Early introduction of complementary foods during breastfeeding. When and how to introduce complementary foods while breastfeeding: rules, foods and little tricks. Principles for the introduction of complementary foods

The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding your baby for at least 6 months. As he grows older, his need for energy and nutrients increases and can no longer be covered by breast milk alone. By the end of the first year of life, the enzymatic system is formed in the child, the reflex of swallowing and chewing food matures, and interest in adult food increases. Then the question arises before the mother: how to introduce complementary foods for months while breastfeeding.

There are many ways to introduce your baby to adult food. You can follow the advice of grandmothers or the fashion trends of pedagogical complementary foods. Choose the Komarovsky method or study WHO recommendations. Each mother decides which way to introduce complementary foods on her own.

This article describes methods for introducing a child to adult food. In conclusion, we propose a scheme for the phased introduction of basic foods at the first stage of the introduction of complementary foods. We're talking about breastfed babies.

Admirers of pedagogical complementary foods offer to give the child food directly from the mother's plate. Naturally, the baby receives microdoses of adult food based on his nutritional interest. At the same time, the mother’s diet should be healthy, complete and varied.

Children's doctor Komarovsky suggests starting complementary foods with kefir and cottage cheese. However, according to numerous modern studies, dairy products are hardly absorbed by the child's body. Cow's milk contains several times more casein than human milk. Glucose, on the contrary, is several times less. Unadapted dairy products can cause allergies and iron deficiency anemia. WHO does not recommend the introduction of milk into the diet of a child up to 12 months.

"Grandma's method" involves introducing the child to juices starting from 3-4 months and introducing the yolk of a chicken egg. To date, this approach does not fit into the framework of common sense. Over the past 20 years, numerous studies have been conducted that prove the illiteracy of this method of introducing complementary foods.

The World Health Organization suggests starting complementary foods with a phased and gradual introduction of vegetables. If the child has a lack of weight, then gluten-free cereals from cereals are first introduced. This scheme is successfully used by thousands of mothers around the world. Vegetables are easily digested by the child's body and stimulate intestinal motility and the work of the gastrointestinal tract, which is very important with the start of the introduction of complementary foods.

The timing of the introduction of complementary foods

After the mother has decided on the method of introducing complementary foods during breastfeeding, you need to make sure that the child is ready to get acquainted with adult food. Several factors indicate its readiness:

• The child is 6 months old. Complementary foods begin to be introduced at 4 months only in extreme cases: underweight, dystrophy, regular constipation.
• The kid sits down, albeit uncertainly, but sits. Can hold objects and food.
• The baby's body weight has doubled since birth.
• The child shows food interest: reaches for food, watches with interest how the mother eats.
• The intervals between feedings have been shortened. The baby is applied to the breast more often.
• The child swallows food from a spoon, and does not push it out with his tongue. If he pushes the spoon out, then the reflexes for swallowing and chewing food are not ripe.
• The reflex of swallowing, chewing and forming a food bolus matures no earlier than 6-8 months.
• The presence of 4-6 teeth by the beginning of the introduction of complementary foods.

Breast milk does not lose its beneficial properties even after two years of feeding. But the needs of the child grow with age. A gradual increase in the usual food in the diet is necessary. Up to 6 months breastfeeding covers the needs of the child by 90%, at 7-9 months by 70%, at 12-24 months only by 40%. Once complementary foods are introduced, breast milk should remain the child's main source of energy and nutrients. No need to strive to replace it with ordinary food. The load on the immune system due to the expansion of the diet is great, and continued breastfeeding will give the baby additional protection.

Feeding rules. Tricks.

The basic principle of the introduction of complementary foods: a phased and gradual acquaintance of the child with a new food for him. The main task of the mother is not to overdo it and unobtrusively introduce the baby to adult food in order to maintain curiosity and interest.

1. If a child refuses vegetables, then offering him porridge or fruits right away is not worth it. After sweet fruits, he is unlikely to agree to eat unleavened vegetables. It is better to offer another vegetable (broccoli, cauliflower) to replace the zucchini you don’t like.
2. Start introducing complementary foods when the child is healthy, he has not been vaccinated and does not plan to vaccinate in the near future, he is not teething.
3. If the baby is not gaining weight well, then start the introduction of complementary foods with gluten-free cereals.
4. Between canned ready meals and mom-made mashed potatoes, opt for home-cooked meals at home. Canned and jar-packed purees do not contain a drop of useful substances.
5. When weaning starts, start giving your baby water. The new diet provokes constipation, in order to avoid them, the child must receive enough fluids in addition to breast milk.
6. You need to start complementary foods with less allergenic, easily digestible vegetables.
7. Schedule breastfeeding as soon as weaning begins, even if on-demand feeding was previously practiced. When feeding on demand, the baby is rarely hungry, and often refuses additional food. Increasing the amount of complementary foods becomes a problem. Therefore, it is better to breastfeed on a schedule, and first offer complementary foods and then breastfeed.
8. If the child has an allergic reaction to a new product, then postpone it for 3-5 months.
9. For constipation, which often occurs with the start of the introduction of complementary foods, reduce the portion of the introduced product and increase the amount of water, compote and other liquids.
10. With the introduction of complementary foods, the stool changes: color, consistency. Lumps of undigested food may appear.
11. Organize meals at the same time, from the same dishes, in one place, so that the child forms a ritual.
12. Do not add sugar and salt to baby food.
13. Sit across from your baby during feedings to make eye contact.
14. Introduce a new product in the morning to track the reaction of the body.

