Feeding Your Baby: 8–12 Months
Around eight months, most babies are pretty comfortable with breast milk or formula, iron-fortified baby cereal, and puréed foods. This is when things start to get fun—they’re ready to explore more textures, experiment with table food, and even try feeding themselves.
Changing Eating Habits
At this stage, variety is key. Offer different tastes and textures from all food groups so your baby gets used to them. When you introduce a new food, stick with it for a few days before moving on. That way, you can watch for allergies without overwhelming their little system.
A few foods to avoid until after their first birthday:
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Honey (it can cause infant botulism)
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Unpasteurized milk, juice, or cheese
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Cow’s milk or soy milk as a main drink (formula or breast milk should still be their base)
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Choking hazards like hot dogs, raw veggies, grapes, nuts, or big cheese cubes
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Foods with added sugar, sweeteners, or lots of salt
Instead, make family meals baby-friendly. Mash, shred, or chop food into small, soft bites. Overcook veggies until they’re extra tender. By nine months, many babies can pick things up between their thumb and finger—so don’t be surprised if they want to try feeding themselves. Mess is part of the job.
💡 Pro tip: Sit your baby at the table with the family. Half the fun for them is watching how everyone else eats.
Moving Toward Cow’s Milk
Once your baby turns one, you can start offering whole cow’s milk in a cup. If you’re still breastfeeding, keep going as long as it works for both of you. If you wean before 12 months, use iron-fortified formula until their first birthday.
Skip juice until after age one. When you do switch to milk, serve it in a cup rather than a bottle—it helps with the transition.
Feeding Safety
Always keep a close eye on your baby at mealtimes. They should be sitting upright in a high chair or safe seat. Never feed them while lying down.
To check if a finger food is safe, ask yourself:
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Does it melt easily? (like puffs or light crackers)
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Can it mash easily? (ripe fruit, cooked veggies, canned fruit without sugar or salt)
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Is it naturally soft? (cottage cheese, shredded cheese, tofu)
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Can it be gummed? (ripe banana, well-cooked pasta)
If the answer is yes, it’s usually safe to try.
Making Meals Work
Babies have personalities at the table too. Some love when you make silly airplane noises with the spoon, while others do better with a calm, no-nonsense approach.
Don’t worry if your baby rejects a new food at first. Keep offering it in small amounts. Sometimes it takes 8–10 tries before they actually accept a flavor. Patience pays off.
How Much Should My Baby Eat?
Breast milk or formula is still their main source of nutrition, but they’ll start drinking less as solids take up more space. The key is to follow their cues.
Signs they’re full: slowing down, turning away, spitting food out, clamping their mouth shut.
Encourage independence. Hand them a spoon, or let them grab food with their fingers—even if half of it ends up on the floor. This is how they practice for toddlerhood, when eating becomes their job, not yours.
If you haven’t already, set up regular mealtimes. Babies love routine, and sitting down together makes them feel part of the family.
👉 This is softer, more human, and parent-like. It keeps the guidance but ditches the textbook tone.