More Stages of Babies' Food

Once your babies eat rice cereal without difficulty for a couple of weeks, you can introduce baby-food vegetables. Offer one type of vegetable for a few days at a time so you can give each baby a chance to get used to the taste of a new food. This method also allows you to detect the off ending agent if one of them develops an intolerance or allergic reaction to a food item. Possible signs of food intolerance include vomiting, diarrhea, excessive irritability, or development of a rash. Once your babies have tried a variety of vegetables, you can add fruits.

Offer one new food item for a few days before adding another. You can also slowly increase solid-food feedings from one to three times a day over a period of several months. When your babies can sit well alone and can pick up objects between their thumb and forefinger, you can introduce some finger foods.

Babies typically reach this milestone anywhere between nine and ten months of age. Finger foods help strengthen your children's feeding abilities as well as their fine motor skills (finger dexterity and strength).

My favorite finger foods for babies this age include softly cooked, chopped-up vegetables such as carrots, pumpkin, and potatoes. Be sure to cook vegetables enough so that they easily mash with little pressure. Ripe, diced bananas are also popular at this age. Other favorites include well-cooked pasta pieces, baby cereal bars, and soft breads such as homemade cornbread, biscuits, or bran muffins.

You can add foods such as soft tofu squares, grated mild cheese, and minced chicken for protein. By around one year of age, many babies can obtain the majority of their nutrition through eating. You can off er chopped up versions of your family meals at this age, provided that the food is soft or easily chewable. Formula-fed babies can start whole milk at one year as long as they are capably eating a variety of foods. You can also start moving away from bottles and make the transition to sippy cups at this age.

Take Your Time As you feed your twins, remember that solid foods will not replace the important nutrition in breast milk and formula until they reach around twelve months. So do not feel rushed in advancing your babies on solids. Continue to feed your babies breast milk or formula until they are at least one year old in order to ensure they are getting adequate nutrition while they learn to eat. Take your time introducing solids, and let your babies dictate their pace. Take lots of pictures, and enjoy every moment!