Where to begin

The primary task is to teach the child to eat from a spoon. It won't be easy. At first, the food will flow down the chin, the child will spit it. Be patient.

On the Internet, there are many schemes for the introduction of complementary foods. Pediatricians of the modern school and specialists in the introduction of complementary foods recommend adhering to the recommendations of the World Health Organization.

According to WHO, the first complementary foods during breastfeeding are best to start with vegetables. They contain fiber, which stimulates intestinal motility and starts the digestion process. It is better to choose easily digestible vegetables: zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli. It is better to postpone white cabbage for an older age due to too coarse fiber. You can steam the vegetables and chop them with a blender.

After acquaintance with vegetables, gluten-free cereals are introduced: buckwheat, rice, corn. Cooking porridge is not difficult at all: you must first rinse the cereal and dry it. Grind with a coffee grinder. Pour boiling water over and leave for 10 minutes.

At the third stage, fruits are introduced into the child's diet: apple, pear, pumpkin. Fruit can be baked in the oven at around 100°C. Grind with a blender to a puree.

Dietary meat of turkey, rabbit is introduced after acquaintance with the main types of vegetables, fruits and cereals. By this time, the baby's intestines will have already learned to absorb food other than breast milk. Intestinal peristalsis will begin to work smoothly, which is necessary for good absorption of animal products. The meat is twisted through a meat grinder or chopped with a blender and served with vegetables.

Vegetable (preferably olive) and butter are introduced into the diet after acquaintance with cereals. In a volume of 1 tsp, oil is added to vegetables or porridge.

We introduce each new product starting from 0.5 tsp for 7-10 days. Gradually increase the volume to 130-150 ml.

Complementary feeding scheme

A detailed scheme for the introduction of complementary foods was compiled by Ekaterina, a blogger under the nickname “mamazanuda” (mamazanuda.ru). She took into account the WHO recommendations and, based on them, proposed a plan to introduce the child to basic foods.

By the end of the first stage, i.e. by 9 months, you should try to organize 2 main meals with your usual food: breakfast and lunch. Snack and dinner, as well as the expansion of the diet, occurs at the next stage of the introduction of complementary foods.

Video: lactation consultant's opinion "When to introduce complementary foods"

The purpose of the first stage of the introduction of complementary foods, which is 3 months, is to introduce the child to the main foods, to gradually increase the volume. Those. From 6 to 9 months, breast milk remains the main food for the baby. And complementary foods are given to get acquainted with the texture, taste of basic foods.

WHO manual in the form of a pdf-file "" which describes in detail the topic of introducing complementary foods.

Complementary foods for an infant during breastfeeding are its full development. This process determines the health of the child and the strength of immunity in the future. Due to the growing need of the body for proteins and vitamins, additional nutrition is needed. It is important to know the infant feeding schedule for months while breastfeeding in order to avoid the development of gastrointestinal diseases and allergies from an early age.

signs

A characteristic marker of readiness to receive complementary foods is the first erupted tooth. However, doctors recommend focusing on other signs. It is best to introduce new foods to babies from 6 months.

For some babies, complementary foods may start as early as 4-5 months. Such a "false start" is characteristic of "artists". The presence of allergies or malnutrition can also contribute to early feeding.

You can find out if your child is ready for a new “menu” by the following signs:

1. The child is already sitting down, trying to manage with his hands. That is, there is a maturation of the brain. But if the baby is still not sitting well, and the movements of his head are uncertain, then it is too early to feed the baby. He will not be able to turn away or refuse food at the right time.
2. By the age of six months, the weight of the baby doubles. Premature babies should “catch up” with a mass of 2.5 times their birth weight by a period of 6 months.
3. The baby remains hungry after breastfeeding. He may also ask to eat ahead of time.
4. The baby can pull the lower lip forward. This skill will allow you to eat from a spoon, open your mouth as soon as food is brought to it.
5. The little enthusiast is already showing curiosity about the table of his parents and is closely watching your meals. He also doesn't mind tasting "adult" food.
6. The congenital reflex of pushing out the tongue fades away. This protection is necessary for the baby from getting into the mouth of foreign objects. Let your child drink from a spoon. If he copes with this task and does not spit out water, then it is time for a new feeding.

Important! Puree mixtures, liquid cereals should be given only from a spoon. This is how the food will be processed by the baby's saliva and easily digested.

Do not expect all these signs to appear overnight in your crumbs. A few of them are enough to introduce a six-month-old baby to a new food.

The introduction of complementary foods

The first complementary foods during breastfeeding is an important stage in a baby's life. Parents must adhere to a number of rules in order for their child to adapt to a particular type of product successfully.

1. The first complementary foods should be introduced when the baby is absolutely healthy. He is not bothered by colic, bloating, allergic rashes, cutting teeth.
2. Pediatricians recommend feeding the baby before the main breastfeeding. Food should be warm and have a puree-like consistency.
3. New cereals and purees are given to children at the first stage, 1/4 tsp. Increase the portion to 150-180 grams should be within 2 weeks. Each time there should be less and less liquid in the dish so that it approaches its natural density.
4. The menu of the first complementary foods should be vegetables and fruits characteristic of your region of residence.
5. Give your baby time to adapt to new foods by adding them to the diet at intervals of 1.5-2 weeks.
6. Preferring factory-made baby food, keep an eye on the expiration dates of products. Caring mothers will not miss information about the composition, which should be absent: salt, sucrose, sugar, dextrose.

Remember that mother's milk remains the main source of protein, vitamins, and minerals for an infant even after 6 months. In addition to nutrients, breastfeeding provides:

• reducing the risk of intestinal and respiratory viral infections;
• reducing the chances of allergic diseases;
• the optimal pace of physical and neuropsychic development of children;
• reducing the risk of obesity and diabetes.

