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Baby Chart for 8+ Months
Your 8th Month is gaining a lot of new strengths and skills.
They are in the crawling stage and some kids by mid of this month end up sitting on their own for few seconds with support. Do not hesitate to ask for help from your family members to support you in this process or you can appoint a baby-sitter to cope with your needs.
Your baby is most likely to weigh around 6.5-7.5 kg. The weight gain from now on is slow and steady. Your baby will be able to roll, catch, hold and scoot backward. Mums need extra energy through fruits and vegetables and protein sources to run around them.
The frequency of sleep time reduces gradually. Babies make plenty of noise,
responds to emotions and look at the mirror.
Nutrition for Your Baby:
Your baby is gradually transitioning to solids. They can point out, grab solid foods and have the ability to chew, yet be cautious about foods that can cause choking.
Your child can get what they need by continuing to breast-feed or formula feed. Offer solid foods at mealtimes and mother feed after meals, and before naps and bedtime. Do it Demand only! Don't force-feed if they sway away their face and reject the foods. It means they're done and you are a better judge!
Honey,cow's milk, salt and sugar are still off their platter. They are still developing the taste buds and need no extra tastes or flavours as such.
Foods to Introduce:
In addition to the 7 months food, the below list of foods can go as part of their food chart
Cereals and Grains:
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Sago
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Dalia/Broken wheat
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Wheat
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Oats
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Some millets- Foxtail, kodo (roasted and added along with other porridges only)
Pulses and Dals:
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Green gram dal
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Urad dal
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Fried gram
Vegetables:
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Onion
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Other vegetables from previous months
Fruits:
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Berries – Strawberries, blueberries
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Cherries
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Other fruits from previous months
Dairy Products and Oils:
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Ghee
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Butter
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Paneer
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Curd/Yogurt
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Coconut oil
Nuts and Dry Fruits:
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Almonds
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Cashews
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Pista
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Raisins/ prunes
Avoid: Milk
Finger Foods:
It opens up to a new world of food possibilities. Introduce them to new varieties of foods and also the foods that they have rejected before until they get familiar with it.
Offering finger foods gives them a whole new self confidence, encourage them to eat better and become independent.
Some Finger food ideas:
Finger foods can be served either as snack or alongside their meal. It is not only nutritious but develops the habit of independent eating. Some foods below can be stocked up in the cabinet for a month and some refrigerated for 2-3 days to reduce the kitchen chaos.
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Stewed apple
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Small chunks of banana
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Soft cheese cubes
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Ghee fried paneer cubes
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Boiled carrot pieces
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Boiled beetroot sticks
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cooked pastas
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Boiled peas
Feeding practices:
Continue to mother-feed on demand. You may notice that the playtime increases and they may not show interest in in accepting foods. Keep offering the food several times before they accept it. All they need is becoming secured with new foods before accepting it as there are changes with taste and texture.
As the feeding continues, you may get alarmed with baby's poop. the color and consistency changes with the kind of food fed. Fox ex: Carrot can leave the poop color orange, sometimes dark brown with cereals and pulses and beetroots color could be quite alarming!
As a thumb rule do not force feed your baby. Start giving finger foods that may keep them engaged and going.
Think about introducing bottles and I would rather suggest you offer sippy cups or directly feed in a silverware utensils that fit their size and age. With sippy cups there are chances that your child might ingest gas and may cause bloating.
Again don't worry about the quantity of food. Since the child is exposed finger foods, they keep munching throughout the day, mother feed on the other hand so it will help them to stay satiated. The only food that are still of their platter is honey, sugar and salt. and yes milk!
Milk- Some of you may feed that your supply is getting low and is unable to nourish the baby. In such cases, Check with pediatrician and start offering cow's milk but no dilution please!
As the digestive system keeps maturing, you can continue to offer well boiled and cooled milk in sips first to check for any allergies and later give them in routines and schedules set.
Health and Safety:
FRom 8th month onwards, since your baby moves around, there are chances that your child may be prone to infections as they learn to pick up things and put into their mouth. This can cause choking hazard and turn out to be fatal.So be cautious and watchful of things around them.
Moreover, teething begins in and around this age. So your infant might feel irritated, cranky and restless. As moms, you should understand the reasons behind their cries and crankiness which may be due to this or otherwise.
All you need to do is:
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Keep the place clean and hygienic
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wash the toys and other teethers or pacifiers to prevent infections
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Baby proof the halls and surrounding areas to avoid injuries
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Never let them eat unattended, particularly with finger foods.
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If you have a pet, try to distance things like food and their things that should be are off their reach.
Approximate quantity of weaning foods include:
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1/2 cup of fruit
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1/2 cup of vegetables
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1/2 cup of cereal and pulses. Gradually increase to 3/4 cup
I have listed some collection of 8 months old baby foods and purees. You can choose based on the availability, convenience and seasonality of foods.
Feeding Tips:
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Be patient. Keep offering foods until they are familiar with it.
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Offer new foods and finger foods after play or sleep time.
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Place small quantities of food in a bowl. Allow them to enjoy and eat independently. Few infants might want to explore finger foods if they are able to sit on their own.
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Offer foods at every 2-3 hour interval depending on their activity levels.
Below is your handy 8 month's sample baby chart to plan a day's
meal.