice introduction to the exciting world of food! Be careful what you choose: your baby should be able to gnaw the food without choking or gagging, and be able to derive enough taste by working on it with his gums or budding teeth. Always supervise your baby when he is eating finger food, no matter what his age.
How do I introduce finger foods?
I would suggest offering finger foods at every mealtime, alongside your baby’s normal purées, but only after you have established several different fruits, vegetables, and other foods that have been successfully introduced, without any adverse reactions or effects. I’ve also found that it’s useful to have a bowl with several different compartments for holding a range of different finger foods.
Offering finger foods does help to teach your baby to feed herself, and to increase her food repertoire a little. If she picks something up and tastes it, she may not like it to begin with or for the first few times she tries it, but eventually she may consider it to be familiar enough to eat.
Which are the best first finger foods for my baby?
The very same finger foods that we suggested in the previous chapter are also appropriate here. Go for easy-to-manage pieces of fruits (melon, apple, banana, kiwi fruit), lightly steamed vegetables (carrot, broccoli, green beans), little sandwiches with healthy fillings, rice cakes, small chunks of cheese, hard-boiled eggs, healthy whole-grain breakfast cereals, berries, dried fruits, well-cooked pasta shapes, toast fingers, and the like. Choose brightly colored fruits for their enhanced nutritional value, and whole wheat goodies over those that have been refined. You can even offer foods such as my delicious fish goujons, chicken meatballs, without the sauce, which your baby can taste, suck, and gnaw at, or pieces of chicken, which will serve the same purpose.
My baby won’t try any of the finger foods I’ve offered! How can I encourage him to eat them?
Don’t panic! Some babies are slow starters, and may well need a little encouragement to pick up food, move it around their mouths, and then swallow. It’s a lot to take on board, and can take a little time. Why not try cutting his foods into fun shapes, such as stars, or use a cookie cutter to create a cat or a moon? You can also try arranging the finger foods as a picture-a smiley face, perhaps. Some babies find it easier to hold larger pieces, such as a whole carrot. Brightly colored foods always appeal more to little ones; try topping toast fingers with Cheddar cheese and warming, or offer a selection of fresh fruit chunks with his dry cereal
* Tempting family food
One good way to encourage your little one to eat foods that are a little chunkier is to offer her food that the whole family is eating, perhaps offering mashed potatoes, a little minestrone soup, or rice mixed with small chunks of chicken. She’ll feel very grown up eating what everyone else has on their plates, and may not notice the change in texture.