The task of parents is to understand how to correctly introduce complementary foods, which should complement, and not replace, breastfeeding. From milk, the child continues to receive up to 70% of energy at 6-8 months, up to 55% at 9-12 months and up to 40% at 13-22 months.

Breastfeeding still happens on demand, but with new foods, try to follow a timed schedule. Here are the rules for complementary foods during breastfeeding Komarovsky gives:

feeding table

From the sixth month, the child gets acquainted with the taste and texture of new products. In the future, portions will increase, and with them the baby will receive:

• new communication (now not only mom feeds him);
• development of coordination of movements and motor skills;
• laying the foundation for good eating habits.

The first feeding of the baby is only a monocomponent puree. It is best to start with vegetables that do not give, have a neutral taste, contain fiber and are highly digestible. These include:

• vegetable marrow;
• pumpkin;
• broccoli;
• cauliflower.

Add 2-3 drops of vegetable oil, such as olive oil, to vegetable puree.

Important! All vegetables must be cooked before consumption. Mix zucchini, cabbage and pumpkin only if the child has tried them separately.

During the complementary feeding period, the mother does not let go of the blender or sieve. With their help, it is so easy to grind and grind the products, bringing the dish to the desired consistency.

In the first year, the baby may well try such products from the general table as:

• veal, poultry boiled or stewed;
• boiled lean fish;
• some legumes, such as lentils, green peas;
• "milk" in the form of yogurt, cottage cheese, tofu;
• vegetables as a side dish to the main food - rice or potatoes;
• fruits (bananas, peaches, apples, apricots, etc.).

Important! If the baby reacts to any new product with a rash, diarrhea or allergies, exclude it from the diet for a month.

Monthly feeding chart for breastfeeding.

At the age of seven months of your child, be guided by the rule of "three":

1. One meal - one product.
2. Monocomponent dishes.
3. Gluten free products.

The first porridge of the baby is dairy-free corn (coarse grinding). The value of such cereals lies in the absence of:

• gluten in the composition;
• allergic properties.

Start with a serving of 2.5 grams. For 10 days, increase it gradually to 150 gr. Next, introduce buckwheat porridge into the diet. You should not rush with semolina and rice, especially if the baby suffers from constipation. During this period, it is too early to give bread, dryers and biscuits made from wheat flour.

Traditional semolina porridge is completely recognized as a useless breakfast for kids. Instead of vitamins and nutrients, solid carbohydrates are present here. That is why, apart from a feeling of satiety, semolina does not give anything else.

For lunch, feed the kids vegetable puree from cauliflower, zucchini or pumpkin. He already managed to “get acquainted” with the taste of these products at 6 months, and you already know what he has an allergic reaction to, if any.

8 months

Now the "kitchen" of your crumbs becomes more diverse. You can pamper your child:

• low starch potatoes
• quail egg yolk (2 times a week);
• turkey, veal, rabbit meat.

With the successful introduction of complementary foods, feel free to add egg yolk to cereals and vegetable soups. Boiled meat should be introduced from a portion of 10 g, increasing it to 50 g within 14 days.

Potatoes are a dangerous food, despite the fact that they can be introduced into the diet of an 8-month-old baby. The amount of potatoes in the daily diet should be three times less than other vegetables.

Important! Steamed food retains more nutrients.

You can also enter freshly squeezed juices from apples and carrots into the crumbs menu. They are diluted with boiled water in a ratio of 1: 1, starting with 5 ml. The "holiday" portion of 100 ml the baby should receive only at 12 months. For dessert, offer him a baked green apple.

9 months

After 9 months, the child can be given fermented milk products (low-fat kefir, yogurt, cottage cheese). If it's summer, it's time to eat banana or pear puree 160-180 grams for each meal. Gently give the “tasting” grated yellow pitted cherries, peach and plum.

Baby nutrition at 9 months includes:

• boiled fish fillet in ground form (pollock, cod, carp);
• steamed meatballs with the addition of white bread pulp and chicken egg yolk;
• vegetable purees from carrots, beets, pumpkins, white cabbage with dill or parsley;
• barley and barley porridge.

During this period, also check the quality of the products and the uniform consistency of the dishes.

10 months

If before this time you are still afraid to introduce fruits and berries into your child's diet, start with compotes from apples, pears, and prunes. The baby's diet should look like this:

1. Fish. Low-fat hake or cod is given 2 times a week, alternating with meat dishes. Within 2 weeks, the serving volume should increase from 0.5 tsp. up to 60 gr.
2. Homogeneous offal puree (veal tongue, domestic chicken liver). The first serving should be 2.5 grams, and subsequently gradually increase to 50 grams.
3. Fruits. Grated fresh apples, pears, prunes.

Advice! Watch during this period especially carefully for the child's stool. Pear can cause constipation, while plum and watermelon can cause diarrhea.

During this period, breast milk will take up no more than 1/4 of the total amount of food consumed by the child. All foods on his plate must be hypoallergenic. Beetroot puree will become a novelty for him, but a portion of the usual cereals will increase to 200 g. Periodically add cottage cheese or low-fat yogurt to them. Sometimes porridge can be replaced with a casserole of cereals and pasta.

