When to start feeding your baby. The first complementary foods with artificial feeding

Hello! Recent scientific research has shown that there should be no rush to introduce complementary foods. Modern recommendations currently in force in our country provide for the introduction of complementary foods no earlier than 4 months of age for children who are bottle-fed. Indeed, only by this age in a healthy child the increased permeability of the intestinal mucosa is leveled, a number of digestive enzymes mature, a sufficient level of local intestinal immunity is formed, the systemic mechanisms necessary for swallowing semi-liquid and solid food begin to operate. And for breastfed babies, the introduction of complementary foods is postponed up to 6 months. Signs of readiness for complementary foods: 1. An increase in the frequency of feedings that lasts longer than a few days and is not associated with illness or. 2. The baby's weight has doubled since birth and now weighs about 6 kg. 3. Ability to sit with support. 4. Extinction of the reflex expulsion of solid food from the mouth by the tongue. 5. Increased interest in food for adults. When getting to know new food, it is important to follow some rules: 1. Start introducing a new product only when the child is healthy. 2. Avoid introducing new food in hot weather and during prophylactic vaccinations. 3. We introduce each new product gradually, with small amounts (juice - from a few drops, mashed potatoes and porridge - from ½ teaspoon), gradually increasing it to the age volume over 5-7 days and carefully observing its tolerance. We introduce one new product in one week. This rule is especially important for sensitive babies, for children at risk of occurrence. It is better to start with monocomponent products and dairy-free cereals (rice or buckwheat), which are diluted with water or a mixture familiar to the child. 4. New food should be given before feeding with formula, with a spoon, and not through a teat. It is better to introduce complementary foods in the morning, during the second feeding, so that you can observe the condition of the child during the day. If an adverse reaction occurs, the new product should be discontinued. The introduction of the first vegetable puree takes about 2 weeks (for 1 week, bring the puree to the required volume and 1 week is spent on adaptation). Then add 1 type of vegetables in turn every 4-6 days, starting with ½ a teaspoon (cauliflower, potatoes, pumpkin). It is better to introduce cereal products into the child's diet with gluten-free dairy-free cereals. They can be introduced after the child adapts to vegetable puree. If the child has a tendency to, then it is better to first introduce dairy-free buckwheat porridge. Start with 1 tsp and gradually work up to 50-100g. Dairy-free porridge can be diluted with breast milk, mixture or water. But juices are best introduced after the introduction of cereals, it should be started with mono-component juices (apple or pear).

The first year of a child's life is perhaps the most important and eventful. During this time, the baby not only grows up (on average, the weight of the child triples by the year, and the body length increases by one and a half times), he masters the basic skills necessary for later life: he learns to move (sit, crawl, walk), communicate (smile, laugh, walk, talk), play, become more independent and independent. Proper balanced nutrition for a child up to one year old is just as important as parental love and care.

In this case, most often questions arise related to the observance of the diet of a child under one year old, because at this age it changes significantly several times! Consider the main options for the diet of children under one year old, allowing you to avoid possible problems and preserve breastfeeding as much as possible.

Nutrition for a child up to a year: from birth to 4 months

This is the time when the baby receives all the necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals from breast milk or adapted milk formula. The benefits of exclusive breastfeeding during this period are clear and proven by many scientific studies. But, if for some reason full-fledged feeding with mother's milk is impossible, the use of modern adapted milk formulas will also allow the child to develop and grow correctly.

The ideal diet for a child during the first month of life with breastfeeding is on-demand feeding, that is, according to the child's needs, at least 8 times a day without a night break (up to a maximum of 12-16 times). Indicators of a sufficient amount of milk are the presence of at least 6-7 urinations per day, regular bowel movements, and weight gain. When artificial or mixed feeds, it is important to keep a three hour break between feedings to avoid overfeeding.

