How to Feed a 9 Month Old

Your baby comes with a steep learning curve, and it can be hard to keep up. Feeding her at 9 months requires patience and perhaps a bit more preparation than before. Don't worry, as your baby will soon have plenty of practice and your job will get easier. Like everything else your baby does, this stage is short-lived. Before you know it, this will be another milestone for the baby book.

Things You'll Need

  • Small spoon
  • Clean dish
  • Paring knife
  • Cutting board
  • Food steamer or microwave

Instructions

    • 1

      Determine your baby's development and feeding skill level. At 9 months, a baby may move food from side to side in her mouth, curve her lips around a cup, move her jaw diagonally when chewing, sit alone and transfer things from her hand to her mouth. She should be able drink from a cup with assistance, eat from a spoon and even self-feed. This means she is ready to progress to a new feeding style.

    • 2

      Seat your baby in a high chair. She can eat at the table with the family during mealtimes.

    • 3

      Feed baby routinely throughout the day. She should eat three meals -- breakfast, lunch and dinner. She also needs two snacks each day -- morning and afternoon.

    • 4

      Introduce new foods to your baby -- give her new textures and new tastes. Most table foods are fine as long as you prepare them for your baby. Ground or finely chopped foods or small diced soft foods are appropriate at this stage. Start with ground or chopped table foods such as cooked noodles, bread, mild cheese, crackers, yogurt, hamburger, canned fruit and sweet potatoes.

    • 5

      Transfer baby food from the jar to a clean dish. Failing to do so could lead to contamination and spoiled baby food. Spoon feed runny or mashed food choices and allow baby to self-feed finger foods.

    • 6

      Supervise your baby's mealtimes closely in case she struggles with a new food, chokes or has an allergic reaction. Be patient, as your baby must learn new feeding skills, which takes practice.

    • 7

      Watch for signs that your baby is full. She will give you cues she has had enough. Her eating will slow down, and she may refuse to open her mouth and turn away. Do not force her to eat more -- your baby is the best judge of how much is enough.

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