When do you start feeding a baby solid food, not pureed food anymore?

Question

My baby is 8 months old and she eats the pureed baby food from the jars. My friend, whose husband is a pediatrician, mentioned yesterday that her husband told her that by 8 months babies should be able to eat whatever is on your plate (not peanut stuff though). I've never heard this before and my pediatrician has never told me that. I'm just curious what other mothers are doing with their babies. This is my first. I couldn't imagine giving her table food at this age. I know teeth aren't necessary to eat, but she doesn't have any teeth yet. Thanks in advance for your comments!!!

Answer 1

Each baby is different and is ready for table food at different ages. Around 9-12 months, many babies are happy to eat chunks of banana, Cheerios, cooked vegetables cut into small pieces, pasta, small pieces of meat, pieces of canned pears and peaches, etc. Some babies have issues with textures and prefer commercially prepared baby food until they are older. At 8 months, your daughter could be eating much of what you eat if it is able to be mashed enough. Don't give her things like steak, pork chops, salad, raw veggies, etc. She can also eat jarred baby food and be just fine. There is a lot of advice, guidelines, and suggestions out there when it comes to feeding your baby. You and your baby will find what is right for you. Try her with a little bit of what you are eating sometimes and see how she likes it.

Answer 2

Hi,

I think there might have been a slight misunderstanding. From my experience, at around 8 months babies should be at the lumpy food stage - but still mash/puree.

They should have been introduced to most foods you might eat at the dinner table now. Eg proteins, fats, veggies, fruits etc. But you should probably still be whizzing them up or mashing them pretty fine. So I used to cook, say, chicken, mash and carrots (without any salt), then whizz them up to a lumpy mixture. The lumps is just to start getting your baby ready for normal food.

Avoid stuff like peanut butter and probably eggs too and soft/blue cheeses (philadelphia is ok). There are plenty of sites on what you should and shouldn't feed them.

But in general I'd say you're right to be unsure - keep mushing that food up. If there's no teeth - the baby can crush soft lumps with their (surprisingly hard) gums, but they cant chew things.

Hope that helps.

Answer 3

Each child is unique and different first of all. Please don't feel as if your child has to do everything exactly on a time frame as your neighbors child or by what her husband says.

The biggest indicator that your child is ready to move onto more solid foods is that he/ she sits well on their own and has some teeth. You are not hurting your child by feeding them pureed foods. But you may want to try an easy to chew solid and see how your child does. Start with a food you know they already like and are not allergic to- a favorite softer fruit slice or cooked soft vegetable. You could also introduce something like Gerber Graduates fruit puffs - they actually are designed for beginning eaters and almost "melt" in the child's mouth- my 13 month old still loves to snack on them. Takes cues from your child and see how he/ she does...

Answer 4

Every baby is different. My daughter is six months old and I started pureed foods when she was 4 months. She has already developed the pincer grip (not perfectly), but now that she can pick up things like Cheerios and put them in her mouth, she will only eat foods she can pick up and feed herself. Sometimes I can spoon her a little food, or put food on a spoon for her to put in her mouth, but for the most part i cut up cooked fruits and veggies into little pieces and put them on her tray and let her go to down. She has no teeth yet and mashes everything with her gums. I suggest you start small. Cheerios and puffs dissolve easily in their mouths Rice is good too. Or try pureed foods with more texture. I made my own baby food so it naturally had more texture then store bought. Let your daughter go at her own pace. If she gags on what you try to feed her, then wait a little bit and try again. Good luck!

Answer 5

My son is 8 months old and has his two bottom teeth. He eats tablefoods but also eats Gerber Graduates. The only thing pureed that he is given is generally the fruits because some of the Graduate foods even though he is able to mash I think are to hard. My son's pediatrician recommened to me at his 2 month check up to start him on soilds {cereal}, at his 4 month he told me to start him on fruits and veggies, which we already had. And at his 6 month he said "he's ready for meats now", again we'd already been doing that. I have close friends who by the age of 8 months their children were totally off of baby food but all babies are different. I am grew up in a part of the country where things are spiced hot so there is ALOT I would not even give him even if he could eat it. It just depends on the baby. Have you tried the Gerber Graduate Fruit/Veggie Puffs? They help her practice chewing but melt in their mouths. Personally I wouldnt give my son a big ole piece of steak to fiberous for him to gnaw on if you know what I mean. But your baby should be able to have mashed potatos, tender veggies cut small enough, oatmeal, believe it or not EGGS wont kill your child. Mine has been eating them since grandpa gave them to him at 6 months which horrified me. He also eats slices of avocados, real banana, little pieces of apple and thanks to my husband he's had cake and icecream sandwichs {dont ask about THIS fight!} He is not fat by any means. He was a month premature is now 8 months and 20-21 pounds. He can also feed himself whole grain grahm crackers and goldfish crackers as snacks

Answer 6

I have 2 girls both ate solids by 8 months if the child has a couple teeth try some whole green beans,banana,chez puffs just not hotdogs or nuts or anything that sticks like peanut butter.Give baby a spoon 2 hold and enjoy the mess it's worth it spaghetti is the best..,.

Answer 7

I never fed my baby pureed food. It isn't necessary and truely it is safer not to.

Mother nature very carefully made sure than until a baby can not handle digesting food they can not place it in their mouth. And until a baby can swallow food they lack the tongue control to move food back far enough to swallow. When spoon feeding it is easy to place the food too far back forcing a baby to swallow when they aren't ready. Also when baby is given large pieces of food they control how much they eat.

My son has been eating everything off my plate since around 6 months(except grains, which I believe are better after 9 months, but I have no real evidence for this). Meat and meat substitutes are very important as breastmilk feedings decrease (*lol* if they ever do). My son was eating steak and whole apples long before he had teeth! (I mean he gets the whole apple, not that he eats the whole thing. He eats about 1/3)

Trust me it will be fine, just watch her while she eats and do what you think is best.

And read this:
http://www.borstvoeding.com/voedselintroductie/vast_voedsel/rapley_guidelines.html

Answer 8

i wouldn't be too concerned about the teeth factor. those gums are good at mashing food as long as it's soft enough and small enough.

it's not always by age, either. your baby might not be ready for solids until 9 months and her baby might have been ready at 7 months.

a good sign is does your baby have the pincher grasp?? can she pick things up with he thumb and pointer finger?? if so, then start out with some gerber veggie and fruit puffs. or cheerios. the puffs dissolve very well, though, so i would start with them. once she gets the hang of getting that bit of food into her mouth, then start with some gerber graduates. when i used to care for my neice i would peel the skin off the meat sticks and cut them into bite sized chunks. they are soft enough that a few good mashes with the gums can get it enough to swallow. also, frozen pancakes are nice for breakfast. just pop one in the microwave and voila! you can tear it into pieces and she can pop them into her mouth. also, microwave some green beans. buy the little cans and then put some foil over the can and it will keep in the fridge for a few days. also, my neices liked the pasta pick-ups cut in half.
you can get little fruit cups, too.

basically, if she seems interested in the foods and can pick them up, then she should be good to go. just review your baby first aid just in case there's a choking problem, but i doubt it.

also, discuss with your doctor, too! pediatricians can be helpful as long as we are communicating.

take care!

Answer 9

I started feeding my babies a little table food when they were at younger ages like 5 months and so on, but not a whole lot just a taste here and there. I really didn't make solid foods a part of their lives until they are a year old......hope this helps

Answer 10

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