11-12 months

At 11 months, babies are introduced to beets in small quantities. They can be offered eggplant, a piece of bell pepper. You have only 2 breastfeedings left - in the morning and in the evening. The rest of the time I take a full breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. Features of the menu of a one-year-old child are:

• steamed dishes, boiled and stewed vegetables, meat and fish;
• spices, starch, flavor enhancers and sugar are absent from the diet;
• food may no longer be homogeneous, but the pieces are still small;
• citrus fruits, exotic fruits and nuts should not yet be familiar to the baby.

As before, combine meat and fish with vegetable stew. At 1 year old, treat your baby to hake, argentina, brotola. Salads made from raw vegetables (carrots, beets, cabbage) with the addition of vegetable oil are very well digested.

Vegetables, fruits, cereals, meat, fish and dairy products make up the main menu of a one-year-old baby. He will like the already familiar steam cutlets or meatballs, zucchini stew, delicious chicken fillet dumplings.

Complementary feeding problems

For the first six months, the digestive system of the baby is only “learning” to function properly. Up to six months, she is able to process only breast milk and formulas similar in composition. The rest of the products require the production of enzymes. The body of a newborn is not yet ready for such a process.

An unfamiliar product, if incorrectly introduced into the diet of a child, is capable of:

• harm the gastric mucosa;
• create conditions for the development of various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• cause discomfort to the baby by the early development of allergic reactions, diarrhea, constipation;
• increase the susceptibility of the immune system;
• disturb the intestinal microflora.

Porridge as an early feeding should be only on the water. Cow's milk protein is a strong allergen. It should be introduced into the diet of the baby only after 1 year. Also, do not rush to sugar and add salt, because an abundance of carbohydrates can develop a tendency to childhood obesity already at that age.

Never include in the menu of complementary foods:

• bread products made from wholemeal flour;
• chocolate and sweets;
• smoked, salted and canned foods;
• semi-finished products;
• imported fruits and vegetables.

The slower the process of feeding takes place, the more successfully the small organism adapts to a varied diet. Do not rush to buy packaged nectars, juices and purees from the shelves. They can irritate the digestive tract due to the fruit acid in the composition.

Keep an eye on the condition and mood of your crumbs, because even in matters of complementary foods, they often follow an individual approach.

Your baby is developing, growing, and now the time has come to introduce him to adult food, namely, to introduce the first complementary foods. It is at this moment that mommy can get confused: when to start breastfeeding a breastfed baby, what can you try, and what is better to wait with? Let's deal with all these questions.

When is the first complementary food introduced?

Complementary foods are commonly referred to as all foods other than mother's milk. The signal for the introduction of complementary foods should be the desire and ability of the baby to imitate adults in their actions. That is, the baby opens her mouth in her mother's lap when she carries a spoon with her food past him. In this regard, the start of complementary foods is difficult to miss or delay. .

• Pediatricians around the world agree that it is advisable to introduce the first complementary foods during breastfeeding from six months.
• WHO recommends the first complementary foods at exactly 6 months (180 days after birth).
• According to the National program for optimizing the feeding of children in the first year of life in the Russian Federation, the first complementary foods are allowed from 4-6 months. At the same time, it is emphasized that 6 months is the optimal time for the introduction of complementary foods for healthy children who are breastfed.
• The need to introduce complementary foods at 6 months is also suggested by the common sense that most mothers have.

So, the conclusion is clear: if your baby is mainly breastfed and healthy, then the best thing to do is to wait until he is six months old and then start feeding him.

Why is food needed?

• To avoid deficiency of vitamins and micronutrients.
• In order to timely teach the baby to swallow semi-liquid and solid food.
• Also, complementary foods are necessary to transfer the child to food from the common table so that he eats with appetite what his mother gives him. At the same time, breastfeeding appropriate for his age should be maintained.

Complementary foods are an important stage in the life of a baby, because the baby not only gets used to adult food, but also forms its first taste preferences.

When is breastfeeding replaced with complementary foods?

Breastfeeding by six months is mainly associated with dreams, that is, babies suckle the breast just before falling asleep. And they eat food while awake, when they are active, so breastfeeding in this case is not replaced by complementary foods.

Replacement of one breastfeeding with complementary foods occurs only if the baby is fed according to the regimen, for example, once every three hours.

Products to start weaning

For the first feeding, the child is offered:

• Vegetables green, white, yellow. Zucchini and cauliflower are classic foods in our country. You can also start with potatoes, turnips, pumpkins, green beans.
• Dairy-free and gluten-free cereals, start with buckwheat, rice, corn.
• Fruits and berries are white, green, yellow, blue - you can start with apples, pears, plums, grapes.
• Meat - rabbit, beef, turkey.
• Cow's milk and eggs - the later the better, as cow protein is the strongest allergen.

This scheme of introducing complementary foods is traditional. But since all children are different, the first products should be chosen taking into account the characteristics of the child's body. For example, it is better to start feeding a child with low weight with cereals and, conversely, plump butuziks should be “planted” on vegetables.

First feeding: what should it be

• At the very beginning, the child is offered semi-liquid, well-mashed and mashed dishes - as a rule, mashed vegetables. After a while, in order to form the baby's ability to chew and swallow, the dishes for him are made thicker.
• By 10 months, you can try mashed potatoes with pieces of vegetables or meat ─ the so-called "piece" food.
• Baby food for the first feeding should be monocomponent, that is, it should consist of only one product. It can be, for example, mashed pumpkin or potatoes. So it will be easier for you at the first stage to determine what the crumbs are allergic to. After a while, food becomes multi-component - one dish can contain several different ingredients, for example, apple and pumpkin puree, etc.
• The nutrition of the baby should be of high quality, the child is offered according to the recommendations of WADA (World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action) “the best pieces from the table”. That is, if the mother cooks the baby herself, then the main emphasis is on the quality of the products and their freshness.

factory food

An infant can also be fed with specialized baby food, following the principles of forming and maintaining interest in food. It is especially important here to monitor the expiration date of canned children. If you give crumbs dry instant cereals, then carefully read and follow the recommendations for their preparation, which are written on the package.

