How to puree frozen fruit for baby food

Homemade Baby Food Fruits and Vegetables FAQ page. Learn about preparing fruits and vegetables for homemade baby food, find answers to common questions about Preparing, Storing and Making Homemade Baby Food from Fruit and Vegetables

1. Why do you have recipes to cook fruit?

Can I give my baby raw fruits? Many pediatric sources recommend cooking fruits until baby is about 8 months old. Bananas and avocado are an exception. For infants who start solids prior to 6 months old, cooking fruits is recommended. Cooking fruits breaks them down thus enabling easier digestion in an immature tummy.An older baby will be better able to handle the fibers and sugars of raw fruits than will the baby who is younger and just starting on solids.The “skins” of the fruits should always be peeled, especially prior to 8 months old. Infants who are fed fruits that have been pureed raw, with skin/peel on, may not have any issues with digesting those fruits. There are no immediate life threatening health risk to a baby fed raw fruits however, you may find baby has some digestion and tummy troubles. This should pass once the fruit itself has been passed.Depending on the doctor to whom you are speaking, this recommendation may vary with age. Some doctors may say cooking fruits is not necessary at all.

NOTE: Peeled raw & ripe fruits are perfectly fine in a baby safe feeder. Why? The amount of fruit that your baby will actually manage to eat from the Baby Safe Feeder is very small. There is a difference between spoon feeding a baby fruit and allowing a baby to suck on fruit from the Feeder.

2. Peeling Fruits & Veggies – Do I peel fruits & veggies for homemade baby food?

Please visit our Peeling Fruits & Veggies page to learn more

3. Fresh Frozen or Canned vegetables and fruits for baby food?

It is always best to use Fresh whenever possible and whenever fresh is truly fresh. Using Frozen foods is the second best choice. Caveat: read the labels as many frozen vegetables contain added salt and frozen fruits may contain syrups.

Why Not Canned Fruits and Vegetables for use in Homemade Baby Food Recipes? Canned vegetables and fruits for making homemade baby foods are not recommended for several reasons. Please read our Using Canned Food for Homemade Baby Food article to learn more.

4. Can I use Frozen Vegetables or Frozen Fruits in Homemade Baby Food Puree Form?

Yes – You can use frozen fruits and vegetables to make your homemade baby food recipes. Frozen fruits and vegetables for making homemade baby food may be a better alternative than fresh. Frozen fruits and veggies may be more fresh than fresh. Many sources and food authorities say that oftentimes frozen foods are more “fresh” than fresh. Were you to have the choice between a soft, bruised and less than Fresh acorn squash versus frozen squash to make homemade baby food, the choice for many people would be to purchase the Frozen squash.

Further, many fruits and vegetables that are seasonal may be unavailable as fresh and using their frozen counterparts is acceptable. There is some debate about using Frozen foods to make baby food. There are a few books that do not recommend using frozen foods and then re-freezing those veggies or fruits. The recommendation in those books advocate that only 100% fresh foods be used for homemade baby foods.
Oftentimes, those same books will recommend that only Organic foods should be used and that anything other than Organic and Fresh isn’t good and should be avoided entirely. This is untrue and sadly, often scares parents away from making their own baby food.

In a “perfect” situation, Organic and Fresh this is the BEST choice by far. However, there are many parents who do not and will not have economical or logistical access to only fresh fruits and vegetables (or Organic, locally farmed meats) than there are parents who do. In this instance, using frozen is far better than using canned.

5. Choosing Frozen Vegetables and Frozen Fruits for Homemade Baby Food

When choosing frozen veggies, look for those that contain no salt. If you cannot find any veggies that are salt-free, simply give the veggies a good rinsing prior to cooking them. When choosing frozen fruits, try to find those that are not frozen in syrups or other sugars.

There many fruits such as peaches, melons, avocado, blueberries and strawberries that are frozen “au natural” with citric or ascorbic acid being a possible additive. Frozen fruits should be cooked prior to pureeing and then freezing. You may wither steam or bake the fruits. If your baby is old enough to be served fruits that do not need to be cooked, take out the appropriate amount of fruits from the freezer bag, puree or mash and then store in the fridge for up to 72 hours.

ALWAYS ensure that you are not feeding baby directly from the bowl and then storing the bowl you fed from back in the fridge – take out the portion you will feed, put it into baby’s bowl and then put the bowl of food back into the fridge.

