Home > Your baby 7 - 9 months > Feeding your baby at 7 - 9 months
Now that your baby’s more used to solids, food can be fun! Finger foods and funny shapes can encourage them to try new foods and letting them play with their food might be messy, but it can go a long way to make everyone more relaxed at mealtimes. The key is variety – offer them a wide range and if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. It can take up to 15 times for a baby to accept a new food! And if you need any advice, get in touch.
Marilyn, baby feeding advisor and mum
Learn why patience and variety are key ingredients as your baby moves on to more adventurous tastes and textures.
7 - 9 months: how your baby's growing
Learn how boys and girls grow differently and how far your baby's come since birth.
7 - 9 months: what your baby’s doing
Sitting on their own, shuffling and crawling are all in store. Learn how finger foods can help their development too.
7 - 9 months: what your baby’s saying
Your baby is learning to copy your sounds! Learn why baby talk can help and listen out for that first little laugh.
7 - 9 months: what your baby's seeing
Learn how your baby's world has now become crystal clear and why their eye colour might soon change.
7 - 9 months: your baby’s bones
Learn about the most important nutrients for your baby's bones and what else affects their development.
7 - 9 months: your baby’s brain
Learn how toys, bedtime stories and eating certain fish can boost your baby's brain power!
7 - 9 months: your baby's digestion
Learn which foods to introduce carefully to minimise allergies as your baby's appetite grows.
No single food can give your baby all the nutrients they need so variety is the name of the game to make sure they get the right balance of vitamins and minerals, as well as the energy they need for all that growing and exploring they’re doing from 7 - 9 months old. It’s especially important to make sure their food and milk contains a healthy amount of iron, as the natural stores they were born with begin to run low after about 6 months.
You probably started weaning with smooth textures and gentle flavours to introduce foods slowly to your baby and now they might be ready to try some new tastes and more mashed up consistencies. This will get them interested in food as well as helping them learn to eat and develop their chewing skills.
To encourage good eating habits, it’s also an idea to get into a routine for mealtimes – perhaps with your baby sitting in their own high chair. Read more about this stage of weaning here.
Watch for non-verbal signs of communication in your baby too – like telling you they want to feed themselves by picking up food with their hands. Now is a great time to introduce them to soft finger foods to help develop their speech muscles too. And the added benefit is that although they can get a bit messy, they’ll probably eat more this way!
If you haven't done so already it's a good idea to move onto a follow-on milk that is specially developed to complement your baby's weaning diet.
