When the baby is nine months old, there will be learned to crawl and get up leaning on low chairs and furniture such as the coffee table in the living room or the sides of the crib. It is a stage in which the little one expends more energy. He goes from one place to another, he feels more "free" to be able to explore and discover.
The general rule of thumb, for all parents with a 9-month-old baby at home, is never let your guard down because at this stage babies love to explore, but are completely unaware of the danger around them.
I would like to remember that parents often tend to make comparisons between their child and other children and panic if the progress that their little one has made in these months of life is not on par with other children. Dear Parents, each child has their own rhythm and it is very important that they are respected. It is true that we say that at 9 months they already begin to walk, however it does not always have to be like that, it is not a fixed rule but an orientation. The pediatrician, during the visits, will monitor the psychomotor development of your little one and will guide you on how it is evolving.
Should we change their diet when they are 9 months old?
Regarding their diet, the energy expenditure affects what they eat. Except in the case of allergies and intolerances, at 9 months a newborn will eat more or less the same things that you give to your older children and that you eat yourself (with some variations).
Things that will be given to them later, but that at 9 months they should not eat:
- Egg: the egg will be introduced in the following months (first the yolk and then the white).
- Sugar and salt: It is important to give children healthy habits. We must avoid salting and the use of sugar. It is proven that children raised with these habits are less likely to develop obesity.
- Between the Sausages, solo the cooked and raw ham, well degreased, and between the cheese it is better to choose those that are fresh and without preservatives.
Food allergens:
At this point there is controversy, as we will see below. Some pediatricians advise giving certain foods after 9 months of age because they can cause anaphylactic shock in children who are allergic. In fact, until a few years ago it was believed that some potentially more allergenic foods, such as tomatoes, eggs, fish or even strawberries should not be introduced before 9 months or a year of life.
The opposite is currently thought, that these foods should be introduced from weaning to promote food tolerance. Only children with Positive Prick Test to certain foods containing class 1 allergens should introduce these products under medical supervision.
The pediatrician who takes your child will tell you what is best for him.
Even so, what never changes is to respect the rule of going gradually introducing one or more foods at a time, so that we can check if that food creates problems for the child or not.
Food and nutrition plan at 9 months
Carne
Animal proteins can be increased in quantity. We can give you a whole porridge o 40 grams of fresh meat (raw weight), only once a day.
Fish
We can give you 2-3 times a week fresh or frozen fish (weighed after defrosting): 40-60 grams steamed or with a little water, mixed with vegetables or even added to the porridge. It is better that we put lean fish: hake, cod, sole, trout, plaice, sea bream. Beware of thorns!
Cooked ham (without polyphosphates)
Homogenized or fresh and pureed, in a maximum quantity of 20 grams. You can give 1-2 times a week to substitute meat.
Vegetables
We can put lentils, peas, beans or chickpeas to make a vegetable broth. This dish can be given 2 times a week.
Plain flour
We can start to stop band gradually the pre-cooked flours y move to starchy products (wheat, rice, barley, spelled, oats, etc.).
Cheese
Be careful with the quantities:
- Semi-fat cheeses (eg mozzarella): 35 grams dissolved in the last phase of cooking the porridge;
- Low fat cheeses: 40-50 grams dissolved in the last phase of cooking the porridge.
Fruits and vegetables
It is not necessary to always blend all the vegetables; in the porridge you can put the vegetables in small pieces or make a puree with a fork to stimulate chewing.
Every now and then you can make a single color porridge making purees with a single vegetable (orange: carrot or pumpkin; red: tomato; white: potato or cauliflower; green: zucchini, spinach and other vegetables of this color), to stimulate the child's curiosity and notice the different flavors.
It is known that in our diet fruits and vegetables play a fundamental role not only because of the fiber content that favors intestinal transit, but also because of the contribution of vitamins, carotenoids and phenols that play an important antioxidant function. Here are some tips to make the most of these properties:
- cAlways buy fruits and vegetables in season;
- ckeep the fruit and vegetables in the fridge.
- choose fresh or frozen fruits and vegetablessince canned or glass products lose most of their antioxidant properties;
- la steam or microwave cooking it maintains its antioxidant properties better than other types of cooking (boiling, baking);
- in the industrial production of fruit juices there is an almost total loss of phenols: fruit juices (even without added sugars) should never be considered a substitute for fresh fruit.
Possible power scheme at 9 months.
The baby should do some 4-5 meals a day, divided as follows:
- 2 milk maternal o continuation meals (number 2)
- 2 porridge in vegetable broth (lunch and dinner);
- 1 snack, mid-morning or mid-afternoon: grated / crushed apple, pear or banana without sugar.
Time to start eating alone
When he turns 9 months it is time to teach eat alone, using plastic or silicone cutlery or even with your hands.
It is also the time to give him food in small pieces, not liquefied. Obviously they must be very small pieces to avoid drowning.
In addition to the main meal and dinner, at 9 months infant feeding It should also include two meals based on milk or derivatives (breakfast and snack). What refreshment, try to offer healthy foods such as seasonal fruits, smoothies, and yogurt.
Although it is the most used and easy option, you have to limit fruit juices and sugary drinks in general.
Lastly, between meals, avoids give the child another type of food (for example cookies) so as not to take away your appetite and so that when it is time for lunch or dinner you are not hungry.