When I’m about 6 months old, I can start to eat solid foods. Please go slowly and watch how I react. If I push food out of my mouth, it could mean I’m not ready yet. Try again in a few days and see what I do.
If our family has allergies or I was born early, talk to my healthcare provider or WIC before I start solid foods.
To eat solid foods, I must be able to:
strained or puréed
smooth with some tiny lumps
more lumps
I’ll open my mouth if I want more food.
I’ll keep my mouth closed or turn my head if I don’t want more food; don’t force me to eat.
I might spit food out or make a face. I’m learning new flavors and how to move food around in my mouth.
If I don’t like something, wait a week and let me try it again. I might need to try a new food 10 times before I like it!
I’ll get food on my hands, face, and in my hair. Try not to stress about the mess. Be proud of me as I learn to eat.
As I get older, let me feed myself with my hands or a spoon. I use my jaw to mash food and my tongue and fingers to move it in my mouth. If I get fussy at a meal, it may mean I want to practice feeding myself. Help me learn.
Eat with me at our family meals. I eat better when you are with me. Let’s turn the TV and cell phone off so we can talk.
By 8 or 9 months, I might want to eat food with my fingers. You still need to use a spoon to feed me, but let me try to feed myself, too. Share family foods with me but be sure to purée, mash, or dice them. A variety of meat and poultry are good sources of iron to keep my blood strong.
Make foods safe so I won’t choke on them.
Safe “finger” foods are:
Make pieces of food no bigger than your thumbnail.
I need to eat about 5 or 6 times a day. A meal might be breast milk (at breast or expressed) or formula, or a meal might be breast milk (at breast or expressed) or formula plus infant cereal in a bowl. Start with 1 or 2 tablespoons of each food. Give me more if I want it. But know I may not eat everything on my plate. As I start eating more, you can give me 2 or 3 foods at a meal. Cereal or food should not be put in my bottle.
Here are some ideas:
Let me eat until I show signs I’m full. I might close my lips, turn or shake my head, or raise my arm. Ask me if I’m full. Then, let me stop eating if I want to.
When I turn 6 months old, you can give me a small amount of water as I learn to drink from a cup.
We need to wash our hands before making my food or feeding me.
Put my food in a small dish and feed it to me with a baby spoon.
Throw out any leftover food. If I haven’t finished my bottle of breast milk within 2 hours, throw the rest away. If I drink formula and do not finish the bottle within 1 hour, throw the rest away.
Don’t heat my food in a microwave. It could burn my mouth.
Talk to my healthcare provider about when I should start peanut butter. Introduction to peanut butter around 6 months is helpful for me if anyone in our family has allergies, skin issues like eczema, or asthma.
Mix with applesauce or fruit purée that I like, or spread a small, smear of peanut butter thinly on a cracker. Watch me for the next 2 hours to make sure I don’t have a reaction.
I need food that is right for my age and will help me grow best.
I don’t need added sugars, salt, fat, or additives. Wait to offer juice until I am at least 12 months old unless recommended by my health care provider.
Don’t give me foods I can choke on, like:
Also, please don’t give me foods that could make me sick, like:
I shouldn’t have honey until I’m at least 12 months of age.
Put me on a blanket on the floor. Put a toy just out of my reach so I can move to get it. Roll a ball to me. Hold both my hands and let me walk with you.
I love to learn from you. Read to me. Sing a song. Let’s play games like peek-a-boo. Take me for a walk and show me new things. I’m active — keep an eye on me!
I can sit up and roll over.I’ll start to creep and crawl. I like to shake things and drop them to see what happens.
I like to use my hands. I can hold my cup. I like to point and wave bye-bye. I say da-da and ma-ma. I can pull myself up to stand.
I need check-ups and shots to stay healthy. I should visit my healthcare provider at 6 months, 9 months, and 1 year of age.
Clean my gums and teeth with a clean, wet, soft cloth after I eat. Ask the dentist if I need fluoride.
Never put me to bed with a bottle. I could choke, get an earache, or damage my teeth.
If other people feed me, be sure to ask what and how much I eat.
Let me explore and learn. See each room like I will, from the floor, and make it safe for me.
Keep me away from cigarette, tobacco, and all other smoke or vapor. Smoke hurts my lungs and can make me sick.
Buckle me into an infant car seat before we ride in a car. It’s the law! Install my seat in the car’s back seat, rear-facing.