From the second to the fourth month of life, children who are exclusively breastfed gradually establish the child's diet by themselves, with intervals between feedings of 3–3.5 hours. The reflex to feeding in children of this age is just beginning to form, so breastfeeding strictly by the clock is impractical. If the baby is asleep when, according to mom's calculations, the time for the next feeding has already come, you should not wake him up (except in rare cases of significant underweight with insufficient amount of milk from the mother). And, on the contrary, with premature anxiety of the baby, it can be assumed that he did not eat the required amount of milk the previous time and by crying it is precisely the feeling of hunger that expresses. This means that you need to attach the baby to the breast, without waiting for the conditional time. Fluctuations between free-feeding meal times within 1–1.5 hours are quite acceptable.

A nighttime break in feeding is extremely undesirable until the baby is 6 months old, since it is at night that the most prolactin (a hormone responsible for milk production) is produced, and, accordingly, ideal conditions are created for successful and long-term breastfeeding. If, nevertheless, the child himself "oversleeps" the night feeding, this break should not exceed 5-6 hours.

With artificial feeding, due to the greater protein load on the child's body, it is necessary to observe the feeding intervals of 3.5-4 hours, with a night break of 6 hours.

In a 4–5 month old baby, a breastfeeding regimen is usually established after 4 hours, sometimes a night break of up to 5–6 hours is possible. On artificial feeding, the baby is fed 5 times a day after 4 hours with a night break of 6-7 hours.

Nutrition for a child up to a year: from 4 months to a year

From the 4th month of life, doctors recommend that some children introduce the first complementary foods. However, according to the recommendations of the WHO and the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, the optimal time for introducing new products for breastfed babies is 6 months. At this time, the reflex of pushing out solid food with the tongue fades away, digestive enzymes, local factors of the intestinal immune defense, are activated. We do not recommend the introduction of complementary foods earlier than 5–6 months, as this can lead to allergization of the baby's body, disruption of the work of his gastrointestinal tract, the appearance and consolidation of a negative reaction to feeding.

The general rules are as follows: each new product is given gradually, starting with 1-2 teaspoons once a day. It is advisable to introduce the child to a new type of complementary foods in the morning. In this case, the mother has the opportunity to observe the child's reaction to him during the day. This is especially true for children prone to allergies. After getting used to the new product, it can be given either in one of the daily feedings, when the baby is active, or in the evening, when the amount of milk produced by the mother naturally decreases.

It is important to remember that complementary foods are just additional food for a child up to one year old; it should not replace and displace breast milk! Complementary feeding is intended to meet the growing needs of the baby for energy, vitamins and trace elements, and not to reduce the number of breastfeeding, as some pediatricians still mistakenly believe.

Approximate diet for a child 6 months old:

14:00 - Vegetable puree 100–150 g, breast milk (mixture) 50–100 ml.
18:00 - Breast milk or formula 180-200 ml.

When breastfeeding, the night break is set depending on the needs of the baby and is still not very beneficial for lactation.

Starting from the 7th month of a child's life, meat can be added to his diet. Meat complementary foods are introduced into the daily feeding together with vegetables, gradually, up to 50 g per day. After meat, cottage cheese is introduced into the baby's menu. It is recommended to gradually increase the volume of cottage cheese to 50 g per day during the week, in the evening feeding.

Approximate diet for a child of 7 months:

6:00 - Breast milk or formula 180-200 ml.
10:00 - Porridge with breast milk or a mixture of 150-180 ml.
18:00 - Cottage cheese 50 g + breast milk or a mixture of 150 ml.
22:00 - Breast milk or formula 180-200 ml.

Breast milk for a 7 month old baby should still make up the bulk of the diet. Latching on to the breast should end with any solid food feeding. If the baby is not so willing to breastfeed during the day, you can try to give him complementary foods only after breastfeeding or more often at night.

The volume of motor and mental activity of an 8-month-old child is already quite large, and he needs all the new nutritional components for full development. At this time, the yolk of a chicken or quail egg is introduced, it is added to the porridge 3 times a week. There is an acquaintance with fermented milk products (kefir, yogurt). Babies who are still breastfeeding on demand often refuse supplemental drinks. It's not scary, the mother just has to give the child a choice.

