When is the first feeding of a breastfed baby. Homemade meat puree. Cottage cheese and kefir for complementary foods: harm or benefit

A newborn baby has enough mother's milk for growth and development, but there comes a time when this is not enough and new foods need to be added to his diet. There are special rules for the introduction of complementary foods that help make it safe and easy for the baby.

Basic rules for breastfeeding

The main rules for feeding infants include:

1. You can only introduce a new product to a healthy baby, if he does not have any violations. Therefore, new complementary foods are not administered for colds, during teething, in violation of the stool, on the days of routine vaccinations and other similar situations.
2. For the first time, a new product should be given to the child on the second feeding of the day.
3. It is imperative to monitor the temperature and consistency of complementary foods. It should be pleasantly warm and semi-liquid.
4. Feeding is usually started with a new product and only after that is a mixture or breast given.
5. At the same time, you can not enter more than one product. Each next can be added only after the child is already used to the previous one. Initially, for the first complementary foods, this period is at least 10-15 days.
6. It is advisable to give a new product from a spoon, so it is easier for the baby to feel and get used to its taste.
7. The first portion of a new complementary food should be very small - no more than 1 spoon. Then gradually increase the single portion, bringing it to the appropriate age.
8. It is undesirable to give the child the same type of complementary foods twice a day.
9. When introducing a new product, it is imperative to monitor the possible reaction of the baby to it - the appearance of a rash, a violation of the stool, the mood of the child, and so on.
10. You can not leave complementary foods for the next feeding. Each time the child should eat a fresh, freshly prepared dish. If purchased products are used in a jar, then it must be opened immediately before feeding.

Rules for the introduction of complementary foods

First feeding rules

According to the rules of the first feeding, the most suitable age for this is 4-6 months. At the same time, breastfed children are usually introduced complementary foods a little later by the age of six months, and artificial children - by 4-5 months. By this age, the baby's need for nutrients and calories increases significantly, and mother's milk is no longer able to block it. In addition, the child's digestive system must be prepared to digest more solid food, and this takes quite a long time. In any case, it is better to discuss the timing of the introduction of the first complementary foods with the local pediatrician.

Porridge and vegetable puree are best for the first feeding of a child. At the same time, when making a choice, the weight of the child and compliance with its age norms play an important role. So, children with a lack of weight are recommended to start feeding with cereals, and babies with overweight or normal weight - vegetable purees.

Complementary foods should be introduced gradually, starting with 0.5-1 small spoons, gradually increasing the single serving. The next product is introduced only after the baby is used to the first, and this can take up to several weeks.

1. Age 6 months. One type of complementary food is introduced into the diet. Most often, this is vegetable puree, in some cases it may be porridge. Zucchini and cauliflower are best for mashed vegetables. It is allowed to add a couple of drops of vegetable oil to the dish. A single serving gradually increases to 150-200 g and replaces one breastfeeding or formula.
2. Age 7 months. If vegetable puree was introduced into the diet at six months, then porridge is introduced at 7 months and vice versa. The first cereals should be quite liquid and gluten-free. Buckwheat, rice and corn porridge are suitable for feeding. You can buy special ready-made cereals or cook them yourself at home, in this case, the cereals are ground with a coffee grinder. At the same age, you can offer your child the yolk of a quail or chicken egg. In this case, the first portion should be microscopic, since the egg can cause allergies.
3. Age 8 months. Fruits are introduced into the diet in the form of puree and fermented milk products, such as natural yoghurts without additives, cottage cheese and kefir. The first serving of cottage cheese is 1 tsp, and yogurt and kefir - about 20 ml. By the year, this amount is brought to 50 g and 100-150 ml, respectively. Fruit puree is introduced from a teaspoon and gradually brought to 100-150 g.
4. Age 9 months. Enter the meat puree. Moreover, if the baby categorically refuses it, then you should not insist, it is better to introduce it a little later. The best types of meat for the introduction of complementary foods are rabbit, turkey and veal.
5. Age 10 months. At 10 months, fish appears in the diet. You should also be careful with it, as it can cause an allergic reaction. They begin their acquaintance with fish from white low-fat varieties, for example, cod or hake.
6. Age 11 months. Different foods are gradually added to the child's diet. At this time, the baby already has several teeth, so you can not grind the food, but cut it into small pieces. Instead of mashed meat, it is allowed to give the child a steam cutlet or meatballs. Such a diet will teach the baby to chew.
7. Age 12 months. It is not worth transferring a child to a common table by the year, but his daily menu should be varied and balanced, including all types of products allowed at this age.

Rules for complementary foods while breastfeeding

Complementary feeding rules for breastfeeding suggest the start of the introduction of new products no earlier than 6 months. At the same time, it is important to introduce complementary foods in such a way that the child does not refuse the breast. To do this, do not give him liquid cereals and other products from a bottle, it is better to do this with a spoon. Start feeding with a new product, while it is desirable that the child sit. After the baby has eaten complementary foods, he is given a breast. If the baby refuses a new food, no need to insist, it is better to offer complementary foods later, when he is hungry.

