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Feeding Your One-Year-Old

Feeding an older baby can be challenging. The following tips help make the job easier.

• Your baby loves to learn new tricks and show off. If you make her the same food you are eating, you will probably see a new side of your baby.

• Babies begin to use a cup around one year of age. Some can hold it themselves, and some just need a little help. Either way, once you show them how, they will probably want to do it themselves.

• Don't give your baby juice with sugar late in the day or in the middle of the night. Besides not being good for her teeth, it will wake her up and/or keep her awake. On the flip side, if your baby is grouchy when she wakes up, give her a little bit of orange juice right away. This will help her over the hump. Orange juice is great for preventing colds, too.

• Petroleum jelly is a great barrier cream for your baby's face when you are introducing her to more acidic foods, such as oranges and spaghetti sauce. Just use a small amount and be sure to keep the jelly off your clothes, because it stains. To remedy a stain, douse the area in baby powder and let it stand until the powder dissolves. Do it again and again until the powder remains. This means the wetness is mostly removed. Your item will be ready to wash, or the powder will simply wipe off with little or no stain remaining.

• Don't wait to instill a love of home in your baby. Make family recipes such as grandma's secret spaghetti sauce, mom's cinnamon rolls, or dad's pancakes; or make a tradition of roasting a chicken every Sunday. You'll be glad you did. Long after your baby is grown up, he will come home because he wants to taste mom and dad's home-cooked meals again...so think ahead.

• Some babies eat and eat and gain weight slowly, and some eat less and gain weight rapidly. It's in the genes. I'm certain I got the wrong ones.

• Some foods are very real choking hazards for babies this age. Keep grapes, popcorn, hot dogs, hard candy, long spaghetti, and hard chips away from your baby!

• One of the first signs that baby is ready to wean completely off of the breast or bottle is when he's still hungry after he drinks his milk.

• No soda or caffeine for baby.

• Limit any fried foods and/or spicy sauces. These types of foods can give baby unbearable gas.

• Freezing your leftovers is great, but never refreeze leftovers after they have thawed out.

• It's not good to mix foods that baby strongly dislikes with those he likes. He'll probably just end up disliking both. Notice what your baby likes and expand from there.

• Don't offer too many choices for foods in the beginning. Stick with one thing at a time.

• If baby likes cereals, feel confident moving towards soft crackers, breads, noodles, and other things that she can pick up on her own.

• Try using a little cup, such as the ones from children's medicine bottles, when helping baby make the transition from bottle to cup. They hold just a little fluid and are fun for the baby to hold and learn with—miniatures of things that adults use are usually attractive to babies.

• Children go through growth spurts for years. If your baby normally picks at food and suddenly seems hungry after every meal, get ready to go shopping! She is probably getting ready to grow again.

• Some babies fuss when their hands and face get dirty. Notice if baby acts the same way around messy foods like mashed potatoes or soups. If so, try drier foods like toast.

• Don't forget to introduce pizza! Just be sure to take off the stringy cheese because it is a choking hazard. Just keep in mind that some babies are very particular and don't like certain marinara sauces, especially if it's tangy.

• Remember, babies like to do things themselves, so if she isn't eating well, simply try letting her do it herself.

• A great way to tell if your baby is aware of the new foods in front of him is to put a finger-size piece of pasta (easy to pick up) next to a cookie. If your baby grabs the cookie first, you'll know he is totally aware of your menu selections. If this happens, you have to remember to keep all cookies, juices, and other sweets and delights out of his view until you get him hooked on veggies, fruits, meats, and other healthy alternatives.

• By this time, baby is on the move. Set rules and make sure to teach your little one to eat only at the table in the high chair. This is one of those things that, if taught early, gets easier and easier. Otherwise, baby rules the house, and when that happens, it gets harder and harder...for you.

• If your baby likes blueberries, don't be surprised to find his diaper has turned blue. Red dyes and red juices, which are discouraged because they can rile up your baby, have a similar effect. This can be a scary discovery, but don't worry—whatever goes in is going to come out.

• If you are having trouble introducing foods, take your baby to a food court, in a mall, perhaps. Put her into a high chair in a spot where she can view all of the other babies eating foods they like. Give it a few minutes for your baby to absorb what's going on and start to introduce the same foods the other babies are eating. You'll probably see an entirely different side of your baby.

