The introduction of complementary foods is a very important step. Change your baby's diet gradually, very carefully and at the right time. Do not do it too early or, on the contrary, too late.
Instructions
Step 1
Modern pediatricians believe that complementary foods should be introduced from six months, when the child's need for vitamins, proteins and minerals increases significantly. Previously, doctors advised to introduce complementary foods from four months, but there is no particular sense in this. If the baby is very thin, with low hemoglobin and poor appetite, you can start complementary foods a little earlier, from five months.
Step 2
It is believed that complementary foods should be introduced after the appearance of the first tooth, since it can be considered a signal from the body that it is ready not only for milk. But in some cases, teeth begin to erupt and at eight or nine months, of course, you don't have to wait until that time.
Step 3
Any new food should be incorporated very carefully and gradually into the diet. It is recommended to start introducing complementary foods at the time of the second morning feed. First, try offering your child a spoonful of a new product, after which he needs to be fed with more familiar food - formula or breast milk. If the child has given up on a new product, do not be discouraged, try again in a couple of days.
Step 4
After the first tests, it is very important to monitor the child's reaction - changes in stool or the appearance of a rash. If there are no problems, the next day the dose of complementary foods should be doubled and continued in the same spirit until the dose reaches one hundred and fifty grams. If at some point there are any problems, you should stop increasing the dose and, possibly, consult a doctor. It usually takes seven to ten days to completely replace one complementary feeding.
Step 5
There is no clear indication of where to start complementary foods. Some pediatricians recommend starting with a variety of vegetable purees, because they contain a lot of vitamins and minerals, but the structure of such food is very different from the usual milk, which can cause problems.
Step 6
If you decide to start with vegetables, it is best to give your child light or green vegetables first - broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower. A little later, you can add carrots, pumpkin and potatoes. You can make mashed potatoes yourself, or you can buy ready-made from trusted manufacturers, which may even be preferable, since it does not contain fiber fibers that can cause allergic reactions in a child.
Step 7
If the child is thin enough, you can start complementary foods with cereals: with buckwheat, rice and corn, then add oatmeal. In this case, it is also better to buy ready-made nurseries, which are made from proven ingredients and are ideally homogenized, which is very important for a small child. It is worth starting with dairy-free cereals, you can switch to dairy cereals closer to the year. It is better to replace the last feeding before bedtime with porridges, the over-fed baby will sleep longer and calmer.
