Category: Nutrition

Tips for your 5-6 month old baby

HELP ME BE HEALTHY.

At this checkup:

  • The nurse will weigh and measure me. I will get a check-up.
  • I will get the next set of vaccines. Write down the date of these vaccines in my health journal. If I had a reaction to the vaccines before, tell the doctor.
  • I should get a flu shot in the fall.
  • The doctor might check my eyes for crossed eyes or a lazy eye.
  • I might get a blood test to see if I have enough iron in my blood.
  • Ask about my eating habits. Tell the doctor when and how much I eat.
  • If I need them, I will get hearing aids. I might get help from my nearby Early Childhood Intervention program. An audiologist will check my hearing every few months until I’m a year old, and after that, every six months.
  • Ask if I need fluoride supplements to help my teeth. Ask about my eating habits. Describe when and how much I eat.

Start feeding me vegetables and fruits.

At 6 months, I’m old enough to try vegetables and fruits. Start with veg­etables. Try an orange vegetable like squash or sweet potatoes first. Give me only one new food each week. This way, if I have an allergy, you will know what food caused the allergy.

TAKE CARE OF MY TEETH.

  • Start planning for my first dental visit for when I’m 6 months old or when my first tooth comes in.
  • Call your dentist or a dentist just for me and set up my first visit.
  • As soon as my teeth come in, gently brush my teeth with a little, soft-bristled tooth­brush and some water.
  • I should not have toothpaste now.

If you don’t have health insurance for me, call the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) toll-free at 1-877-543-7669 (1-877-KIDS-NOW) to find out about children’s health insurance.

KEEP ME SAFE.

When we ride in the car, put me in a car seat with the straps on right.

  • My car seat is the safest place for me when I’m in the car.
  • Until I’m a year old and weigh 20 pounds, my car seat should be in the back seat of the car and placed so I look out the back window.
  • If you have questions about my car seat or how you put it in, call Safe Riders toll-free at 1-800-252-8255.

Put gates at the stairs so I don’t go up or down the stairs. After you make our house safe for me, teach me to be safe.

  • Tell me what you want me to do, over and over. Don’t get tired of telling me. I’m too young to remember.
  • Until I learn what to do, take me away from the place I shouldn’t be or take away the thing I shouldn’t be playing with. Get me interested in something else. Don’t slap my hands or hit me. Try not to yell at me, either.
  • Tell me, hug me, and praise me when I do what you want.

Help me use the high chair safely.

  • Put the safety belt on me when I’m in the chair.
  • Be sure the tray is locked in place. Make sure my hands are out of the way when you lock the tray in place.
  • Be sure there are no sharp edges to cut me or you
  • Don’t let me stand in the chair.
  • Don’t leave me alone in the chair.
  • Don’t leave the chair too close to a table or counter. I can push on the table and tip my chair over.

PLAY WITH ME, IT HELPS ME LEARN.

  • Talk to me in complete sentences. Tell me what you are doing. Make sounds for me to copy like “eee,” “uh-oh,” and “aaa.”
  • Tell me about a toy and show me how to use it. I will want to look at it, smell it, chew it, squeeze it, pat it, and bang it.
  • Put a favorite toy just out of my reach. Help me move to get to it.
  • Hide a toy under a cloth so I can look for it.
  • I like to use blocks that I can hold in my hands.
  • Read to me. Point to the pictures as you tell me about them.

Each child grows and changes at a different rate.
I might do some activities earlier than others. Playing with me helps me learn new things. If you are worried about what I do, talk to my doctor or nurse or call the OARS Help Line toll-free at 1-800-628-5115.

Watch for me to:

  • Pick up my head and chest when I’m on my stomach. I can hold myself up with my arms.
  • Stand up if you hold me under my arms.
  • Roll from my stomach to my back or from my back to my stomach.
  • Notice small things that are placed in front of me.
  • Reach for toys or other interesting things near me.
  • Squeal and make high pitched sounds when I’m happy.
  • Start to have my teeth come in.
  • Lie on my back and look at my hands. I can bring my hands together over my chest or at my mouth.

Breastfeeding Beyond 6 Months

Why is breastfeeding beyond 6 months important?

Breastfeeding beyond 6 months can help improve the long-term health and well-being of both you and your baby.

