Your 37-Week-Old Baby
Everything you need for self-feeding and what to know about flu shots.
By Babylist Staff
What You Need for Baby’s Self Feeding
No mealtime is complete without your zooming airplane spoon of pureed veggies (with sound effects, of course). But now it’s time to hand your kiddo the reigns and let them try to feed themselves (Take cover!)
While most of the food may miss their mouth at first, self-feeding with utensils is a great way to boost fine motor skills and encourage independence. Plus, banging the spoon incessantly on the high chair tray is a trick kids really love.
Choose utensils with texturized handles so it’s easy for your baby to grip. And stick to just spoons for now. Tots aren’t quite ready to master forks until they’re about 18 months old. Keep in mind: soft-tipped baby spoons are designed to be gentle on gums and they’re sized perfectly for tiny mouthfuls.
If your baby isn’t down with the whole utensil-to-mouth thing yet, continue to feed them yourself (and offer lots of finger foods, too). Teach them to say “ahh” as they open their mouth wide. Soon enough, they’ll be a pro.
Now that your baby is expanding their palate, it’s time to expand your collection of feeding gear. Stock the cabinets with our favorite must-haves that make mealtime easier:
Do Babies Need Flu Shots?
If you’ve ever had the flu, you know firsthand that you don’t want your baby to ever feel its wrath. The flu virus is a serious condition that spreads easily and can cause all sorts of complications, even in healthy children. Getting a flu vaccine is the best way to prevent catching the flu, and it reduces the risk of a child being hospitalized due to the flu.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children six months and older get a yearly influenza vaccine. This should be given as soon as the vaccine is available each year (late summer/early fall). If you decide to get one for your child, your pediatrician will administer it in two doses, given at least four weeks apart.
While there is a nasal spray version of the vaccine available for children two and older, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the injectable flu vaccine as the primary choice for children because it has provided the most consistent protection against all strains of the flu virus in recent years.
As with any vaccine, your baby may experience side effects, including soreness, redness, tenderness or swelling at the injection site, a low-grade fever, headache and muscle aches.
To keep everyone in your house healthy during flu season, grownups should consider getting vaccinated too. Aside from going to your doctor’s office, most local pharmacies offer walk-in flu shots and many pediatricians give flu vaccines to parents at the time of their baby’s visit. And be sure to wash those hands thoroughly and often!
