The First Year Finale

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Baby's First Year

9-12 Months

The First Year Finale
by Christen Claytor

You’re in the final stretch of year one, but first you have eating, sleeping and behavioral changes to contend with. Buckle up for the final stretch.

EATING
Formula or breast milk continues to play an important nutritional role for the entire first year. Until children reach a year, many health professionals feel that new foods should still be introduced one at a time, with a few days in between so that it is easier to recognize any signs of food allergies and be able to identify which food(s) caused them. And remember don’t give your baby cow's milk, or foods that are more likely to cause reactions (such as peanut products or egg whites), until after they reach the one year milestone.

As your baby is getting around more on his own and eating more baby foods and table foods, breast feedings and bottle feedings will start to decline. Additionally, babies this age often would rather explore than be held and fed. If you are wondering if it is time to give up nursing altogether, you can base your decision on your own wishes, as well as your child's interest (or disinterest). Some mothers feel hurt by their baby's refusal to nurse. Don’t be. It's important to realize that it's not a rejection. It's just one of the many milestones of this period as a child heads towards greater independence. If, however, you wish to continue to breastfeed, rest assured that babies often go through a phase of disinterest, but if you bear with them, they will continue to breastfeed up to a year of age and beyond. The American Academy of Pediatrics actually recommends that babies be breastfed for the first year of life, and although a large percentage of breastfeeding mothers do stop before a year, the choice is yours.

While it is not that common for a one-year-old to be completely weaned off a bottle, introducing the cup as a fascinating and wonderful object between 9 and 12 months is a great way to insure that the transition will go more smoothly. At the same time as you offer a cup, make the bottle less interesting by filling it with plain water. The before-bed bottle is usually the last to go. Be sure to clean your baby's teeth between bottle and bedtime each night by running a clean wash cloth or soft bristled toothbrush (without toothpaste) over them, and never leave an empty bottle in your baby's mouth.

SLEEPING
The amount a baby sleeps in any given 24-hour period tends to change only slightly between 6 and 12 months, varying only by half an hour by the first birthday (14 1/2 hours on average at 6 months, 13 1/2 hours at a year). The most common pattern of sleep at this age, if in fact a baby has learned to sleep well through the night, is a 10- to 11-hour stretch at night, and two daytime naps that gradually decrease in length. On occasion, some babies will also take a short third nap in the evening. That's not to say, however, that all babies are great sleepers at this age. More than a few have never mastered the skill of sleeping through the night, and even those who have been sleeping like babies will sometimes start waking up again as they become increasingly aware of their surroundings and decide that they want to test what happens when they call out at night. Maintaining a good bedtime routine--such as feeding, bathing, changing into pajamas, and reading books--can help your child anticipate bedtime and fall asleep more easily.

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