Independent Baby

Valerie,

Both my girls (now 2.4 and almost 4) wanted nothing to do with my help at eating time very early on. I gave them lots of steamed vegs they could pick up easily (carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes, small soft pasta, small bits of chicken and fish. My dr. said as long as they were still drinking formula/breast milk (mine were getting a mix by then) they would be just fine. one trick I learned that they loved -- I would shred cheese with a fine grate and then pick up clumps and rolls into little cheese balls that they could grab but weren't too dense and would melt in their mouths. They loved it. I also got some of those mesh feeder bags (google it). You can put anything in there (cantaloupe and strawberries were my kids favorites) and only smashed bits come out -- they can holdit all by themselves... it was great.

Hi V.! I have a 7 month old who is incredibly independent. He is already crawling, pulling up, and cruising. He does NOT like me spoon feeding him, so I've also experienced the challenge of determining what to give him that he can feed himself that won't choke him, and is nutritious. If it were up to him, he'd eat puffs for every meal! He loves avocado and I super steam sweet potato, carrots, broccoli, and squash and he enjoys that. He also loves ripe banana. I can usually get him to eat a few bites of baby food/cereal so I try to balance that with the finger foods and I think he's getting what he needs nutritionally (along with the breast milk). I can't wait to hear everyone else's advice!

Hi,
I have an eight month old and he is getting frustrated too so I started giving him his own spoon and one for me to feed him with. He is pretty good at putting it in his mouth but I spoon it for him then when he is occupied with playing w/ his spoon then I use mine. We are also starting him on some table foods but prior to seasoning the food for the rest of us I portion out Nicholas. It is working especially potato pancakes, baked sweet potatoes, cut up pasta, overcooked rice, mashed califlower, any winter squash , and he whole wheat toast cut up in strips. Good luck. A.
I have a 31/2 year old and an eight month old and they keep everyday adventurous !!!

I would suggest trying soft, easy to grab finger foods. Some foods that are good are avocado, grapes peeled and quartered, diced peaches(canned, no sugar syrup, because they are very soft.)Ripe banana, pears, cooked and cut up green beans, peas. Ask your pediatrician if she can have yogart yet (whole milk yo-baby). Cheerios will be a big hit too. Even very cooked and chopped up chicken, hamburger, tukey, ham. My daughter loves hummus and soup too. Expect some funny faces, and big messes. She is probably yearning for some independent self feeding. Give her the reigns and get some easy to hold baby spoons and forks and let her try to feed herself. Good luck!! H.

My son is independent as well and he especially loves Pasta Pick Ups. They are made by Gerber. When he was younger I used to cut them in half for him. They are really soft and easy to chew (or gum if your baby doesn't have teeth yet). I feel like they're good for him because they have meat and vegetables inside.

Babies like mashed potatos and also they like most mashed veggies and applesauce. Do not give baby the spiced veggies that the rest of the family might eat but make a special dish for baby. I just bet you that the baby will love it! Darlene T.

Both of my boys were independent at about 9 months. I would take whatever we were eating for dinner and put it in a food processor and put it on their high chair tray with their own fork and they loved it. I gave both of my boys a variety of different foods because I wanted them to learn to like everything and not become picky eaters. Hope this helps.

Depending on the time you have, you could puree some table food in proper proportions for her (omit salts and seasonings). Due to choking possibilities, make the texture what she can handle, then give her a spoon and let her feed herself. I used to sneak spoonfuls in between while the baby was aiming for an opened mouth. If you opt this way, table food also fills them up faster than baby food.

- make sure the spoon is padded and she's not getting sore gums

- give her her own spoon to hold during the feeding so she can try to feed herself, even if she can't get the food to her mouth perfectly

- when feeding her table food, make sure it's not salted

Hi...I have a 19 month old son and I remember that problem well! Luckily he liked a lot of foods. Good ones to try are (and also healthy)..avocado coated with wheat germ (get a fairly ripe one, so it is soft) My son loves this! Also baked beans, mashed potatoes of course, scrambled eggs with cheese, cottage cheese... also get a food grinder and you can put just about anything in it and create a good texture for a beginner eater. Good luck!

Hey V.!
I always found that my daughter needed to self feed while I spoon fed her. so, I'd cut up bananas, avocado, canteloup or even spread out some "puffs" for her to shovel in while I spoon fed her in between bites. My fear was that this was going to be the only way she'd eat and "what was I starting" but she ended up growing out of it and soon she accepted the spoon feeding and also started to self-spoon feed herself. My daughter is also very independent...since birth!

Hi! I am not sure that at 9 months old, babies "need" a lot of foods that we eat...I believe they still get nutritionally what they need from formula and/or breastmilk. For our three children, this was an age of "food exploration", so to speak. My kids loved, loved, loved cheerios as they really enjoyed the "art" of picking them up and feeding themselves. Gerbers and others are now making lots of finger foods such as corn and fruit puffs, pasta's, etc. that make eating fun for babies, yet certainly provide proper nutrition, as well. We also cut up green beans in small pieces, as well as banana's. Gosh, keep trying what you are doing and perhaps allow her to eat with her hands instead of you feeding her with a spoon.
Keep up the good work!