More about using Frozen Vegetables and Frozen Fruits for Homemade Baby Food

Do I cook the frozen fruits and veggies?

Frozen veggies/fruits are typically NOT cooked prior to freezing and packaging; hence why you have to cook and not just warm them. When you freeze purees that you have made from frozen veggies or fruits, you have cooked those veggies/fruits. Odds are that prior to freezing, those same foods have been picked at the peak of freshness and “flash” frozen for optimal taste and nutrient preservation.

It’s safe to freeze foods that have been frozen AND cooked

Refreezing foods that have been thawed but not cooked, is not safe nor is it recommended.

For example, if you thaw out a roast, you then cook it and freeze the leftovers for another meal – this is ok and safe. If you were to thaw that same roast and then change your mind and toss it back in the freezer without cooking it, this is bad and could pose a health risk.

Bacteria will grow at a variety of different temperatures – temps close to freezing and even right to the boiling point of water. Bacteria that grow best at the middle of these temp ranges are mesophiles; those that are human pathogens and opportunists.

Is there a loss of nutrients with freezing?

Truth is, more nutrients are lost in the cooking of foods than are lost in the freezing of foods. Remember, the frozen fruits/veggies that you purchase have not been precooked (unless otherwise indicated on the label – do not buy these types if you find them). When you cook the frozen vegetable, it is the first time that that vegetable has been cooked.

Read more at our Freezing Homemade Baby Food Page

6. Should I Only Use Organic Foods?

Organic foods are healthier than most conventionally grown foods. This is due to the lack of, or a significant reduction in, chemicals and pesticides that are in and on foods that are grown organically. Buying and preparing Organic foods for homemade baby food has great health advantages for those infants. Their tiny bodies are not exposed to the levels of pesticides that are found in conventional foods.Pound for pound, an infant consumes more pesticides due to body size. When serving “nitrate” vegetables, the levels of nitrates in Organics are significantly reduced though not 100 percent eradicated (Nitrates are naturally occurring and farming without using nitrogen fertilizers does not eliminate nitrate concentration).

7. How Long Can I Keep Fruit & Vegetable Baby Food Purees in the Refrigerator?

It is recommended that fresh pureed homemade baby food be stored no longer than 48 hours (many food safety authorities say that 72 hour is fine.) in the refrigerator. This limit ensures that bacteria growth in the puree is kept to a minimum and that the food does not take on the “taste of the fridge”. This “rule” applies for veggies, fruits, meats etc.

If you do not plan to freeze your homemade baby food, we would suggest that you make the puree on a day to day, or every other day, basis. For example, one sweet potato may be baked and then you may freeze one half without pureeing it and then puree the other half. This method will help cut down “waste” and also allow for food safety.

8. Breast Milk and Formula for Making Fruit & Vegetable Purees

You should not use Previously Frozen Breast Milk to thin purées that you will then be freezing into baby food cubes.

Breast Milk should never be re-frozen in any way or form. Using formula to thin and then freeze purées is acceptable.

Formula companies warn that you do not freeze Infant Formula due to a separation of the formula and not due to any health or nutritional risks. Keep in mind that the amount of formula used in purées is not equal to feeding an infant a bottle of formula.

“Freezing of any Enfamil formula is NOT recommended. Freezing infant formula can lead to physical property changes like fat separation, which may prove difficult for sensitive infants to digest. Freezing will not extend the expiration date of the formula.” “Freezing of our products may cause loss of desirable appearance and functionality (though not nutrition), and is not recommended.” Clinical Frequently Asked Questions, Storing Enfamil

You may wish to mash or puree your baby foods and freeze without thinning with any liquid. Should you decide to do this, you simply thaw the “un-thinned” food cubes and then thin the food cubes to the desired texture that your infant requires.

For more information, visit our Blog topic on using Formula in Baby Food Recipes

9. Best Cooking Methods for Fruit & Vegetable Purees

Baking, steaming or boiling in scant amounts of water is the best way to allow the vegetables to become soft while maintaining the nutrients. Use the leftover water to puree for optimal nutrient preservation. We prefer to bake fruits and veggies whenever possible as baking or roasting will enhance and bring out the flavor of the foods.