Complementary feeding rules for artificial feeding

As a rule, complementary foods with artificial feeding are introduced earlier than with natural feeding. Often, the child begins to feed as early as 4-5 months. We can distinguish the following rules for complementary feeding with artificial feeding:

• complementary foods do not start before the baby is 4 months old;
• the introduction of a new product and the timing of vaccinations should not coincide;
• new products must be ground until completely homogeneous;
• complementary foods are introduced in the morning;
• artificial people can be given new products both from a spoon and from a bottle;
• if the child refuses complementary foods, you can not force-feed him.

Your baby is six months old. He still receives mother's milk and you understand that it's time to introduce complementary foods! When is the best time to start complementary foods for a breastfed baby? - It depends on the health of your baby. Children's pediatricians define six months as the optimal age for the introduction of complementary foods. Early terms of complementary feeding can provoke the development of atopic dermatitis or gastrointestinal disease.

By six months, the baby's stomach and intestines are ready to receive other foods. However, there are exceptions to any rule if your baby's weight is consistently underweight. then the doctor may suggest that you feed the baby as early as 4.5 months. If the baby has symptoms of allergies, doctors will advise you to wait up to seven months with a change in diet.

No matter how valuable mother's milk is, it can no longer provide the baby's actively growing body with the substances it needs. For the organic development of the digestive system, fiber, vegetable protein, and dietary fiber are needed. With age, it will become more and more difficult to accustom the baby to new foods. But the baby has a chewing reflex, teeth are actively growing, a bite is formed. Solid food contributes to better development of the baby's jaw apparatus.

How to properly introduce complementary foods

• Use a small spoon (preferably coffee);
• Do not force the baby to eat everything that you offered. If the baby has no appetite, just do something else with him. And after a while, offer food again;
• In the first days of complementary foods, give the new product a little, just a few grams, so that the baby's ventricle gets used to the new food. Gradually increase the portion;
• Get a notebook (Child's food diary). Write down in it what product you gave to the baby, when and how much, how the baby's body reacted to the new food. The records will be useful to you if something goes wrong with the baby: an upset stomach occurs, an allergic rash appears, etc. Using them, you can quickly determine which of the products caused an unwanted reaction;
• It is better if the baby sits in a high chair during feeding;
• Introduce a different food when the baby's stomach gets used to one type of complementary food. The interval between the introduction of new products is from 3 to 7 days;
• After feeding, be sure to attach the baby to the breast. Mother's milk is still the main food for babies.

Complementary feeding chart for a breastfed baby

(Click on the picture to enlarge)

*The figures in the table relating to products are averages. Do not try to "shove" the entire recommended amount of food into the child. Does the baby turn its head away from the spoon? Don't force him to eat. Take away the food and breastfeed the baby.

Choosing a feeding plan

Pedagogical complementary food

It is based on the baby showing interest in food that adults eat. The main goal here is not to feed the child, but to introduce new food, form taste sensations, and teach to chew. Let him taste the food on your plate. Of course, it must be prepared - chopped, mashed into puree.

What products can be offered to the baby?

First of all, vegetables, cereals, fruits, dairy products (kefir, natural yogurt), egg yolk, meat (rabbit meat, turkey, chicken, beef, pork -), sea fish (hake, cod, sea bass), legumes.

At first, the baby simply tastes food, learns to taste, chew it. He likes some more, some less. Gradually he will eat more and more. An additional plus of this method is that the infant’s social circle expands, he copies the movements of adults, learns to take food with his hand from a plate and put it in his mouth.

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The first time, while he masters new skills, keep the baby on your lap. When the baby is firmly seated, able to hold a spoon well in his hand, put him in a special high chair. From 8 to 10 months, teach yourself to eat with a spoon. It's important to be patient here. If the baby got into the food with his hands or puts it first with his hand in a spoon, and then he carries it into his mouth, you don’t need to scold him, grab the spoon and feed it yourself. Gradually, the baby will learn to do everything right. Let him do everything himself under your supervision. Otherwise, your child will simply lose the desire to do this. ()

I remember well how I tied a long oilcloth to my daughter - an apron in front, put her in a high chair, and laid a film around on the floor, which at the end of the feeding was all smeared with food. But a month later, the baby ate on her own (under my supervision).

It often happens that the baby eats well, he likes the food, and he demands from his mother to give him more. It is important to have a sense of proportion here. The result of overeating will be a deterioration in well-being, pain in the tummy and indigestion. Gradually, the child will develop a sense of proportion in food, accuracy, he will acquire the skills of proper behavior at the table. Your task is to patiently, step by step, help him in this.

Complementary baby food

(clickable)

Ten years ago, complementary foods for infants began with fruit juices and purees. Now the opinions of doctors are divided, many are in favor of vegetables. Motivated by the fact that fruits, due to the sweet taste, form an addiction to sweets in a child, can provoke the development of allergies, cause indigestion. The famous Ukrainian doctor Komarovsky suggests starting with kefir and curds. They do not overload the baby's liver, because. their composition is similar to breast milk.

See the opinion of Komarovsky:

It is difficult to say whose opinion is correct, because there has not been a special study of this problem. Therefore, when choosing complementary foods, rely on the opinion of a pediatrician who has been observing your baby since birth.

