Feeding Your Baby

Helpful Information

1. Be patient when feeding your baby. Babies need time and practice to learn to eat. They are messy eaters. Always sit with your baby while he/she eats.

2. Bottles are for plain water, breastmilk or formula. Give juice in a cup only. Never give sweetened drinks like Kool-Aid, sodas (pop), punch, gelatin water, or sugar water.

3. Never force baby to finish a bottle or food. Your baby is the best judge of how much to eat. Babies will tell you when they have had enough by turning their heads away, closing their lips, pushing food out of their mouths, or throwing food on the floor.

4. Feed your baby from a small dish, not from the jar. Feed with a small spoon. Use a clean spoon to take more food out of the jar. Your baby's saliva (spit) can spoil the food, which may cause diarrhea. Throw away any left-over food or liquids in your baby's bottle or dish. Store left-over jar food in the refrigerator. Use within two days.

5. Add one new food at a time. Wait five days before giving your baby another new food. Watch for allergic reactions.

6. Foods that may cause allergic reactions are:

• Cow's Milk
• Orange juice
• Egg whites
• Wheat products
• Corn products
• Fish or other seafood
• Soy products like soy milk and tofu
• Peanuts and other nuts
• Peanut butter
• Chocolate
• Strawberries
• Raw Tomatoes

Most babies outgrow these allergies.

7. Some allergic reactions are:

• Skin rash
• Gas
• Breathing problems
• Diarrhea

8. Buy plain foods. Avoid buying combination dinners. You can make your own combinations with meats, vegetables, and rice or noodles. These are healthier and less expensive.

9. Offer fruit for dessert. Babies do not need baby desserts like pudding, custards, and cobblers.

WARNING: Babies can easily choke on hot dogs, nuts, seeds, popcorn, chips,grapes, raisins, raw vegetables, and peanut butter. Do not serve these foods. Never give your baby honey or food made with honey. Your baby could get very sick or even die.