• If you are serving chicken for dinner, don't serve baby pizza or something else special unless you plan to serve baby a special dinner every night. Once baby is eating table foods, always try serving baby what you are eating first.

• Don't let your baby get in the habit of throwing his food. If he doesn't eat and he throws the food, he's not hungry and just playing, or he doesn't like what you're serving. Either way, make sure you say, "No! No!" and then try feeding him the same food again a little later. You can only tell that babies don't really like a certain food when you are absolutely sure they are hungry.

• If your baby refuses to drink anything except juice, try giving her a serving of formula or expressed breast milk in a colorful "sippy cup" with a lid. If she's still on to you, you'll know how smart she really is.

• They say they don't know the exact reasons for ADD and hyperactivity in babies, but they do know that sugar and additives are common denominators in babies and toddlers with these issues.

• Once your baby tastes a lollipop or ice pop, she'll never see another one without wanting it...immediately!

• When weaning from bottles, pack away all but two sets of bottles, nipples, and accessories so you don't grab them for convenience. Remember, you are also weaning yourself from your own habit.

• More great news! Baby will eventually wean himself from bottles and the breast even if you did nothing at all. It may take longer, but with this approach, there's minimal trauma for mom, breasts, and baby. This may be the right plan for you.

• Depending on baby's age, you may end up having to wean from breast milk to formula. Baby needs breast milk or formula for at least the first year.

• When weaning, carry more snacks and fewer bottles in your diaper bag and leave the house more often for short periods of time. Head to places like the park so if baby gets cranky or cries, it won't matter as much as it would if you were in a mall with a thousand people watching you and the baby. Those situations are usually when the parent relapses and hands over the bottle just to calm baby down.

• Be sure to tell everyone around you what your baby is learning so you'll all be on the same team. For example, tell your caregiver and family that you are dropping the bottle and sticking with a sippy cup. This way, the consistency will make your life so much easier!

• Weaning doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing process. You can start, continue if it's working, slow down, stop, do it just at night, do it just during the day, etc. If all else fails, you can stop and start again in a few days or weeks if baby or you just can't take it.

• Don't intentionally start weaning if baby is sick. It will just make her more miserable and stressed. On the other hand, if she naturally loses interest because she's sick, that's another thing, so consider those times opportunities and use them to your advantage!

• Having others feed your baby while you're weaning helps, too. Baby is used to his pattern and daily routine, so break it!

• The general rule for sleeping at this age is that baby should be sleeping at least fourteen hours per day, with at least eleven of them at night.

• The majority of babies this age sleep through the night, but it's because the parents have changed their attitude more than the babies have changed their pattern. Be soothing and calm when you are putting your baby down. If baby sees that you are anxious for him to fall sleep, no doubt he'll stay awake that much longer.

• Sleep begets sleep. Babies sleep better at night when they have a restful day. This is also true if your baby has a busy and overstimulating day. You might think that a lot of activity during the day is wearing baby out, when it may be the cause of sleep difficulties at night. Keep things peaceful.

• Babies respond best to routines, especially sleeping routines. Try to keep a sleep schedule and do everything you can to keep your baby on that schedule during the day and at night.

• Relax your baby before bed. Read a story, rock your baby, or give a bath. Setting the mood for sleep and doing it each night will become a pattern that your baby will look forward to. But be sure to alternate with your partner to give you each a break and to keep baby from becoming too attached to one person doing the same thing every day and night. This will help tremendously if you travel and/or if you're out and baby is left with a sitter.

• Create your own lullaby tape, with a mixture of you singing and other lullabies that baby enjoys, and play it when you put baby down for his nap or bedtime. This will buy you lots of time! Alternate your songs with the others on the tape, so if baby becomes impatient, he will hear your voice again shortly. You can also use the tape when baby is in the play yard or when you put her into the crib to take a shower. This is also great for when you travel or have a sitter.

• The goal for baby is a restful sleep, so make sure baby is as comfortable in his crib as possible. Use soft blankets and snuggly pajamas, change his diaper, and be sure to check the temperature of the room. Once this is done, darken the room and turn on a slow-moving fan.

• If baby is always too wired to sleep when you put him to bed, try putting him to bed a bit earlier, not later.

• If nothing seems to be working, don't despair. Baby will sleep eventually. Take a break and don't make baby feel like it's his fault. This will only make him that much more anxious and restless.