Birth-3 Months: 

• Consuming breastmilk and/or formula from the breast or bottle. 

• Latching, sucking, and swallowing should come without difficulty.  

• Eating 2-3 oz a feeding, 6-8x/day and sometimes more often if breastfeeding. 

4-6 months:  

• Beginning to eat pureed baby food and working up to eating up to 3 times per day.  

• Demonstrating increased neck and trunk control for sitting, and being fed in a supported highchair. 

• Shows interest in food. You may not see this until closer to 6 months of age. 

• Eating solids at this age is more for exposure to different tastes versus nutritional needs. A baby’s main form of nutrition should continue to be breastmilk/formula. 

6-9 months: 

• Baby should now be independently sitting and can hold their own bottle.  

• Will readily accept a spoon in their mouth by opening as a spoon is approaching.   

• Meltables and mashed/soft table foods are introduced (usually closer to 8-9 months), and babies can tolerate thicker pureed solids.  

• They should now be able to practice drinking from an open cup and/or straw cup, but drinking may look more like sucking. Some liquid loss is still typical at this age. 

9-12 months:  

• Sitting without the need for external support; however, continues to benefit from sitting in a highchair or booster for eating.  

• Consuming small pieces of soft-cooked vegetables, soft fruits, and finger foods. 

• Finger feeds themselves. 

• Adequately removes food to clear a spoon.  

• Able to transfer food (lateralization) when placed on center of the tongue to the side.  

12-18 months: 

• Eating coarsely chopped table foods. 

• Begin to self-feed using utensils. 

• Holds and drinks from a cup. 

• Uses tongue to move food from side to side in the mouth. 

18-24+ months:  

• Consuming most table foods- including meats and raw vegetables. 

• Fed sitting unsupported. 

• Self-feeding using utensils by 24 months. 

• May refuse to eat certain foods and become more selective. It’s important to continue to offer a variety of foods. 

What to Watch For 

Possible Signs of Feeding Issues: 

• Difficulty latching to breast/bottle 

• Unusually short or long feedings 

• Frequent spitting up and/or vomiting after feeding 

• Stiff body or arching of back during a feeding 

• Constipation  

• Difficulty with transitioning to eating solids 

• Difficulty keeping food or liquid in mouth 

• Difficulty chewing  

• Gagging, coughing, and/or choking while eating and/or drinking 

• Refusing to eat certain textures or food groups