Complementary food for a baby is a source of additional substances useful and necessary for its development, in which it begins to experience a deficit already in the first half of the year. In addition to replenishing with vitamins and minerals, complementary foods are gradually replacing breastfeeding and transferring the baby to adult food. But so that the crumbs do not have difficulties with digestion when introducing a new dish, it is necessary to follow several principles for introducing the first complementary foods.
Instructions
Step 1
Most often, a growing baby's body is deficient in vitamins and minerals. That is why the first complementary food is vegetable, and then fruit puree. These products are rich in vitamin and mineral composition. In addition, the fiber of plant food has a beneficial effect on intestinal motility and gradually increases the enzymatic activity of the infant's digestive system.
Step 2
For breastfed babies, introduce the first complementary foods from 4-4, 5 months. Premature and artificially fed babies 1, 5 months earlier. But the rules for the first feeding remain the same.
Step 3
Give complementary foods before breastfeeding, while the baby has an appetite. Start with a minuscule amount (1/2 tsp). Do not be surprised if the baby remains dissatisfied with the new dish, since so far only the taste of mother's milk is familiar to him. Each subsequent time he will perceive new food with great pleasure.
Step 4
Watch your baby's stool all the time. If there are no signs of indigestion, then you can safely increase the portion of complementary foods. Otherwise, cancel complementary foods for a while and enter later. Increase complementary foods gradually, every day by ½ tsp. more, and within one week, bring it to the required amount. A serving of a 4-5 month old baby is 100-150 g.
Step 5
Use potatoes, carrots and cabbage for the vegetable puree first, and only when the baby gets used to these vegetables, gradually add zucchini, green peas, beets and cauliflower to the puree.
Step 6
Do not introduce two new dishes at once. Such a load on the child's digestive system will end with indigestion, after which a long recovery may be required.
Step 7
By the end of the first week, replace one breastfeed with complementary foods, and allow the second week to fully adapt to the new dish. After that, introduce the second complementary food - porridge. Also, follow the basic rules for introducing complementary foods.
Step 8
Cook the first complementary foods well wiped and liquid, since the baby knows only liquid food (breast milk), and a different consistency can cause him problems with swallowing and assimilating food. Prepare any complementary food only for one meal. This does not save the mother's time, but it does keep the baby healthy.