Difficulty may arise with the choice of a brand of canned baby food. Today, there are a lot of different companies in stores that produce canned food for babies ─ both domestic and foreign. If you are not sure what to buy, read the reviews of those parents who have already tried a particular product.

It is recommended to feed the baby with complementary foods with a special silicone or plastic spoon. Do not use a bottle for these purposes, even with a nipple for feeding. The bottle will form the wrong eating behavior in the child

How to start weaning: important rules

When a mother begins to give a baby new food for him, important rules should be taken into account that will help both mother and child to go through this stage in their life easier and without trouble.

• The first time is given 1/4 teaspoon of a new product, after which mommy watches the baby for a whole day. If everything is fine (a rash has not appeared, the stool has not changed, the tummy does not blow), then the next day you can give half a spoon, a day later - a whole teaspoon. In a week, the baby's portion should be 40-50 g. This should happen with any new product.
• Remember, if you were told that the baby should eat, for example, 50 g of vegetable puree, but he does not eat it, then there is nothing to worry about. Everything is different for everyone, you should not stuff a baby just because it is written in the table or your mother said that you yourself ate for two at this age. Focus on the signals that the baby gives, because you are a mother, and you should feel your little one well.
• A new dish is offered in the morning so that you have the opportunity to track the reaction of the baby's body until the evening. If you feed your baby something in the evening, then at night you will miss the reaction due to the fact that you will sleep at this time.
• A new type of food can be given to the baby every 3-7 days. It is not necessary to sit on the same one for a long time.
• It is not necessary to offer a baby several products at once in one day. If an allergy occurs, then later you will not understand which of the products he reacted to.
• Baby food is not salted or sweetened.
• If the baby is sick with something or a vaccination is planned, the introduction of the first complementary foods should be postponed. Postponing testing of new products should also be done when moving to a new location.
• If the baby wants to touch food with his hands during feeding, then do not interfere with him - in this way he tactilely studies food, and this is very important for him.
• The person who provides him with basic care should introduce the new product to the baby. Usually it's the mother. The first time a child tries a new food on his mother's lap. As soon as he begins to sit confidently, he should be put on a high chair, gradually teaching him to eat with a spoon and drink from a glass on his own.
• After feeding, it is allowed to attach the baby to the breast, because breast milk is still his main food.

Important: after the introduction of complementary foods, the child must be offered water!

To help mothers, there is a special table that will clearly show how much product to give to a child and at what age.

We prepare vegetable puree for the first feeding ourselves

We take a small amount of mashed vegetables, for example, zucchini or cauliflower, peel, boil for 20 minutes. No salt, no oil added. Using a blender, make a homogeneous puree.

How to make your own porridge

Grains should be ground in a coffee grinder. For the first feeding, porridge must be boiled in water. It is enough for the first time to take 1 tsp. per 100 ml of water. Slowly pour the chopped cereal into boiling water, stir constantly, cook until tender. It is better to do everything on a slow fire.

• Porridge for babies is not salted, not sweetened, butter is also not added (it will appear in the diet closer to 8 months).
• If you were unable to cook the dish without lumps, then grind the porridge through a sieve.
• You can add breast milk to the porridge before feeding.
• In cow's milk, porridge is cooked only when the pediatrician allows. As a rule, closer to 9-10 months.

Cooking fruit dessert for baby

Peel an apple or pear, cut into small pieces, send for 1 minute in the microwave. We knead the finished fruit with a fork, let it cool.

The first introduction of vegetable complementary foods

We have considered the rules for the introduction of complementary foods and its important aspects. Below is an example of the introduction of vegetable complementary foods. Please note that this is just a template that you can use. How much to feed your baby and the amount of food depends on your individual regimen and the characteristics of your baby's body.

First day:

• Lunch ─ the introduction of 5-10 g of vegetable puree (one component) + supplementary feeding with breast milk (160-180 ml).

The second day is different in that vegetable puree can be given for about 30 g.

By the end of the week, the volume of vegetable puree is about 150 g.

In the next two weeks, there are changes in feeding: other new vegetables are introduced. The speed of their introduction is the same unhurried, everything happens gradually.

• Breakfast, second breakfast - chest.
• Lunch - 130 g zucchini puree + 20 g cauliflower or pumpkin puree + breast milk supplement (50 ml);
• Dinner + night feedings - breasts.

An example of the introduction of cereals

A month after the introduction of vegetables, it's time to introduce the crumbs to cereals. Unlike vegetables that are given for lunch, porridge is offered to the baby for breakfast.

• The first breakfast is breasts.
• Second breakfast - 10-15 g of dairy-free porridge + 180-200 ml of breast milk;
• Lunch (14.00) - 150 g of a dish of vegetables + 50 g of breast milk;
• Dinner + night feedings - breasts.

Every day it is necessary to increase the amount of porridge to 150 g, while reducing the volume of breast milk to 50 ml.

By the end of the week, your baby's menu will look like this:

• The first breakfast is breasts.
• Second breakfast - 150 g of dairy-free porridge + 50 ml of breast milk;
• Lunch - 150 g of vegetables + 50 g of breast milk;
• Dinner + night feedings - breasts.

If necessary, formula can be given instead of breast milk.

