Starting Supplementary Foods
What is the first supplement you will start with? Rice porridge? Vegetable? Fruit? Yogurt? What will you give to your baby for his or her first solid food experience? Do the families around you, your elders, your family doctor and your pediatrician all say something different? It's even a mystery when you will switch to supplementary food? Someone says it starts in the 4th month, someone says it starts in the 6th month. It's normal to be confused at this point. So which one is correct?
In this article, I will try to summarize the generally accepted recommendations for starting solid foods.
First of all, the age at which each child starts complementary foods is related to the child's development.
Signs that show that your baby is ready before starting solid food are:
Can he hold his head? Can he hold his head in a controlled manner?
Does he open his mouth to eat when food is eaten around him or when you extend food in front of him?
Does he seem eager to feed?
Can food send him backwards when it lands on his tongue?
Remember, it may be a little wrong to give solid foods to a baby who has only received breast milk or formula until now and expect him to eat immediately. It may be necessary to dilute their food a little for the first 1-2 weeks. Then you can gradually thicken the consistency of the food.
Some Practical Information
It is wrong to feed your baby while lying down.
You can give your baby additional food by sitting in a high chair or a high chair with support around it. You need to start solid foods.
If he cannot swallow solid foods at all, you can not force him too much, wait 1-2 weeks and start solid foods again.
Is he old enough?
He can start solid food. Another suggestion for the timing of starting is that babies are generally ready when they double their birth weight.
How will I introduce my baby to solid food?
You should start your first complementary food experiments with about half a tablespoon. When you give your baby supplementary food for the first time, he may be confused and may not know what to do. When you put the food in his mouth on his tongue, he can push it directly or lock his mouth completely. When you introduce him to foods, talk to him (mmm what Is something good coming? ) support.
When you first start feeding, you can give your baby a little spoonful of breast milk or formula and then switch to half a spoonful of complementary food. In this way, you can prevent your baby from getting angry due to hunger.
First When you start supplementary feeding, it will not be a surprise if your child spills the food he eats on his hands, face and bib. Gradually increase the amount of solid food you give each day. Start introducing solid foods with only half a tablespoon of solid food. In this way, your baby will gradually learn how to eat solid foods over time.
Do not force your baby to give food when he cries or does not want to eat. Before trying again, feed some breast milk or a bottle, and then continue to give solid food again. Remember that the most important part of feeding in the beginning will still be breast milk or formula (80% breast milk or formula for the first 9 months). Remember that starting solid food is a gradual process.
Every baby is different, and the timing of their readiness to be fed with solid foods varies.
Which food should I give my baby first?
For most babies, it doesn't matter which solid food is introduced first. Because they all probably mean the same thing to him. It may not make much difference to him since he is given something other than breast milk or formula. Usually first from grains; Rice is given for introduction purposes. Next, vegetables or fruits? There is no priority in starting with fruits or vegetables. There is no evidence that people will not want to eat vegetables when they start eating fruit first.
What other foods can I give to my baby?
When your baby starts feeding, continue to slowly introduce him to other foods. Introduce your baby to one new food at a time. In general, vegetables and animal proteins (eggs and meat) contain more nutrients than fruits and grains.
When you give babies safe (soft), allergy-causing foods such as eggs, milk, soy, peanuts or fish, diarrhea may occur. Consult your doctor about when to start as symptoms such as diarrhea, rash and vomiting may be signs of allergy.
When to Start Baby. n Can He Feed Himself With His Fingers?
When your baby starts to sit properly and can bring hands or other objects to his mouth with his finger, you can give him finger foods to help him learn to feed himself. To avoid the risk of choking, make sure everything you give your baby is soft, easy to swallow, and broken into small pieces. And it is very important that your baby is fed in front of you while giving these finger foods.
Examples of finger foods that your baby can eat with his hands:
Boiled and softened broccoli, carrots. , fruits can be smashed banana, strawberry, finely chopped chicken, meatballs cut into small pieces, crushed peas, small potatoes, avocado.
When Can Homemade Meals Be Given to Your Baby?
We do not recommend giving home-cooked meals to your baby before the age of 1. Additives such as salt, spices and tomato paste in home cooking may not be suitable for their digestive system.
Let me remind you of our two list contents, namely our sample menu for a 6-month-old baby and our sample menu lists for a 9-month-old baby. Of course, these menus are not a definitive rule, you should consider them as menus that may change depending on the season and will give you ideas.
The limit of giving your baby processed-market foods made for adults and older children.
These foods. It usually contains more salt and preservatives. If possible, do not give these foods, which are classified as junk food, to your babies. They contain additives such as palm oil, glucose fructose syrup, monosodium glutamate, and preservatives such as parabens, which are substances that are not included in children's nutrition and are very harmful to their rapidly growing bodies.
Do not give your child foods that may pose a choking risk for the first 2 years of age.
Do not give whole hazelnuts and nuts. Do not give whole grapes, popcorn, raw vegetables, or apple pieces to your child as they increase the risk of choking. You can give nuts by crushing them into powder, and you can give fresh vegetables as soft small pieces after boiling.
The color and consistency of your baby's poop may change after starting complementary foods.
Solid g. After they start eating food, their stools will be harder, more solid, and more variable in color. His poop may start to smell worse due to the sugars and fats contained in solid foods added to his diet. Peas and other green vegetables can make your stool darker. Beetroot may cause a reddish color. When you do not cook the food you give to your baby properly, undigested food is excreted in the feces; Vegetable pieces such as peas, corn and tomatoes may be present. The maturation process must be completed so that your baby's digestive system can fully digest additional foods. If, after starting complementary foods, your baby's poop is excessively watery, mucusy, or, on the contrary, constipation begins, this means that your baby's digestive system is affected. It would be beneficial to reduce the amount of solid food you give. And we recommend that you introduce solid food types more slowly.
If diarrheal mucus continues despite reducing the amount of solid food, you should discuss this with your doctor.
Should I Give Fruit Juice to Your Baby?
Does my baby need water?
Healthy babies do not need extra water. Provides all the fluids they need through breast milk, formula, or both. However, water can be added to your baby's diet by introducing solid foods into the diet. Additionally, a small amount of water may be needed in very hot weather.
Feeding your baby at the family table will help your baby acquire good eating habits throughout life. After the age of one, you should feed him at the table and gradually introduce him to table food.
If you have any questions about your child's feeding, including concerns about your child eating too much or too little, talk to your child's doctor.
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