Complementary feeding: where to start and how to introduce it correctly

First acquaintance baby with “adult” food is of great importance, because how it happens will determine his health and taste preferences in the future. Therefore, today we will talk about the basic rules for introducing complementary foods into a baby’s diet.

When to introduce complementary foods

Experts from the World Health Organization believe that until the age of 6 months, the most suitable nutrition for a baby is breast milk or an adapted milk formula, but then the child’s body begins to need other products.

In modern pediatrics, the average age for introducing complementary foods is determined by the interval from 4 to 6 months. This is explained by the fact that up to 4 months the child’s body is not able to cope with dense food, and after six months there may be problems with the perception of food of a different consistency, thicker than milk.

Here are the main signs that mom will be able to understand that it’s time to expand your baby’s menu:

• the child is actively interested in the contents of your plate;
• sits confidently and holds his head;
• doubled weight from birth;
• his tongue thrust reflex disappeared;
• the first teeth appeared.

At the same time, remember that each child’s readiness (when all the signs are present) manifests itself at different times, so do not rush to introduce complementary foods at the first “signals”. It’s better to wait a little, but do it correctly and without harm to the baby’s health.

How to introduce complementary foods

There are various schemes and methods for introducing the first complementary foods; let’s take a closer look at some of them.

The essence of pedagogical complementary feeding is to introduce the baby to new taste sensations, but not to feed him, since all food is given in small pieces in minute quantities. In this case, he gets food from his parents' plate.

Pediatric complementary feeding is the gradual introduction of new products into the child’s menu according to a scheme in order to eventually transfer him to normal nutrition. Separate dishes are prepared for it without sugar and salt, and then ground to a puree consistency.

The most important thing is not to rush to feed the baby everything at once; here you need to act consistently. When the child is absolutely healthy, pediatricians and nutritionists recommend starting with vegetable purees.

For the first acquaintance, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, and potatoes are ideal. Pumpkin, carrots and beets are introduced a little later. Each vegetable should be given separately so that if occurrence of allergies the “culprit” could be easily identified. When the baby has already tried all the vegetables, it will be possible to combine them with each other.

Then the age-old question arises: should you feed your child store-bought purees or prepare them yourself? Here, each mother decides for herself, focusing on what time of year the start of complementary feeding falls. In the summer, you can safely buy seasonal vegetables at the market or grow them yourself, but in the winter you should still choose baby food in jars.

First feeding: how to give

It is very important to encourage your baby to try new foods before the main feeding; lunchtime is the best time for this. For the first time, you should give him only half a teaspoon of pureed vegetables and supplement with breast milk or formula, and then carefully monitor the baby's general well-being.

Is your baby behaving as usual and is not bothered by anything? You can gradually increase the portion to the age norm over the course of a week, thereby completely replacing one feeding, and then introduce a new vegetable. If skin rashes, abdominal pain and loose stools appear, then you need to exclude this product and not give anything new for three days.

It happens that a child refuses food that is unfamiliar to him and such a reaction is the norm. In this case, you need to be patient and offer him to try the same dish at least 10 times. If he categorically refuses, offer him a puree of another type of vegetable.

Be sure to remember that a new product should not be introduced into the baby’s diet if he is sick or during the period of preventive vaccinations.

How to administer porridge

After 3-4 weeks of vegetable complementary feeding, you can introduce porridge; they are usually offered to the baby for breakfast.

You should choose cereals that do not contain gluten - buckwheat, corn and rice. The fact is that recently many children under the age of one year have become intolerant to it.

Before cooking, the cereal must be sorted and washed thoroughly; you can grind it with a coffee grinder or rub the finished grain through a sieve and boil it again. For the first two weeks, it is better to cook liquid porridge in water in a ratio of 5 g of cereal per 100 ml of water, and then gradually make it thicker. You can add expressed breast milk or formula to the finished dish.

A very convenient and safe option would be ready-made cereals “out of the box”, which need to be diluted with water. Like all baby food, they undergo strict quality control, and also contain various vitamins and minerals.

You should not give your child porridge from a bottle, only from a spoon, since food processed with saliva is better absorbed.

Complementary feeding: table by month

The table for introducing complementary foods will be the best “helper” for a young mother during this period, because it describes in detail at what age certain foods can be included in the baby’s diet, and also indicates their required quantity.