Food for your baby's first year / developed by the Nutrition Section

INFANT FEEDING SUMMARY
Birth to 12 months Breastmilk or iron-fortified formula

5-6 Months Add iron-fortified cereal 2 servings a day

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After 6 months - Add food in this order:

Vegetables 2 servi ngs a day

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FOOD FOR YOUR

BABY'S FIRST YEAR

Fruits and fruit juices 2 servings a day
Meats, meat-group 1- 2 servings a day
Remember: Continue breastfeeding for the first year or beyond or give iron fortified formula for the first year.

Division of Public Health Developed by the Nutrition Section Form 3728 (Rev. 2/02)

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DHR GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES

BREASTMILK
Thinking about breastfeeding? Ask your nurse or nutritionist to tell you more. Breastfeeding is the best way to feed your baby. In the early weeks, you may need to breastfeed every 2-3 hours to build up a good milk supply.
IRON-FoRTIFIED FORMULA
Most newborn babies need about 6 bottles a day with 3 to 4 ounces in each bottle. Gradually increase the number of ounces as the baby grows and takes more. Feed only the amount the baby will take at one feeding. Don't use leftover formula.
Your baby will need to keep taking iron-fortified formula every day until the first birthday. Keep giving formula in a cup after your baby is weaned from the bottle.
SOLID FOODS
Between 5 and 6 months old, a baby is able to learn how to eat solid food from a spoon. Babies usually don't need solid foods before 5 months. Around 6 months of age, most babies will have good control over the head and neck. Your baby is now ready to learn how to eat small amounts of baby food. When ready to eat, your baby will be able to lean forward when hungry and push away when full.
The first solid food to give to your baby is iron-fortified cereal.

WATER Babies taking solid foods need water. Offer a small amount of
water several times a day. Do not add honey, sugar, or syrup to the water.
CEREAL - 2 SERVINGS A DAY
Start with about one teaspoon of dry cereal and mix it with breastmilk or formula until it is thin. Feed the baby cereal two times a day, morning and evening. Gradually increase the cereal to about three teaspoons, two times a day.
After starting your baby on rice cereal, you can try oat and then barley. If a rash occurs talk to the doctor, nurse or nutritionist.
Feeding with a spoon will help your baby learn how to chew. You should not feed cereal in a bottle or infant feeder. Babies need to develop tongue and jaw muscles.
Not all babies need the same amount of food. Smaller babies need less food than larger babies. As long as your baby grows steadily, you don't have to worry.
Too much solid food may cause your baby to: spit up gain too much weight not take enough breast milk or formula
VEGETABLES - 2 SERVINGS A DAY
After 6 months you can begin to feed strained vegetables. Use plain, strained vegetables like green beans, carrots or squash.
Homemade vegetables should be mashed well and strained. Do not add fat, sugar, salt or other seasonings to the baby's food.
Give two servings every day. Begin with one teaspoon and gradually increase to two to three tablespoons at each feeding.
Add vegetables one at a time every five to six days.

FRUITS AND FRUIT JUICES - 2-3 SERVINGS A DAY
Once your baby accepts a variety of vegetables, add strained fruits and fruit juices. Use plain, strained or mashed fruits.
Start fruit once a day at breakfast or supper. Begin with one teaspoon and gradually increase to no more than three tablespoons at a feeding. If you want to give your baby some juice, remember:
use only real fruit juice serve juice in a cup limit juice to 4 ounces (1/2 cups) per day After your baby is 10 months old, increase servings to three a day. Limit fruit juice to one serving a day (4 oz. serving). Do not give tea, sodas, Kool-Aid, fruit punch, or other sweet drinks. These have too much sugar and keep your baby from eating good food. Strained fruit desserts, pies, candy and pudding also have more sugar than your baby needs. At 10 months increase servings to 3 a day. Remember to limit juice to one serving a day (4 ounces).
MEATS -1-2 SERVINGS A DAY
After adding fruits and fruit juices, add plain, strained meats like turkey, chicken or beef. Begin with one teaspoon and gradually increase to about two tablespoons at each feeding. Cooked egg yolk may be added after your baby is 10 months old. Do not add egg whites until your baby is a year old.
Serve meats once a day. You can feed your baby thoroughly cooked, mashed dried beans and strained peas. Do not feed your baby fat back, bacon, salt pork, broth, or gravy. Do not use vegetable-meat mixtures or high meat dinners.

TABLE FOODS

When your baby begins to eat table foods, make sure they are

thoroughly mashed or finely chopped. Take off skins and fat from

meats.

Stay away from hard-to-chew foods that the baby might choke

on such as nuts, corn and popcorn. Don't give your baby foods

that contain a lot of salt, fat or sugar.

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As your baby grows older, try to give foods that the baby can

pick up with his fingers. Cut food in small pieces. An adult should

always be with your baby when he or she eats, in case of

choking.

Good choices when starting solid

foods:
english peas green beans
cheese
bananas pieces of soft meat soft cooked carrots teething crackers dry toast bread

WEANING

When your baby is able to hold a bottle, he or she can learn to

hold a cup. The baby is making efforts to learn to eat without your

help. Encourage your child during this phase.

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Most babies should be completely weaned from a bottle to a

cup by 10-12 months. At this age, babies need two to three cups
J of formula a day. Try putting a very small amount in the cup at

first to make it easier for your baby to handle.

Weaning may cause your baby to be cranky for the first few

days. It is important for you to keep trying. It is much harder for a

child to give up the bottle after one year.

Once your baby starts drinking the formula from a cup, continue

this until the first birthday. Your baby can drink whole milk after he

or she is one year old.

COMMON QUESTIONS
Why does food turn watery in iars?
Watery food is caused by feeding the baby from the jar. The baby's saliva (spit) gets on the spoon and then gets into the jar. The saliva breaks down the food and makes it watery.
To stop watery food, feed your child from a dish and don't put the feeding spoon into the jar.
Throwaway food left in baby's dish.
Will cereal help my baby sleep through the night?
No. Babies sleep through the night when they are ready. Babies who don't get cereal sleep just as well as those who do
get cereal.
What's wrong with propping the bottle?
Babies need to be cuddled and loved. Feeding time is an excellent time to be close to your baby.
A baby can choke if left alone with a propped bottle. There may also be more problems with tooth decay and ear infections.
Why does my baby spit up?
Most babies spit up a little. You can help by burping them several times during the feeding
so they don't get so much air with their milk. By eight or nine months, most babies have stopped
spitting up. It is not normal for your baby to vomit a large amount of food.
If this happens, check with your doctor, nurse or health care provider.

Why does my baby cry?
Babies cry for many reasons. It doesn't always mean that they are hungry.
A young baby can ususally last about two hours between feedings.
Older babies can usually wait about three to four hours between feedings.

Why should I begin weaning from the bottle before 12 months of age?
It is much easier to begin to wean a baby between nine and 12 months.

After a year, a child may refuse to give up the bottle.

Keeping a child on the bottle after a year can cause more problems with:



drinking too much milk



poor appetite for table foods



anemia

Aren't fat babies healthy babies?
A fat baby is not necessarily a healthy baby. Find out if your baby is gaining weight normally. Don't use sweet drinks and desserts to "fatten up"
your child.

I am feeding formula to my baby. Why do I need iron-fortified fomula for the whole first year?
Babies grow fast during the first year.
They need iron to build good blood, and iron-fortified formula gives them the iron they need.
If you are breastfeeding, ask your doctor, nurse, nutritionist or health care provider if your baby needs extra iron.