Vigilance and caution

The introduction of complementary foods is a very important stage. Moms should be very careful to monitor the condition of the baby after the first test of new foods. You should pay attention to the stool (liquid or constipation), rashes, the behavior of the baby, which may indicate problems with the stomach. If there is any reaction, then complementary foods should be discontinued and reintroduced after the symptoms disappear.

If the baby refused to eat something, then the product should also be canceled for a while and try to give it again in a few days.

• You need to choose the right time to introduce a new food. You can not start it during the period when the baby is sick.

  If you are going to move, travel or just change the situation for a while, then it is better to postpone the start of introducing new products. The start of a new product should not coincide with the vaccination period.

• Complementary foods always start with one product.
• Be sure to finely grind standard products. To do this, you can use a meat grinder, but best of all - a blender.
• A new product is best given in the morning. You will be able to follow the reaction of the child to the new food during the day.
• You need to start with half a teaspoon. Then, over the course of a week, gradually increase its amount to 100 ml. Food temperature should not exceed 37 degrees.
• The first complementary foods are given to the baby before breastfeeding.
• For the convenience of mothers, spoons with an indicator were invented. If the temperature of the food is too high, the spoon will change color. Pharmacies now have comfortable silicone spoons that do not injure the baby.
• Watch your child's stool. With the introduction of complementary foods, it will change both in color and in consistency.
• Do not force-feed the baby with what he does not like. Try postponing a new product for a month.
• Don't be nervous and try to smile while feeding. The child needs to create a positive atmosphere, then his feeding will not be associated with negative emotions.

  Feed him playfully, making funny movements with a spoon. You can accompany them with funny sounds. Feeding will be associated with him with pleasant emotions, he will do it with pleasure.

• If an allergy appears, then it is worth postponing a new product for a month.

Choice of baby products

Choose the right foods for the first complementary foods. There are basic recommendations that will help you accustom your child to adult food.

Vegetables

Vegetables are a great first food. for babies who do not have health problems. They are recommended for those who are slightly overweight or suffer from constipation.

For the first time, carrots, zucchini, cauliflower, potatoes, beets, green peas are best suited. Vegetables are steamed and then chopped in a blender.

Once a week, give your baby a puree of one type of vegetable. You can add a teaspoon of vegetable oil to it. When the child tries several types of vegetables, you can make soup from them.

It must be remembered that carrots cause allergic reactions. Therefore, it is administered carefully, in a small amount.

Potatoes are best soaked overnight in water to get rid of the starch. And zucchini should not be given to children with loose stools.

Kashi

An alternative to vegetables is cereal. They are suitable for the first feeding of healthy children and those who are underweight. For the first time it is best to choose gluten-free cereals, that is, those that do not contain gluten. Suitable buckwheat, rice, corn.

You can use cereals or industrial cereals. In the first case, the cereal must be boiled in water, and then add 75 ml of porridge per 100 g of milk. In the case of using packaged cereals, they are briefly poured with warm (40-50 degrees) milk.

If the baby has a rare fixing stool, then you should not start with rice porridge. Buckwheat is suitable for those who have low hemoglobin levels.

Fruits

Fruits are introduced after vegetables and cereals.



To begin with, it is important to give the baby the kind that grows in your area.

Then you can move on to more exotic fruits.

An apple, pear, plum, greenish banana, grapes, peach, apricot are suitable for feeding.

You can give dried fruits (dried apricots, prunes, raisins).

Fruits are rich in fiber, so they will be able to improve the work of the intestines of those babies who suffer from constipation.

Watch for reactions while typing fruit. If they cause colic when fresh, try baking them.

They can be added to porridge instead of sugar.

Meat

Meat is rarely to the taste of babies. If you continue breastfeeding, then meat can be introduced closer to the year. Earlier use is mandatory only for children with low hemoglobin levels.

Hypoallergenic varieties are suitable for complementary foods. Among them: lamb, turkey, lean pork, veal, chicken.

They should be chopped in a blender or meat grinder, added to vegetable puree in the amount of 1/3 teaspoon. Gradually, the amount of meat can be increased to 70 grams per day.



In the articles of our website we will tell you when breastfeeding! Read about the useful and harmful properties of the product in our review.

And when can you give grapes to a baby? Learn about the rules for introducing this fruit into the baby's diet by reading.

In what form is it best to use plums when feeding a newborn - you will find nutritional recommendations for nursing mothers.

Fish



For complementary foods, fish with odorless white meat is best suited.

Ideally, if it is caught in your area.

Permissible pollock, hake, flounder, blue whiting or pike perch.

It is better to use chilled rather than frozen fish. It retains more nutrients.

You can boil, steam or bake it in foil.

From the finished fish, after removing the bones and skin, you need to make a puree in a blender or in a meat grinder.

You can add pureed vegetables or a small piece of butter to it.

Juices

For a long time, there was an opinion that juices are the best product to start weaning. Pediatricians recommended giving a 4-5 month old baby a few drops of juice. Modern research speaks about the dangers of such complementary foods. Juices should be introduced at about 10-11 months after entering cereals, vegetables, fruits and meats. It is best to dilute them with water 2-3 times.

Store bought juices are practically useless. They do not contain vitamins and nutrients, but they do contain sugar, fruit acids, which can adversely affect the health of the baby.

They are high in calories, which can affect appetite for the worse.

Useful video from Komarovsky

About the correct introduction of the first complementary foods for breastfed children, where to start introducing new products into the diet of the baby and how not to make mistakes, we will talk with Dr. Komarovsky in this video:

Remember: every child is different. Do not blindly follow the recommendations. Watch the child's reaction, his mood and health.