However, for this type of complementary foods there are rules:

1. At first, make mashed potatoes from one type of product. If it's fruit, start with an apple; if it's vegetables, it's better to take zucchini or cauliflower. These products are hypoallergenic, so you can not be afraid to get an allergy.
2. Puree can be taken ready-made, but it is better to cook it yourself. All vegetables and fruits, except bananas, steam or bake in the oven, then chop with a blender. At the same time, there will be no lumps in the puree that the baby can choke on.
3. Fill vegetables with vegetable oil (ideally olive oil).
4. Do not sweeten or add salt to foods for up to a year.
5. Watch the child's stool. If undigested pieces of food appeared in it, this is not a problem. And if the stool has changed color dramatically, has become liquid, or, conversely, the child has constipation, a rash has appeared, remove the new food for at least two to three weeks. If you give your child beets, then urine and stool will turn pink-red. This is natural and not dangerous.
6. Porridge can be offered to the baby a month after the vegetables. Cereals for cereals must be washed, dried, chopped (conveniently in a coffee grinder). Start with buckwheat, rice, corn porridge, boiled in water. They do not contain gluten - gluten that causes constipation, allergies. It is good to add breast milk to the finished porridge. From eight months you can cook semolina, oatmeal and mixed cereals. ()
7. If you started complementary foods with vegetables, then it's time to offer your baby fruit puree after cereals. The first purees are made from green and yellow fruits, so there is less risk of developing allergies.
8. After fruit, we accustom the baby to meat, fish, give crackers, cookies to gnaw.
9. Don't forget to breastfeed your baby every time.
10. As the child gets used to the new food, we try to completely replace one breastfeeding (usually lunchtime) with complementary foods. If the baby still requires a breast, do not refuse him.
11. Invite your child to drink boiled water. With the introduction of solid food, the need for liquid increases. If he refuses - do not insist, it means that your milk is enough for him.
12. From 8 to 9 months, stop using the blender, just mash solid food with a fork. The child needs to learn to chew food.
13. Be especially careful when giving new foods to a child who is prone to allergies. Start literally with microdoses of one to two grams, increasing them a little daily.
Recommended

Mothers of babies 3-4 months old often wonder - is it time to think about the introduction of complementary foods? The time the baby is ready to get acquainted with new food is determined individually. It depends on the development, type of feeding, health status, tendency to allergies, speed of weight gain.

You should not be ahead of the deadline for the introduction of complementary foods and offer products that are inappropriate for age. After that, digestive problems, allergic reactions are possible, which will eventually delay the introduction of complementary foods. Some doctors insist on adding apple juice and cereals to the diet from 3-4 months. Others, on the contrary, recommend waiting for the appearance of the first teeth. It is important for the mother of a baby to listen to their opinion, but to trust only her intuition and conclusions from observations of the child.

Criteria for breastfeeding readiness

Five-month-old babies actively explore the world and show interest in everything that is on the kitchen table. If one of the parents holds the child on the handles in the kitchen, he is interested in everything - napkins, spoons, food. This is a healthy interest in the world around you, but should not be taken as a signal for the introduction of complementary foods. The readiness of the child for breastfeeding for new food is evidenced by:

• an increase in weight by 2 times from what it was at birth (3 times in premature babies);
• the baby does not gorge on breast milk (more in the article:);
• the appearance of the first teeth;
• the child takes food from the table, puts it in his mouth, tastes it;
• extinction of the tongue thrust reflex - the child can chew with his gums without experiencing a gag reflex and without pushing food back;
• the baby can show with a gesture which piece you want to try;
• after the baby has tried adult food, he does not have constipation, indigestion.

When should we postpone the introduction of complementary foods?

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This article talks about typical ways to solve your questions, but each case is unique! If you want to know how to solve your particular problem - ask your question. It's fast and free!

Some breastfed babies are not ready to be introduced to complementary foods at 6 months of age (recommended reading:). This is due to the peculiarities of weight gain, development, readiness of the gastrointestinal tract to assimilate new products. With complementary foods, you should not rush in such situations:

• the child was born by caesarean section;
• the baby is often sick;
• vaccination period;
• allergic manifestations;
• pathologies in the development of the central nervous system;
• low weight gain;
• hot summer weather, flowering period of allergenic herbs.

With complementary foods, you should also not rush during the period of acclimatization at a new place of residence. There is nothing wrong with lagging behind the calendar plan and peers. The child will make up for everything in due time. It is important for mom to continue to feed him with breast milk, tracking the increase in height and weight.

During the vaccination period, it is better to refrain from additional stress in the form of new food.

At what age should a baby be fed?

To date, there are uniform rules developed by WHO. They indicate that a child on breastfeeding does not need supplementation and complementary foods in the first 6 months. Until six months, it is not recommended to offer the crumbs anything other than breast milk. In some cases, babies start feeding at 7-8 months and later. Babies on mixed and artificial feeding can be introduced to new tastes at 4-5 months.

Modern feeding schemes

Specialists have developed two schemes for complementary feeding of infants: pediatric (traditional) and pedagogical. The first involves the gradual introduction of certain products. Initially, they are offered in a small volume, leading within a week to the age norm. This method helps to gradually displace breast milk from the diet and prepare for the transition to a common table.

Pedagogical complementary foods involve receiving complementary foods in small portions from the parent's plate. At the same time, the child gets acquainted with the foods that are loved in the family. However, formula or breast milk remains the main food by the year. Most mothers who want to quickly transfer their children to adult food and are interested in at what age this can be done choose pediatric complementary foods.