Health Benefits

  • Breastmilk continues to provide protection against illnesses for as long as breastfeeding continues.
  • The longer your child breastfeeds, the less likely he is to become overweight or develop diabetes later in life.
  • The longer you breastfeed, the lower your risk of breast cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

Emotional Benefits

  • Nursing can be a great way to comfort your older baby or toddler when he is ill, tired, upset, or hurt. Many moms will tell you this is one of the greatest benefits of nursing beyond 6 months.

These are just a few of the reasons that the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend breastfeeding for the first year of your baby’s life and after that for as long as mutually desired.

What if my baby is teething?

Breastfeeding can continue even when your baby is teething. Physically, it is impossible to bite and nurse at the same time. This is because your baby’s tongue is between the bottom teeth and your breast. However, teething can cause your baby’s gums to hurt and itch. Some babies may try rubbing their gums on mom’s breast to soothe this soreness.

Here are some tips to avoid this:

  • Take your baby off the breast when he is no longer actively nursing.
  • If you feel your baby begin to bite down, quickly bring him in close to you. This will cause him to open his mouth.
  • If baby does not open his mouth insert your finger into the corner of his mouth to break the suction.
  • Gently but firmly say, “No” and wait a few minutes before offering to breastfeed again.

How do I introduce solid foods?

Breastmilk is all your baby needs for the first 6 months of life. Beyond 6 months, babies need breastmilk and solid foods to get the perfect amount of calories, protein, iron, and zinc.

When your baby is around 6 months old you can begin introducing solid foods in any order. Here are some general guidelines for healthy, full-term infants:

  • Protect your milk supply by nursing first; then offer a small amount of solid food.
  • Introduce solids slowly and gradually. Start with a small amount, about one to two teaspoons.
  • Start with single ingredient foods. For example, chicken, carrots or peaches.
  • Wait two to three days before offering a new food. This way if your baby has an allergic reaction to a certain food, it is easy to identify which one it is.
  • Let your baby guide you on how much food to feed.

Your breastmilk will continue to provide the majority of your baby’s calories as well as the protection needed to stay healthy and grow.

Can I nurse my older infant or toddler in public?

Breastfeeding in public is protected by law in the state of Texas. This means that in Texas you can breastfeed anywhere you and your baby have the right to be.

Nursing an older baby or toddler privately in public can be a little trickier than nursing a younger baby. Older infants and toddlers are easily distracted, do not like things covering their heads, and tend to move around a lot when they are nursing.

As your baby gets older, it is easier to predict his nursing schedule. If you do not feel comfortable with nursing in public try the following:

Breastfeed right before you leave your home or a comfortable nursing location.

  • Offer expressed milk in a cup or bottle.
  • Offer a healthy snack.
  • Distract your child with a toy, a book, or magazine; he may just want to be held close to you.

Remember, Texas law supports your right to breastfeed in public.

Should I continue nursing if I become pregnant?

You do not need to quit nursing during a healthy pregnancy. Breastfeeding does not take any nutrients away from your unborn baby.

At the time of delivery, breastmilk turns back to colostrum for the new baby. Colostrum is a natural laxative so you may notice a difference in your toddler’s diapers. Don’t worry – this is completely natural.

Changes in the taste and amount of breastmilk may cause older infants and toddlers to wean; but many moms continue to nurse their older children even after the new baby is born.

If you have any medical problems with your pregnancy, talk to your doctor about whether you should continue breastfeeding.

When does weaning occur?

The process of weaning begins naturally around 6 months of age, when solid foods are introduced, and continues as your child becomes interested in activities other than nursing. By the time your toddler is one year of age, he is often only nursing a few times a day.

Many toddlers will lose interest in nursing and wean themselves between the ages of one and two. Others may nurse longer, and most will only nurse a few times a day – like in the morning, at nap time, or before bed. This is perfectly normal.

There is no set time to wean from breastfeeding. The World Health Organization recognizes breastmilk as the best nourishment for infants and young children. If someone recommends weaning before you and your child are ready, be honest and explain how important breastfeeding is to both of you.

For help with questions or breastfeeding support:

Call the Texas Lactation Support Hotline at
1-855-550-6667

Or visit breastmilkcounts.com

Cereal for Infants

Your baby is ready for infant cereal when he:

  • sits with help
  • turns his head away when full
  • can swallow cereal and not choke
  • doesn’t push food out of his mouth with his tongue
  • is between 4 and 6 months of age

Tips for feeding cereal:

  • Start your baby on plain rice cereal.
  • Feed cereal from a bowl with a small spoon.
  • Don’t put cereal in a bottle, unless told to do so by your doctor
  • Never add honey to cereal. It can make your baby very sick.

