Feeding Baby: The First Year
Feeding your baby can be everything from simple (nursing) to complex (baby-led weaning). And once you have a process nailed down, the baby goes and grows up and you have to change it all again! I had a ton of questions throughout the process so far - baby Remy is now 11 months old. I figured I’d share what we’ve done. What works for our family might be different than others, but for anyone going down the baby feeding path, hopefully this is helpful to see how another mom does it.
NURSING
A quick recap of what we did for nursing. I was lucky because he latched right away and we never had any issues. Some moms have to strictly pump or formula feed from day one, and that’s what works for them! Everyone’s journey is different. When I was nursing, I used the Medela pump once a day and then fed him directly for the other feeds. I stored the milk in the freezer using the Kiinde storage bags, which was mostly used for convenience. If we got a sitter for a few hours, she could feed him using that supply. After the first few weeks, he would pretty much eat every 2 hours on the dot. We didn’t bottle feed very often, since I was at home. But if we went to a restaurant, I’d use my supply and bottle feed or just nurse if I felt like it!
I nursed Remy up until I went back to work at around 4 months. For me, I felt more stressed thinking about pumping at the office and transporting all of the milk back and forth to daycare. We weaned off the week before daycare started. Here are the things I used the most when I was breastfeeding.
FORMULA FEEDING
Once I went back to work, at the 4 month mark, we switched to formula. Remy had a slightly sensitive stomach. We tried a few different brands, but ended up liking the HappyBaby Organic formula the best. Remy would drink 4-6 oz then for each feeding. He was probably eating 6 - 7 bottles each day. Usually the bedtime bottle would be a bit more (maybe 7-8 oz). He’s always been a good eater and we eventually upped his formula to 8 oz almost every bottle. That’s when we knew it was time to start introducing foods, since the kid was starving! :) This is what I used / still use for formula feeding.
INTRODUCING FOODS
We started introducing foods around the 6 month mark, but Remy was uninterested for a while. We would sit him down at dinner and try some purees or easy vegetables and fruits like avocado or banana. He didn’t seem to like anything yet. We kept trying most nights, but it took a while for him to catch on and that’s ok! Also important to note, the doc says “before one, food is just fun”. Meaning, as much as he is trying things, he still needs the bottle right after. Not a lot of food actually makes it into his mouth at this stage, it’s just practice. When we were first introducing foods, our go-to’s were:
Apple sauce
Bananas
Yogurt melts
Avocados
Teething wafers
Purees
Blueberries (cut / smashed)
EATING EVERY MEAL
At the 9 month mark (almost exactly) he just decided he liked food. He WANTED food. He would stare us down if we had a snack or were eating. He eats with us at every meal (or at daycare). He wants to try everything and he is not picky. We don’t shy away from spicy foods or seasonings because we want him to develop the same tastes that we have and hopefully like a wide variety of foods! I do try to steer clear of things that have a lot of salt or sugar (he hasn’t tried candy or treats yet, really). We don’t really do fast food but we do eat at restaurants a lot in the city. If we are at a restaurant, he just eats what I am having. It’s really convenient and inexpensive right now! I just break off little pieces for him or feed him using my fork. It’s fun for him to try new foods and he hasn’t tried anything yet that he doesn’t like! I listed below a few items we use for eating.
For plates and utensils, anything silicone and suctioned works great! For water, he uses the 360 infinity cups. It took him a minute to figure it out, but now he loves using it. I think it’s natural to get thirsty for water while eating, so I always offer it.
The biggest thing at his age is to break things into small pieces so he can manage. I don’t do a lot of spoon feeding, I think it’s important for him to feed himself. Plus, it’s a lot of work for me and sometimes I want to eat, too! But if there is something messy, I’ll feed him (like chili, for example). The other thing is: EATING IS MESSY! It’s so messy. I try to contain with bibs and wipes and trays and plates. But in reality, I wipe him down constantly and I vacuum almost every evening. I find it very helpful that bath time is directly after dinner!
Also important to note, although Remy is eating a lot more food now, he still takes bottles. One in the morning when he wakes up and one at night before bed. They supplement a bottle at snack time at daycare if he wants. He also sometimes needs a bottle after eating a meal, depending how much he actually ate. It’s all a gauge at this point, but the kid lets us know if he’s still hungry :)
RESTAURANTS & ETIQUETTE
As for etiquette, I recognize that he is a baby and he doesn’t know yet how to use a fork or spoon. He doesn’t know it’s rude to throw food on the ground. He doesn’t know not to cry if he wants more. But we are working on all of that and enforcing what we can at his age. At a restaurant, I am more conscious and try to catch any food he might drop. I try to only give him a few pieces at a time so there is less to throw. I don’t let him slop everything around or spill water. I keep the mess contained (or I try!). I also utilize convenience things like pouches and puffs when we are out in public. It keeps the mess to a minimum. That said, don’t be embarrassed to go out to eat with your baby. It’s an experience and it’s good to do! We go all the time. Literally, Remy is more comfortable in a restaurant than at home I think haha! There are times he is perfectly behaved and times he throws food on the ground. It’s a work in progress!
Last piece of advice on feeding: don’t stress too much if they aren’t ready when you’re ready. I think it happens at a different time for every baby. Plus, once they start eating, they never go back!
