Feeding a 10 month old
My daughter is 10 months old and on Stage 3 foods. How many times a day should I be feeding her? At the present, the feedings are as follows:
12:30 pm -- Stage 3 fruit or veg. (6 oz jar)
5:30 pm -- Stage 3 fruit or veg (6 oz jar)
She has about 4-5 bottles a day. Am I feeding her enough solid food?
Sometimes she has little treats in between such as angel food cake, frozen yogurt, etc. Please advise.
Thank you! Darcel.
Question:Sue Gilbert
Sue Gilbert works as a consulting nutritionist. For many years she worked with Earth's Best Organic Baby Food, integrating nutrition and... Read more
Hello Darcel,
Your concern about whether you are feeding your daughter enough solid food, and the right kind, is common amongt parents. After all, babies can't actually tell us in words! But there are other signs that let you know she'd rather be moving on to solids.
If she isn't already, have her join your family meals and then notice how interested she is in the food you are eating. Is she reaching for it? Does she try to go for the solids why you try to feed her the bottle? By the time a child is 10 months old they are quite ready to begin some serious transition to chunkier, more textured food. Although formula or mother's milk still makes an important contribution to their nutritional intake, weaning should be under way.
Gradually more and more of their nutrition should be coming from solids and table foods. The fat and protein from formula can begin to be replaced by the use of finely ground meats and junior dinners, or chopped up pieces of cooked egg yolk and small pieces of soft cheese.
At 10 months, chewing and swallowing reflexes are developed to a point where baby is ready to use them, and eating solids (both pureed and chunkier and small soft bits of easily gummed table foods) is not only possible but satisfying to them.
A ten month old is probably ready to be on a "schedule"of 5 or 6 feedings a day, where three of those are meals, (i.e. breakfast, lunch, and dinner), with two or three snacks in between. To help her transition to solids, at the meal times, feed her the solids first, when she is most hungry, and save the bottle for last. When she first wakes up and before she goes to bed is a good time to feed formula alone. After the first morning bottle, wait awhile for breakfast, so she has time to work up an appetite, then try some thicker baby cereal and offer some small chunks of ripe banana that she can feed herself. At her age her pincer grasp is ready for some heavy duty use....and finger foods are such a great way for her to do it, plus she gets that great feeling of success and independence when she can feed herself.
You just need to overlook how messy that can get!!
She is also ready to be learning to drink from a cup. Small amounts of juice are a good way to start.
In summary, I suggest you begin feeding more solid protein foods, as you continue on with the fruits and vegetables. Add more finger type foods. Let her have a baby spoon to practice feeding herself. To begin weaning away from the bottle, offer it last at meals. It will still be a warm, fuzzy in the early morning and before bed. Begin using a baby cup. Good luck and enjoy watching her grow up!
Answer:
