What should I know about feeding my baby in their first year?

Nutrition in the first year of your baby's life plays a vital role in his growth and development. Having proper nutrition in the early stage can promote your baby's health and reduce his risk of chronic disease. But you as a parent may have plenty of questions regarding how much food your baby needs to eat and how frequently. You may also be curious about how long to nurse and when you should introduce solid foods to your baby.

An important first step is to speak with a pediatrician. They'll provide you with guidance specific to your baby and their individual needs. Or, if you're pregnant and thinking ahead, they'll provide you with some sense of what you can anticipate. You can also request resources from your pediatrician to enable you to learn more.

Remember that each baby is unique, and there's no one "right" approach to feeding during your baby's first year (or ever). Rather, health professionals provide general recommendations based on what is safe and feasible for most infants. Knowing what to do or not to do can make you more confident with feeding your baby, rely on your own instincts, and sense when to seek assistance.

How much should a newborn consume?

Newborns are dependent on breast milk and/or formula for their nutritional requirements. It depends on the age of your baby as to how much milk or formula they require. Therefore, it is essential to understand some age-based milestones.

Remember, however, that each baby is unique. Your baby may have different requirements from these general guidelines. Therefore, you should consult your pediatrician in order to find out the precise amount of sustenance that's best for your infant.

It's always a good idea to become acquainted with your baby's signs of hunger and to feed them in a manner that's paced so that you're not overfeeding them.

How frequently do newborns feed?

Newborns are hungry often but can only eat a little bit at a time (their tummies are still tiny and growing). Within the first two months, if you're breastfeeding, you'll likely need to feed your baby every two to three hours. This adds up to about eight to twelve feedings per 24 hours. If you're using formula, you'll feed your baby a little less often (about six to 10 times within a 24-hour period).

As your baby grows, they'll feed less frequently but take more milk or formula each time. Babies consume the same volume amount in 24 hours from 4 weeks old until 6 months old. Solids are introduced at 6 months old as well.

Six- to eight-month-old babies usually have two to three meals (solid food) a day. From nine months and beyond, your baby can have three to four meals a day in addition to one or two more snacks. At the same time, continue to breastfeed or give formula to your baby based on your pediatrician's advice.

Overall, healthcare professionals suggest feeding your baby whenever they are hungry. But your baby won't be able to say "I'm hungry," so how do you know? The answer is to learn your baby's hunger cues.

Hunger cues

Your baby's hunger cues are their nonverbal signals to you that it's time to eat. Hunger cues may vary during your baby's first year. Your baby may:

Put hands to mouth.
Open mouth.
Suck on hands.
Smack or lick their lips.
Stick their tongue out.
Clamp their hands.
Jut their jaw or head around, searching for your breast.
Act alert or agitated near food.
Complain.
Cry.

Crying is a late signal, so your baby could have been hungry for some time. It can take a while for your baby to relax and feed at this stage. Therefore, familiarizing yourself with your baby's early hunger signs will enable you to feed your baby before they become very distressed.

Signs your baby is full

Your baby's "stop feeding me" signals are equally as valuable as their hunger signals. Your baby's stomach might be doing a "no, thank you" if your baby:

Closes their mouth.
Relaxes their hands.
Puts their head away from the food source (breast, bottle or spoon).
Pushes the food away.
Hands food back to you.

Observe your baby's signals and let them quit eating when they've had enough. Overeating babies can get stomach aches, become gassy, spit up or vomit.

When do babies begin eating baby food?

You can attempt to give your little one baby food and other solid foods around six months. This is less likely to cause an allergy and when most babies are developmentally prepared to begin safely consuming solids.

Your baby will be developmentally prepared to begin eating solid foods if they:

Are able to sit up with little or no support in their high chair.
Have good head control for considerable periods of time.
Open when you approach them with food.
Attempt to grasp at food or appear interested while eating.
Are adept at moving food from a spoon into their throat. (If they spit the food back out of their mouth rather than that, they're likely not ready to swallow it.)
Grasp small items such as toys or morsels of food.
Are able to move objects toward their mouth.

A popular method of introducing solids is baby-led weaning. This is a process in which you watch for your baby's signs and, when your baby is indicating they are ready, you allow them to feed themselves finger foods.

Remember that all babies are different. Don't compare your baby's milestones with other babies. Consult with your pediatrician if you have any questions about your baby's development.

Food allergies

It's common to worry about food allergies and wonder if your baby will have any. If either parent has food allergies, or if your baby has eczema, it's a good idea to talk to your pediatrician about your baby's risk for food allergies. They may offer advice for introducing certain foods to your baby.

In general, doctors recommend:

Introducing one single-component food at a time to your infant. Wait one day before introducing a new food. In the meantime, observe your infant for evidence of an allergic reaction. These signs are vomiting, diarrhea or rash.
Early introduction of food. For the majority of babies, it is advisable to introduce eggs, soy, dairy, peanut foods and fish at six months of age. This is contrary to previous guidelines that recommended parents avoid introducing babies to these common allergens later on. Early introduction of food such as peanut foods has been shown in some research to prevent your baby from developing an allergy towards them.
Testing for allergies, when appropriate. For example, your provider may recommend testing for peanut allergy if your baby has severe eczema or an egg allergy.

Cereal for babies

Give your baby cereals made specifically for them. This means the label should say "baby cereal." The cereal should be fortified with iron to support your baby's growth. Be sure to give your baby different types of cereal including:

Oat.
Barley.
Multigrain.