Approximate diet for a child of 8 months:

6:00 - Breast milk or formula 180-200 ml.
10:00 - Porridge with breast milk or a mixture of 150-180 ml, 1/2 yolk.
14:00 - Vegetable puree 150 g + meat puree 50 g.
18:00 - Kefir 150 ml + cottage cheese 50 g.
22:00 - Breast milk or formula 180-200 ml.

After the 9th month of the baby's life, the introduction of new products occurs at a faster pace. The child can already chew small pieces of food, actively learns to eat on his own. Its menu is becoming more and more varied. It is recommended to feed the baby 5 times a day after 4–4.5 hours. It is important that during this period, breast milk remains the main fluid that the baby receives. To maintain breastfeeding, it is necessary to take into account the wishes of the child and continue to apply it to the breast during the day and, if requested, at night.

Thus, if the parents follow these recommendations, by the year the child gets used to a certain feeding regimen, which has a beneficial effect on the condition and function of his gastrointestinal tract, the state of immune defense, and health in general. The kid sincerely considers feeding an interesting and useful activity, showing the first signs of independence and self-organization. At the same time, he receives almost all types of products necessary for full-fledged growth and development, significantly expands the range of his taste sensations.

Currently, most specialists recommend continuing to breastfeed the baby for at least one and a half years, which is a good prevention of infectious and allergic diseases, creates a sense of security and close contact with the mother in the child, and increases stress resistance.

What comes first?

Traditionally, it is recommended to first feed the baby and then breastfeed or formula. However, in case of insufficient milk production in the mother and to stimulate further active lactation, it is better to start with the main food (breast or formula) and only at the end offer the baby complementary foods.

In this case, an additional plus is that the baby's digestive enzymes are already sufficiently activated and the digestion process is more complete, which also reduces the likelihood of an allergic reaction.

Every young mother who has given birth to her first child is puzzled by a bunch of questions about caring for her baby. One of these questions is: at what age should additional food (complementary foods) be introduced into the baby's diet and which foods should be introduced first?

The beginning of feeding the baby (from how many months)

A baby who is breastfed can be introduced to complementary foods no earlier than 5-6 months. Complementary feeding is very important at this age. Breast milk alone is not enough for a baby, he needs to receive vitamins and all the nutrients necessary for healthy development, which are rich in the food of adults. Additional food will help your baby develop faster. In this case, you need to continue to breastfeed the baby on demand. To help your baby get used to new foods faster, complementary foods should be given before breastfeeding.

If the baby is an artificial person, then complementary foods are recommended to be introduced earlier - from 4-5 months. This is due to the fact that the mixture is significantly inferior in quality to breast milk, and is not able to supply the baby with all the substances and vitamins necessary for the child's body. As a rule, the baby himself gives signs that it is time for him to introduce complementary foods - he shows interest in adult food, watches how his parents eat, reaches for a spoon, often requires a breast or a bottle, since he does not gorge himself.

What products to start the first feeding

First, cereal dishes, vegetable purees and fruits are introduced. Overweight children and children suffering from constipation need to start their first complementary foods with vegetables and fruits. The same goes for children of normal weight. If the child is not gaining weight well enough or he has loose stools, then porridge should be the first complementary food.

Porridge

First of all, it is better to introduce rice and buckwheat porridge. It is recommended to boil cereals in water until fully cooked, and then chop thoroughly and boil along with a small amount of milk.

Vegetable puree

Vegetable puree can be made from boiled potatoes, carrots, turnips, cabbage. Fruits are also brought to the state of puree - bananas, apples, pears, peaches.

Fruit puree

If you can't make a good fruit puree without lumps at home, you can buy ready-made puree in baby food stores or pharmacies. When choosing store puree, be sure to check the expiration date and make sure that the lid of the jar is not swollen.

After cereals, vegetables and fruits have been introduced into the baby's diet, meat and legumes can be introduced. The meat should be low-fat varieties (preferably poultry), free from veins and skins, cooked in the form of a lump-free puree. Legumes need to be soaked overnight, drain the water, boil well, chop thoroughly and remove the skin. Until seven months, you should not give your baby eggs, nuts, fish and seafood, as well as cereals made from semolina, barley, wheat, corn, oatmeal. It is better to introduce these types of products a little later.

