Feeding

When you feed your baby you are doing a lot more than providing the nutrition to support her physical growth. You are also nurturing her social, emotional and intellectual growth.
If your baby could talk:When I let you know I'm hungry and you come with food, that tells me that you understand my needs and will respond to them. I'm still not too good at waiting so I'll probably fuss. I love being cuddled while I eat. But I also love to explore - find out what's going on around me. So I may pull away to see who else is around, or to find out where all the noise is coming from. I'll also want to grab your fingers and your clothing, or just look up at you with an ear-to-ear smile. When I coo at you, coo back. When it's your turn to eat, it's really interesting to watch. I'll be eating solids soon and will want to feed myself, so let me play with a spoon. Later, when I'm big enough, give me little bits of soft food that I can pick up by myself. For right now, just give me an interesting rattle to chew on. Mealtime is more than just food; it's time to take it all in and to explore and feel close to you.
What your baby is learning:Responding when your baby "tells" you she's hungry teaches her that you will always be there for her. She knows she is important and deserves to be well cared for. Her trust in you allows her to focus her energy on exploration. Each time you respond to your baby's coos and babbles you are telling her that she's a good communicator, that she's deserving of your attention, and that she can make things happen by making sounds. While it can be messy, letting your baby explore her food helps her eventually learn to feed herself. This builds her confidence that she can take care of herself and prepares her to take on new challenges.
What you can do:
Talk with her while you are preparing her food, whether you are getting ready to breastfeed, fixing a bottle or getting her solids ready. This helps her learn words and can also help her wait.
Make it a point to touch and stroke your baby whenever you can. This kind of physical connection is important for her emotional growth.