Of course, on the topic "How to introduce complementary feeding to an infant" can be said for a long time, considering dozens of options for replenishing its diet. But all these menus are reduced to one thing: after reaching the infant 6 months old, he should receive food that is rich in carbohydrates, vitamins, vegetable proteins, dietary fiber and, of course, minerals.
By the way, because of the age with which to give food to the child, there have always been sharp disputes. Previously, doctors stopped on the option of four months, one now proved inexpedient such a introduction of complementary foods. If you see that your baby does not lag behind in development, adds to weight and grows well - do not try to add it from four months - because your baby is so well. But in case the crumb looks too slim for his age, does not have an excellent appetite, and the tests indicate a lowered level of hemoglobin in the blood - then immediately one should introduce lure, carefully and patiently.
Another doctor often nods at the teeth - they say, nature has ordered that the babies are born without teeth and initially require liquid food. But as soon as the cute mouth decorates the first tooth - this can be considered a beacon of the body that he is ready to take in the diet and more solid food. Although there is a significant "but": the teeth can come out in five and ten months - but in the second case, waiting for their appearance to start feeding is clearly inappropriate.
Remember, new products can be allergens, so watch closely - did the red rash appear on the cheeks or your baby's body, did not the other chair become? If you do not observe any dangerous changes, then you can safely increase the portion of complementary foods twice, the next day. And so bring the amount of new product to about 200 grams. But if you notice the alarming signs that the baby is unwell, temporarily stop giving him a lure, perhaps his body is just not ready for such loads.
If the introduction of complementary foods occurs without complications and incidents, then in a week or so your baby will not eat once a day with a mixture or breast milk, but with a new product for him.
How to correctly introduce complementary foods: when to start?
Just want to note that there is no generally accepted guidance on this issue. Neither regarding the age of the baby, nor about the first foods that you will give him. Some mummies are the first to introduce juice into their kids' diet, others prefer to start with mashed potatoes. Councils of pediatricians in this issue do not always coincide. Clearly only one thing: in mashed potatoes, of course, much more vitamins and other nutrients. However, do not forget that the baby is already so used to liquid food: breastmilk or liquid mixture, that thick mashed potatoes will become for him a very unusual and unusual food. The main thing in lure is not to harm the gastrointestinal tract of crumbs.
Also in the store you can buy ready-made vegetable purees in jars. And some pediatricians advise to buy just such products. After all, the manufacturers of baby food have already surely taken care that only the best quality and fresh products are sent on puree, specially homogenized, so that the composition of the delicacy does not have fibrous fiber 0 because the latter can easily occur allergies.
In the event that it seems to you that your baby is too skinny and frail, you can introduce the first porridge into the supplementary supplement. Start with gluten-free options: rice, buckwheat, corn porridge or oatmeal. There are two options for preparing cereals: you can boil them yourself and rub them, or you can buy a ready-made mush in the store. You will notice how it differs from the "adult" - the contents look like dust, during cooking porridge turns into a thick mass, which is easier to eat the baby. If you decide to give the child porridge - try to feed her before going to bed. After all, this food contributes to the saturation of the body - and you will be sure that the full-grown baby will sleep until morning, without worrying or waking up.
If everything goes well, then by the age of eight months your baby should eat up to five times a day. Approximately two feedings can already be completely replaced by supplement: kefir, kashka or vegetable puree. Within a month and a half you can go to three feedings. At this age, the cottage cheese can already be added to the baby's diet, but in this case you can not overdo it - cottage cheese, although useful, but very heavy on the stomach, so somewhere up to one year old it is not worth giving to his child in quantities of more than 50 grams per day . Nine-month-old baby can also be boldly pampered with fresh fruit. But be careful with the choice: it seems that the market is selling so many useful fruits. Avoid buying a baby exotic - let him start eating something that is familiar, that grows where you live. Beware of bananas, oranges and kiwi, start introducing the first green apple, pear and berries from the garden.
We want to offer you a version of the baby's menu that has already reached the age of one year.
8:00, breakfast
Prepare the baby 200 grams of his favorite cereal, 30 grams of vegetable puree and 50 ml of fresh juice.
12:00, lunch
Treat the crumb with vegetable soup with rusks (a serving - 40 grams), vegetable puree (150 grams), steak cooked (60 grams) and, of course, give him all the juice (30-40 ml).
16:00, afternoon snack
Treat your baby only with cooked curd (remember, not more than 50 grams a day!), Fresh fruit (for example, a green apple), kefir or milk (you can safely put 200 grams).
20:00, dinner
For dinner, cook crumbs of puree from his favorite vegetables or cereal (100 grams), give a fresh fruit (or a handful of apples). Drink dinner can be juice (50 grams).
Meat is an indispensable component in your baby's diet from the age of ten months. Start with light meat - homemade chicken, pork, rabbit meat or turkey - the latter two are especially suitable for those children who previously had a food allergy. But with the fish it is worthwhile to wait until the baby reaches the age of one year - precisely because of the high allergenicity of this product. First, wipe the meat for the baby, but after a month you can easily prepare the meatballs for a couple - so the child will have the opportunity to get used to eating bits.
When the crumb is about to complete a year, its daily menu should already contain meat, juice, and porridge (milk-cereals), you can give him a slice of apple peeled, or cracker - let the baby sucks, the gum will scratch or just play. You should only remember that fruit juices are not a substitute for food, so it's not advisable to give them so simply. It is better to supplement with juice the next portion of breast milk or a mixture.
Make sure that the baby's diet is constantly expanding and was quite diverse. If you do not experience a deficiency in breast milk (which is quite possible if the young mother leads the correct way of life: sleeps at least eight hours a day, often walks with the baby in the open air, is engaged in herself), then at least once in day, give your baby a breast - so you stay on longer emotional contact and close connection with the baby. Well, if you were previously on artificial feeding, then remember that a high-quality milk formula can continue to be given to the baby until reaching the age of two.
Before you put the crumb to sleep, it is advisable to give him or a baby kefir, or a little milk of milk, or to add a special milk formula.
After all, your baby, although not a gourmet yet, but he does not really like eating dry buckwheat - try to eat this dish yourself. After all, a child is practically an adult in miniature, and the task of parents during the introduction of complementary foods is to develop its taste qualities, rather than instill a dislike for the process of eating food!