It is very important that the daily diet of the baby contains all the vitamins and minerals necessary for the growing body. You need to start giving complementary foods with a teaspoon a day, gradually increasing the volume. Do not expect your baby to immediately like the offered cereals, fruits and vegetables. The baby will take a long time to get used to the new food, because until now he has not received any other food except mother's milk. Complementary foods for the baby should always be warm, brought to the state of puree - not thick and not liquid, soft and thoroughly mashed.

You should not delay too much with the introduction of the next new dish; at the age of 7 months, the child should already receive almost all types of foods as complementary foods and receive complementary foods three times a day.

Meat, vegetables, legumes, cereals and fruits must be present in the baby's diet. If now the child refuses to eat new food for him, then there is no need to force him to do it. It is better to offer this dish some other time. You should show the baby how adults themselves eat food with a spoon, and soon the baby will try to repeat it himself.

Until the age of three, you should not give your child tea - neither black, nor green, nor herbal. The substances contained in tea (tannins) bind iron from the food consumed, which in turn can lead to anemia (anemia) in the child. It is better to replace tea with compote, natural juices, fruit drinks, boiled water.

The parents instill the child's taste for food, it only depends on them what products the child will eat in the future. Complementary foods for an infant should be prepared without the addition of spices, sugar or salt. They will not benefit the baby's body, and a child who has never tasted food with spices will be happy to eat without them.

A seven-month-old baby should be given complementary foods at least three times a day, while continuing to breastfeed the baby on demand. When preparing food for a seven-month-old crumbs, you can already use all types of cereals, as well as well-boiled and mashed pasta, boiled dough.

Fruits

Soft fruits should be crushed, skinless and in small pieces. From vegetables, you can already give carrots, turnips, tomatoes, cabbage. Vegetables are best steamed. Vegetable oil can be added to vegetable purees, it contains a number of useful unsaturated fatty acids.

Meat

Every day, the baby should receive meat (finely chopped or in the form of minced meat): beef, lamb, pork, horse meat, rabbit and poultry meat. The meat contains trace elements that will protect the baby from anemia.

Legumes

It is necessary to introduce other sources of iron into the baby's menu - green peas, green beans, greens, which the child needs to eat several times a week. Legumes should be boiled, mashed, with the skin removed.

Eggs and nuts

At the age of seven to eight months, it is necessary to introduce eggs and nuts into the baby's diet. Hard-boiled eggs must be wiped and given to the child both the yolk and the white. Nuts must be thoroughly peeled and mashed to a paste. In small quantities, you can give your baby cottage cheese, hard varieties of cheese, which can be grated on a fine grater and mixed with the main course.

Dairy products

The baby's stomach and digestive system are not yet able to handle whole cow's milk and undiluted fermented milk products. Therefore, dairy products should be given in small quantities in order to wash down the main course and diluted. You need to dilute in half with water: add 30 ml of water to 30 ml of kefir. Whole milk can only be used for preparing cereals, you cannot give your baby whole undiluted dairy products up to nine months!

A fish

At nine months, you need to introduce fish into the child's diet, it is better to start with pollock, flounder.

Gradually, the amount of food for the baby increases. At 6-7 months, a child needs to eat at least 150 ml of complementary foods (10-11 tablespoons), at 8-9 months - 180 ml (13-14 tablespoons), at 11-12 months - already 225 ml. Breastfeeding should be thick. It is necessary to give the child in his hands small pieces of fruits, vegetables, bread so that he can chew them, since semi-liquid food is not enough for a child of this age.

In what cases is it better to postpone the introduction of complementary foods?

You should not introduce new foods into the baby's diet if:

The child is sick or has recently suffered an illness and his body is weakened.
The baby was recently vaccinated or should be vaccinated in the coming days.
The child has not yet adapted to the previous product introduced into the diet.
The introduction of the previous product provoked an allergy.
After the introduction of the new product, the baby started having problems with stool.

The introduction of complementary foods is a very important period for the baby's health and sometimes difficult for his parents. But if you follow all of the above rules for the introduction of complementary foods and the recommended sequence of introduced products, then there will be no health problems for the baby, and over time the child will be happy to eat all types of foods that are so necessary for his growth and development!

