Advice for your Baby - 8 to 12 Months

Focus on your baby’s nutrition by offering smart eating choices in between mealtimes.

The food that you offer your baby, and the ways you offer it, introduces eating patterns that can continue into later life. This can affect both their nutritional intake and weight as your child grows older. For this reason, it’s important not to think of the foods you offer your baby outside of traditional mealtimes as snacks or treats, but as essential mini meals or ‘in-betweeners’. Every bite counts toward good nutrition for your baby so always try to provide nutrient-rich food and avoid high-sugar or high-salt ‘snack’ foods. 
 

Mix up the menu! 

It’s easy to fall into the habit of offering your baby the same foods every day, especially if you know they’ll happily eat them. Here are some simple ideas for expanding your little one’s diet without compromising on those all-important nutrients.

It’s easy to fall into the habit of offering your baby the same foods every day, especially if you know they’ll happily eat them. Here are some simple ideas for expanding your little one’s diet without compromising on those all-important nutrients.

The time you spend playing with your baby is precious, and enjoying games together is fun for both of you. But playtime is much more than just special moments spent together. It also gives you an opportunity to help your baby develop their motor, creative, and problem-solving skills. If your baby hasn't started crawling yet, it won't be long before they do. Typically crawling occurs between seven and 10 months. Your little one’s ability to grasp is becoming more developed and they are now likely moving things from one hand to the other. Soon they will be able to catch themselves with their arms and legs if they start to topple over while sitting on the floor. Making creative and imaginary play part of your day together helps improve your baby’s physical abilities and brain development. 

Now that your baby is 8 to 10 months old, has enjoyed first tastes, and is becoming more experienced at eating, it’s time to move on to lumpy foods and helping them learn to feed themselves.

This age is an exciting time of development for your baby. They are learning lots of new feeding skills and becoming more independent by the day. Here’s how you can help them learn to eat and drink, and to grow in confidence, as they embark on a new chapter in feeding adventures.

You may have noticed your baby is moving more and more every day—it may sometimes feel like they’re in constant motion! That’s great, as all this activity is helping to make their muscles strong for crawling and learning to walk.

It may seem like a whole new world now that your little one is starting to eat solid foods. While the principles of feeding you’ve been following since birth remain the same, there are some new feeding cues to learn now that you are offering your baby solid foods. Look out for signs your baby is hungry or full, and let them lead the way with how much they want to eat. 

Sleep helps your baby recharge their batteries for tomorrow’s playtime.

Perhaps one of your most important jobs as a parent is to be a good role model for your baby, particularly when it comes to healthy eating. But just how much of an impact does what you eat and drink now have on your little one’s future? 

Follow these stay-safe principles when you’re shopping or preparing food for your baby.