Baby food | Imamother

FranticFrummie

Thu, Oct 21 2021, 7:13 am

Right now, her main source of nutrition should still be nursing or formula.

Food is just for play, to get her used to the concept. Some babies' swallow reflex develops slower than others, and they may need extremely smooth texture at first. Others will gladly eat a chicken thigh! (Just kidding, but you get the idea.)

A 9mo can eat what you're eating, but try to puree it in a NutraBullet or other processor. You can make a big batch, and freeze the rest in ice cube trays. Just thaw out and warm up what you need for each meal. It's a huge time saver.

Put a plastic mat or shower curtain under the high chair. Feed your baby dinner just before bath time, and let her finger paint with the food. Some will end up in her mouth, and she'll decide if she likes the flavor or not.

Make sure you sit and eat at the same time she does. She will copy everything you do eventually. They learn by observation. If she never sees you eat, how will she figure it out? Give her a baby spoon, and let her practice scooping. Most of it will end up in her hair. That's OK. Take lots of cute pictures of your messy baby!

Eventually she will see you scoop food with a spoon, and then she may accept food on a spoon from you. If she tries to grab control of the spoon, put another spoon in the opposite hand. Then she can't grab the one you're using.

For the longest time, the only thing DD would eat was mashed sweet potatoes, until the day she decided she didn't like them anymore. That was around 9 months. After that I started introducing other "grownup" foods in mashed form. Some she loved, some she hated. It's OK. If your baby rejects something, try again next month. It could be a while different reaction then. Babies are allowed to have preferences, just like we do!

The most important thing right now, is to not make meal time such a big deal about food. Have fun, talk to her, and make her part of what everyone else is doing at the table. The table should always be a very positive place to be.

FranticFrummie

Thu, Oct 21 2021, 7:18 am

I forgot to ask, how many teeth does your baby have? It makes a big difference.

DD got her first teeth at 3 and a half months! My friend's baby was still toothless at a year old. There's a huge span that is considered acceptable.

I find that kids who can bite and chew want to eat sooner than kids without teeth. It makes sense when you think about it.