Video - when and how to start the first feeding

It is easy to find the answer to the question of how many months you can feed the child and what. Complementary foods should be introduced gradually, in small portions, to give the immature body time to get used to the new food.

From the first minutes of life, a month-old baby feeds exclusively on mother's milk or milk formulas adapted for it. Only they can provide a small body with all possible nutrients and vitamins. But there comes a time when the body becomes less milk, then the time comes for the first feeding. Complementary foods are additional food.

The child consumes a different amount of food every month. Based on this, the leading pediatricians formulated recommendations for the introduction of complementary foods for young parents. They also say at what age it is best and most correct to do this.

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How to introduce adult food?

From how many months to introduce complementary foods is a strictly individual question. During the first few months of life, the child's body improves. And only after reaching 5-6 months of age, his digestive system improves, producing special enzymes that help in the processing of heavy, "adult" food. Approximately for this period of time, the introduction of complementary foods falls. But these are far from all the criteria that parents should start from when deciding on the introduction of heavy, dense dishes.

Criteria that would indicate the introduction of complementary foods:

1. At the time of the introduction of the new food, the weight of the child should be doubled compared to the weight at the time of birth.
2. Increasing the number of meals. This may indicate that the child is not saturated with breast milk for full development, it is required to introduce complementary foods.
3. The baby begins to show interest in adult food.
4. There is an opportunity to swallow, chew food.
5. The kid should be able to sit. To prevent the child from choking on food, he must be seated during feeding.

Previously, pediatricians could allow complementary feeding with juices at one month of age. Now everything has changed. The age for the introduction of juices was moved from 3 months to avoid unnecessary exposure to allergens leading to intestinal upset. The answer to the question: from how many months you can feed a child is simple. The optimal age for the introduction of adult food is considered to be the period from 4.5 to 6 months. If you start doing this earlier, you can cause intestinal upset, and at a later age, it will be harder for the body to adapt. The time when it is better to introduce complementary foods also depends on what kind of feeding he was, natural or artificial? In some cases, pediatricians recommend starting the introduction of a new food earlier than 4 months:

if the child has anemia;
when the child is not gaining weight, and this process cannot be corrected with the help of adaptation mixtures.

It is better to give up complementary foods if the baby has a high fever after vaccination and in the heat.

Fundamental rules

It is generally accepted that breast milk is the most suitable food for a baby in the first year of life. It replaces almost all the essential trace elements and nutrients required for proper functioning and increasing protective properties. With proper lactation, the child is provided with all useful substances and trace elements during the first six months. So it turns out that he does not need complementary foods. It is necessary to start accustoming the child to complementary foods a few weeks before the age of 6 months. The first times it is better to give new food from a spoon. If you immediately give a bottle, then the baby will understand that it is easier to get food this way, and will refuse to breastfeed.

What to add first?

Until now, pediatricians have not given a single answer to this common question. It would be more correct to start with vegetable purees, they are not allergenic and do not lead to gas formation. There are families who feed their children with adult food. This is permissible in the case when the family adheres to proper nutrition.

When is it better to introduce complementary foods to an artificial? Pediatricians believe that artificial children need to introduce adult food much earlier than breastfed children. Usually, in such cases, complementary foods are recommended at the age of 4-4.5 months. But you should not forget and pay attention to how the baby will gain weight, the ability to chew and swallow harder and heavier food. At first, it is better to give vegetable puree or milk porridge.

For some children, pediatricians recommend starting complementary foods with kefir mixtures. They are close in composition to mother's milk and are more easily absorbed by the child's body without causing harm. At 4 months of age, you can start giving fruit puree, such as an apple scrubbed with a teaspoon. At first, food should be only in liquid form, without overloading the intestines. After a couple of months, lumps can be found in it, thereby irritating the intestinal mucosa and forcing it to work faster, preparing the body for new food.