How to make infant cereal:

1. Measure 1 tablespoon of cereal into bowl.

2. Add about 4 tablespoons of breastmilk or formula.

3. Stir.

Too thin? Add more cereal.

Too thick? Add more breastmilk or formula.

  • Give your baby thin cereal at first. Thicken the cereal as your baby gets older and becomes better at eating.

Your baby will eat the amount of cereal he needs.
Don’t force him to eat more than he wants.

  • At first, offer your baby 1 tablespoon of cereal once or twice a day.
  • At 6-8 months, offer your baby 2-3 tablespoons of cereal about two times a day.

Let’s Eat!

General Guidelines and feeding tips for baby’s first year!

BIRTH TO 6 MONTHS

Man bottle-feeding baby

What baby does?

  • Sucks and swallows breastmilk and formula
  • Pushes tongue out of the mouth when they swallow

New Foods:

  • Feed only breastmilk or formula with iron

What to do?

  • Be patient
  • Feed when your baby is hungry
  • Learn your baby’s hunger and fullness cues

AROUND 6 MONTHS

Baby being fed with a spoon

What baby does?

  • Sits with help
  • Supports and controls head
  • Can grasp an object and put it in mouth
  • Opens mouth for a spoon
  • Can keep most of the food in their mouth
  • Removes food from a spoon with a sucking action
  • Turns head away when full

New foods:

  • Try jarred or home-prepared single-ingredient foods like:
    • Pureed fruits, vegetables, or meats
    • Infant cereal

What to do?

  • Continue breastfeeding or giving formula with iron
  • Feed with a spoon
  • Start with a smooth and thin texture
  • Never put cereal in the baby’s bottle
  • Follow baby’s lead. Let your baby show you when they are full.
  • Wait two to three days between feeding new foods.

7 – 9 MONTHS

Baby drinking out of a cup

What baby does?

  • Sits without help
  • Moves food from front to back of the mouth
  • Begins side to side movement of the tongue
  • Begins to grasp objects with the whole hand and transfer from one hand to another
  • Starts to mash food with gums
  • Brings head towards the spoon
  • Drinks from cup with lots of spilling

New foods:

  • Plain, cooked, home-prepared foods, strained or mashed with a fork.
    • Try fruits, vegetables, and meats.
  • Yogurt, cottage cheese
  • Very small pieces of hard cheese.

What to do?

  • Continue to breastfeed or give formula with iron.
  • As baby gets better at eating, mix food to a thicker texture
  • Offer breastmilk or formula in small amounts from a cup

10 – 12 MONTHS

Baby in highchair eating broccoli

What baby does?

  • Picks up food with thumb and forefinger
  • Rotary or grinding chewing begins
  • Drinks from cup with less spilling

New foods:

  • Small pieces of bread, cheese, noodles, crackers, soft tortilla
  • Small pieces of cooked, tender, lean meat
  • Soft cooked pieces of beans and vegetables
  • Pieces of raw, soft, ripe fruits

What to do?

  • Continue to breastfeed or give formula with iron
  • Offer finger foods
  • Watch baby closely while eating
  • Keep baby seated in a chair, high chair, or carrier

KEEP IN MIND

  • Be patient. It may take more than one time for your baby to like a new taste or texture.
  • Begin with small amounts of foods. Offer seconds if needed.
  • Do not force your baby to eat or finish all of their food. Turning their head, closing their mouth, shaking their head, or leaning back are signs your baby is full.
  • Continue to breastfeed or give formula after solid foods are introduced.
    Be sure your baby is drinking enough breastmilk or formula.
  • If your baby is ready for table food, spoon out the amount they will eat before adding salt, sugar, fats, or other seasonings to the food for your family.
  • Set a good example. Older babies will want to eat what you eat.
  • If you have a family history of allergies, there may be foods you want to avoid giving your baby. Check with your doctor or clinic. Signs of an allergic reaction include skin rash, vomiting, diarrhea, irritability, or wheezing.