Be sure to cook frozen veggies as well, according to the package instructions and then puree as you would if you were using fresh veggies. When cooking vegetables that may contain nitrates, you might want to puree with water other than which the spinach/carrot/broccoli etc. was cooked in.

10. When do I Thin the Fruit & Vegetable Puree?

You may thin your purees either before or after freezing them. It really is an individual choice and is dependant on what you will be using as your liquid (previously frozen breast milk for example should never be re-frozen. ), many parents find it easier to thin their purees and then freeze. When baby moves on to more texture, it may be easier to simply freeze the purees and then thin upon thawing if needed.

Read about Thinning and Thickening Homemade Baby Food

RELATED ARTICLES:

Transitioning to Sippy Cups between ages 6 months to 12 months.
Solid Food Stages & Feeding First SolidsMonth Range of Feeding Stages & Tips for Feeding First Solid Foods.
Introducing Solid Foods by Age Chart for information about what food to avoid and what foods are appropriate for certain ages.
How Much Food Should Your Baby Eat? Read our article and ease your mind.
Is My Baby Ready for Solids? Explore some key signs and points about the readiness for solid, complementary feedings.

Remember, always consult with your pediatrician regarding introducing solid foods to your baby and specifically discuss any foods that may pose allergy risks for your baby.

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Puree and Simple: Make Your Own Baby Food

“You make your own baby food?” a puzzled mom asks me.

“Yes, it’s no big deal,” I say.

“But aren’t you busy?”

Busy? Yes! I have two jobs and a baby . . . and I still have time to make baby food! It’s not that hard.

Most of the moms I’ve met seem to think there’s some kind of mystique to those little glass jars. But I make my own baby food, and here’s my secret: It’s cheap, quick and easy. Anyone with a stove, a blender and a freezer can do it.

Homemade vs. jarred

“People never think of [making baby food],” says Edmonds physician Ann Begert. “It’s healthier; you can use better stuff, and it tastes better.” That’s because commercial processing takes the flavor out of baby food, Begert says. “Have you ever tasted it? It doesn’t taste good. I don’t know how babies eat it.”

Feeding guidelines for homemade baby food are the same as for jarred, says Begert. “I tell people to start with rice cereal, but then they can use fruits and vegetables.” Begert suggests parents feed babies green vegetables so they develop a taste for them. For picky eaters, lean toward sweeter foods, which kids tend to like more readily.

Do you need to go organic? Not necessarily, according to Begert. Organic produce costs more, and may not be necessary. “We don’t have good data about what bad things are in [nonorganic] food,” Begert says. “Organic is preferential if you can afford it, but it’s not the end of the world if you can’t.” The rule of thumb for choosing conventionally farmed produce over organic starts with considering the thickness and edibility of the skin. In general, it’s best to buy organic thin-skinned or edible-skinned produce. Thick-skinned produce doesn’t tend to absorb as many chemicals into the edible part of the fruit.

How to make it

To make baby food, start with fresh or frozen vegetables. Frozen organic veggies are cheaper and easier to use than fresh, and they retain most of their nutrients in the freezing process, according to the Department of Agriculture. Plus, they don’t require much cooking because they’re already fairly soft. Fresh vegetables typically have more nutrients, but require a little more work (washing, chopping, etc.).

To begin, prep fresh vegetables for cooking or open a package of frozen veggies. Steam vegetables in a steam basket or microwave in an inch of water, covered with a wet paper towel until soft. Once they’re cooked, drain them; pop them in the blender or food processor and purée. If you use a blender, you may need to add a little water to make a smoother purée. Voila! Ready to eat.

Here’s a nifty trick for preserving leftovers: Pour them into an ice cube tray and freeze, then pop out the cubes and store in a freezer bag. Each cube makes a nice little serving.

Watching for allergies

As you introduce a new food, offer it for all meals, for three or four days in a row, Dr. Begert advises. That way, if your child has an allergic reaction to a food — signs include a rash, diarrhea and fussiness — you’ll be able to easily tell which food it is.

The most common food allergens are strawberries, nuts, eggs and milk, says Begert. “That’s why we don’t feed them to kids until they’re a year old.” Allergies are also the reason doctors don’t recommend feeding solids to babies younger than 6 months. And parents with family histories of food allergies should be more prudent. “If you have a severe nut allergy in the family, don’t test it at home,” Begert says. Doctors are more than willing to test children at risk for severe allergies in the examination room.