Pedagogical complementary foods allow the child to taste dishes from the parent's table

complementary feeding schedule

What is the best product for breastfeeding? Pediatricians used to recommend fruit juices to mothers. However, modern research has shown that these drinks are heavy on the gastrointestinal tract of babies. Doctors recommend these safe and nutritious complementary foods:

• Gluten-free cereals made from buckwheat and rice cereals. The grain is ground into flour and a liquid porridge is boiled or ready-made baby food is used, which must be diluted with water (a portion of baby milk). With cereals, they begin to feed children who are not gaining weight well.
• Vegetable puree. Ideal vegetables for the first feeding are hypoallergenic zucchini, potatoes, cauliflower. Puree should be prepared without salt and other flavoring additives. This is the best initial feeding option for babies who are gaining weight normally.
• Dairy products. According to Dr. Komarovsky, baby kefir and cottage cheese are the most correct option for the first complementary foods, since their composition is very similar to mother's milk. The digestive system of infants perceives fermented milk products well. With them, you should start feeding premature babies, allergy sufferers and children suffering from dysbacteriosis.

Dairy products can be a great complementary food option

Complementary feeding table for breastfeeding

It is worth introducing the baby to new products in the morning, in order to follow his reaction to the dish during the day. The first servings should not be more than a teaspoon. Perhaps the baby will like the dish and he will express a desire to try more, but you should not offer more than it should be. If the introduction of complementary foods was successful, the volume of the dish is gradually increased, replacing one of the feedings with it. The table-scheme shows the types of products and the period of their introduction into the diet of a breast-fed baby:

Baby's age	Dish consistency	Permitted food items	Feed features
6 months	Liquid or sour cream consistency.	Zucchini, cauliflower, potatoes grown in the region of residence. It is offered in the form of monopurée without salt, and later two types of vegetables are mixed.	Suggest from 2-3 grams per day, bringing up to two tablespoons during the week. Closely monitor the work of the digestive system.
7 months		Gluten-free unsalted cereals made from buckwheat, rice, corn flour. They are cooked in water, vegetable broth, breast milk or an adapted mixture. If the baby is not gaining weight well, cereals are introduced into the diet before vegetables.	They offer 1-2 times a day for a teaspoon, bringing the portion during the week to 3 tablespoons, and by the year - 150 ml.
8 months (more in the article:)	Puree-like consistency (mashed or blended products).	Lean meat: veal, pork, chicken, rabbit. The meat is boiled, chopped through a blender or meat grinder. Sour-milk products intended for baby food are also gradually introduced.	Chicken yolk (quarter) is mixed into ready-made dishes 1-2 times a week, doubled by the year (fed by half). The meat is cooked in the form of mashed potatoes, offered with a side dish of ½ teaspoon, bringing up to 30-50 grams in a week. Yoghurts and cottage cheese are introduced carefully, by the age of one the baby should receive 100 g of cottage cheese or 150 grams of kefir per day.
9-11 months	Puree-like consistency (mashed or blended products).	Fish: hake, flounder, trout, hake, cod. Chicken yolk. Oatmeal, bread, crackers.	The fish is introduced from 5 grams, gradually increasing to 100 grams. Meatballs are prepared from it, which serve as a good addition to a vegetable or grain side dish.
12 months	Chopped food without salt and sugar.	Fruit and vegetable juices made from green apples, peaches, plums, apricots. Initially single-component, then mixed (apple-carrot, apple-apricot and others).	Initially offer ½ tsp. juice. The portion gradually increases and by the year is about 100 grams.

What are the guidelines for offering complementary foods?

It is important to offer the child only freshly prepared dishes, serving them in a beautiful bowl or saucer. You should not feed your child from your plate and spoon - the devices can be dangerous for the digestive tract and oral cavity bacteria. The following rules will help to avoid problems with the assimilation of products:

• fresh organic products and young vegetables are selected for complementary foods;
• a new dish is offered during breakfast or lunch before breastfeeding;
• products are administered one at a time, from small doses, monitoring the reaction of the crumbs for 12 hours;
• with a negative reaction, the dish is canceled;
• gradually the volume is brought to the prescribed age;
• if the baby likes "adult" food, you should not stop breastfeeding.

After the baby tastes the porridge, butter should be added to them (about 3 grams). You can not offer up to a year old mushrooms, exotic fruits, honey, tea, nuts.

Tracking the time, volume and amount of complementary foods will allow a food diary, which is recommended to be kept during the first three years of life. It is worth recording how much, when and what foods the baby ate, as well as fixing, after which a negative reaction was noted.

Exotic and allergenic fruits are best introduced after 1 year

Plan for the introduction of cereals at 6-7 months

At 6 months, the baby is offered vegetables or cereals before breastfeeding, gradually replacing one feeding with a dish. Any dish should be offered from a spoon, the use of bottles and nipples is unacceptable, no matter how convenient it is for mom. If the baby is not gaining weight well, cereals are given from 5-6 months, adhering to the following scheme:

• They offer porridge daily for breakfast, without salt and sugar. At first, the consistency of the dish should resemble breast milk, gradually it becomes thicker.
• The first week - buckwheat porridge with cream consistency is offered for testing in the morning in the amount of 1 teaspoon. If there is no negative reaction, 2-3 teaspoons are offered on the second day. On day 4, the consistency is made thicker (like sour cream), the baby can already eat 5 teaspoons. By the end, a serving of creamy porridge should be 100 g per day.
• The second week - they give rice porridge according to the same system as buckwheat, or alternate buckwheat and rice, bringing the amount of rice to 100 grams per day.
• The third week - introduce porridge from cornmeal. The feeding schedule is the same as for rice and buckwheat.
• Fourth week - oatmeal is introduced, following the reaction of the crumbs. The dish contains gluten (a vegetable protein that not all children digest).
• subsequent weeks. A dish of porridge gradually replaces one feeding with milk.