Baby crying next to image of a honey dripper

BE AWARE

  • NEVER give honey to your baby. Honey may have botulism, a germ that can be deadly for your baby.
  • Do NOT put your baby to bed with a bottle.
  • These foods may be choking hazards in babies and children younger than 4 years old:
    • Whole hotdogs
    • Whole grapes
    • Popcorn
    • Chunks of peanut butter
    • Peanuts and other nuts
    • Raw hard vegetables
    • Round, hard or sticky candies

Signs your Baby May Be Hungry:

Signs of hunger in young babies

  • Getting hungry:
    • Stretching
    • Physical Movement
    • Hand to Mouth
  • Feed Me:
    • Crying
    • Agitated
    • Turning Red

Choking Hazards for Children Under One Year:

Choking Food Hazards for Children Under One Year

  • Thickly spread nut butters
  • Whole nuts and seeds
  • Popcorn
  • Raw carrots and other hard raw veggies
  • Whole grapes
  • Tortilla and other hard chips

Tips for Your 1-2 Month Baby

HELP ME BE HEALTHY

At this checkup:

  • I will be weighed and measured.
  • I will get a few vaccines. These vaccines help my body fight disease.
  • The doctor will ask you if I have had a fol­low-up hearing test. If I don’t pass this hear­ing test, I need to see an audiologist. The audiologist will give me a diagnostic hearing test. The doctor will also send us to the nearby Early Childhood Intervention program.

Keep a special notebook for my health journal.
Write about my doctor visits and the times when I’m sick. Take my health journal to my doctor visits so you can write the date that I got my vaccines.

FEED ME OFTEN, I EAT DAY AND NIGHT

Some babies, especially breastfed babies, eat more often on some days.

Follow these tips:

  • Holding me while I eat makes me feel safe and loved.Illustration of a mother and a father holding a feeding baby
  • Breast milk or iron-fortified formula should still be my only food now. Don’t put cereal or other solid food in my formula. My body isn’t ready for solid foods until I’m 4 to 6 months old. Feeding me solids too early might make me have allergies or eat too much.
  • If I’m nursing or was born early, my doctor might say I need vitamin drops. Talk to the doctor about this.

How do you know when I’m hungry?
If I’m fussy, it’s okay to try to feed me. I want to nurse or drink iron-fortified formula.

KEEP ME SAFE

  • Handle me gently. Don’t pick me up by my arms or swing me by my arms or legs. Don’t shake me or throw me in the air.
  • Protect me from falls. Be careful not to fall with me in your arms. Don’t leave me alone on a changing table, bed, or other high place, I could fall.
  • If you give me medicine at night, turn on the light and read the label every time to make sure you are giving me the right medicine and the right amount of medicine.

PLAY WITH ME, IT HELPS ME LEARN

  • Let me feel different objects by rubbing them against my hands. let me feel some soft and some bumpy materials. I like to feel the differ­ent clothes you wear.
  • Tell me how special I am. Smile and talk to me a lot.
  • Show me bright colors. I can easily see the difference between black and white or red and yellow.
  • Put me in a baby carrier or carry me and hold me while you move around the house. Talk to me about what you are doing. I like to see what is happening.
  • Look at me when you talk to me. I want to copy your mouth.
  • Repeat the sounds I make. I like the game of making sounds.
  • Read to me. I like to hear the sound of your voice.

READ ABOUT BEING A PARENT

  • Go to your local library for books, magazines, newsletters, and leaflets on parenthood. Use the library’s computers.
  • The Mental Health America of Texas website has help for parents at www.parentinginformation.org. Read the section “How to Help Your Crying Baby” or the childcare checklist in the downloadable version of this guide.
  • Ask someone you trust to come watch me so you can have a break. Join a group of parents that talks about ways to help children grow. To find parent educators near you, go to the Texas Registry of Parent Educators Resources (ROPER) at www.unt.edu/cpe.
  • When you feel stressed, talk to your partner, a family member, or a good friend about your feelings. It helps to talk with someone who is close to you.

WATCH HOW I GROW

Illustration of happy baby on blanket with toys

  • Wave, kick, and squirm when lying on my back.
  • Make sounds like “uh,” “eh” and “oh.”
  • Look and stare at things. I look at you a lot.
  • Lift my head up and turn it side­ ways when I’m on my stomach.
  • Turn to you and smile at you when I see or hear you.
  • Quiet down, move my eyes, or change my expression when I hear, your voice or some other noise.

You might notice that I also:

  • Cross my eyes sometimes. This is normal. I will do this until my eye muscles get stronger.
  • Gurgle, smile, and laugh when I’m happy.
  • Have tears when I cry. My tear ducts are starting to work now.
  • Like to suck my thumb or pacifier. Sucking is a way that I learn about my world. It is also one way that I calm myself down.

Children are very different from one another.
If I was born early or have special needs, it might take me a little longer to do some things. You can help me learn. If you are worried, talk to my doctor or nurse. To find a nearby Early Childhood Intervention program, call the DARS Help Line toll-free at 1-800-628-5115.

