I found that this stage of feeding to be the most confusing for parents because its hard to really pin point exactly what is safe in terms of texture and size of finger food for each individual child. There is room for interpretation. The rule of thumb is sitting unsupported, crawling (belly off of ground) and using a pincer grasp (picking up objects with you thumb and forefinger).
Purées are easy because you just pulverize the food until its completed smooth (no lumps and not to thick). It is quite easy with low margin for error. There is a much less risk of choking and parents find purée foods easy to prepare and stress free. Some parents follow more of a baby led weaning approach and completely skip purées and jump to finger foods and then table foods. I like a mixed approach. I see a lot of parents who get stuck in the purée rut and can’t seem to move past it. Then introduction of finger foods are then delayed (other then puffs and cereals) thus resulting in a delay of table foods. Whatever your approach you have to take your babies led when starting finger foods. You child should be crawling and definitely sitting with good head, neck and trunk support prior to starting solid and finger foods. If you are concerned about your child’s head/neck and trunk support which impacts sitting and crawling please consult your pediatrician as intervention may be needed to assist with these physical developments. It is too difficult for a infant to attempt to feed when impaired head/neck and trunk support as they will be unable to safely manage the food intake. This can place your child at a choking risk.
For the most part finger feeding should begin with small pieces of foods that can be mashed between the gums. Some examples would be cut-up banana, cut-up avocado, pouched/steamed cut-up peaches, pouched/steamed cut-up pears, pouched/steamed cut-up apples, pieces of soft pancake, pieces of soft breads, skinned cut-up blueberries, small pieces of cubed tofu, small pieces of a muffin, small pieces of soft cheeses like mozzarella and cheddar, small pieces of broccoli florets.
If your unsure about the size of pieces then start really small and work your way up as tolerated. Its recommended to stay away from small foods like rice, peas and grapes in the beginning of finger food introduction. It’s important to remember to introduce each food individually for allergy concerns.
Ideally you want to have your LO pick up these small pieces and place them into his/her mouth. In the beginning he/she will need a little guidance and miss a lot but with practice he/she will be eating these pieces faster then you can place them on his/her feeding tray. If at any point your concerned about choking -stop and consult your pediatrician. This stage of feeding is risky because your child is learning how to chew and manage textures and solids. It’s very important for parents and caregivers to have training in choking and CPR of an infant because of these risks.
Check out some infant choking and CPR classes at the American Red Cross. http://www.redcross.org/
Some beginning finger foods. Banana, baby pancake, blueberries and cottage cheese with cherry sauce. Break-up soft solids into small mashable pieces and peel blueberries. Your LO is sure to enjoy!DS
The above is the opinion of this writer. This should not take the place of your pediatrician. You should always consult your pediatrician for medical advise regarding introduction of feedings and related issues. Tinyseedsfeeding was not compensated for this post.