Have you tried giving her a child's spoon to let her try herself? It can be messy but might be what she wants.

Good luck

As long as baby is getting breast milk or formula still, baby should be fine. My dauther did the same thing at 9 months. I started feeding her table food (within reason) along with Gerber graduates and formula. She did fine. No allergies to any of it.

Hi! I have two boys ages 7 and 5 and they couldn't be more different when it comes to food! Jacob was always a good eater. CJ (5) was my frustrating one. > I can't really tell you what to feed you daughter because I don't know how many teeth she has or what she is accustomed to eating. I am going to guess she has at least 6 teeth. Does she not like the texture of the food and push the food out with her tongue? Or does she grab the spoon and try to take it away? When mine were spoon feeding, I gave them a spoon while I spoonfed them. She may want to just hold the spoon, that's what CJ wanted to do. After I gave him a spoon too, he didn't fight me. ALSO! I am a daycare owner and you may want to make sure that you and the sitter are using the same method. If the sitter gives her bottles all day, she may only want bottles. Remember she is only nine months old. Please don't be in a hurry for her to grow up. They are only small once. Cherish it. If she prefers a bottle of formula, then at least you know she is getting all she needs. IF she has the fine motor skills to pick up items like cheerios and diced foods, let her eat those. As long as she is still drinking her formula, then she is getting all she needs. If she is already on whole milk, she may be able to drink Pediasure to supplement. Good luck and God Bless you!

I understand that, I had a daughter just like her but she started qt 6 months. Feed her what you eat only you have to eat a healthy balanced diet. Ensure it is palatable for her teething situation. Also ensure she get the ample amount of milk because she is still building bones and teeth. Doctors don't say it anymore but I still think children Should have a multi-vitamin with iron. That's your choice but I would, especially since when you get older they force just that but your body has lacked it for years, the stupidity of todays rationale.

Let her have her independence, make a mess, and have fun.

try pureeing the food that you have in one of those "food mill" grinders-that way she will be eating what you are eating-- Start with bland veggies with low gas content-ONE AT A TIME- carrots, peas, squash etc. (avoid broccoli and green beans for now)-but are great in a few months when her digestive system has matured). THEN try the sweeter veggies like sweet potatoes. Mine had trouble digesting dairy until later too. Every child is different. i found that taking ONE veggie per week was best to rule out any allergic reaction or difficulty with digestion (poop check-does it burn her bottom?-or is she uncomfortably gassy?)-Also- be sure to feed her with or just before the family eats and sit her high chair at the table as an important family member and give her something to nibble and practice her pincer skills with those melt-away finger foods -unless she has teeth she is not ready for Cheerios) Good luck!

Hi V.,

My children are 11, 13, & 21. All began eating table food before they were one year old. My suggestion is to cook vegetables until soft, but with some firmness (not mushy) and cut them up into bite sized pieces. I am a vegetarian, so I didn't give them meat, but if you want to give her meat, cut it up and pull it apart so that it's easier to digest and gum chew(babies don't have many teeth, so they swallow everything). Place her in her highchair and put the food on the clean highchair tray and let her feed herself. The first couple of times watch her and make sure she doesn't stuff her mouth with food and or choke. Make adjustments as needed. I hope this helps.

As you probably already know this is the age where many infants start to crave autonomy,let her feed herself even if it makes a mess,,,soap & water is cheap

I bet if you're feeding her from your plate and either nursing or bottle feeding, that she's getting everything she needs.

My 3rd child is 10 months old & she loves anything she can mush between her thumb and fingers. I cut everything up quite small - banana's, tiny tiny pieces of apples, soft tofu, cooked green beans, cheerio's. She's also nursing, so the table food just rounds that out. We haven't tried yogurt yet, but you can get the Stonyfield full cream yogurt in the 32 oz. tubs (instead of yo baby) and save some $ if your baby likes it.

Hope that helps!

K. :)

I am just working on finishing my degree in dietetics (nutrition) and I am a mother of a 3 month old. Obviously, my daughter isn't eating solids yet, but I am already planning what we will feed her. My best advice for you is to allow your baby to eat what you're eating just as your are doing now. If your family menu is balanced then she will also be getting what she needs. Some good sites for reference when planning what to feed your family: www.mypyramid.gov (this site will do individualized food plans for adults and give a general one for children), for more specific feeding ideas for a baby try this pdf: http://www.cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_e/E-135.pdf. Page 2 has some serving suggestions split up by age. We plan to feed our little one the same thing we are having for dinner by using a food mill on items that she can't chew by herself (such as meats) or by overcooking certain things at first to make them easier to chew (such as noodles and veggies).

