Step by Step Spoon-Feeding

When spoon-feeding for the first time, the aim is to introduce small amounts of new foods slowly. Once you know a food agrees with your baby you can increase the number of spoonfuls over time. Only introduce one new food at a time. Below is a sample guide.  Introduce the first solid food when you and your baby are relaxed and when your baby is not over hungry, tired or upset. You can add a little breast or formula milk to the food to make it very runny in the first week or two.

Stage 1    (Age 6 months for breastfed babies, 4 months  for bottle-fed babies)

Week One

 Source:  Feed your Child Well, A Handbook for Parents in Ireland. Dunne, Farrell & Kelly (2008) Dublin: A & A Farmer Ltd.

You can continue adding one or two new foods a week such as pureed banana, pear or carrot, mixing with the baby rice if your baby appears hungry. Introduce some solid food at breakfast time as well over the next week or two. At this stage your baby is still getting most of his/her nutrition from breast or formula milk,

Week Two/Three

You can later introduce a little solid food in the evenings at dinner time, gradually making the puree a little thicker

Note- You do not need to make up a fresh batch of baby food every day. Put the pureed baby food into ice cube trays and freeze them. Keep each type of food separate and label the trays well, so you have an idea of what it is and the date you made it up. Defrost the individual cubes of food overnight in the fridge for the next day. Once your baby has got used to the taste of one type of food you can combine different cubes to add variety (see chart above for an example of how you can do this).

Stage 2           6-8 months

The main aim at this stage is to increase the variety of foods for your baby. It is also important to try to get your baby used to some sort of a regular eating pattern.

Sample menu

Once your baby is eating 3 meals a day for a week you can try them with a savoury food followed by a dessert for example stewed fruit, custard or baby rice.

If you are a vegetarian you can give your baby pureed pulses for example, peas beans and lentils as they are a good source of protein. It would be wise to check with your GP if you are thinking of feeding your baby vegetarian food only.

Stage 3   (at aged 7-9 months) 

At this stage your baby will be getting more adventurous with food and will try to feed him/herself. Foods no longer need to be pureed but can be minced or mashed. You can start to make this change slowly by pureeing half the baby meal and mashing half of it with a fork and mixing together. This allows your baby to gradually get used to the new mashed texture. You can gradually begin to give baby finger foods e.g. little pieces of toast or banana that they can manage themselves. They might also be able for a cup or a beaker of water or juice at mealtimes, but continue to breastfeed on demand or give infant milk 500- 600 mls (17-20 oz) or 2/3bottles daily.

Sample menu Stage 3 (6-9 months).

What drinks can I give my baby?

• Breast milk/infant formula or cooled boiled water are the only drinks suitable for your babies under 6 months. They should continue to be the main drinks for your baby during the whole of the first year.
• After six months fresh water from the tap can be given to your baby.
• Cow’s milk should not be given as a drink before the age of 12 months. However, full fat cow’s milk can be mixed into baby’s food after the age of 6 months.
• Tea and coffee are unsuitable drinks for babies as they interfere with your baby’s ability to absorb iron.
• Avoid soft drinks especially fizzy drinks as they have a high sugar content which will damage and erode your baby’s teeth. Many cola’a and other soft drinks contain caffeine which is unsuitable for your baby.
• Natural mineral waters and spring waters are not suitable for making up baby’s bottles as they contain high levels of sodium (salt) and other minerals.

Note: It is important to remember not to add rusks, bread, honey or cereals or medicines to baby’s bottles. These need to be given separately and from a spoon.

Can I give my baby fruit juice?

Fruit juices are unsuitable for babies under 6 months. Fruit juices are not necessary for babies but if you choose to give them:

• Give unsweetened juice from a cup and never from a bottle.
• Dilute fresh juice well with tap water, as it can be very acidic for babies.
• Don’t replace infant formula with juice.
• Give small amounts and only at mealtimes.
• Avoid fruit squashes as they often contain artificial sweeteners and colourings.

Stage  4            9-12 months

At the 9-12 months your baby is moving to the stage where the food he/she eats has more of what you might eat yourself. This is a gradual transition and all babies are different. Encourage your baby by offering him/her a variety of food according to his ability to what he is able for.

Continue with 3 meals a day and include a healthy snack mid-morning and mid afternoon. Building in a good routine is important. It may need a bit of organisation and planning but it is worth it as your baby will be more settled and secure.

Babies should be on a mixed diet by one year. Offer them foods from the four main food groups every day 

• Meat and/or vegetarian alternatives
• Fruit and vegetables 
• Cereals, breads and potatoes
• Dairy foods. 

You may notice that your baby at the one year stage, may be able for chopped instead of mashed food as he/she manages to chew more effectively. They may even be able to manage some finger foods which are chopped up into bite sized pieces on their own plates. This encourages them to be independent and builds on their motor skills.

Mealtimes should be a happy time for you and your baby. Try to avoid forcing your baby to eat as he/she will associate mealtimes as a stressful time. If your baby refuses food, take it away and offer that type of food another day when he/she might be more adventurous. Cover the floor underneath the high chair with newspapers for this messy eating stage. Baby’s appetites vary according to their stage of growth, how distracted they are or even if they are tired. Your food choices will influence how your baby will eat -if you do eat vegetables, there is a good chance your baby will copy you!

• It is important to remember to continue giving your one year old their breast feed or formula/cows milk 600mls (1 pint approximately) preferably given in a cup.
• Do not be tempted to offer fatty, sugary or salty snacks in order to get her to eat something as your baby quickly realise that there is always the possibility of a tastier alternative!
• If you are really worried about your baby’s eating habits contact your public health nurse or your GP.

Sample menu for a baby at 12 month stage (End of Stage 4)

Sources of Information

Caring for your Baby, Six Months to Two Years Old HSE (2005). HSE Publications. Available from your public health nurse).

Starting to Spoon Feed your Baby,  HSE (2006) Health Promotion Unit Publications. (From your local Health Promotion Office)

Feed Your Child Well, A Handbook for Parents in Ireland. Dunne, Farrell & Kelly (2008) Dublin: A & A Farmer Ltd.   (Available from bookstores)