Mealtime Activity: Birth to 4 Months

During feedings, hold your baby in a position where you can easily make eye contact. Talk to her, using her name and names of other important things or people in her world (e.g., name of pet, etc.). You can also sing simple, classic songs to her, such as Baa Baa Black Sheep. While burping her, walk or dance slowly about the room, talking about objects from her point of view. Maintain as much skin-to-skin contact as possible during feeding times, as this will make her feel safe and secure.

Possible Intervention Strategies & Supports

• Alternate sides in which your baby is held during feedings so that her head has opportunities to rotate in both the right and left direction.

• Provide "tummy time" opportunities several times a day (when supervised and awake) to help strengthen your baby's upper body and neck muscles. To support her while in the tummy time position, roll up a small towel and place it under her shoulders with her elbows in front of the towel. You can also put interesting things to look at in front of her, such as a small mirror.

• If your baby is having difficulty with getting her suck started, gently press downward on her tongue with the nipple and slowly move it in and out of her mouth. If she has leakage during nippling, you can provide soft cheek and chin support with your hand to encourage more mouth closure.

• If another caregiver is in the room, involve both individuals in speaking and naming items. Help your baby to track, or follow, the other person's voice as s/he changes locations in the room by turning her so that she is facing the speaker.

Tips

Babies give signals when they’re getting hungry, such as stretching and making sucking and other lip movements with their mouths. Learning your baby's signals will allow you to begin feeding more promptly, avoiding the need to soothe a crying baby before being able to get her to eat! When your baby stops sucking, closes her mouth, or turns away from the nipple or bottle, she might be full, or may simply need a break. Try burping her or waiting a minute before offering your breast or the bottle again. Also, be sure to keep things dark and quiet when she wakes up during the night. This will help teach her that it's time for sleeping, not playing.

Family Handout

Click here to download an editable one-page handout of this age range's mealtime activity, interventions, and tips.