When can a baby feed herself?

When my daughter was a baby, I remember struggling to imagine a time in which she would be able to feed herself. Everything that went into her mouth -- breast milk, juice, infant cereal, or pureed vegetables -- only got there with my help. How could I expect her to actually feed herself within just a year or two?

Babies actually learn to feed themselves remarkably quickly, considering the amount of skill and dexterity involved in doing so. Here are some of the most important milestones in your baby's ability to feed herself.

1. Babies begin early attempts at self-feeding around 6 months of age. By the time your baby is 6 months old, he'll likely demonstrate some early signs of his budding ability to feed himself. A baby in this age group might reach for a spoon when he is hungry, and can begin to pick up foods -- probably without reliably carrying them to his mouth. At this stage, the baby will use his upper lip to eat pureed food when it is spoon-fed to him; he will participate actively and voluntarily in being fed.

2. At around 8 months, babies can finger-feed themselves and "chew" with their gums.

Around the time your baby begins crawling, he will start to feed himself by picking up pieces of food and then mashing the pieces with his gums. This is the perfect time to introduce your baby to early finger-foods, including chopped avocado, tofu chunks, puffed rice snacks, Cheerios, and chopped banana. Be wary of potentially allergenic foods and choking hazards, and always supervise your baby's dining at this stage.

3. Young toddlers can easily finger-feed themselves and may begin spoon-feeding. Some time between 12 and 18 months, your baby will have mastered the ability to feed himself using his hands. He will also occasionally attempt to use a spoon or fork himself, although the process is likely to be very messy, and some toddlers will resist this milestone entirely.

4. By age 2, your toddler should feed himself fairly well. By the time your baby approaches his second birthday -- at which point he's so fiercely independent that he isn't really much of a baby -- he should be capable of feeding himself very well with his hands and fingers. He should be very skillful, as well, at using a spoon or fork, although it's likely that he'll still prefer finger-foods due to their convenience.

5. By 3, children should have absolutely mastered self-feeding.

As your child reaches 3 years of age, self-feeding with a spoon or fork should no longer present any difficulty whatsoever. Your child might have a few more spills than an adult or older kid, especially for difficult foods like Jell-O, but should have an almost-grown-up sense of coordination.

Of course, all children develop differently, and children with physical, neurological or cognitive disabilities may not develop these skills on a standard timeline. Talk to your child's pediatrician if your baby seems to be unable to feed herself within the normal range of development.