Your 6 to 12 month old’s hunger & fullness cues

Your 6 to 12 month old’s hunger & fullness cues

Your 6 to 12 month old’s hunger & fullness cues

Solid Food For 6 Month Old
Article
Apr 26, 2016
2 mins

Understanding your baby's hunger & fullness cues. Learn to identify when to feed and when they're full.

From 6 to 7 months

Knowing when to feed

At this stage, your baby’s menu may have expanded to include more cereals and baby food varieties. His excitement over food can turn mealtime into a fun, playful experience for the both of you. Take advantage of it.

Hunger signs

  • Still cries or fusses when hungry for milk or desires food.
  • Reaches for spoonfuls of food.
  • Opens mouth and leans in toward bowl or spoon.
  • Stares at you while eating as if to say “I’m not done yet.”

TOP TIPDon’t force more food than your baby seems to want. Respect that he knows when he’s full.

Knowing when he’s full

Whether breast-, bottle- or spoon-feeding, your baby makes his wishes known when he’s full.

Fullness signs

  • Turns his head from the nipple, if it’s breast or bottle.
  • Leans away from the food and may push the spoon away.
  • Clenches his mouth shut and doesn’t allow you to feed him.
  • Spits out food that he likes.
  • Pushes away the bowl or whatever food is there.
  • Slows down the pace, gets distracted and looks elsewhere.
  • Falls asleep while feeding.

 

From 8 to 12 months

Knowing when to feed

It’s important to recognise hunger and fullness cues because a baby’s tummy is small. Although your baby’s portions may seem tiny, he eats less, but more frequently than you do. You are learning his cues for hunger and fullness, and he is learning how to respond to your behaviour.

Hunger signs

  • Kicking his legs and banging on the high chair tray says “Hurry up with the food, Mum.”
  • Putting fingers in his mouth and fussing, which lets you know he may be hungry.
  • Carefully watches as you prepare his food, and is excited when you present it.
  • Reaches for food when he sees it says “time to eat.”
  • Eats with full attention on you and anticipates the next bite.

TOP TIPIt is your job as a parent to provide healthy foods. It is your child’s job to decide what and how much to eat.

Knowing when he’s full

Your baby usually makes his wishes known when he’s full.

Fullness signs

  • Turns his head or leans away from the spoon.
  • Shuts his mouth tight and shakes his head “no” to say he’s had enough.
  • Pushes away his bowl and tries to knock the spoon from your hand.
  • No longer appears interested in eating and looks away from you.

Related articles

View details Time for Finger Foods
Article
Time for Finger Foods

Time for Finger Foods

Enjoying finger food

5 mins to read

View details Emotional development in Your Baby
Article
Emotional development in Your Baby

Emotional development in Your Baby

Your baby is discovering their emotions from birth.

3 mins to read

View details Acidified foods: Good just like your mother said!
Article
Yoghurt

Acidified foods: Good just like your mother said!

Did you know…. More than 8000 years ago our ancestors made bread, beer and wine through fermentation. 

5 mins to read

View details Setting the stage for his first taste
Article
Setting the stage for his first taste

Setting the stage for his first taste

Here are a few tips for getting your baby ready to take that first spoonful of baby food.

5 mins to read

View details The Explorer Eater from around seven months
Article
The Explorer Eater from around seven months

The Explorer Eater from around seven months

When your baby has successfully learned to eat solid food, he is ready to explore new tastes.

5 mins to read

View details Baby meal planner 8 to 10 months
Article
Baby meal planner 8 to 10 months

Baby meal planner 8 to 10 months

Around 8-10 months, increase the variety and texture of foods for your baby.

1 min to read

View details Weaning
Article
Weaning

Weaning

THE WEANING GUIDE: INTRODUCING SOLIDS

 

2 mins to read

View details The Confident Eater from around nine months
Article
The Confident Eater from around nine months

The Confident Eater from around nine months

As your baby develops his chewing and swallowing ability, he is now ready to take on more challenging, richer tastes and textures.

5 mins to read

View details Baby meal planner 10 to 12 months
Article
baby_meal_planner_10_to_12_months2.jpg

Baby meal planner 10 to 12 months

Around 10-12 months, babies are ready for harder finger foods & self-feeding. 

1 min to read

View details The learner eater from around six months
Article
The Learner Eater from around six months

The learner eater from around six months

The choice of your baby’s first solid food is very important. It must be suitable for her developing digestive system and be finely textured and easy to swallow.

5 mins to read

View details How to handle choking
Article
How to handle choking

How to handle choking

A new texture, taken for the first time, may make your baby gag out of surprise.

5 mins to read

View details Your guide to starting solids
Article
Your guide to starting solids

Your guide to starting solids

Now the adventure really starts, introducing solid foods to your baby is a lot of fun as they adjust to new tastes and textures

2 mins to read

View details Making your home safe
Article
Making your home safe

Making your home safe

Safety Tips

5 mins to read

View details First spoonfeeding experience
Article
First spoonfeeding experience

First spoonfeeding experience

Choose a spoon that is small and smooth-edged. You may find plastic or rubberised spoons easier to use.

5 mins to read

View details Babies food choices
Article
Babies food choices

Babies food choices

A quiz for mums of 6-7 month olds

5 mins to read

View details Healthy Growth
Article
Healthy Growth

Healthy Growth

How a baby is fed may be as important as what foods are offered. Your baby is growing in leaps and bounds. The first year, a baby multiplies his weight by 3 and his size increases by 50%!

1 min to read

View details A day in your 6 to 7 month old’s diet
Article
A day in your 6 to 7 month old’s diet

A day in your 6 to 7 month old’s diet

This sample day was created by registered dieticians to help meet the nutrition goals for your 6 to 7 month old baby.

5 mins to read

View details Make every bite count
Article
CERELAC from 9 months

Make every bite count

Your baby will drink as much breastmilk as he needs, and from 6 – 12 months...

5 mins to read

View details At six months
Article
At six months

At six months

At this stage, baby’s development is on ‘fast-forward’. It’s an ideal time for sitting up and looking around. So, what’s the most interesting thing for baby right now? Baby’s mouth!

5 mins to read