Feeding your baby in the first year will involve three overlapping stages of development. All babies develop at their own rate. Your baby may begin or end each stage a little ahead or a little behind the norm. That’s fine. Just know that the first year is roughly divided into three stages.
The Nursing Stage: This period of a baby’s first year is the longest. It lasts, at least, through the first 6 months. Breast milk or formula meets all his needs. Any food given during this time is a supplement to nursing – a few extra calories. Food is like icing on a cupcake. You don’t need the icing but it adds a little extra. Baby really doesn’t really need food right now to make his diet complete.
At the beginning of the nursing period your baby can only suck and swallow liquid. Her digestive tract is immature and still developing. Baby’s kidneys aren’t ready to handle the extra protein or minerals in food. Her body is uniquely suited to the food you are giving – your breast milk or an infant formula.
The Transitional Phase: This stage roughly starts in the fourth month and continues to about the tenth month. It can start earlier but usually doesn’t. It may end later, and usually does. This is when you begin to see your baby’s individuality blossom.
Sometime between the fourth and fifth month your baby begins to swallow. By the fifth or sixth month he may be able to sit up with support and may show interest in eating. Your baby may lean forward and open his mouth when he sees food coming. He can also turn away and clamp his mouth shut to show he’s no longer interested. These cues are important to help you feed your baby what he needs and not encourage him to overeat.
Your baby is mature enough to swallow, she can show interest in food, and tell you when she’s had enough. This is the right time to begin offering solid foods. But don’t rush. If your baby seems uninterested or does not show these signs, wait a little while to begin feeding solids. Your child will probably live more than 80 years. There is plenty of time to taste new foods. Baby doesn’t have to try everything right now.
There is not a hard and fast rule for when to offer solid food. It is almost easier to tell you when not to give it. Newborns don’t need food and adding cereal in the bottle will not make them sleep through the night. Very few babies need food in the fourth month and if offered, they need very little.
Start with simple foods, single grain cereals and simple fruits. Rice, oatmeal, applesauce and bananas are typical first foods. Introduce no more than one new food a week and offer small amounts. Breast milk or formula is your baby’s nutrition staple. Food, at this point, is only a supplement to an already complete diet. Food is a new experience to help your baby learn to swallow, get introduced to new textures and tastes, and to help her grow and mature by gaining new eating skills.
When you start foods slowly, offering small amounts of simple foods, at spaced intervals, you are introducing food over a period of time that goes along with your baby’s development. There is no rush and no prize for the baby that eats the most or the widest variety. Let baby be the boss. Feed as much as she wants and stop when she is disinterested. An average serving for a 6 month old is 3 to 4 tablespoons.
The Growing Up Stage: This stage typically begins around the end of the first year. Its timing depends on your baby’s individual rate of development and sense of independence. There is no rush. Some begin in the tenth month, others as late as the eighteenth.
At this point your baby has some teeth, can chew quite skillfully, and is eating a wide variety of food. He can sit in a highchair and tries to feed himself. Don’t be surprised if he gets more in his hair and on the floor than in his mouth. As time goes on, his aim will get better.
During this stage your child will move from infant foods, to toddler foods with increasing thickness and texture, and finally to table foods. Your baby is growing into a little person.
Keep It Simple:
- Babies don’t need food until after 4 months of age, later is fine, too.
- Start with small amounts of simple foods.
- Offer no more than 1 new food a week, or 4 new foods a month. Your baby has been eating breastmilk or formula exclusively, he won’t get bored with this limited menu.
- Your baby’s appetite will vary – let her be in charge and don’t encourage a clean plate at every meal.
