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What will you feed your baby for the first 12 months?

• 0-6 Months

–Breast milk is the best form of nutrition for your baby and should at least be tried if there are no contraindications. If one is not able to breastfeed, infant formula with iron can be fed for normal, healthy infants. Check with your baby’s pediatrician to select the best type of formula.

–Infants do not need water or juice for the first 6 months.

–Establish a feeding schedule so that you will know when your baby is hungry and will be able to learn what other types of crying look like

• 6 Months

–Infant cereal only with a spoon can be initiated. Infant cereal can be mixed with breast milk or prepared formula.

–Introduce a sippy cup at 6 months for juice, water, breast milk/formula. If you give your infant juice, always put it in the cup. Using a sippy cup or an open cup will help form the muscles in the baby’s mouth that are required to talk.

• 7 Months

-Vegetables and fruit can be introduced. Vegetables are blander than fruit and often should be introduced first. Introduce only one food at a time so that if there is an allergic reaction to the food, you will know what food caused it. Allowed at least 3 days in between each new food. You may have to introduce a new food to your infant up to 10 times before he/she accepts it and likes it. It is encouraged to parents make their own home-made baby food from the fruit and vegetables they have in the house as long as one does not add salt or spices to the food. This will give baby more fiber than a commercial baby food.

• 8 Months

–Introduce more foods, continue to experiment with new foods and textures. Your infant will not be able to chew foods, so the food has to be soft. The infant can only chew foods with his/her tongue and the roof of their mouth until they get teeth and learn how to use them. Avoid foods that are easy to choke on such as hot dogs and peanuts.

• 9 Months

–You can introduce finger foods into your baby’s diet so that they can become more of an independent eater. Foods need to be cut up into very small pieces so that they do not choke. Infants can also hold onto to larger foods when they start teething as they will want to rub these foods against their gums. Just be careful they cannot tear off a large chunk.

• 10-12 Months

–Between 10-12 months you can feed your baby table foods, which are the same foods that you eat, without salt or spices and in smaller pieces.

• 12 Months

–Whole milk can be introduced, however, sometimes it needs to be mixed with breast milk or formula to acclimate baby’s stomach.

-Meal plan

-3 Meals, 2 snacks

-Foods from every food group

• Cup and spoon can be used when the child is ready to encourage independent eating, even though it will be messy. Children need to practice eating by themselves and it will raise their self-confidence.
• Wean from the bottle at 12 months by putting everything in a cup.

Children only eat when they are hungry, if they do not eat, do not worry about it. If they refuse food for many days, then contact your pediatrician.