In contact with

The first feeding in infants causes a lot of doubt and controversy. Some doctors advise introducing the baby to regular food after six months. Other pediatricians recommend giving juice and puree as early as three to four months. Such different opinions force women to independently understand the issue of first complementary foods and find out when to introduce a baby to regular food and which product to choose for this.

First complementary foods with HB: general rules

A lot of attention is paid to the first feeding of the baby. In recent decades, the attitude towards familiarizing an infant with conventional foods has changed dramatically. If earlier, from a month old, a newborn was given juice, and by three months they were given semolina, now such recommendations can be found extremely rarely. Usually, early complementary foods are advised to be introduced by pediatricians of the Soviet school who have been practicing for more than 30 years, or grandmothers-neighbors who say that you will not be full of breast milk.

Modern pediatricians are in solidarity with breastfeeding consultants on the issue of the introduction of the first complementary foods. Recommendations of the World Health Organization:

• With the introduction of complementary foods, breastfeeding continues to be the foundation of a child's diet. Up to a year, the child receives breast milk or its substitute in parallel with the usual products.
• It is necessary to introduce the baby to adult food after six months. It should not be administered earlier, since the gastrointestinal tract of the baby is not yet ready for this.
• Complementary foods are introduced when the baby can sit on his own. Do not feed a bedridden child.
• The first complementary foods are just the transition from breastfeeding to a regular diet. The child is just getting acquainted with new food, it should not become the only source of nutrients at this time.
• All products are introduced gradually, starting with small portions. It is important at this stage to evaluate the infant's response to dietary changes.

When introducing new products, it is important not to rush. You should not try to immediately curtail lactation and transfer the child to regular food by seven months. This is fraught with problems with the gastrointestinal tract, and other difficulties.

Pedagogical and pediatric

There are several techniques for introducing the first complementary foods. Some mothers choose complementary foods according to Komarovsky, and fermented milk products become their first priority products. Others follow the WHO recommendations and start with vegetables. Still others prefer to start with fruit, since their child eats much more willingly than tasteless cereals.

In general, the first complementary foods can be divided into two large groups - pedagogical and pediatric. Both are introduced no earlier than six months and are adjusted to the general recommendations of the World Health Organization.

• Pedagogical is a technique for introducing a baby to new food, in which the main task is to teach the baby nutrition skills. The baby is taken to the common table so that he can see how the dinner goes. When a child becomes interested in food, he is given to try it in minimal doses. It is believed that it is not necessary to cook for the baby separately, and even more so to give canned food. The food that the mother consumed during pregnancy and breastfeeding can be the first complementary foods.
• Pediatric is a technique in which the baby alternately gets acquainted with different products. Choose safe vegetables and cereals, fruits and meat products. For each there is an optimal age of introduction. For example, cereals and vegetables are introduced from 6 months, and meat only after 7-9.

When to enter

A few decades ago, babies began to be fed from a month. The child was given yolk mixed with milk, grated apple, semolina. This was necessary, because by the age of three months, the mother went to work and gave the baby to the nursery. And there were no adapted mixtures. Now the views on the timing of the introduction of ordinary food are very different, and pediatricians tell in detail how many months a child can be fed and with what.

Breastfed children are recommended to be introduced to adult food no earlier than six months. Many mothers start giving porridge or puree at the beginning of the sixth month. But WHO recommends that they be administered only at the full 26 weeks. If the infant is receiving milk replacer, the recommendations do not change. Many mothers are mistaken when they think that it is necessary to feed on IV from 4 months.



One of the indicators of a baby's readiness for complementary foods is independent sitting. If a healthy child is not yet sitting by himself at 6 months, then he is not ready to accept adult food.

Well-known video blogger, certified consultant on breastfeeding Nina Zaichenko says:

- No need to feed a lying child, no need to artificially plant him. Try to eat lying down. If the child still does not know how to sit, then this means that physiologically he is not ready to accept complementary foods, it is too early.

Why complementary foods should not be introduced earlier

Mom's milk is the best food for a baby. It is completely absorbed by the imperfect digestive system of the newborn. In addition, breast milk contains enzymes that help the digestive tract.

Up to 6 months, the baby's digestive system is not ready to process adult food, even if it has a puree-like consistency. The gastrointestinal tract cannot fully digest sweet semolina, an apple, or any other product. Only after six months the liver begins to fully produce bile, and the pancreas, salivary glands and intestines secrete enzymes.

Premature introduction of complementary foods will not speed up the transition of the baby to an adult table. WHO recommends giving your baby breast milk or a substitute for at least a year. Therefore, it makes no sense to rush with complementary foods. Early exposure to adult foods increases the risk of allergies, enzyme deficiencies, intestinal inflammation, and other problems.

The famous doctor Komarovsky says:

- Scientists discussed for a long time and in the end, WHO came to the conclusion that if the mother has enough milk, then until the child reaches the age of six months, no complementary foods are needed! Supplementing with formula, if the mother does not have enough milk, does not apply to complementary foods.

First products

Pedagogical feeding from the point of view of medicine is considered risky. This type of nutrition assumes that the baby can eat any food that the mother eats while breastfeeding. However, not all dishes from the diet of a nursing mother are suitable for the baby. If a child tries sweet milk porridge, then most likely he will have a negative reaction in the form of an intestinal disorder and, possibly, a skin rash. Moreover, if a nursing mother eats a portion of porridge and feeds the baby with her milk, then nothing will happen to the child.

The first products in the baby's diet should be as safe as possible, low-allergenic and easy to digest. Pediatric complementary foods involve the introduction of vegetable and fruit purees, dairy-free cereals that do not contain gluten. As the baby grows older, his diet expands and becomes more varied.