Over time, complementary foods with porridge replace full-fledged feeding.

Plan for the introduction of vegetables at 6-7 months

Similarly to cereals, a plan for the introduction of vegetables is prescribed, carefully boiling them and preparing monopure. It is better to start with a young zucchini or potatoes. Vegetables containing carotene (pumpkin, carrots) are offered after 8 months. When introducing vegetable complementary foods, you should adhere to the following scheme:

• The first week is the introduction of squash puree into the diet. The vegetable is boiled and chopped with a blender (fork, sieve). The first day give ½ tsp. puree. On the second day, it is allowed to add a drop of vegetable oil and offer 2-3 tsp. before breastfeeding. For a week, the volume of complementary foods should be reduced to 60 grams.
• The second week - boiled cauliflower is added. First give only 1 tsp. cauliflower puree and 6 tsp. zucchini puree, monitor the reaction of the crumbs. This portion can replace lunch, but the baby should be supplemented with milk. On the second day, the volume of cauliflower is increased to 2-3 tsp. and supplement with 5 tsp. zucchini puree. By the end of the week, the cauliflower puree is replacing the zucchini.
• The third week is the introduction of potatoes. First, they offer the baby 1 tsp for lunch. mashed potatoes and 6 tsp. zucchini. On the second day - 2 tsp. potatoes and 4 tsp. cauliflower. By the end of the week, the serving of potatoes should be 7 tbsp.
• Fourth week - alternate vegetables, try to introduce boiled carrots. It is offered from ½ teaspoon, bringing it up to 2-3 tsp. in a day. It is not necessary to replace all complementary foods with one carrot puree. It is undesirable to change the order of introducing zucchini, potatoes, cauliflower, but it is possible.

Carrot puree is given in the fourth week of complementary foods

Is it possible for a baby to have semolina porridge as a first complementary food?

With low weight gain by an infant, Soviet pediatricians often recommended that mothers of infants start complementary foods with liquid semolina. Disciplined parents gave semolina to newborns from almost two months. What do modern doctors say about this? Gastroenterologists believe that it is undesirable to try semolina up to a year old, since the gastrointestinal tract and enzymatic system of babies are not ready to digest it. An exception is underweight babies (they are allowed to try semolina from the 9th month).

Baby needs semolina, but it prevents the absorption of calcium, which is necessary for the formation of bones, teeth, and muscle mass. Her presence in the children's menu should not be more than once every 10 days up to 3 years of age. Since cow and goat milk is not recommended for children under 2.5 years old, the porridge recipe should be based on an adapted mixture or water. At 1.2-1.5 years old, you can use baby milk diluted with water 1 to 1.

The baby refuses to try complementary foods: what to do?

It happens that the child categorically refuses to try complementary foods from a spoon, spits out food. Sometimes he even vomits, which causes serious concern for mom. Experts advise not to be afraid of gag reflexes. They have a functional origin and usually occur when the period of breastfeeding is prolonged.

• it is necessary to offer complementary foods after an active walk, when the child is hungry;
• take into account taste preferences: some children like light mashed potatoes, others eat yogurt, buckwheat porridge with great pleasure;
• if the new dish was not to your liking, the child is fed with his favorite food, and they return to the “rejected” product after a few days;
• you can feed the baby at the common table, demonstrating how the whole family eats with pleasure.

It happens that the baby refuses complementary foods when his teeth are cut, his tummy hurts. Children lose their appetite after catching a viral infection. Her symptoms (cough, runny nose, fever) appear later, and the first wake-up call is just the lack of appetite. Mom should be attentive to any situation when the baby does not want to try complementary foods. Patience and care will help to overcome all difficulties, introduce healthy foods into the baby's diet by the age of one.

When to introduce complementary foods while breastfeeding? What recommendations do WHO and domestic pediatrics offer? How to determine if the baby is ready to get acquainted with new products? And which ones to choose for safe food? Tips from lactation consultants on age-related changes in the baby's diet.

Complementary foods are often perceived by mothers as the beginning of a new stage in a child's life, and adult life at that. Upon reaching six months, the baby is already showing interest in food from the parents' plates, he can hold a spoon himself. Someone is already actively drinking water or got acquainted with juice. It's time to "transfer" the child from breastfeeding to the products of the "adult" diet. Or is it not time?

The trend towards the introduction of early complementary foods in modern society is being replaced by new recommendations. According to WHO, the first complementary foods for breastfed babies should be introduced no earlier than when the baby reaches six months. Moreover, this figure is the lower limit of the norm, it does not provide for deviations to the smaller side. Six months - and not earlier. Until then, your baby should only be breastfed.

Optimal timing of the start of complementary foods with breastfeeding

But what about the advice of district pediatricians, who have been advising to give babies a few drops of apple juice from the age of four months? These tips have nothing to do with the norms of modern, international pediatrics.

The timing of when to start complementary foods while breastfeeding is adjusted as follows.

