🍽️ Feeding: 6–12 Months

🍼 Overview

Between 6 and 12 months, babies start transitioning from exclusive breast milk or formula to solid foods. This phase is all about exploration, not perfection — feeding becomes a sensory, social, and developmental experience.

"Food before one is just for fun" — but it also lays the groundwork for healthy habits.

âś… What to Expect

  • Continue breast milk or formula as the main source of nutrition
  • Introduce solids slowly, beginning around 6 months (if baby shows readiness)
  • By 9–12 months, babies may eat 3 small meals + 1–2 snacks
  • Offer a wide variety of textures and flavors

🍎 Signs Baby Is Ready for Solids

  • Can sit upright with minimal support
  • Has good head and neck control
  • Shows interest in food (reaches or leans toward it)
  • Opens mouth when food approaches
  • Can close lips over a spoon and swallow, not push food out with tongue

🍚 First Foods to Offer

  • Iron-fortified baby cereal
  • Mashed or purĂ©ed fruits (banana, pear, avocado)
  • Mashed or purĂ©ed vegetables (sweet potato, carrots, peas)
  • PurĂ©ed meats or tofu
  • Small, soft finger foods once baby shows readiness (usually after 8 months)

🧩 Tips for Parents

  • Introduce one new food every 3–5 days to watch for allergies
  • Let baby self-feed with safe finger foods when possible
  • Avoid honey (risk of botulism) and choking hazards (grapes, popcorn, nuts)
  • Expect mess — mealtime is learning time
  • Offer water in an open cup during meals to practice drinking

🥄 Responsive Feeding Basics

  • Watch for hunger and fullness cues
  • Never force-feed or pressure to finish
  • Mealtime should be pleasant, not rushed
  • Eat together when possible — modeling is powerful

⚠️ When to Call Your Pediatrician

  • Baby consistently refuses solids after 7–8 months
  • Difficulty swallowing or persistent gagging
  • Shows signs of food allergy (rash, swelling, vomiting, diarrhea)
  • Isn’t gaining weight or is losing interest in all food/formula

đź“š Sources

  1. American Academy of Pediatrics. “Starting Solid Foods”
  2. CDC. “Infant Nutrition: 6 to 12 Months” – cdc.gov
  3. Zero to Three. “Feeding Your Baby: 6–12 Months”