Are you wondering about some self-feeding ideas for your baby? It can seem so overwhelming and scary and so much to think about. As you transition to solids, your baby will learn on his or her own how to self-feed, and as they get older and it gets easier.
Introducing Self-Feeding
When introducing self-feeding, you will recognize signs from your baby. Signs like chewing, grabbing, and putting food into their mouths are just a couple. As a parent, you will know when it’s time for your baby to learn to self-feed since every baby is different.
Related Post: Why You Need to Let Your Baby Feed Themselves
The Stages of Self-Feeding
There are a few stages of self-feeding that you will notice in your baby. The stage where they want to help feed themselves. Another stage is where your baby will like to play with their spoon and play with their food. When self-feeding know they will get messy and it’s all part of the process of learning.
Encouraging Your 9 Month Old To Self-Feed
Some ways of encouraging your 9-month-old baby to self-feed will be showing them how to put the food in their mouth as you do it first as they watch you. Another way to encourage self-feeding is by introducing a spoon and showing how a spoon is used.
They will eventually get the hang of it. Also, a big encouragement is having meal time together as a family where the baby is engaged in watching everyone eat together.
Related Post: Baby Led Weaning Terrified Me. Here are the Tips That Helped
Self-Feeding Tool Ideas
There are so many great self-feeding tools out there on the market in today’s day in age. I have listed a few that are great and trusted by most moms.
Baby Suction Plates
Baby suction plates are great for 9-month-old babies as they start out self-feeding. The suction gives it a grip to stay on the tray or tabletop. These are also divided for multiple food options for your baby to enjoy. The suction plates are also silicone for easier clean up.
Silicone Bibs
Silicone bibs are also a great essential for your 9-month-old baby that is learning to self-feed. These have an open pouch to catch most of the food mess and they are easy to clean.
Baby Silicone Spoons
These baby silicone spoons are great for your 9-month-old baby’s little hands to pick up and hold. They are great for beginning to self-feed and being made from silicone they are soft and not hard plastic making them easy on baby’s mouth.
9 Month Old Self-Feeding Food Item Ideas
When thinking about what foods to feed your baby can it can be easy to get overwhelmed.
As a parent, it is natural to want to be sure they get healthy foods. However, don’t stress too much. At 9 months old, your baby’s main form of nutrition will still be formula or breast milk.
I have some great food ideas listed below that you can introduce to your 9-month-old baby.
Lean Meats
Lean meats are essential for your growing baby. They add so many great vitamins needed for healthy growth. Just be sure to cook meat all the way through and it’s cut up in appropriate portions.
- Lean red meat
- Chicken
- Fish
- Ground beef
- Ground turkey
- Ground pork
Fresh Veggies
We all know that vegetables are packed with nutritious vitamins that we need. So it’s important to add veggies daily to your 9-month-old baby’s meals.
- Soft cooked broccoli
- Soft cooked carrots
- Steamed green beans
- Soft-cooked sweet potatoes
- Avocados
- Peas
Fresh Fruit
Fruit is good to add to your 9-month-old baby’s diet. Fruit is an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals.
- Sliced bananas
- Soft sliced pears
- Watermelon (no seeds)
- Strawberries
- Cantaloupe
Related Post: Quick & Simple First Foods For Your Baby
9 Month Old Self-Feeding Meal Ideas
Meal time is an important time for families as they gather together to eat. It is very important for your 9-month-old to be a part of the dining table to learn to self-fed.
Breakfast Ideas
Meal Idea – Scrambled eggs with avocado and toast slices
Meal Idea – Sliced banana bread with applesauce and bite-sized pieces of sausage links
Meal Idea – Pancakes with blueberries and strawberries (be sure to smash the blueberries with your finger or spoon first!)
Lunch Ideas
Meal Idea – 100% Chicken nuggets in bite-sized pieces with soft cooked broccoli and sliced pears
Meal Idea – Toast with avocado chunks and pieces of diced ham and strawberries
Meal Idea – Sliced boiled eggs with sliced bananas and green beans
Dinner Ideas
Meal Idea – Chicken in bite-sized pieces with steamed sweet potatoes with soft cooked broccoli
Meal Idea – Ground turkey with peas and soft steamed carrots
Meal Idea – Roast with mashed potatoes and soft steamed carrots and gravy
Snack Ideas
Whole grain crackers
Teething Wafers
A mix of sliced fruit (blueberries, strawberries, bananas etc)
Frequently Asked Questions About 9 Month Old Self-Feeding Ideas
There are so many questions we ask as mothers when it comes to self-feeding our babies
How do I know my baby is ready for self-feeding?
As a mother, you will know when your baby is ready when you notice signs of them mimicking you as you eat, and they will also grab and put food in their mouth.
Your baby should also be able to sit unassisted before allowing them to self-feed.
Trust your mommy instinct, every baby is different and you will know.
How do I implement self-feeding and still continue breastfeeding?
9-month-old babies still need milk as their main form of nutrition. Be sure to offer meals and snacks in between breastfeeding. Offer milk first and add meals along the way.
How can I prevent choking when introducing self-feeding?
Choking is no doubt the scariest as you introduce self-feeding to your 9-month-old baby. Gagging is normal since it’s their natural reflex to get food out. To prevent choking, be sure to cut bite-sized pieces and always be present near baby when they are eating.
I hope this all helps you and your baby on the journey of self-feeding. It’s definitely a great milestone and can be overwhelming but it is so rewarding watching them learn new things.
Do you have any fun meal ideas for 9-month-olds learning to self-feed? Let me know in the comments below!
