How to start feeding table food to my 8 month old?? any suggestions on this?

Leticia - posted on 09/26/2009

i also give my daughter a lil water through the day when she eats food, when im not nursing. the doc said alil is fine.but her tummy isnt ready for whats inside cows milk untill she is one. it'll give her bad tummy aches and spit up

Leticia - posted on 09/26/2009

you could actually just use a blender. take some fresh veggies or fruits and at first just use one food at a time a blend it up using baby water or purified water to a nice consistency.give only one a week to see how she does with it.and totally pour it in an ice tray and freeze tthe rest. it becomes perfect portions!

Wendy - posted on 09/26/2009

thanks everyone for all the help! It really helped me out a lot. Its just a really confusing process I was nervous that I was going to give her something that wasnt good for her. My doctor did tell me about strawberries, honey, and peanut butter. Does anyone know why I cant give her regular milk til she is one? I know theres a reason I just dont know why? Is it okay to give her water also.

Minnie - posted on 09/23/2009

There is no reason at all to feed her. Give her big fist-size pieces of food and set them in front of her. Let her pick them up, gnaw them, chew them. She'll go at her own pace.



My 11 month old has never been spoon-fed, and she has not a tooth to her mouth. She does just fine with an entire chicken drumstick, slices of cucumber, an entire peeled apple, slices of cheese, shrimp, fish fillets, etc.



It's easy-peasy.

Leslie - posted on 09/23/2009

Whether you mash or not, and to what consistency, is also going to depend on your child. My little boy didn't get any teeth until he was 9 months old, but he didn't like thin runny baby food or purees; he wanted something with texture from very early on. Some babies are very sensitive to textures and will need much thinner purees to start with. A rice steamer with a steamer rack has been great to have in the kitchen. Steaming is one of the best ways to prep veggies for your baby as long as you don't over cook. Later when your baby is eating things in a more solid form it is easy to chop up some veggies and steam them. I also put a little extra virgin olive oil on my son's veggies, but he is on the smaller side so you may want to ask your dr about that one. As to the question of the spoon....I have given my son a spoon from the day he tried to start taking the one out of my hand and now at 21 months old he is a pretty independent eater. Now, if you're at a restaurant or someone's house who may not appreciate strained peas splattered on their wall, by all means, take control of the spoon. : ) Encouraging your little one to use their own spoon and sippy cup from early on helps their fine motor skills and builds confidence. It's also nice once they get the hang of it and you can actually feed yourself while your child eats!!

Alysha - posted on 09/23/2009

my son's 10 months and has been eating [mushy] baby food since he was 6 months old when the doctor said to start introducing veggies and fruits.trust me, your baby will eat anything! lol get a little blender that you can leave on your counter and blend it up as you need it...or you can get small jars and pre make food to stick in your freezer :) I do a little bit of both and my son eats everything from steak and potatoes to spaghetti and everything in between :)



the only thing they suggest not giving to a baby is Eggs and any nuts, unless you know for a fact that your child is allergy free

Danielle - posted on 09/23/2009

I love this question, to this day I still have not bought a single jar of baby food. Make things that are really creamy and just cut it up really small. Put your whole dinner into one bowl mix it up, cut it into small pieces and just feed it to her. It's amazing how quickly they catch on to things. My daughter had a hard time with pork and hamburger meat came later too. I really just keep with chicken in those chicken dinners. But use the rice and pasta roni and just cook it like you would a chicken helper. Just throw your veg. right in their with it, "One Pan Dinner" you have got to love that.

Kelly - posted on 09/23/2009

I started feeding my son the same food i was eating at about 8-9 months, it just depended on what i was eating....like someone else said, they suggest no egg whites and strawberrys or peanut butter till at least one year old....i just put him in his highchair and give him something that he can feed himself, and then i feed him the food that he would make a huge mess with, i dont use a food processor, i just cook healthy meals for the whole family and he gets to eat the same as us.....

Dealfneil - posted on 09/23/2009

u shud do it. shes only a baby. give her 2 mre months

Dealfneil - posted on 09/23/2009

Great questions. Start with Mash potatoes. do it the old way. not from the box. Yellow grits is fine. she is at the stage now where those lil jokey baby foods cnt help her. she gata eat

Keelie - posted on 09/23/2009

As for the food there not to have, my pedatrician said not to give them egg whites or strawberry until there a year old. I think it has to do with allergys, also no penuts or peanut butter until there at least a year, also becuase of allergys. but ask your pedatrician what they suggest.

Paola - posted on 09/23/2009

She is just 8 months, so it is better if you feed her, she will eat more but you can give her another spoon so she can start to train eating by herself and then little by litlle let her do it alone! once you see she eats well!!

Good Luck and God bless both of you !!

Paola - posted on 09/23/2009

ohhhh never give her left overs, specially at that age!! because all the vegetable won't have the same nutrients, vitamins as fresh. Even if it is frozen. It is better to prepare it the same day she is going to eat!

And the same happen with fruit if you ever prepare a juice give it to her right in that moment as the vitamins won't stay longer. (In one hour all the vitamins of that juice are gone)

Wendy - posted on 09/23/2009

thanks! everyone helped out a lot! Should I spoon feed or let her do it?

Heather - posted on 09/23/2009

I use a baby food precessor; you can find on at walmart or babies-r-us. Put in the foods you want her to have, add a bit of broth or water and let it work. If it is too thick just add a little bit more liquid. Hope this helps!!

Paola - posted on 09/23/2009

Well when i started feeding my son, i used to give him mashed potatoes, vegetables cream, mashed pumpkin,soup and soft things that are easy for them to eat.

But i would say that the best is vegetables cream as it have a little bit of everything.

Put a little bit of all the vegetables you have, like brocoli, carrots, spinach, celery, pumpkin, Etc, whatever you want to put, ohhh one potato or half of it, little bit of garlic and one boiled egg as for this age is good to eat egg. once everything is boiled you can mash it or put in a food processor, that's what i do, it's more easy and more creamy!! then put it back in a bowl, add a little of salt and add a tea spoon of butter. My son´s Dr. told me to put one tea spoon of butter to all the food he used to eat in that time.

Good luck!

Melissa - posted on 09/23/2009

ive been using a food processor to make soft lumpy food....it cant be too thick it has to be smooth enough to slide down the throat

Lillian - posted on 09/23/2009

Well, I'm all about being healthy and keeping our kids healthy, so what I do is buy all fresh vegtables, like: carrots, celery, onions, squash, broccolli, potatoes and I buy a can of chicken or beef broth. get a large pot, add a little bit of olive oil, and then chop your onion up ( add as much as u want) then add some garlic ( u can buy it in a lil jar already chopped) then u cook that for about a minute or two then add all the other vegtables. Then pour the can of broth and some water until it is just over the vegtables. you can also add some parsley or spinach to the mix. u do not need to add any salt. boil it on low for 45 mins, then put it in a blender. it makes a TON of food and you can put the left overs in an ice tray and freeze it! it is awesome and my kid is 10 mnths old and she loves it! hope this helps