As baby grows, you can skip the blender and cut cooked vegetables or fruit into small pieces as needed. Pieces should be smaller than half of a peanut, says Begert, to avoid choking.

Maria Bellos Fisher is a freelance writer, blogger and baby food chef. Find her blog, Hereditary Insanity, at mariabellosfisher.com/blog.

Sweet treats
Sweet potatoes and butternut squash can be sweet treats for baby. Squash can be steamed, but roasting it in the oven will concentrate the sugars. For butternut squash, halve the squash, scoop out seeds, lay skin side up on a greased cookie sheet and bake for one hour. Squash is done when a fork pierces skin and flesh easily. Remove skin and purée.

For sweet potatoes, pierce skin several times and bake on a pan at 350 degrees for one hour (or less for smaller potatoes). They’re ready when they feel soft and the skin separates easily from the flesh. Remove skin and purée.

More tips on making homemade baby food.

Frozen puree - preparation of vegetables and fruits for children for the winter » Suseki

Skwerl - Oct 12th, 2016

Categories: Freezing

Tags: Baby Puree, Frozen Pears, Freezing Vegetables, Apricot Puree, Pumpkin Puree, Blueberry Puree, Applesauce

trace elements. In summer, this is easy to do, there are many fresh vegetables and fruits, and in winter you need to come up with alternative options. A large number of manufacturers offer a wide range of ready-made baby purees, but are they really that good? After all, we do not know exactly what is in their composition, whether the technology of preparation and storage of products is correctly observed. And even if everything is fine there, then such a puree consists not only of vegetables and fruits, but at least sugar and thickeners are added there. So how to be? The answer is simple - make your own puree and store it in the freezer. nine0009 You can freeze in the form of puree absolutely any fruit, vegetable or even meat that a child can eat.

Ingredients: meat, vegetables, fruits
Time for laying: summer, autumn

Content

1 Furifier of vegetables
2 Fruit fruit
3 Features of storage
4 consumption of frozen children's puree

Freeze vegetable puree

Most often, mothers prefer to freeze seasonal vegetables, such as: zucchini, pumpkin, rhubarb, celery, green peas, cauliflower, broccoli, spring carrots, spinach. In order to freeze mashed vegetables, you must first bring these same vegetables to readiness. In this case, stewing vegetables is most suitable, this allows you to save more vitamins than boiling. It is necessary to cook each vegetable separately and strictly observe the cooking time, so the zucchini will be ready in 15 minutes, and carrots or cauliflower will need 7-10 minutes more. You can also add pre-cooked meat to vegetables, children love this puree very much. Immediately after cooking, while still hot, it is necessary to turn the vegetables into a puree using a blender or by rubbing through a sieve, put them in a clean, dry dish and send them to the freezer. nine0003

Freezing fruit puree

Fruit puree is even easier to prepare than vegetable puree. To prepare it, you just need to thoroughly wash the fruit, peel and puree them in any convenient way. Most often, mothers prefer to prepare mashed potatoes for their babies from apricots, peaches, plums, pears, apples. You can prepare a combined puree, for example, apple puree with blueberries, strawberries, currants or raspberries. These fruits lend themselves well to freezing and do not lose their taste and useful properties. nine0003

Storage features

When it comes to baby food, it is very important to follow the food storage technology so as not to harm the baby. It must be remembered that baby puree cannot be re-frozen, so it is necessary to use dishes that fit only one serving. These can be jars of store-bought mashed potatoes, small plastic containers, ice molds. If there was a power outage and the products melted, they will have to be thrown away, it is not safe to give this to a baby (

Consuming frozen baby puree

To feed a child with frozen vegetable or meat and vegetable puree, you need to take out one serving and heat it in a water bath or microwave to the desired temperature, add a little butter or vegetable oil and you can eat.