• Only your milk - up to six months. The child does not need any other products, since the composition of breast milk fully satisfies his needs for nutrients, trace elements, and vitamins. Mom supports breastfeeding on demand, allowing the child to apply the required number of times a day, feeds at night, does not limit the time spent at the breast.
• Complementary foods for a healthy baby. The lower limit of the temporary norm of six months applies only to healthy children. If the baby is prone to allergies, he has temporary health problems (teething, ARVI, vaccinated), the timing is shifted upwards. For babies whose births took place with complications, by caesarean section or the use of other medical techniques, it is allowed to shift the dates by one and a half to two months, that is, introduce new products closer to eight months.
• Accounting for physiological characteristics. The question of when to give complementary foods to an infant, according to consultants on breastfeeding, should not depend on the desire of the mother or grandmother, but on the ability of his body to accept new foods. This ability, according to lactation consultant, AKEV expert Maria Gudanova, is manifested by a number of behavioral factors. The child does not push hard objects out of the mouth with the tongue and can sit confidently on its own. Also, the baby should be able to hold the spoon and direct it to the mouth.
• Development of the gastrointestinal tract. In babies who were only breastfed, the maturation of the enzymatic system just happens by six months. If the child received additional mixtures, water, this process is slower. The timing of the introduction of complementary foods should be extended, having previously restored breastfeeding in full. The readiness of the gastrointestinal tract to accept new food is indicated by the absence of vomiting after taking a new product, the absence of indigestion (constipation, diarrhea, colic). Healthy complementary foods pass without the occurrence of allergic reactions.

The timing of the start of complementary foods is adjusted individually, depending on the condition of the baby and his readiness to receive new products. But complementary foods from 4 months with breastfeeding are not the norm. It is possible to correct the terms only in the direction of increasing the age of the baby - after six, seven and even eight months.

It is necessary to postpone this period if there have been changes in the family: one of the relatives has died, the mother has gone to work, the family has moved. Any stressful situation excludes the possibility of changes in the natural breastfeeding regimen.

Basic principles

The appearance of new products in the life of a baby does not mean at all that the period of breastfeeding has passed into the final phase. This opinion is extremely dangerous, advisers on breastfeeding warn. The fact is that in nature there are no products that would be even minimally close to breast milk in terms of their nutritional value. And reducing the amount of its consumption significantly impoverishes the diet of the child.

“The correct introduction of complementary foods during breastfeeding is exploratory in nature,” comments Oksana Mikhailechko, consultant on breastfeeding. - It is not intended to replace and displace at least one of the breastfeedings. It only introduces the child to new tastes, products, textures, rules of behavior at the table, instills an interest in food.

Lactation consultant Maria Gudanova agrees with her opinion. “There is no reason to decrease your milk intake,” she notes. Complementary foods and breastfeeding do not complement each other. These are completely different physiological processes designed to perform different tasks.”

• Former application regimen. Mother's breast still remains for the child both a source of food and drink, and a way to relieve pain, calm down, fall asleep. Support feedings at night to allow co-sleeping with your baby.
• Familiar foods in the diet. What foods are already known to the baby's body? Of course, those that mom eats! Thanks to breast milk, the baby's digestive system knows how to "handle" them. And the risk of negative reactions after consuming a product in a “live form” is much lower than an unfamiliar one. Offer your child the same foods that are on your table.
• Self-consumption of complementary foods. Encourage your child to use the spoon and eat on their own. Food for him should turn into an active process that he controls on his own, and not into a passive opening of his mouth for a serving portion. Keep the table clean, guide the baby's hand, support the plate. But do not take away from him the right to be "in charge" during meals.
• Natural products of different consistency. For a long time in Soviet, and then in Russian pediatrics, there were recommendations for the introduction of complementary foods exclusively in pureed form, from adapted products “in jars”. The American pediatrician R. Mendelsohn in his book “How to raise a healthy child in spite of doctors” notes the falsity of these recommendations. Industrial baby food has nothing to do with the physiology of a breastfed baby. It is relevant for artificial children, whose digestive system is still in a state of maturation by the age of six months and older. A breastfed baby can absorb natural foods and dishes of different textures. Mashed potatoes, soft sliced ​​vegetables, unblended soups, hard dryers and crackers - all this will help develop the baby's jaw apparatus, his chewing and swallowing skills.

The use of any food in baby feeding requires control on your part. If there is too large a piece in the mouth that the baby cannot handle without delay, take it!

From the moment of the start of complementary feeding during breastfeeding until the transition of the child to the "adult" table, a period of one year should pass. Such recommendations are given by foreign pediatricians. That is, at the age of one year, the baby should continue to receive breast milk in the amount of seventy-five percent of his daily diet. The final feeding cycle should be at the age of one and a half years.

• Products are not an alternative to milk. They contain only a fraction of the nutrients a growing body needs. Whereas in breast milk they are in a balanced volume.
• Introduction to seasonal products. Within one year, a breastfed baby can safely become familiar with all the foods that are part of his family's seasonal diet.
• Diverse food. A baby who consumes complementary foods a little bit can eat much more varied foods during the day than a baby who has a full breakfast or lunch in the form of porridge, vegetable monopure.

Given these principles, the question of how to properly introduce complementary foods during breastfeeding by day and by week is losing its relevance. Mom gets much more freedom in the choice of products, while maintaining the dominant role in the baby's diet of breast milk.

