Feeding Your Child By: Christin Dowd Speech-Language Pathologist LISD

Bottles Sterilize before first use; put them in boiling water for 5 minutes and let them air dry Use hot soapy water or dishwasher after that Warming is not necessary, but best practice is to run under warm tap water. NEVER WARM BOTTLES IN MICROWAVE!!!! Replace any cracked or broken bottles.

Nipple Selection There are different nipples for different ages; make sure you are using the correct size. There are different shapes and flow speeds. Throw them away if they are cracked, formula pours out in a stream, thinning, stickiness, swelling, or discoloration. Buy all new nipples after first treatment for thrush. You will need to boil nipples daily until this infection is cleared.

Breast Milk Storage Freshly expressed: lasts room temp 6 hours In the refrigerator for 72 hours In home freezer for 6 months Thawed milk: Do not store at room temp 24 hours in refrigerator Never refreeze

0-4 months Breast Milk or Formula Only – Solid food, juices or cow milk too early can lead to allergies and children being overweight. Solid foods do not help babies sleep through the night. Feed by demand.

4-6 Months Babies usually begin solids with semi- liquid rice cereal.(1 teaspoon of dry rice cereal mixed with 4 teaspoons of formula) Other cereals may be added at one per week of introduction Gradually thicken consistency and increase to 1 tablespoon of dried cereal mixed with formula or breast milk twice a day

Signs of Being Ready for Solid Foods Can hold head up Sits well in highchair Makes chewing motions Shows significant weight gain since birth Shows interest in food Can close mouth around a spoon Can move food from the front to back of mouth Doesn’t push food out the front of mouth Seems hungry after 8-10 feedings of breast milk or formula a day Is teething

6-8 Months Continue Breast Milk or Formula Cereals (3-9 tablespoons per day) Pureed fruits and vegetables (1 teaspoon to ½ cup) 2-3 feedings a day Do not introduce more than one new item every 3 days. This will help you identify any food allergies you child may have

8-10 months Same as 6-10 months PLUS: Small amounts of soft cheese, yogurt, or cottage cheese (no milk until 1 year) Mashed fruits and vegetables Finger Foods (small meltable crackers, cooked pasta, ripe banana, O shaped cereals that are low sugar Small amounts of protein (egg yolk, pureed meats, tofu, mashed beans) Non citrus juices (apple or pear)

Signs of Being Ready for Finger Foods Picks up objects with thumb and forefinger Can transfer items from one hand to the other Puts everything in mouth Moves jaw in a chewing motion

10-12 months Introduce spoons/forks Continue formula or breast milk Soft cheeses, yogurt, cottage cheese (no milk until age 1) Cut up fruit and vegetables (soft) Finger foods Pureed or finely ground meat

Toddlers Begin whole milk at 12 months or later (children need the fat for myelination) May spit up more when changing over to whole milk Citrus and non citrus juices Same as months just more variety Make sure they get their fruits and vegetables. Serving size is 1 tablespoon per year of age. (1 tablespoon meat, 1 tablespoon fruit, 1table spoon vegetable, and 1tablespoon grain for a 1 year old child) Remember, the healthier they eat now, the more likely they will continue those habits into adulthood. There is no nutritional value in candy

For Safety Sake Children should always be fed in a highchair or the lap of their parent Children under the age of 3 should not be given hard candy No chocolate of any kind before 1 year No honey before age 1 Hot dogs, peanuts, peanut butter, whole grapes, and candy are choking hazards. Begin open cup drinking at 6 months Never lay a baby down with a propped bottle Never give a baby a bottle or sippy cup to keep in their bed to pacify them. If you must, only fill it with water No bottles after 15 months