{"id":2107,"date":"2024-09-05T17:03:34","date_gmt":"2024-09-05T07:03:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/littlebellies.com\/au\/?p=2107"},"modified":"2024-09-05T17:03:40","modified_gmt":"2024-09-05T07:03:40","slug":"baby-feeding-schedule-by-age-for-the-first-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/littlebellies.com\/au\/learn-play\/baby-feeding-schedule-by-age-for-the-first-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Baby Feeding Schedule by Age for The First Year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Nicole Lattanzio, RDN, CSP, IBCLC<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Congratulations, your baby is about to start solids!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may be feeling a range of emotions \u2013 excited to anxious, confident to confused, and even relief that milk feeds are coming to an end soon to sadness your baby is taking this next step to eat food soon. It\u2019s a big change! Having all these feelings is completely valid and there are others in the same boat as you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may have tons of questions stepping into this next stage of life\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s with baby food stages?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do I know what foods my baby is ready to eat?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What nutrients do I need to focus on?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do I balance food and milk feeds?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How in the world do I implement meals into our busy day?!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

See this guide as your one-stop shop to learn the ins and outs of feeding solids to your baby as they progress month by month. Let\u2019s dive in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baby Nutrition 101<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Well, before we dive in, let\u2019s discuss why<\/em> foods are important for babies and what you as a caregiver need to know about their nutrition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Infants 0-4 months of age rely on breastmilk and\/or infant formula as their sole<\/em> source of nutrition. These milks are perfectly crafted to meet the nutritional needs of growing babies. They provide the proper ratios of carbohydrates, protein, and fats for growth. Not only this, but their milk also provides precise amounts and ratios of vitamins and minerals needed for bone mineralisation, gut maturation, brain growth, immune system development, and more. Introducing non-milk beverages (i.e. juice, water) or foods early changes these ratios and may decrease the milk feed intake, meaning they take in less of these required nutrients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Around 4-6 months of age, infants begin to have declining iron stores in their bodies. Babies receive high amounts of red blood cells from mom while in the womb and may receive even more if delayed cord clamping is used at delivery. Additionally, babies consume iron from breastmilk (in the form of highly absorbable lactoferrin) and iron-fortified infant formulas (in larger amounts than breastmilk due to being less absorbable) which are needed for building their own red blood cells. Between 4-6 months of age, these iron stores from mom are decreasing. Luckily, babies are becoming more developmentally appropriate for solid foods at this time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recommendations for vitamins and minerals for infants are based on 0-6 months and 7-12 months. The most significant change we see for 7-12 months is iron requirements increasing from 0.27 mg\/d to<\/strong> 11 mg\/d<\/strong>. This change highlights the importance of prioritising iron-rich foods<\/a> when starting solids<\/a>. Additional nutrient changes are a moderate increase in needs across the board for total calories, protein, vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes which babies meet with complementary foods. Babies need more of every nutrient <\/em>when they start foods meaning providing a variety of foods is crucial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breastmilk and\/or infant formula remain the primary source of nutrition in the first year of life. However, it\u2019s not the only source! There is a transition that occurs for babies between 6-12 months where they drink less milk feeds gradually and increase their solid food intake. This allows them to move to food-first<\/em> rather than milk-first<\/em> when they reach their first birthday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stepping Stones: Baby Food Stages<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your baby needs complementary foods for growth and development\u2026 but where does one start? Baby food stages on labels can guide where you start and how you advance. Taking these stages step by step can help ease your baby into foods from a texture standpoint while they build oral motor skills and simultaneously eat a wider range of nutrients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stage 1 (4+ months)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n