what new stuff can i start to feed my 8 1/2 month old?

Amanda - posted on 04/19/2010

My 9 month old gets a variety of foods. Jar food & homemade food. She is really loving to feed herself with pieces of food she can grab. She loves Baby Mum Mum's. They are crackers. Also, she loves Special K cereal. I just throw a bunch of little pieces on her high chair tray and she is quite content feeding it to herself. Also, little pieces of fruit, like raspberries, bananas, mangos. Gerber makes these "Graduates" snacks, like puffs. Those are good too. She has started wanted to feed herself with a spoon for all the other stuff, but hasn't mastered it yet! lol

Erin - posted on 04/17/2010

my daughter loves cooked broccoli and cauliflower! she also loves mixed fruits cut up and STRAWBERRIES are her fav!!! Good Luck and be creative!

Christine - posted on 04/17/2010

Jessica, let him have what you are having for dinner. My daughter is 9 months old and I have been giving her what we were having for dinner for about 3 weeks now. Just do not give him tough meat (well cooked and tender chicken or fish is great) or non-cooked vegetables or he could choke. Other than that, have at it!

Vicki - posted on 04/17/2010

My answer is the same as Bec's. They really don't need purees at this age. At nearly 10 months my son has a go at most foods.

Heather - posted on 04/17/2010

i give my 9 month old table foods i gride them up he small pieces and he eat it . the puffs from gerber are good two

Jenni+shane - posted on 04/16/2010

when i started to feed my little girl i made my own food as well as jar food. i give her veg mashed fruit mashed weet bix warmed and mashed and even give her meet mashed now she older and has two teeth and other two on way i give her bread and toast she loves it. i was told by 12 months she should be eating same food as me maybe still little mashed she can eat food now a little chunky she loves everything i give her si i am luckly

Janet - posted on 04/16/2010

My 9mo old has no teeth and we've been feeding her mashed potatoe/sweet potatoes, pickles, mashed bananas and chunks for her to pick up and eat, black berries, avocado, very ripe melon, well cooked carrots and peas, homemade spaghetti (i use a handblender to blend it up meat sauce and all), fish (careful of the bones), mac and cheese, pieces of cheese, etc etc etc...they gum up their food even without teeth

Becca - posted on 04/16/2010

We have been giving my son finger foods and table foods since he was 6.5 months old and now he doesn't eat purees at all. He just got his first tooth a couple of weeks back. Babies have hard gums and with the exception of foods that are sharp (like french bread crusts) and chewy foods like meats they can gum up almost anything just like you would chew your food.



It is important to remember when starting finger foods that choking is different than gagging. lf your baby is gagging they will retch or cough for a moment but then will be fine and go back to eating. If they are choking there will not be any air or noise produced. That is when you need to intervene and fast.



Keep in mind also that a baby's gag reflex is a lot farther forward in their mouth than an adults. This reflex actually helps teach your child not to choke by warning them when food is getting close to the airway and by letting them know when things are too big or they have put too much in their mouth. When you are first starting finger foods you will have more gagging but your child will quickly learn to prevent it.



As for giving small pieces, a baby will have a harder time picking up and getting a small piece to their mouth. I was told to try to make the finger foods about the size of my child's fist or to cut things into finger shapes. This allows him to pick up the food and get it to his mouth. It also reduces the chance that he will choke on it because he then has to gum it up (chew) before it will be small enough to get to the back of his mouth. We were also told to avoid foods that crumbled like strips of chicken or arrowroot crackers because pieces of these can break off and become choking hazards.

Rae - posted on 04/16/2010

My dr just gave me the go ahead to wean off of jars and onto table food even though Bay has no teeth. Rule of thumb, if you can mash it with your tongue on the roof of your mouth they can eat it. Bay is having tuna casserole for dinner tonight with bread.

Kaylynn - posted on 04/16/2010

my son has his first three teeth in the front and hes eight and a half months and ever since hes had even two he has eaten everything...he eats cookies like grown up cookies, meat (small cubes) and he even has a lollipop from time to time lol...my son has eaten puffs and gerber cookies before he even had teeth...if u teach them early how to use their gums to squish stuff the skies the limit...

Kimberly - posted on 04/16/2010

I feed my 81/2 mo. old mashed up banana,mashed potatoes and sweet potatos, peas,carrots even a little bread. The jar food doesn't always cut it. Like you said he is more interested in the jar than the food. Basically I give my Madison anything that she can gum. Her upper teeth are just starting to show so I let even let her gum to death some pizza crust. It's what ever you feel comfortable giving her.