C. Samosa Milne
8 Months Old:
By around 8 months old, your baby will be well established on solid foods, enjoying three meals a day and even a small dessert as part of their feeding routine. They will start eating a wider variety of baby food recipes, including more textured foods.
Food Quantity: Continue to increase the amount, variety, and texture of foods based on your baby’s cues. Examples include fork-mashed foods, steamed vegetable pieces, soft fruit pieces, and strips of soft meat. As they grow, they will likely become more independent and prefer to feed themselves using their hands to explore tastes and textures. The amount of food your baby eats will depend on their appetite.
Feeding Schedule: This is a guide only and can be adapted to your baby’s needs. Offer breast milk or formula after solids so they can take more. Milk will remain their primary source of nutrition, but they will enjoy getting into their solids. Their routine might change; for example, they might have milk first in the morning but prefer solids before milk in the afternoon. Whether you offer milk or solids first will depend on your baby and routine.
- Early morning milk feed.
- Breakfast solids and a milk feed.
- Lunch solids and milk feed.
- Dinner solids and a milk feed.
- Possible overnight milk feed.
9 Months Old:
By around 9 months old, your baby may be eating morning and afternoon tea. They will enjoy having their own spoon at mealtimes and experiencing finger foods.
Food Quantity: Introduce a morning or afternoon snack. They will be able to use their thumb and fingers to enjoy finger foods like fruit, veggies, or a rusk stick. Avoid highly processed foods. Your baby will give obvious signals when they are full, such as closing their mouth, turning away, or verbalizing that they are done. They might even yell to get out of the high chair.
Feeding Schedule: Continue to be guided by your baby’s behavior regarding whether to offer a milk feed before or after their solid food.
- Early morning milk feed (if needed).
- Breakfast solids and a milk feed.
- Morning tea.
- Lunch solids and milk feed.
- Afternoon tea (perhaps fruit) and a drink of water.
- Dinner solids and a milk feed.
- Possible overnight milk feed.
12 Months Old:
By 12 months old, your baby will be able to eat family food and sit with the family during meals. You might need to cut up their food a bit more and remember not to add salt to their meals.
Feeding Schedule: Adapt this guide to your baby’s needs.
- Early morning milk feed (if needed).
- Breakfast solids and a milk feed.
- Morning tea.
- Lunch solids and milk feed.
- Afternoon tea (perhaps fruit) and a drink of water.
- Dinner solids and a milk feed.
- Possible overnight milk feed.
Preparing Food for Your Baby:
- Always wash your hands before preparing food and use different colored boards for chopping meats, fruits, and vegetables.
- If using a microwave to heat your baby’s food, stir it thoroughly before serving and check the temperature.
Managing the Mess:
Learning to eat can be messy. Be patient and try giving your baby a spoon to hold during feeding, even though they won’t be competent with it until around 18 months.
Allergic Reactions:
If you suspect your baby has had an allergic reaction to a food, call 000 immediately. Symptoms of severe allergies include breathing problems, wheezing, swelling of lips or throat, severe rash, diarrhea, or vomiting. Common allergens for babies include cow’s milk, eggs, soybeans, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, fish, or shellfish. Food intolerances, which are generally less severe, can include dairy, lactose, strawberries, tomatoes, and citrus fruits.
Keeping Your Baby Safe:
- Take care when offering foods with bones or raw, crunchy fruits and vegetables.
- Choose boneless fish fillets and double-check for bones.
- Ensure your baby is seated in a high chair or baby chair with a safety harness during meals.
- Always supervise your baby while they are eating to encourage social interaction and avoid choking accidents.
- Avoid raw eggs and honey due to the risk of bacteria.