Breast milk or formula continues to be a vital part of their diet even though they will eat much more solid food at this age than they did in the 6 to 9 month-old range. Try not to cut back on how much they are drinking or nursing without talking to your pediatrician first. Here’s everything you need to know about feeding your 9 to 12 month-old baby.
What Does Baby Need When They Are 9-12 Months Old
At this age, your baby is babbling, saying a few words, and likely moving around in some capacity. Some babies are beginning to crawl while others are still creeping along—they will even begin pulling themselves into a standing position. Also, most babies will take their first steps on or around their first birthday. All of this new movement can lead your baby to be a little more hungry at times. “Babies will typically nurse or drink breast milk or formula first thing in the morning, in between meals, and before bed,” says Danielle Roberts, MD, a pediatrician in Zanesville, Ohio. As for feeding, one of the biggest transitions to occur is that toward the end of this stage, you can begin offering solid foods first and then offering the breast or the bottle. Of course, be sure to follow your pediatrician’s advice, especially if your baby is not growing as well as they would like.
How Much Food Does a Baby at 9-12 Months Old Need
By now, your baby has probably gotten the hang of eating solid foods and is open to trying new and different things. They also may prefer to fingerpaint with their food, too. But just understand this all completely normal and can be really fun. Touching their food is an important part of their process of exploring food. Although your baby’s primary source of nutrition will still come from breastmilk or formula, you should be offering three meals of solid food spaced between 4 to 6 nursing or bottle-feeding sessions throughout the day. You also can offer breast milk or formula in a cup if you would like. Some parents choose to drop the first bottle or nursing session in the morning near their baby’s first birthday. But be sure to talk to your baby’s doctor before reducing the number of feedings or nursing sessions your baby has. You want to be sure your baby is meeting all of their nutritional requirements. Additionally, while it can be helpful to have an idea of what a baby might eat each day, remember that each baby is different. For instance, a 9-month-old will have fewer feeding skills than a 12-month-old and may eat less at first.
Baby Feeding Goals for 9-12 Month Olds
Now that your baby is eating solid foods on a consistent basis, planning their meals can get a little trickier. At this age, your baby still gets the majority of their calories from breast milk or formula, so ensuring that is still happening is a priority. In fact, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), your baby needs about 750 to 900 calories a day and about 400 to 500 of those calories should come from breast milk or formula. It is important for parents to make sure they continue to offer breast milk or formula as the milk source for their child, Dr. Roberts says. Now is not the time to consider whole milk or a dairy-free alternative like soy milk before the age of 12 months old. “Infants can develop iron deficiency anemia (low iron levels in their blood) if they are not given breast milk or formula [through their first birthday],” she says. If you started your baby with purees, starting at around 8 or 9 months old, you may want to introduce foods that are a little bit courser in consistency. If you started your baby on soft solids using the baby-led weaning technique, then they can continue exploring textures. You should still be mindful of choking hazards, though, and still offer soft foods like yogurt (or a dairy-free alternative), mashed tofu, mashed banana, mashed avocado, scrambled eggs, steamed vegetables, cooked whole grains, and soft beans. “It is important to note this is the very messy eater stage,” says Dr. Roberts. “Children love to learn by using all their senses to explore their environment. This means they will likely smear their food all over their tray and appear to play with it, but don’t worry—they will eventually lick their fingers and realize it tastes yummy too.” If you need feeding support to figure out a schedule that will work for your family, your pediatrician or a registered dietitian can help create a more personalized approach to feeding your baby. This can be especially helpful if your baby has some health issues that affect feeding or growth or is not growing as expected.
How to Know if Your Baby Is Getting Enough to Eat
At this age, your baby is probably getting good at letting you know when they are hungry or if they want more food. Continue to offer your baby breast milk or formula as well as solid foods throughout the day but allow them to decide how much they want to eat. Continue to stay on track with your well-visits and talk to your doctor about any concerns you have. Your doctor will continue to monitor your baby’s weight gain and growth and if there are problems, they can help you address your baby’s nutritional needs. “As long as your baby is gaining weight and having enough wet and dirty diapers, they are probably getting enough to eat,” says Dr. Roberts. “When they are full, they will unlatch from the breast or bottle, turn their head away, or push their food plate away.” Also remember that exploring food this first year is about more than just nutrients. It is about establishing a positive relationship with food, too. Whenever you can, include them at the table during mealtime. Establishing family mealtime as a fun, low stress, and social experience helps them connect eating with positive feelings that can last into childhood.
A Word From Verywell
It’s probably hard to believe that your baby is fast approaching their first birthday. But it will be here before you know it. As you anxiously await their first taste of birthday cake, be sure you are continuing to make breast milk or formula available to them on a consistent basis, as a large portion of their calories should come from one of these sources.
Offer your child small frequent meals Consider providing small, soft, finger foods to encourage self-feeding Offer purees pre-loaded in a spoon so baby feeds themself Provide utensils for practice Incorporate an open cup with a few ounces of water so baby can practice Introduce foods with different textures Keep an eye out for constipation
Likewise, now is the time to allow your baby to experiment with using a spoon and a cup. Make sure you allow your baby to sit at the table during family meals so they can observe you and the rest of the family eating and using utensils. Also, be sure to continue with your well-visits to ensure your baby is meeting all their developmental milestones and growing as they should be. There was an error. Please try again.
