Feeding Your Baby - Independent Sitter

These instructions are for caregivers of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) infant patients that can sit without help to learn about feeding and nutrition.

Important information feeding independent sitters:

• Independent sitters can sit without help and reach for small objects like toys or food. For most babies, this happens between 6-9 months old. If your baby eats Stage 1 foods, they may be ready to advance from pureed Stage 1 baby foods to Stage 2 baby foods, which have larger pieces of food in them. They may also be ready to eat some of the same foods as adults, if those foods are mashed or chopped into very small pieces. If you are not sure if your baby is ready for new foods, ask your healthcare provider.

• Breast milk or formula will still be a large source of your baby's nutrition. Independent sitters may take 6 to 8 ounces at a time and 24 to 32 ounces each day.

Instructions for feeding your independent sitter:

• Your baby should eat sitting down to prevent choking.

• Mash or chop table food into small pieces.

• Do not give the following foods to babies or small children:

  • Gum

  • Hard candies

  • Popcorn

  • Whole grapes

  • Chewy candies

  • Raisins

  • Hot dogs

  • Nuts or seeds

  • Raw carrots

  • Chips

  • Chunky peanut butter

  • Cherries with pits

  • Marshmallows

  • Large chunks of meat

  • Whole cherry tomatoes

• Use cereals that are fortified with iron unless your healthcare provider tells you not to.

• Feed your baby meats. Baby food meats or homemade pureed meats are better choices than baby food "dinners." If you puree meat at home, cook the meat until it is done then add gravy, breast milk or formula to make it less thick and smoother. The meat should not have chunks in it. Meats are good sources of iron and zinc, which are important for your baby.

• Begin to offer a closed (sippy) cup. Your baby will usually need help to hold it.

• Independent sitters are ready to start drinking some water. Water is better than juice. If you choose to give your child juice:

  • Choose 100% fruit juice.

  • Limit juice to no more than 4 ounces per day. You may mix the juice with water.

• The amount of food your baby eats will be different at every meal and every day. This is OK. Serving sizes for babies are estimates. Do not force your baby to eat

• Watch for signs from your baby that will tell you if they are hungry or full:

  • If your baby is drinking from a bottle:

    • Signs of being hungry

      • Crying

      • Flailing arms and legs

    • Signs of being full

      • Stops sucking

      • Slows down on sucking

      • Moves head away

      • Falls asleep

  • If your baby is eating food:

    • Signs of being hungry

      • Opens mouth and moves towards spoon

      • Tries to grab at food or spoon

      • Points or nods to food

    • Signs of being full

      • Turns away from spoon

      • Spits out food

      • Pushes food away

      • Ignores food

      • Holds mouth shut

Instructions for introducing new foods:

• If you have a family history of food allergies or think that your baby is likely to have food allergies, speak with your healthcare provider about how to introduce foods.

• When you give a food for the first time, do not give any other new foods for 3-5 days.

• Watch for signs that your baby is having a reaction to the food. Signs are rashes, vomiting, and diarrhea. If these things happen, call your healthcare provider. It may mean your child has a food allergy. If there are no signs of a reaction for about 3 days, you may try another new food.

• At 6 months or older you may carefully give your baby foods with peanut butter if your baby does not have any food allergies and no one in your family has any food allergies. If your baby or anyone in your family has a food allergy, you should talk to your healthcare provider before you give your baby anything with peanut butter.

• If you choose to give your child peanut butter or other nut butter, use just a thin layer because it is a choking hazard.

• The first cereals you give your baby should be the single grain cereals like rice cereal, oatmeal, and barley. If your baby has no signs of a reaction with single grain cereals, it is OK to try mixed grain cereals.

Sample meal pattern for independent sitters:

Morning

• Breast milk or formula

• About 6 to 8 ounces of formula

Breakfast

• Option 1:

  • About 2 to 4 tablespoons of baby food cereal made with breast milk or formula

  • AND

  • About 2 to 3 tablespoons of Stage 1 or Stage 2 baby food fruit or homemade fruit puree

• Option 2:

  • About 4 tablespoons of Stage 1 or Stage 2 baby food meal of fruit and cereal together

Mid-morning snack

• Breast milk or formula

• About 6 to 8 ounces of formula

Lunch

• Option 1:

  • About 1 to 2 tablespoons of Stage 1 or Stage 2 baby food meat or homemade pureed meat or meat substitute such as mashed hardboiled egg, tofu, refried beans

  • AND

  • About 2 to 3 tablespoons of Stage 1 or Stage 2 baby food vegetables or homemade pureed vegetables

• Option 2:

  • About 3 to 4 tablespoons of Stage 1 or Stage 2 baby food meal of meat and vegetables together or meat and fruit together

Afternoon snack

• About 2 to 3 tablespoons of Stage 1 or Stage 2 baby food fruit or homemade pureed fruit

Dinner

• About 2 to 4 tablespoons of baby food cereal made with breast milk or formula

• AND

• About 2 to 3 tablespoons of Stage 1 or Stage 2 baby food vegetables or homemade pureed vegetables

• AND

• Breast milk or formula

Evening

• Breast milk or formula

• About 6 to 8 ounces of formula

Reviewed on November 1, 2021, by Andrea Nepa, RD