Complementary feeding scheme

In order for the child's body to be able to properly assimilate new food, it is necessary for parents to adhere to the basic rules for introducing complementary foods:

1. A new dish or a separate product should be given to the child only in the morning or at lunchtime, until 14.00. The baby's body will take time to assimilate it, and in case of difficulties, the results will be visible in the evening.
2. The first time new food should be given in small quantities, no more than a teaspoon.
3. Complementary foods are given before the main meal.
4. Gradually, within a week, with a normal reaction of the body, the dose of the new product is increased from 50 g to 150-170 g.
5. Sugar and salt should not be added to complementary foods. Pediatricians recommend using supplements from a year, or even try to avoid them altogether.

The classic in complementary foods is vegetable puree. Pediatricians recommend starting with it because of its specific smell and taste. After all, if you first give sweet fruit puree or milk porridge, then the child will refuse to eat vegetables. From how many months can a child be given milk porridge? Towards 7 months, you can begin to introduce fruit purees and milk porridge. It is not necessary to immediately run to the store for purchased mashed potatoes, it is much tastier and healthier to make such mashed potatoes yourself. Mom will always know how fresh products she uses. It is better to introduce complementary foods gradually.

Doctors recommend that moms keep a food diary, where she will indicate the start date of complementary foods and the size of the portion, as well as note the body's reaction. It is imperative to pay attention to the skin, stool and general well-being of the child. If you are allergic to a certain food, your child may develop a rash. In this case, the product should be removed from the diet and replaced with another, less allergenic one. The child may also develop severe itching, rash, or upset stools. In this case, it would be more correct to consult a doctor.

It is best to introduce a new product a week after getting used to the previous one. This way, parents will be able to more accurately determine which of the foods the child has had an allergic reaction. First, they give more liquid food, gradually moving to a dense meal, ending with food with lumps. If the child was allergic to any dish, you can re-enter it at least after a month. Most often, during this time, the body adapts, the digestive system improves and new food does not cause any irritation. Somewhere from 7-7.5 months, complementary foods can become an independent meal and replace one of the feedings.

Can you replace vegetable puree?

As mentioned earlier, vegetable puree is the most adaptable and easily digestible product. But there are times when pediatricians recommend replacing mashed potatoes with more high-calorie meals.

1. If the child is not gaining weight well, then complementary foods begin with cereals. For the first feeding, buckwheat and rice porridge are recommended, later you can add corn.
2. At first, porridge is cooked strictly on water.
3. If the baby is allergic or suffers from dysbiosis, then pediatricians recommend starting complementary foods with fermented milk products.
4. If the child has disturbances in the digestive system, then the introduction of squash is recommended to be postponed to a later date.

There are two main schemes for introducing complementary foods, and they all have different goals and objectives.

Pedagogical complementary foods.

It is directed not so much to feed the baby with new food, but to simply introduce him to it, give him a taste, smell, touch, chew, and help him adapt to new sensations. It is worth remembering that pedagogical complementary foods are not aimed at giving up breast milk, no, they should go in parallel, complementing each other. And only after reaching a year, or even later, you can completely abandon mother's milk and switch to adult food. A child will need more vitamins and minerals to recuperate after active wakefulness, but milk will not give this. Therefore, it is worth feeding the child a solid meal, and using milk to quench his thirst.

Energetic or pediatric complementary foods.

Here, new products are introduced to replace breast milk. Gradually, complementary foods in the form of cereals, mashed potatoes and juices push breast milk into the background.

Age limits

Before you get acquainted with the generally accepted age limits, you should remember that all products are introduced separately, without mixing with each other. As there are food products, there are so many periods of adaptation. But you should not blindly be guided by them, because all children are individual, and you always need to pay attention to their desires, needs and readiness of the body.

At 4 months, you can start to introduce fruit juices and purees. For complementary foods, you should use the fruits of the region where the baby lives: apples, pears, kiwi. But the first should be an apple, since it does not cause allergies and is easily absorbed by the child's body, and is also rich in vitamins. You can prepare juices and purees yourself or resort to the help of a store.

At 5 months, vegetable puree is introduced. First of all, this is zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, potatoes, pumpkin. If separately each of the vegetables is absorbed well by the body, then you can cook a stew.