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Get to Know Your New Baby

Get To Know Your New Baby: WIC’s Guide for Birth to 3 Months

A New Baby!

You must feel excited and completely overwhelmed!

This booklet will help you learn what your newborn needs to be happy and healthy.

All babies are different, but their movements and noises will let you know when they’re hungry, happy, uncomfortable or just tired.

You will soon learn your baby’s cues and become your newborn’s superhero!

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Newborn Tips

Help me be healthy.

Before I go home from the hospital, I need:

  • Blood tests. Blood tests will help us look for genetic/metabolic problems. The doctor or nurse will prick my heel and take a little blood. I will need another blood test before I’m two weeks old. My doctor will tell you where to go for the second test. If the tests show a possible problem, you and my doctor will talk about it together.
  • A hepatitis B shot.
  • A hearing test. If I need another hearing test after I leave the hospi­tal, my doctor will send us to an audiologist close by. Or we might go back to the hospital for a follow-up hearing test.

Find a doctor or nurse to see me for my regular checkups. I need a Medical Home. Bring this calendar to all my checkups. Ask questions, share any worries you have, and work closely with my doctor or nurse to plan all the care I need.

When I go for my first checkup, the doctor will:

  • Weigh and measure me.
  • Check me from head to toe by:
    • Looking in my eyes, ears. and nose;
    • Listening to my heart and lungs; and
    • Looking at my hips, abdomen, and umbilical cord.
  • Check my vision and hearing.
  • Answer any questions you have. Ask the doctor questions about my health. That is why you take me for my well-baby checkups.

Feed me whenever I am hungry.

Breast milk or iron-fortified formula is the only food I need. It will probably take us many weeks to get used to a feeding schedule. This is normal. If I am breastfeeding, I might eat every 2 to 3 hours.

I am getting enough to eat if I am:

  • Gaining weight.
  • Having at least six wet diapers a day.
  • Having at least one stool a day.

Keep me safe.

Whenever we ride in the car, put me in a car seat with the straps on right.

  • Texas law says that I have to be in a car seat when I am in a car.
  • The car seat is the only safe place for me.
  • Use the car seat even if I fuss. Fussing is my way of telling you that I know I’m in a different place.
  • Place my car seat in the back seat so I look out the back window.
  • If you have questions about my car seat. or want to be sure my car seat is in the car right, call Safe Riders toll-free at 1-800-252-8023.

Place me on my back to sleep. Keep my sleeping area clear of stuffed toys and soft, fluffy things.

Keep me safe from fire and smoke.

  • Check the batteries in our smoke detector.
  • Practice a fire escape. How would you help me get out if there was a fire?
  • Keep me away from cigarette and cigar smoke. It makes it harder for me to breathe.

Pay attention to me. I talk by crying.

If I’m crying, it could mean that I:

  • Am wet.
  • Am too hot or too cold.
  • Am sleepy.
  • Am hungry.
  • Want to change position.
  • Want to be held.
  • Need to be burped.
  • Have colic.

Remember, most babies have a fussy time each day. To help me calm down, read “How to Help Your Crying Baby.” The Parents Action for Children website is also helpful.

If nothing seems to help me calm down, check with my doctor to see if something is wrong. Soon you will be able to tell the difference between the cry that says “Feed me” and the cry that says “Pick me up and hold me.”

Play with me. It helps me learn.

  • Hold me, cuddle me, rock me and hug me. Let me look at your face.
  • Change my position every once in a while.
  • Talk to me, sing to me, read to me.
  • Put a picture on the side of my bed. Hang a mobile over my crib. Put them on securely so they don’t fall on me.
  • Listen to gentle music with me.

Watch how I grow.

Each child grows and changes at a different rate.
Watch the things that I do. If I was born early or have some special needs, it may take me a little longer to do some things. If you are worried about what I can and cannot do, talk to my doctor or nurse.

Watch for me to:

  • Look to see who is talking.
  • Move my eyes to follow something that moves in front of my face.
  • Look at you, look away, and then look at you again when we are playing. I can see best when an object is about eight inches from my face.
  • Sleep a lot. I don’t know when it is night, so I will wake up in the night and want to eat.
  • Eat every few hours. When I’m not eat­ing, I may sleep most of the time.
  • Be fussy and cry more than you would like me to cry. Don’t be afraid to hold me.
  • Suck on my fingers or pacifier. I like to suck even when I’m not hungry.
  • Be startled by loud noises.
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