Nine months can seem like an eternity when you’re a parent, but for most parents, this is the hardest time of their lives. You will probably feel overwhelmed at times, especially in the beginning.
You will need to be very careful with your baby now, as she will try to sit up around two months and walk at nine months! Even though babies don’t technically go out to eat food yet, it’s important to start getting them ready because soon they will.
Making sure that your child is well fed and nurtured is one of the best things you can do for her development. She will learn how to interact with other children from watching and mimicking what others do, so make sure that she gets enough nutrients to grow properly.
This article has all the information about how to deal your infant girl, from weaning to introducing solid foods.
Find out your baby’s developmental stage
At this stage, your little one will be looking at everything — from toys to hands! They’ll also probably try moving around some feet and rolling over in their cuddles.
You may notice that they seem more awake during this period too. This is because they are fully aware of the world around them and are exploring new things.
At nine months old, your child can:
- Roll back and forth
- Crawl forward for few steps
- Stand up with help (up until about 10 kg or 22 pounds)
- Take short walks outside
- Try sitting and kneeling
Most babies start speaking around eight to ten months, so don’t worry if they take longer than expected to talk.
It’s not really unusual for babies to wake up around feeding time – and that’s usually when their ‘hunger period’ starts. They’ll feed for a few minutes before they’re tired again, so they’ll put themselves back into bed until they’re asleep. But it can pick up speed at eight to twelve months old, when their brains start working faster and they start to learn more. This is when their day really starts.
Find out your baby’s eating schedule
Finding out your baby’s eating schedule is one of the most important things when feeding your child. As mentioned before, it can be tricky trying to figure out how much your baby is ingesting due to differences in weight gain and loss.
By knowing what time your little one eats and for how long, you will know whether they are overfed or underfed. This can help you determine if their diet needs revising or not!
You can also use this information to plan for potential night-time feedings. For example, let’s say your baby only eats at 6 p.m every day. If they wake up hungry at 3 a.m., then they may need another meal later that day. You would have to see about whether they were overfed by a few hours, but you could adjust their sleep cycle for tomorrow.
Another thing to note is that some babies eat more frequently than others. Some parents say their babies seem to want to eat around every two hours, while other parents don’t notice any changes in hunger until an hour has passed.
Find out your baby’s sleeping schedule
As your child gets older, sleep patterns typically stay about the same – except for night time naps! But what happens during those wake up times?
Most babies will awake around feeding time – this is their ‘hunger period’. They’ll then feed for a few minutes before they are tired again, so they’ll put themselves back into bed until they’re asleep. This can continue all day long, but it’s usually between eight and twelve months that things really pick up speed.
After this stage, most kids will have an afternoon nap lasting one hour. It’s common for them to be slightly hungry at this time, which is why they’ll sometimes skip the first meal of the day.
But don’t worry- as soon as they’ve had lunch, they’ll eat dinner just like normal! What about morning snacks though? Luckily there are some great tips and tricks here to help get rid of these pesky hunger spells.
Pay attention to your baby’s cues
While it may be difficult at times to determine if your child is hungry or not, there are some tell-tale signs that they are looking for food.
They will put more of their objects into the mouth (for example, chewing on an object, putting things in their mouth like small toys, taking longer than usual to eat), sniffle while eating, hold off on feeding time as well as trying to nurse after being offered other foods earlier in the day
If you notice any of these symptoms, don’t worry! It could just mean that she isn’t feeling very hungry at this moment. She might be tired from all of the activity she has been having, or her body needs a break before she eats again.
Also remember that even babies who aren’t really hungry can enjoy playing with new textures and exploring different tastes. So instead of pressuring her to try something hard, try introducing little bits of each type of food so that she doesn’t feel overwhelmed.
Comfortable Dress for 9 Months Old Baby
Between 6 months and 2 years, babies develop their senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. They also begin to recognize familiar sights, sounds, textures, and shapes. This is called developmental stages or milestones.
At this stage, your baby can enjoy looking at bright colors and exploring different textures. She will start moving her body more which makes sitting up possible!