Fruit puree is simply enough to defrost at room temperature, without cooking. Fruits and vegetables in the form of puree are successfully combined with various cereals, cottage cheese and kefir and make these dishes more attractive for little gourmets. nine0003

See video: How to make pumpkin puree

How to freeze cucumbers for the winter in the freezer: 6 ways to freeze

How to freeze horseradish for the winter in the freezer: ways to freeze root and leaf horseradish

Frozen peas: 4 ways to freeze green peas for the winter at home

How to freeze meatballs - a simple recipe for homemade convenience foods

How to freeze fresh tomatoes for the winter - all ways to freeze a tomato

Baby puree at home: recipes

Baby puree from vegetables and fruits at home: cooking secrets

Vegetable and fruit puree often becomes the first meal of the baby after breast milk or milk formula, so many mothers prefer to cook it on their own. Although modern manufacturers convince us that baby food is devoid of preservatives and harmful additives, fresh vegetables and fruits are much healthier, especially when it comes to infant nutrition. Yes, and cooking baby puree at home is not so difficult. nine0003

Vegetables or fruits?

Let's try to make baby puree for our beloved baby. Despite the fact that pediatricians of the last century recommended starting complementary foods with fruits, it is better to first introduce the child to vegetables - modern doctors and nutritionists have come to this conclusion. Boiled vegetables do not irritate the gastrointestinal tract, are better absorbed, satisfy hunger, do not cause allergies and increased gas formation. In addition, vegetables do not contain fructose, which irritates the pancreas. And one more weighty argument in favor of the fact that it is better to start with vegetables - fruits are tastier, and if the baby tries them first, he will refuse vegetables, because they will seem to him more insipid. nine0003

How to prepare baby vegetable puree

What can baby puree be made of? The ideal puree for the first feeding is from cauliflower or zucchini. A little later, you can introduce pumpkin, broccoli, carrots, potatoes and green peas. Before cooking, vegetables are washed well, peeled, cut into pieces and cooked - steamed, in the oven or in the usual way, in water. The first two methods are preferable because oven roasting and steaming preserve the vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and natural color in the vegetables. And most importantly - such vegetables are much tastier. Some nutritionists recommend boiling vegetables with their skins on before peeling them, so choose your own cooking method. nine0003

If you do have to cook vegetables in a saucepan, use an enamel pot, add less water and dip the vegetables into boiling water. Boil until soft, but do not overcook vegetables and fruits, otherwise they will become tasteless and lose a lot of vitamins. Ready vegetables are chopped with a blender until smooth and slightly diluted with water, vegetable broth, breast milk or mixture to a gruel state, since the child does not yet know how to digest thick food. Small pieces of vegetables in puree sometimes cause the baby to refuse to eat, so the knives in the blender should be well sharpened, and if there is no technique, you can grind the vegetables through a sieve. Salt and spices are usually not added to baby vegetable puree, and if the baby is more than 6 months old, you can put a little butter in the puree. nine0003

A few rules for making baby puree at home

Use only fresh vegetables and fruits.
Water for cooking vegetables must be filtered or bottled.
If you are using frozen foods, choose only whole fruits and vegetables as they retain the most nutrients.
All utensils for preparing baby food should be perfectly clean, so if the knife falls on the floor, it should be washed well. Also, the presence of pets in the kitchen during the cooking process is not allowed. nine0023
Avoid vegetables and fruits high in nitrates such as spinach, lettuce, beetroot, melon, and watermelon in infants' diets.
Store-bought vegetables are recommended to be soaked in water to remove nitrates: 1-2 hours for this, up to 24 hours for potatoes.
Mix sour-tasting fruits and berries with sweet fruits - for example, blackcurrant goes well with banana or pear. Sour puree is unlikely to please the baby. nine0023
Give your child only fresh food, but yesterday's puree from the refrigerator is better to eat yourself.

DIY fruit puree for children

Children are more likely to eat fruit puree, as fruits are tastier and sweeter. Fruits contain a large amount of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, fiber and antioxidants, so they are very useful for a growing body. However, fruits are strong allergens, especially berries, bananas, pomegranates and apricots, so they should be given with caution, watching the child's reaction. The most low-allergenic fruits are apples and pears, so it is better to start complementary foods with them, and then introduce all other fruits. First, the baby is fed with a one-component puree made from only one product, and then you can mix different vegetables and fruits, and not only among themselves. Very tasty combinations of fruits and vegetables, such as apples and zucchini, pumpkins and pears. nine0003

Fruits must be of good quality, without damage, ripe and juicy, and the rules for preparing fruits do not differ from the rules for cooking vegetables. Naturally, fruit puree is not sweetened with honey and sugar - the later the child learns the taste of sugar, the stronger his health will be.

