Caring for Your Baby from 6-12 Months

Your baby is growing fast and ready to explore the world, including different types of food. Between 6 and 12 months, your baby will start eating solid foods, drinking from a cup, and maybe even taking their first steps. There are many milestones to enjoy!

And, we’ve created a keepsake you can download to keep track of these special moments along the way!

This guide covers feeding, development, safety, and healthcare during this exciting time. Start with the key takeaways below, or use the quick links to jump to specific sections with more information.

Quick Links

• Feeding
• Starting to eat solids
• Introducing finger foods
• Development and play
• Safety
• Health care

Key Takeaways

• Keep giving breast milk or formula: Your baby needs this as their main nutrition source until their first birthday.
• Start solid foods around 6 months: Wait until your baby can sit up, hold their head steady, and shows interest in food.
• One new food at a time: Your baby can start trying new foods. Give one new food at a time. Watch for signs of an allergic reaction before trying another new food.
• No honey before age 1: It can make your baby very sick.
• Babies control how much they eat: Let them feed when hungry and stop when they feel full.
• Finger foods around 8-9 months: Start with soft foods your baby can squish.
• Cup drinking: Offer a sippy cup around 6-8 months. By 12 months, many babies are drinking from a cup instead of a bottle.
• Check-ups: Your baby needs doctor visits at 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months.

Feeding

Breast milk or formula

Breast milk and/or formula are still your baby’s main nutritional source(s) from 6-12 months. Your baby may drink breast milk or formula 4 or more times a day.

Solid foods are for practice and exploration.

Feeding tips

• Always hold your baby when feeding.
• Never prop the bottle, as it could lead to choking.
• Let your baby take breaks to look around or "talk" to you.
• Stop feeding when your baby shows fullness cues. They know when they’re full.

Cues to watch for when feeding your baby

Hungry:

• Opens mouth for food
• Reaches for food
• Gets excited when food appears

Full:

• Closes mouth or turns head away
• Raises arm
• Shakes head
• Stops paying attention to food

Starting to Eat Solids

Most babies are ready for solid foods around 6 months.

How to tell if your baby is ready for solids

• They can sit up and hold their head steady.
• They show interest in food by opening their mouth or reaching for it.
• They show they don't want food by closing their mouth or turning away.

If your family has food allergies or your baby was born early, talk to their health care provider or WIC staff before starting solids.

How to introduce solids

Start with one food at a time to spot any allergic reactions:

• Make it a single-ingredient pureed or blended food.
• Mix with breast milk or formula to thin out the consistency.
• Feed once a day.
• Start with about 1 teaspoon, then increase as your baby gets used to it.

Call your doctor if your baby

• Vomits
• Wheezes
• Gets a skin rash
• Has diarrhea

If your baby doesn’t like a certain food

Your baby may need to try a new food many times before they like it. If they reject something, wait a week and try again.

Learning to eat different foods

Eating is a new skill that your baby is learning. Try not to stress about the mess. Be patient and celebrate your baby’s progress.

What's normal:

• Spitting food out
• Making faces
• Getting food everywhere (hands, face, hair)
• Taking time to learn

How much to feed

As your baby gets older, they'll eat about 5-6 times a day. This might include:

• Breast milk or formula
• Breast milk or formula plus infant cereal, mixed in a bowl and spoon fed
• 2-3 different foods at a meal

Start with 1-2 tablespoons of each food. Offer more if your baby wants it. Pay attention to their fullness cues and let them control how much they eat.

Meal ideas:

• Breast milk or formula + baby-specific oatmeal + bite-sized peaches
• Mashed peas + rice + chopped, bite-sized chicken
• Breast milk or formula in a cup + tiny banana pieces + chopped noodles

Family meals

Your baby learns by watching you. When you eat together at family meals, your baby sees how eating works and is more likely to try new foods.

Some tips for family meals:

• Sit together at the table.
• Let your baby see you eating and enjoying food.
• Turn off TV, phones, and tablets, so you can focus on each other.
• Talk to your baby during the meal.

