It is possible to increase the amount your baby eats once he or she is accustomed to different tastes of foods. You can also introduce the solids earlier in the feed. Ensure that your baby has a drink whilst eating and after eating. Your baby can have milk (formula or breast), boiled and cooled water or diluted fruit juice. If your baby will take a baby cup which has a big spout and easy-to-hold handles, that would be the ideal container for the drink.
Over time, your baby’s demand for milk will probably reduce and you can breast or bottle-feed your baby less frequently.
At 6-9 months, your baby is likely to want to feed himself or herself. Your baby will need to eat more frequently than you. You will need to introduce various types and textures of foods. Ensure that your baby starts eating foods from the four main food groups:
- fruit and veg
- bread, potatoes and cereals
- if you are a non vegetarian, you could try meat or fish
- milk and other dairy foods
Baby meals you can make include: mashed potato, mashed vegetables, minced meat, pureed fish. Your baby can also eat pieces of fruit like apple and banana. It is also possible to give your baby “finger foods” like soft sandwiches, rice cakes as well as lightly toasted bread when you think baby is able to eat them.
By the time your baby is a year old, solid foods ought to comprise the main part of your baby’s diet, with formula milk or breast milk supplementing the solid intake. You can also add salt and sugar to foods when you are preparing them. However, babies do not need excess salt nor sugar.
It goes without say that it is advisable to store, handle as well as prepare food with hygiene in mind to prevent any infection of baby.