At 6 months, cereals are introduced. You can use both purchased cereals and make flour from cereals yourself. Porridge is diluted with milk, water or milk mixture so as not to overload the intestines. Increasing the amount of porridge consumed at a time is worth gradually, relying on the child's well-being and his desire.

At 7 months, you can start introducing mashed potatoes. Grind the meat to a puree consistency. First of all, you need to introduce turkey or rabbit meat. It is better to choose less fatty and hypoallergenic varieties.

From 8 months, you can enter fermented milk products: kefir, cottage cheese, milk, cookies. Cow's milk is a great solution. But if, after using it, the child has a rash, constipation, then he must be abandoned for a short time.

At 9 months, it is better to introduce fish. It is worth remembering that fish can also provoke allergies, so its choice should be approached with full responsibility. Better to choose hake, pike perch or other lean fish. It is not worth rushing with the introduction of fish, if there is fear, then this process should be postponed until later.

At 10 months, yolk, white are offered. Although many pediatricians already at 6 months recommend giving the child, in the absence of allergies, yolk with milk or mashed potatoes with the addition of yolk.

The introduction of complementary foods from parents requires a lot of attention and responsibility. After all, the main rule is not to rush and monitor the reaction of the child's body, he will be able to conduct a dialogue with you.

After the birth of the baby, the mother continually worries so that the child grows up healthy and receives a sufficient amount of nutrients. And now, after a few months of the child's life, mothers are thinking about the issue of the first feeding.

In addition to the mother's desire to feed the baby with something other than breast milk or formula, the baby should be ready for such actions.

the child sits in a highchair, holding his head steadily;
the child does not spit out solid food;
the child requires to eat more often than usual;
the child does not allow you to eat calmly, every now and then looking at your plate;
the scales show a figure twice as large as at birth.

The WHO opinion is that at 6 months it is necessary to introduce complementary foods to a child who feeds exclusively on breast milk. If the baby is bottle-fed, then you can start a month earlier. The arguments are that an actively growing child's body needs additional nutrients and calories.

If you are a nursing mother and you decide to follow these recommendations, then remember that you yourself must eat well. Only then will you provide your baby with the necessary nutrients until he is 6 months old.

Why not rush to feed your newborn?

As you already understood, earlier complementary foods are not necessary. And it is not worth loading a still unripe enzymatic system with new substances. The body is simply not yet capable of assimilating new substances, which means that there is no sense in taking them. Besides

IMPORTANT: premature load on the digestive system can provoke problems with the intestines of the child.

Mixed feeding and baby's first complementary feeding

With mixed feeding, the baby's body already assimilates two types of products: breast milk and formula. By adding complementary foods, you increase the burden on the digestive system. Your goal is to eliminate breast milk or formula from your diet. Breast milk and complementary foods are ideal. To do this, analyze at what hours your child needs supplementation with formula. Replace this feeding first if it does not contradict the rules for introducing complementary foods.

What product should be your baby's first food?

Pediatricians recommend choosing vegetable purees for the first feeding. Offer your child zucchini, cauliflower, and broccoli first. These vegetables are easily absorbed by the body and are less allergic to them than to others. If your pediatrician continually assures you that the baby is not gaining weight well, then start complementary foods with dairy-free porridge. According to the same criteria, the optimal cereals for starting complementary feeding: rice, corn, buckwheat. Buckwheat among these three cereals is more likely to cause allergies, and rice - constipation. Consider this.

Since the taste of vegetable purees and dairy-free cereals leaves much to be desired, mothers want to give their child something delicious. At the beginning of complementary foods, you can dilute unleavened vegetables and cereals with fruit purees and juices. These products are not only delicious, they are also a storehouse of vitamins.

IMPORTANT: remember: after trying delicious fruit purees, the child may refuse less tasty vegetable purees.

Scheme for the introduction of complementary foods for a baby

Start each product with half a teaspoon and increase the serving to 150 grams within a month. First introduce two or three types of vegetables, only then start giving porridge. Or vice versa.

IMPORTANT: Do not immediately serve puree of two or more vegetables, or porridge of two or more cereals. This will not only put a lot of stress on the baby's digestive system, but also deprive you of the ability to determine what the reaction is to.