Product selection

There is no need to treat complementary foods as a collection of strict rules that do not tolerate deviations. By continuing to breastfeed and adhering to the tactics of introducing the crumbs to new products, you will ensure that he develops harmoniously and receives all the necessary substances.

Juices

For a long time, they were offered by Russian nutritionists as the No. 1 first complementary food product. There were recommendations on the introduction of apple juice, as a source of iron, much earlier than six months of age - at three and four months.

Modern research has shown the danger of this recommendation. The juice of industrial production has a minimum content of vitamins and microelements, which are hard to digest by the child's body. This is a product with an aggressive composition, which contains fruit acids, sugar. The latter changes the child's taste habits, as a result of which a subsequent rejection of cereals, vegetable products with a higher nutritional value is possible. The high calorie content of juices suppresses the child's appetite, reduces his need for breast sucking.

In terms of benefits, fruit purees are much more preferable for baby food than juices. They contain fiber that helps the digestive tract. Instead of juices, choose homemade compotes for children's diets, but not as first foods.

Juices should be administered after other products: vegetables, cereals, meat, dairy products. Then they will show themselves from a new side - stimulators of enzymatic activity.

Kashi

They are recommended for babies who are not gaining weight or suffering from diarrhea, indigestion. Use gluten-free cereals: buckwheat, corn, rice. You can cook them yourself or buy them as an instant product. If you use ready-made industrial cereals, choose dairy-free, without added sugar and salt. They are hypoallergenic.

Vegetables

Ideal first food for healthy babies. Also recommended for children who are overweight and suffering from constipation. Offer vegetable mono puree, introducing a new product once a week. Fill the puree with a teaspoon of vegetable oil. Once your child is familiar with several vegetables, offer them as a mixed vegetable stock soup.

Zucchini, white and cauliflower, carrots, beets, potatoes, green peas are allowed for the first feeding.

Fruits

Use fruits from your region that you know are safe. Rich in fiber, they stabilize the bowels of a child suffering from constipation. You can enter an apple, pear, plum, greenish banana, grapes, apricots, peaches, dried fruits (dried apricots, prunes, raisins). If fresh fruits cause colic, bake apples in the microwave or oven. Add soft fruits to your porridge instead of sugar.

Meat

Toddlers rarely love meat. If the baby remains breastfed, there is nothing wrong with the introduction of meat dishes closer to a year or older. They should be used in the diet earlier in babies with low hemoglobin.

Pay attention to meat products of the hypoallergenic group: lamb, turkey, lean pork. The next selection group is veal and chicken. Grind them in a meat grinder and add a third of a teaspoon to vegetable puree, gradually increasing the amount to seventy grams per day.

Fish

It is recommended to offer your child fish up to two times a week as an alternative to meat. Choose varieties of white fish, without a pronounced smell, preferably caught in your area. Enter into the diet in the same way as meat.

Valid schemes

The scheme for introducing complementary foods during breastfeeding for babies with normal development and health is as follows:

• 6 months - vegetables;
• 6.5-7 months - fruits;
• 7-9 months - cereals;
• 8-9 months - yolk;
• 9-11 months - meat, fish;
• 9-12 months - juice;
• 11-12 months - kefir;
• 12-18 months - cottage cheese.

For babies with a lag in weight gain, the following scheme can be offered:

• 6-7 months - cereals;
• 7-8 months - vegetables;
• 7.5 months - fruits;
• 9-14 months - bread;
• 10-12 months - cottage cheese, kefir;
• 10.5-12 months - yolk;
• 12-14 months - meat, fish, juices.

Separately, in each scheme, the place of water should be indicated. Breastfed babies refuse water for a long time, often starting to drink water by ten months or older. It is normal if the baby can be applied to the breast when he needs to.

The Breastfeeding Complementary Feeding Chart offers a wide range of times for each product. There is no need to rush if you do not "fit" into the recommended framework. For example, when introducing vegetables, give them enough time so that you can safely switch to eating several types of them, and then move on to cereals or meat products.

The period of introduction of complementary foods is really important for the baby, but not in terms of changing his diet, but for the harmonious development of the body. He should introduce the baby to new tastes, foods, foods of different textures and temperatures. At the same time, the leading role of breast milk remains in the diet of the child at least up to one and a half years of age. By the same period, the complementary feeding cycle is completed. And the baby can switch to the daily diet of his family.

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Up to 6 months, the child is fully provided with vitamins, minerals, antibodies and all the necessary biological substances that are contained in mother's milk. Of particular importance is attached to antibodies that perform a protective and immunomodulatory function in the body of a newborn. Therefore, babies will always be healthier and stronger in comparison with children who, for some reason, are bottle-fed.

The adaptation period to new conditions passes without problems and stress only due to frequent attachment to the breast and unity with maternal warmth in the process of natural feeding. This is a very important aspect in the formation of immunity, the proper functioning of internal organs and systems, the development of the skeleton and teeth.

Features of the introduction of complementary foods

Up to 6 months, a properly organized breastfeeding baby will be provided with nutrition and the necessary amount of fluid.

Therefore, he simply does not need other products and is even contraindicated, since the enzymatic system has not yet been formed and the incoming food is likely not to be absorbed or will harm the digestive system of the baby. After 6 months, the growing body will need an additional source of minerals, protein, energy, which are no longer enough in breast milk. At this age, it is necessary to introduce complementary foods.