You do not need to buy expensive clothes during these times as all you really need are some nice snuggly onesies and layering pieces.
Are you Feeling Overwhelmed with your baby?
Looking after your little one at this stage will require you to be in constant motion as they grow and develop. They’ll need changing, feeding and comforting every few hours, especially during night time when sleep is elusive.
If you are ever feeling overwhelmed or tired, do not hesitate to ask for help. Your babysitter can always call you or your mum/dad so that you can take a break or have some time off. Or if you don’t mind, hire a nanny so that you can rest easy!
Alternatively, try reaching out to family and friends to help look after the baby while you get some much needed rest. It’s a tough job but someone else may be able to step up and contribute which could give you a chance to refresh and re-focus.
At nine months old, your child should be sleeping through the night (upwards of eight hours) most nights and wake around once a hour for a feed.
Baby may be hungry for different things at different times
As babies grow, they need to eat more frequently and of bigger sizes. This is because their growth depends on eating enough food to stay strong and healthy!
This also means that it can sometimes feel like you are never really alone when you are feeding your child.
There will always be someone else’s hand in your baby’s mouth!
As parents, our jobs truly never end. Because breastfeeding is such a powerful bond between mother and child, most mothers continue to nurse even after they wean their children.
However, just as with any other parent-child relationship, this does not last forever.
When moms decide that he is no longer getting enough milk or they want to try something new, their infants often refuse his/her breast. This can make meal time very tense and frustrating!
Luckily, there are some strategies that first time nursing mom’s can use to help get through those hunger strikes.
Baby may get fussy or cranky
As your little girl gets older, she will grow more curious about new things. This can be fun for you to watch!
At nine months old, your daughter will probably start showing some signs of wanting to eat food. She might enjoy eating small pieces of food or trying to put food in her mouth, but that is really all she will do at this stage.
You have to remember that babies are born with an instinctual desire to feed themselves, so don’t worry too much if you see your little one looking hungry.
This could mean waiting until she makes repeated attempts to take a bit of food before offering it, or just letting her try to grab whatever she wants from the table when she feels like it.
As long as your child isn’t crying or appearing distressed, don’t force anything upon her. Wait till she asks for it herself.
Try different foods
As your baby grows, she will need more food sources. At eight months old, you can start introducing new foods to her. Make sure that everything is well-cooked for digestion to go smoothly!
Some of the best ways to introduce new foods are in bites or snacks. For example, have one bite of meat as an entrée then one bit of vegetables as another dish. You can also mix both dishes into one if the child likes either one separately.
The most common culprits of fussy eaters are too much sugar and gluten. Both of these should be minimized at least until your little one is fully eating solid foods.
Gluten is found in wheat products so anything made out of wheat (bread, pasta, etc.) should be cut back or completely eliminated before offering other grains. Limit sugary beverages like milk and soda to prevent overfeeding.”
Even if your baby already eats some foods, trying new foods is fun and educational for her! Starting at around nine months, babies begin exploring food by eating small pieces of various textures and tastes.
She may like sweet fruits such as apples or berries, vegetables like carrots or broccoli, chicken, fish, or meat. The proportions and amounts she consumes are not big, so do not worry about overfeeding her.
Try introducing one new taste per week until you get comfortable with that before moving onto another. Once she accepts the old taste, you can try replacing it with the new one.
The only thing you should avoid feeding your baby is raw eggs because they contain salmonella which can be harmful for them.
Get down to their level
When babies are hungry they look at you or try to grab your hand to tell you that they need to be fed. At this stage most babies will only take solid food so trying to hold them while they eat is an okay moment if you really want to do it.
The hardest part about doing this is figuring out how tall of a table you should use. Obviously not enough and they may choke could happen, but too high and you might burn some calories!
I would recommend investing in a baby seat for this. They are usually around height of a regular chair so you can sit comfortably while feeding your child. Some even have toys attached so they are already pre-set up with things to do!
After you get into position, lower the table just enough so that your child has access to both hands and you can easily push the plate away if they turn away.
