How old before finger foods? - Infant Care (up to 18 months old) Message Board

youneeak · 01-20-2008, 05:36 AM

Hi all,

I'm a first time mommy with a beautiful baby girl. She's about 6 1/2 months now. I hadn't even THOUGHT about "real" finger foods. She's been eating cereal and fruits and veggies like a champ for over 2 months now. Yesterday I was out to lunch with a friend of mine who had a baby just a few weeks after me. She was giving her little guy cheerios and these little cracker-looking things. It was near the end of lunch and before I got a chance to ask her when she started giving him those things lunch was over.

So I was wondering- when do babies normally get "finger" foods. And what are the first ones we start with? I was thinking it would be a few more months, but maybe I'm wrong. Oh, incase it matters, my little on has 4 teeth and there are 2 more we're struggling with right now, any day they'll be through (and maybe we can go back to sleeping again...)

Just curious!

luckydarlin · 01-20-2008, 08:35 AM

I think my daughter (now 9 months) was 6 months old when I started giving her Gerber Puffs. Like your little one, she had a few teeth. The Puffs are great because they dissolve quickly in their mouth so just the saliva helps if they don't chew them. I know a lot of people say cheerios, but I was nervous with those when she was so young because they don't dissolve as quickly. Once she got the hang of the puffs, I started with some small pieces of cooked chicken and some peas because they were very soft.

You'll be surprised how quick they can learn to start picking the food up themselves and feeding themself.

Good luck!

LauraLu · 01-20-2008, 12:09 PM

Hey Sarah! Just beware of those biscuit/cookie things that "dissolve." My mother told me a story about how my brother choked on his when he was about 8 months old. They look like a dog biscuit.
I suppose any baby could choke, which is why it's important to know what to do (I'm sure you do because of your field of work). It can be quite scary. I would look for the puffs like the PP suggested.

mcr285 · 01-20-2008, 06:57 PM

i started both of mine on cheerios at somewhere between 6-7 months. i think cheerios are great because they are hard enough to feel good on their gums and dissolve quickly enough to be safe for babies to eat. as soon as they can pick up a cheerio and put it in their mouth, i think they're old enough to eat them!

AlexaIn2006 · 01-21-2008, 01:44 PM

I waited until my daughter turned one. She had teeth, by not as much as other babies her age and I was paranoid about choking. I tried the Gerber puff before then and she never liked those, I let her chew on the wagon wheels from Gerber and she choked on those. I mostly waited until after she was one, personally. I stuck to the baby foods and anything soft or liquid like.