Don't put cereal into your baby's formula or milk bottle. Feed your baby cereal by spoon when he is at least four to six months old. Adding cereal or other solid foods to your baby's bottle can lead to:

Gagging.
Breathing the mixture into their lungs.
Excess weight gain.

Foods to avoid

Some foods don't offer nutritional benefits to your baby. Others pose a choking hazard or other risks. Foods to avoid giving your baby in their first year include:

Processed food made for older children or adults.
Any foods with added salt, sugar or seasoning.
Hot dogs or meat sticks.
Chunks of any food, including meat, cheese or raw fruit.
Whole nuts or seeds.
Popcorn.
Whole grapes.
Candy.
Juice.
Honey.

Cow's milk or milk substitutes (your baby cannot digest these milks yet, and they are not a good source of nutrition).

Avoid cereals and other foods that contain more heavy metals. These are some rice-based cereals and snacks.

Tips for preparing solid foods for your baby

Your baby can have many of the same foods that you have, but they're not yet ready to dive into their food in the same manner. They cannot chew their food like you chew it, and as a result will choke on foods that are not soft enough for them to "gum" and break down with their saliva.

Here are some ideas for making your family's favorite foods swallowable (and thus safe) for your baby:

Boil hard fruits or vegetables, and then blend them.
Boil meat or other food until it becomes very tender and easy to mash with a fork. Remove bones and skin from meat before boiling it.
Mix breast milk or formula into baby cereal or mashes of cooked grains.
Cut foods that are round in shape (such as grapes) into tiny pieces.

Tips for introducing solid foods

Introducing your baby to solids isn't like turning on a light. It's more like inserting a dimmer switch and slowly doing things differently. You won't suddenly switch from breast milk or formula to solid foods. You'll slowly add solid foods until your baby gets used to them completely.

Here are some tips to remember:

Make conversation while you feed your baby: Use statements such as "yum, isn't this good?" or "mmm" to encourage your baby to begin comprehending what's occurring (and that it's enjoyable).
Offer your baby a taste: Allow your baby to touch or play with the proposed solid food before serving it to them. Place a dollop on their high chair tray and allow them to investigate. Then attempt placing some onto a spoon and presenting it to your baby's mouth.
Demonstrate it: Demonstrate to your baby by carrying a spoonful of food to your own mouth (even if you only pretend to eat it). Demonstrating to your baby may encourage them to try it out themselves.
End and begin with the comfortable: Attempt to give your baby a small amount of breast milk or formula to begin. Afterwards, provide them with a little bit of food and then finish with some breast milk or formula.
Be patient: Your baby may turn away or fuss when the spoon gets near them. It's alright. Don't force your baby to accept the food if they're not ready yet. Go back to just giving them breast milk or formula and try again a few days later.

If your baby refuses solid foods after numerous tries, you can consider consulting your pediatrician for advice.

Should I continue breastfeeding if my baby is eating solid food?

Yes, if at all possible. Medical professionals advise breastfeeding your baby for a minimum of six months, and if possible, a minimum of two years. Breast milk is to be your baby's sole source of nutrition for the first six months. You may begin introducing other food sources such as baby cereal and solids at six months. Food introduced before six months is done more for exposure, development and sensory experiences rather than for nutrition.

It's great to learn that your baby continues to be nourished by breast milk even if they're stepping into the marvelous world of fruits, vegetables and other foods. That's because breast milk has numerous advantages for your baby. For instance, it enables your baby to develop a healthy immune system and reduces their risk of various diseases. So, the blend of breast milk and solid foods can help your baby grow and develop well during their first year.

When should I call my doctor?

Call your pediatrician if:

After six months, your baby still won't take solid foods, even after many tries, or appears to have trouble eating.
Your baby's stool is extremely loose, watery or contains a lot of mucus.
You suspect your baby is eating too little or too much.
You have questions or concerns regarding feeding your baby.
Speak with your pediatrician if your baby was a "preemie" (premature) or was born with a medical condition. They will let you know how to best feed your baby to meet their needs.

What do I ask?

Below are some questions you might ask your pediatrician to get more information about feeding your baby during the first year:

How long do I breastfeed?
What foods should I introduce to my baby first as solids?
Do you have suggestions for preparing food so it is more swallow-friendly for my baby?
Do you suggest any supplements for my baby, like vitamin D or iron?
How should I feed my baby best if they have reflux?
How many times a day do newborns eat?

Newborns are often hungry but can only eat a bit at a time (their tummies are still tiny and growing). Within the first two months, if you're breastfeeding, you'll likely need to feed your baby every two to three hours. This adds up to about eight to twelve feedings per 24 hours. If you're using formula, you'll feed your baby a little less often (about six to 10 times within 24 hours).

As your baby grows, it will have less frequent feedings but drink more milk or formula at each feeding. Babies consume the same volume in 24 hours from age 4 weeks to age 6 months. Solids are introduced at 6 months of age as well.

Six- to eight-month-old babies usually have two to three meals of solid foods each day. From age nine months and up, your baby might have three or four meals daily along with one or two extra snacks. Simultaneously, keep feeding your baby breast milk or formula as per your pediatrician's advice.

Generally, medical professionals advise that you feed your baby whenever he/she is hungry. But your baby can't express himself with words: "I'm hungry." So how do you know? The solution lies in becoming familiar with your baby's hunger cues.