6- 9 Months Period
By 6 months, infants gain strong head to neck control, which helps them accept solid food. Alongside, they show signs of readiness to eat food by opening their mouth when a spoon approaches them and closing it over the spoon. They also move food in their mouth and swallow it. The digestive enzymes are also developed which aids the digestion process.
Along with breastmilk, introduce solid foods to your baby's diet. Get started by preparing purees of fruits and vegetables by blending them to form a smooth paste.
For breakfast, feed fruits like banana, pear or apple puree. If the puree is too thick, add some breastmilk to make a smooth paste. For lunch, prepare smooth vegetable purees using carrots, potatoes or feed dal soup. You can also prepare a thin, smooth puree using iron-fortified baby cereal.
9-12 Months Period
Between 9-12 months, you will identify that your baby is able to sit on her own and wants to feed herself. Most importantly, when you feed her pureed food with lumps she will make chewing motions. This is the time to make a transition from smooth purees to mashed food that is soft and well chopped. Offer finger foods like steamed carrots and sweet potatoes during mid-snack. At the same time ensure that you don’t feed round or sticky food as it may cause choking. And, continue breastfeeding your baby.
12-24 Months Period
This is an exciting phase in a child’s life as they learn to move around and have a greater control over their surroundings. Moreover, at this stage, your baby will be ready to eat soft-cooked food, vegetables and finger foods like sliced fruits. As she enjoys a variety of tastes and textures, introduce nutritious food by planning a feeding scheme. Include an adequate serving of vegetables, fruits, starchy foods like potatoes and rice, dal, pulses, eggs to their diet. You can also include fortified baby cereals in your child’s diet.
The Bottom-Line
As your little one grows, every stage is a learning process for them. Pay heed to your baby's movements, as it will help in introducing new textures and flavours. The process of introducing new foods requires time and patience as it comes with a lot of mess. Embrace this phase and help your baby evolve into a healthier and happier child.
With passing time, you will realize that your child's growth may reduce a bit and may have an impact on their appetite. Therefore, it is vital to know the tell-tale signs of satisfied hunger in infants.
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