Feeding Milestones

Your baby should be able to latch on to a nipple or bottle. At this time, your baby uses a back and forward motion to suck and swallow. Your baby should only be drinking milk or formula.

Your baby will start to show interest in food and may open his mouth when food or a spoon approaches. Your baby may begin to eat cereals and pureed food. At this time your baby becomes able to move pureed food from the front of the mouth to the back of the mouth. Your baby is quickly learning his taste preferences. 

Your baby will be able to begin eating thicker pureed and mashed table foods. Once babies are introduced to lumpy solids, they are able to coordinate all of their mouth movements including sucking, biting, and up and down munching.

Your baby is now able to feed himself a variety of finger foods including soft cooked vegetables and soft fruits. Your baby should begin to use an open cup and start learning to drink from a straw. Now is a great time to introduce your baby to eating utensils! 

During this time you want to increase the variety of coarsely chopped table foods that your baby is eating. Your baby should be able to hold and drink from a cup. Your baby should also be able to use his tongue to move food from side to side in the mouth. By age 2, your toddler should be able to swallow food and liquid without significant loss and understand the difference between food and non-food items. At this time your toddler will also develop a rotary chew meaning his jaw will move up/down and round and round rather than just the up and down munching. 

By this time your toddler should be eating the same foods as the rest of the family and feeding himself with utensils! Your toddler should no longer require sippy cups but should be drinking from an open cup or a straw.

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