When do babies feed themselves?

Babies and feeding

Eight-months old is about the age when they begin to eat finger foods. Good finger foods to introduce are Cheerios and other cereals, small chunks of soft vegetables and fruits (like peaches, pears, green beans and potatoes), well-cooked noodles and crackers. You can put small amounts of these foods directly on the high chair. You can try a plate or bowl, but be prepared to find it upside-down or flung to the floor. Starting out, you can give them these finger foods while at the same time feeding them jarred or homemade baby foods. Once they are used to eating these foods, you can start to eliminate the amount of baby food you are giving.

Right now there is a great discussion going on about finger foods, posted by a mom with a 7.5 month old that you may find helpful. It's at: http://forums.americanbaby.com/ab-babyparent/messages?msg=21544.1

Third stage baby foods are chunkier, but these chunks are often mixed within a "pureed" base. For some babies, this takes some getting used to. You might spend a week or two alternating between second and third stage foods to allow your baby some time to adjust. Third stage foods are usually started once second stage foods are well tolerated, when your child is showing interest in feeding him/herself and after he is sitting unassisted and has begun crawling.

First answer by Jessie munroe. Last edit by Chris. Contributor trust: 2200 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 236 [recommend question]

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