Inject each product for 3-5 days. If these days there is no reaction to the product, introduce a little bit of another, simultaneously increasing the portion of the previous one. Your ultimate goal is to replace a single breastfeeding or formula feed with a full complementary feeding. If a child after a meal asks his mother to give a breast, then do not refuse. After all, most likely he just wants to drink.

IMPORTANT: Introduce each new product in the morning, otherwise you will deprive yourself of the opportunity during the day to monitor how the child's body will perceive it.

3 days after the introduction of the new product and if there is no reaction, start giving the product at the right time

Complementary feeding table by month

Dr. Komarovsky's advice on the introduction of complementary foods

The topic of complementary feeding according to Komarovsky requires separate coverage. The doctor, contrary to the recommendations of most pediatricians, adheres to his own opinion on this matter.

IMPORTANT: Do not start complementary feeding earlier than 6 months. The order of product introduction is as follows:

low-fat kefir... You need to start with 3 teaspoons and increase exponentially to 150 ml;
cottage cheese... We start with one teaspoon added to kefir and finish with 30 g. So you replace the morning feeding between 9 am and 11 am for a full breakfast;
milk and cereal porridge: rice, oatmeal, buckwheat. We start with 3 teaspoons and similarly increase to 200 ml. Thus, we replace one more feeding. It is better if it is the last, before bedtime;
vegetables... We start with vegetable broths. We offer the baby 30-50 g of broth and observe, as usual. If all is well, then we increase the portion, and after 5 days we give the vegetable puree. Here's a complete lunch for your baby;
fruits and juices... We give it when the first tooth has erupted, but not earlier than 6 months;
meat... We introduce 2-3 weeks after vegetables. The order of introduction is the same as for the introduction of vegetables. First - broth, after - meat. So lunch becomes meat and vegetables.

The scheme for introducing complementary foods according to the method of Dr. Komarovsky will be more understandable when studying visual schemes for the age of 6, 7, 8 months, respectively.

Should I cook complementary foods for the baby or buy ready-made ones?

Each mother herself must find the answer to it. There is no consensus on this matter. Everywhere there are positive and negative aspects.

Pros of ready-to-eat foods for toddlers:

saving time;
the ability to take with you on the road;
perfect consistency for the little ones;
cereals are fortified with additional vitamins and prebiotics;
the ability to diversify the diet with multicomponent dishes.

Disadvantages of finished products:

high price;
storage 24 hours after opening vegetable, fruit and meat purees. At first, the child does not even eat half of the contents of the jar, which means that the rest has to be thrown into the trash bin;
storage for 2 weeks (usually) after opening the porridge. Likewise, when a child still eats in small portions, he does not eat all the porridge in 2 weeks. This means we also send the porridge to the trash bin;
the taste of pureed vegetables is much worse than what you can make yourself.

Pros of self-prepared meals:

tastier than the purchased ones, as a rule;
saving money;
you can adjust the consistency at your discretion.

Disadvantages of self-prepared meals:

the cooking process is time-consuming;
inability to cook outside the home;
it is difficult to diversify the dish with new flavors.

Advice and feedback from experienced mothers on the introduction of complementary foods:

do not hurry. Take your time to introduce every new product. When you introduce many foods in a row, and the baby has an allergic reaction, you will be forced to cancel everything. Otherwise, continuing to feed at this rate will only make the situation worse. And the health of the baby is the main thing;
If you are a supporter of purchased baby food, try to cook yourself at least occasionally. Otherwise, there is a possibility that the accustomed child will refuse the food you prepare. And it will be quite difficult to accustom him to it. But sooner or later the child must be transferred to a common table;
when buying ready-made baby food, carefully study the composition. There you can see a product that your child should not eat;
give complementary foods first, and only then breast or formula. If you first give breast or formula and then try to give complementary foods, the baby may refuse. The chance of feeding a hungry baby with complementary foods is much higher.

As you can see, the topic of complementary foods is quite difficult and responsible.

IMPORTANT: Follow the instructions, but remember that the mother feels the needs of the child like others do not. Listen to your motherly feelings.