Feeding your infant is not only a necessity, it the ideal way to bond with him starting in his first moments of life. Although born helpless, he has an innate ability to latch onto and suck from a nipple to obtain nutrition. Your infant's feeding skills at this point are only reflexive and limited to liquids, but with enough experience and a short amount time, he will develop the capacity to feed himself small pieces of solid food.
Birth to 4 Months
Between birth and 4 months, a baby's digestive tract is still developing, so she can only be fed with breast milk or formula. Also, because she has poor control over her upper body, she requires head support while she's feeding. Her reflexes cause her to turn toward a nipple for food when something touches her cheek, and for her first two months, they cause her to suck when something is placed in her mouth. After her second month, she will have the ability to suck voluntarily. According to the WIC Infant Nutrition and Feeding Guide, cues that your infant is hungry include waking, tossing, crying, sucking on her fist and opening her mouth while feeding. She may be full when she seals her lips, turns her head and slows or stops sucking.
4 to 6 Months
Sometime between a baby's fourth and six months, he will be able to sit with support, have better control over his head, use his entire hand to grasp objects and eat strained food without choking, according to the New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension. Once he shows these signs of solid food readiness, you should feed him with a combination of breast milk or formula and a milk-diluted, iron-fortified rice cereal, and then graduate to other grain cereals, such as oats.
6 to 8 Months
A 6- to 8-month-old baby should be able to sit alone without support, transfer food between hands and easily eat mashed foods from a spoon. At this time, you may supplement her diet with strained or pureed fruits and vegetables, such as pears and bananas, applesauce, avocado, sweet potato and squash. However, babycenter.com recommends introducing new foods one at a time, with three or more days in between, in order to determine whether she has any food allergies.
8 to 10 Months
Some time between 8 and 10 months, a baby will start to put everything in his mouth, be able to pick up objects between his thumb and forefinger (a skill known as the pincer grasp) and move his jaw in a chewing motion. At this point, a pediatrician will likely recommends adding finger foods, such as small pieces of pasteurized cheese, soft banana, teething crackers, and O-shaped cereals to his existing diet. You will also be able to feed him small, soft pieces of protein-rich foods, such as pureed meats, egg and mashed beans, and allow him to drink small amounts of non-citrus juices.
10 to 12 Months
In months 10 through 12, a baby will use her improved hand, mouth and eye coordination to practice her self-feeding skills through using a spoon. Additionally, she will have a few extra teeth at this point, which will make chewing easier. You may offer her small, bite-sized amounts of cooked table food, such as macaroni and cheese.