I purchased a series of recipe cards from a dietitian called "Baby Bistro" that I plan to use to provide some variety when I've run out of ideas. We hope to skip the majority of store bought baby foods by making our own veggie and fruit purees when she starts solids, but we'll see how that goes! :)

Best wishes to you and your family!

Didn't discover this 'til my third ... but they LOVE kidney beans!! They are easy to pick up, and are full of nutrients. Good luck!

Hi there, your child may want to feed herself. I'd still give her what you would eat for dinner(within reason.) As you probably know fruits, veggies, pasta are all good. Just cut them into tiny pieces. If your worried about a mess, I use large bibs that cover my childs entire chest, push up the sleeves and your good to go. She will also let you know if she doesn't like something.

My duaghter did the same thing. I did two things: I gave her a spoon to hold and I put some "table food" on her tray (well- cooked peas, carrots, soft pear cut up really small, etc.)while I spoon fed her her meal. Eventually, I would give her more and more table food and less baby food. She was mostly on table food by the time she was one. As far as what types of food- I gave her well cooked veggies, pasta, chicken, turkey, fruit, cheese, bread. She is now 15 months old and she eats pretty much everything.

My daughter will be 9 months old on the 19th and she is the same way. She will eat baby food as long as no one else is eating, but if we are she wants what we have. I give her whatever we have just like you said and I just make sure she has some veggies in there too. My son, who is now 7, was the exact same way except he didn't eat baby food at all. I talked to the doctor about my daughter and she told me that it's okay to give her whatever we eat as long as it's small enough. Hope that helps!

I had a very similar experience with my daughter last month. My daughter is 10 months old and last month she decided that she didn't want to eat baby food any longer. When I would try to feed it to her with a spoon she would cry and push the spoon away. She would also turn her head and close her mouth. She even threw up several times while feeding her-and she was perfectly healthy at the time. With my daughter only having two teeth I was in the same situation you are in. I bought a hand held mixer from target (it's usually used to make smoothies) and I grind up chicken and turkey breasts for my daughter to eat. I grind it up until it's finely shredded. I also steam different vegetables for her to eat such as carrots, peas and green beans. I just cut them up really fine or smush them a little bit with a fork. She also eats thinely sliced bannanas and pieces of whole wheat toast. Also Gerber has diced apples, peaches and pears which are very soft and easy for her to eat. I give her Cheerios as well and again Gerber makes some snacks that are easy for her to chew and disolve pretty quickly in her mouth. She likes the apple strawberry cereal puffs and the apple wagon wheels. She also likes the Gerber arrowroot cookies. My daughter also likes to eat well cooked pasta. I spoke to my pediatrician and she suggested also trying some small pieces of ground beef so we are going to try that today. My daughter still receives a bottle three times a day so I know that she is also receiving part of her nutrition that way as well. Anyway sorry the response was so lengthy but I hope this helps.

I had this same question! I fed my daughter cut up pasta, bananas, cut up pancakes (for breakfast - I buy the frozen ones and put them in the toaster), yo baby yogurt, bread, jello, plus the finger food jars for Toddlers. It's hard because you're not really sure if they'll be able to chew it up with their limited amount of teeth. I was so worried. Good luck!

Wow- i can't believe your daughter is trying to feed herself already! :) (Hi!)

My daughter was the same way. You could try letting her feed herself, give her extra spoons and forks so that she can practice. My daughter is now 16 months and still very independent so she makes an absolute mess, but she at least will eat. Yo Baby yogurt is a little thicker and she can get a little for herself on a spoon or fork that way. Good luck!

That was the age my son (now 18 mo) started refusing to be spoon fed by us. He would hit the spoon out of our hands and then grab it and launch it accross the room. I have given up on yogurt, soup and anything that isn't a finger food at this point. He enjoys pancakes, waffles and cheerios for breakfast (sometimes with syrup, and sometimes not), the lunchables juniors turkey and crackers, small sandwiches, chicken nuggets or chicken fingers, pasta, pizza in small pieces (his altime favorite). Even if they don't have teeth, it is amazing what they can do with their gums.

Hello!
The transition to table food can be a tough one, as I remember! First, I would reccommend a great book called First Meals by Annabelle Karmel. It features homemade, healthy recipes from making your own pureed babyfood through young childhood. My daughter (now 18 mos) at your daughter's age was very into YoBaby yogurt, dry Multi-Grain Cheerios, orzo pasta, etc. I hope you find some things that work well for you and your daughter! Best of luck! :)

V.,
Not a problem, praise the independence it will help them with more than just food down the road. My Son was 6 months old when he had the I'll do it my self and he is now a Police Officer and 23.
Put the foods that you were trying to feed her with a safe spoon and let her go, so what if she wears some of it :)
Check with her Dr. to see if she would need any supplements.
Deb

Maybe the food is too salty for a baby. Babies ususally don't like salt in their meals. You should also mix the vegetables together instead of separately. You baby is too young to share your meals because he/she needs joy while eating (singing, playing with her). Eating time should be a moment of joy and love for a 9 months baby.