Aromatic pumpkin puree

Babies love to eat pumpkin because of its pleasant sweetish taste, besides pumpkin is very healthy. It contains a whole storehouse of various vitamins, including vitamin T, which normalizes the metabolism in the body. For pumpkin puree, small pumpkins are suitable, since large fruits are not as tasty and difficult to peel. nine0003

Cut the pumpkin in half, and then into small pieces, one or two of which (depending on the appetite of the crumbs) cut into cubes. Boil the pumpkin in a double boiler or in water for 20 minutes, while warm, beat with a blender to a smooth puree and dilute if necessary with water or a mixture. Add oil and salt depending on the age of the child.

Gentle Broccoli Puree

One of my favorite homemade baby puree recipes is broccoli. This cabbage is extremely useful because it contains potassium, iron, calcium and other valuable substances. It has much more vitamin C than lemon, and the reason for its nutritional value is its high protein content. nine0003

Separate the broccoli into florets, wash thoroughly and steam for 20 minutes. Cabbage cooks faster in water - fresh broccoli will take 7 minutes, and frozen - about 15 minutes. Broccoli puree does not need much water, it should lightly coat the vegetables. After the cabbage becomes soft, chop it in a blender or pass through a sieve. If you're mashing for kids older than a year old, be sure to add butter - the little ones will gobble up broccoli on both cheeks! nine0003

How to make baby pear puree at home

Pear is a very delicate, tasty and healthy fruit that rarely causes intolerance. In addition to the high vitamin value, the pear has other beneficial properties - it facilitates digestion and removes toxins from the body.

For baby food, choose green pears to reduce the risk of allergies, which are rare among babies. Peel the fruits from the peel and core with seeds, and then stew the pear in a bowl with a thick bottom in a small amount of water for 15 minutes. Let the pear cool slightly and puree it in a blender with a little of the remaining pear broth. For large kids, fruits can not be boiled, but add half a teaspoon of natural honey to the puree. nine0003

Zucchini and apple puree

Little gourmets will love this delicious puree, besides, zucchini is considered the most hypoallergenic vegetables, which, due to their high potassium content, have a beneficial effect on the heart. Apples contain iodine, iron and phosphorus, and due to the high concentration of vitamin C, apples help in the prevention of colds and viral infections.

Wash the zucchini and apples well, de-seed them, cut into pieces and cook in a pot for about 20 minutes, considering that zucchini cooks 5 minutes faster. By the way, apples are steamed for 15 minutes, zucchini - 10 minutes. Next, vegetables and fruits are chopped in a blender, mixed and brought to a boil. For allergic children, this is the best side dish! nine0003

Exotic mango

Sometimes you can pamper your baby with exotic fruits - for example, make mango puree. This is a very delicate fruit with an original taste, containing 12 amino acids and improving sleep.

Choose only ripe fruits that are soft and reddish-yellow in color. Peel the mango from a thick skin and a large bone, put the pulp in a blender, add 2 tbsp. l. water and mash it, and then heat it in a saucepan for several minutes. For a baby up to a year old, it is better to give mashed potatoes with heat treatment to facilitate digestion, and older children can be fed raw mangoes. nine0003

Carrot and potato purée

Make regular mashed potatoes without oil. Peel the carrots, grate them and stew them with butter and vegetable broth - about 1 tsp is required for 200 g of carrots. butter and 150 g of broth. When the carrot becomes very soft, wipe it through a sieve, and then put it on a plate, put mashed potatoes on the second half. Let the child choose whether to mix two types of puree for him or eat separately!

Pumpkin and apple puree

This sugar-free sweet pumpkin-apple puree made in a double boiler is suitable for children who are already accustomed to “adult” food and are able to perceive a new unusual dish. It is better to take a pumpkin with a gray or green skin and with bright pulp - such fruits contain more vitamins and other useful substances. Apples are green because they have fewer allergens.

Cut pumpkin and apple flesh without peel or seeds into pieces, place in a double boiler and cook for 20 minutes. Grind pumpkin, apples and raisins in a blender or by hand with a pusher if the child has already learned to chew. They say that this puree is very good for skin and hair, and you can check the truth of this statement yourself if you start feeding this dish to your baby.