Store bought or homemade baby food

Mothers of babies are divided into two groups: some are supporters of preparing the first complementary foods at home, while others prefer to buy jars and ready-made cereals. You can't say that some are right and others are wrong. Each mother chooses a convenient and healthy type of first feeding for her child.

Doctor Komarovsky expresses the position of many doctors with his opinion. The pediatrician says that it is better to buy canned food than to cook the first complementary foods yourself. Baby food passes various tests and is considered safe. In addition, feeding a baby with one jar is more convenient than spending an hour preparing 50 grams of carrot puree.

Homemade food will be healthier only if all products are grown independently in an ecologically clean garden without the use of chemicals.

Approximate scheme for the first month

On the Internet, in magazines, on stands in a children's clinic, you can see different tables of complementary foods. Schemes may differ in the type of complementary foods (zucchini or cauliflower), the sequence (first porridge, and then a vegetable), and even the general methodology (pediatric or pedagogical). But in general, most of the tables for the introduction of the first complementary foods comply with WHO standards.

If a breastfed child is underweight, it is recommended to start with cereals. They are more caloric and nutritious. With normal weight gain, it is better to start with vegetables.

Approximate scheme for a month:

• In the first week, one type of vegetable is introduced, for example, zucchini. As an alternative, you can take cauliflower. Acquaintance with new food is planned for the first half of the day, so that later you can monitor the well-being of the baby. In the first dose, give from 3 to 5 grams of grated puree. This is from half to a whole teaspoon. In the absence of a negative reaction, the volume is doubled daily, bringing it to 150 g by the end of the first week.
• In the second week, a new vegetable is introduced. The amount of the product increases from 5 to 150 grams in one week.
• In the third week, the baby is introduced to some kind of dairy-free porridge. You can take buckwheat or corn. Feeding starts in the morning. On the first day they give 5 grams, and by the end of the week they increase the volume to 150 grams.
• In the fourth week, the child's diet can be diversified with a low-allergenic fruit. On the first day, the baby is offered no more than 3 grams of a new product. By the end of the week, the volume of fruit puree is increased to 60 grams.



Possible errors and difficulties

When introducing complementary foods, mothers make mistakes and face difficulties. Often the cause of failure is the advice of well-wishers. If neighbor Katya advises to feed the child while watching TV, then you need to understand that this will be convenient for mom. The baby will most likely eat the entire portion, but in the future he will develop distorted eating behavior. Therefore, it is better for mom to know in advance what mistakes she may encounter.

Rush to introduce new products

If the baby perceives the introduction of the first complementary foods well, this does not mean that you can quickly introduce him to new products. The introduction of one type of puree takes from one to two weeks. It is impossible to introduce three types of porridge and five types of mashed potatoes into the baby’s diet in one month.

Allergies or digestive reactions

If the mother starts feeding, then she needs to be prepared for unusual reactions. They may not happen, but when using a new product, there is always the possibility of allergies and intestinal manifestations. Therefore, it is recommended to enter all products separately. This will allow you to accurately determine which puree the child poured out. If the baby has a stomach ache after a new complementary food or an allergy appears, then this product should be canceled and delayed with complementary foods until the negative reaction completely disappears.

How not to lose milk

With the introduction of complementary foods, the baby's need for breast milk decreases. Mom may notice that by 7-8 months the duration of feeding has decreased, and the milk itself is produced in smaller quantities. Sometimes women mistake this condition for involution. But it is not.

To continue breastfeeding after the introduction of complementary foods, breastfeeding should be offered frequently. It should be remembered that milk is produced according to the supply-demand rule. If the baby will suck during the day and at least once applied at night, then breastfeeding can continue as long as both participants need it.

After a year, for a breastfed baby, milk is no longer the basis of the diet, but it is still necessary for the formation of immunity, physical and emotional contact, and also for satisfying the sucking reflex.

The baby refuses to eat: what to do

Every mother has to deal with the fact that the child refuses to eat and turns away from the spoon. Some women stop feeding if the baby does not want to. Others continue to dine with tambourines and dances, trying to distract the little one.

The first complementary food is not considered the main food. This food becomes a kind of step, the beginning of acquaintance with the usual diet. Therefore, the purpose of the first feeding is not to feed and replenish the energy supply, but to instill food interest and make it clear to the baby that there is food of a different texture and taste.

Do not try to feed the child a whole serving. If it is planned to eat 150 grams of cauliflower, but the baby ate only 100 and asked for his mother's breasts, then there is nothing wrong with that. Feeding up to the last spoon, the mother forms a distorted nutritional education in the baby. It must be remembered that every person has an instinct for self-preservation, and in babies, instincts are especially developed. Therefore, if the baby is hungry, then he will eat. If the child is full, then do not push food into him by force.



The child is choking

An indicator of the readiness of the baby for the first feeding is the absence of a pushing reflex. If a solid object gets into the mouth of a newborn, he will push it out with his tongue. By 6 months, this reflex disappears, and the baby becomes ready to eat food that differs in texture from breast milk.

If a child chokes and pushes food out with his tongue, then this is an alarming sign. The baby is probably not ready to feed yet. If he is already 6 months old, you should be patient for 1-2 weeks and try again. If your child is choking on food, give him smaller portions. It is important that the baby sits in a comfortable chair while eating, and does not lie on the bed.

If difficulties with the introduction of complementary foods persist, contact your pediatrician or lactation consultant. Experts will indicate what mistakes were made and how they can be avoided in the future.