Drinking from a cup

Around 6-8 months: Start offering breast milk, formula, or water in a sippy cup at meals.

By 12 months, many babies are drinking from a cup instead of a bottle.

Avoid adding juice to your baby’s diet at this point. Juice has a lot of sugar and can make your baby too full to eat healthier foods.

Finger Foods

Some parents spoon-feed purees, while others let their baby feed themselves (called baby-led weaning). Many families do a combination. Choose what works best for you and your baby.

Start with soft foods your baby can chew and swallow easily. Finger foods should be no bigger than a pea.

Food textures by age

Below are general guidelines to follow as you give your baby finger foods. Make sure they can handle one texture before moving on to the next.

Development and Play

Watching your baby grow from 6 to 12 months is amazing. They'll go from sitting to crawling to maybe even walking. Every baby develops at their own pace.

Your baby grows and learns best when they feel loved and safe. Playing, talking, and responding to your baby helps their brain develop.

6 to 9 months

Your baby’s curiosity and confidence are building. They’re learning to move around more and interact with their surroundings.

What your baby can do:

• Sit up and roll over.
• Start to creep and crawl.
• Shake things and drop them to see what happens.

Some ways to play with your baby:

• Put your baby on a blanket on the floor for tummy time.
• Put a toy just out of reach, so they can move to get it.
• Roll a ball to them.
• Read to them.
• Sing songs.
• Play naming games, peek-a-boo, and mirror talk (e.g., “Where’s the baby? There’s the baby!”).
• Take them for walks and show them new things.

9 to 12 months

Between 9 and 12 months, your baby becomes more independent and communicative. Your baby's hand skills are improving, and they may start to stand or even walk.

What your baby can do:

• Use their hands more.
• Hold their own sippy cup.
• Point and wave bye-bye.
• Say "da-da" and "ma-ma".
• Pull themselves up to stand.
• Maybe walk while holding your hands.

How to play with your baby:

• Hold both their hands and let them walk with you.
• Keep offering books, songs, and games.
• Stay by their side as they explore.

Safety

Your baby is exploring more now, which means new safety considerations, from what foods are safe to eat to babyproofing your home.

Food safety

• Wash your hands and your baby's hands before feeding.
• Put food in a dish and use a baby spoon.
• Throw away leftover food in the dish after your baby eats.
• Don't heat food in the microwave. It can burn your baby's mouth.

Avoid giving these foods to your baby before 1 year

• Honey
• Unheated deli meats or bologna
• Rare or raw meats
• Unpasteurized juice
• Cow’s milk, goat’s milk, soy milk, or another nut milk (as a main drink)

Foods that can cause choking

• Hot dogs or meat sticks
• Whole grapes
• Raw vegetables
• Chips (potato, corn, tortilla)
• Popcorn
• Nuts
• Hard candy
• Fish with bone

Babyproof your home

With your baby learning to stand and walk, they may touch more as they explore the house. Here are some ways to make sure each room is safe:

• Put safety covers in electrical outlets.
• Move cords out of the way.
• Keep small objects away. They can be a choking hazard.

Car safety

Buckle your baby into a rear-facing car seat every time you drive — even if it’s a short trip. The car seat must be installed in the back seat. This is the law and the safest way to protect your baby while on the road.

Do not feed your baby while they are in the car seat. Babies can choke, and it is hard to see if they need help while you are driving.

You can find free car seat inspections and classes online, including REMSA Health.

Never leave your baby alone

• During meals
• On the changing table
• In the bath

Health Care

Your baby needs check-ups and shots at:

• 6 months
• 9 months
• 12 months

When to call the doctor

• You're worried your baby isn't eating enough.
• You have questions about feeding or development.
• Your baby has a reaction to food.
• You're concerned about anything.

Dental care

By now, your baby’s teeth are coming in. As they do, here are some tips to help with dental health:

• Brush with a small, soft toothbrush.
• Clean gums and teeth with a clean, damp cloth after eating.
• Ask your doctor if your baby needs fluoride.