Parenting Tips for Your 8 Month Old Baby
Your baby will probably be eating:
- Breast milk and/or formula when hungry, about 30 ounces a day
- Infant cereal mixed with liquid, 2 to 3 tablespoons twice a day
- Vegetables, pureed, 6 to 8 tablespoons daily, including green and yellow veggies
- Fruits, pureed, 2 to 4 tablespoons daily
With patience, you can help your baby learn to like a wide variety of tastes and textures.
Your baby may have some teeth and may be ready to try fork-mashed vegetables and fruits. Mash a favorite vegetable thoroughly with a fork. You could also use a potato masher, blender, or food processor to mash ripe bananas, cooked apples, winter squash, sweet potatoes, and carrots.
Make sure your baby’s food contains no lumps, pieces of skin, strings, or seeds. The mashed food can be a little thicker than pureed food.
Cooked foods may be strained through a fine mesh sieve or strainer. A sieve can also be used to steam-cook small amounts of food for your baby. Press the food through the sieve or strainer. This gives the food a very soft consistency. Be sure that all food particles are removed when you wash the strainer.