Complementary foods for babies are introduced monthly, which ensures gradual adaptation and changes in the functioning of the digestive organs. In support of young mothers, a table was created for the correct introduction of complementary foods. Based on many years of experience, practical observations and research, the Association of Pediatricians of Ukraine has established an algorithm for the safe addition of nutrients to the diet of an infant.

By the age of 6 months, the baby already holds his head well, can sit for a long time, and most importantly, he is already beginning to be very actively interested in the food that adults eat.

All this suggests that the baby is ready to change habitual sucking to the process of eating food with a spoon.

15 rules for the introduction of complementary foods:

• 1. Complementary foods are not recommended in case of moving, change of scenery, illness of the baby;
• 2. Scheduled vaccinations cannot be combined with the start of dietary changes, so you should wait a couple of days after the procedure;
• 3. Only a person who constantly cares for the child can deal with complementary foods;
• 4. After the first acquaintance with a foreign product, it is necessary to carefully monitor the behavior, skin and physiological functions of the baby;
• 5. The first complementary food always contains one product;
• 6. For feeding, use only a spoon, but not a bottle with a nipple, because there is a high probability of rejection of the breast;
• 7. Complementary foods are introduced before breastfeeding, when there is a pronounced feeling of hunger;
• 8. The optimal time of administration is before the second attachment to the breast;
• 9. The amount of complementary foods is not more than 5-10 grams on the first day, which will be 1-2 teaspoons;
• 10. The consistency of the introduced complementary foods should be semi-liquid, homogeneous, without pieces;
• 11. The position of the child during the first attempts at feeding should be sedentary, preferably on the lap of the breastfeeding;
• 12. For the first feeding, it is recommended to use vegetables, but in children who are bottle-fed, porridge is immediately introduced;
• 13. Complementary foods should always be freshly prepared;
• 14. In the table of feeding a child by months, a ban on adding salt and sugar to food for up to a year is strictly prescribed;
• 15. Complementary food is given to the child only in the form of heat.

The first feeding is of particular importance. It is important not to feed, but to properly acquaint the child with food, that is, to give a try a new taste, new sensations, to teach him to open his mouth at the sight of a spoon, to accustom him to chewing.

All at once, of course, does not work out, but repeated attempts will certainly succeed. That's why, if the baby pushes food, does not open his mouth, is naughty, you do not need to force feed him. You should postpone this activity and breastfeed, and try again the next day.

Feeding a baby for months

When transferring a baby to common food, it is very important to follow a single rule: no more than 10 grams on the first day. After observation and a normal reaction of the body, you can increase the volume of the new dish. Complementary foods for months for a baby has a lot of positive aspects. Proper organization of digestion in infancy will become the foundation for the normal development and functioning of all organs and body systems in the future.

Monthly food table

Detailed description of complementary foods for children under one year old

baby 6 months old

Breastfed children are introduced to the first dishes of vegetables. The exception is children who do not gain weight. In this case, porridge is added first.

The first vegetable that can be used to make puree is zucchini. as it is a hypoallergenic product. Give on the first day 0.5-1 teaspoon, then increase every day by 2-3 tablespoons. If the body reacts normally, on day 7 the baby can eat up to 100-150 grams of complementary foods.

Then you should add the mashed creamy cauliflower puree. After a couple of days, you can mix two vegetables if there were no reactions to either of them. Each vegetable is introduced separately and only then added to the vegetable puree.

Pumpkin and carrots are introduced carefully and last, as these vegetables quite often cause an allergic reaction in young children.

After the introduction of complementary foods, mothers always observe changes in the consistency and color of the child's physiological functions. This is a normal phenomenon associated with a change in nutrition and imperfection of fermentation. Food in the early days may even come out half undigested, or with elements of mucus and greens. Within a week, everything will return to normal without medical intervention.

Baby 7 months old

In this age the baby is already actively eating from a spoon 2-3 times a day and has food preferences. You can put him in a special chair for feeding, where he feels confident and eats food with pleasure. At this age, according to the feeding table for months, you can add porridge.

Experts recommend using buckwheat, rice and corn grits.

Now the stores offer a huge selection of cereals for children up to a year. Such cereals are already prepared for consumption by a child without additional grinding, which is very convenient. To prepare them, just add boiled water to the desired consistency.

If the baby refuses to eat porridge without milk, you can add breast milk. Cow and goat milk for children under one year is strictly prohibited., as they negatively affect the digestive organs, in particular the small intestine.

Complementary foods are introduced, at this stage, in the same way as vegetables. Porridge is recommended to give in the morning.

Age 8 months

At the age of 8 months, the baby can already eat quite varied, because at this time several more new products are introduced. Most of the food intake in the form of breast milk is replaced by a variety of complementary foods.

Potato

This month, the diet is increased and meat, egg yolk and potatoes are added to it. Potato is an allergenic food containing a large amount of starch. Therefore, it is recommended to introduce it into complementary foods later than other vegetables. The first intake times are 10-15 grams, that is, 2-3 teaspoons separately from other products. Then enter incrementally, but not more than 50-80 grams per day.

In vegetable puree, the amount of potatoes should not exceed a third of the total volume.

Turkey and rabbit

For meat complementary foods, it is best to use turkey and rabbit, because they are considered the most useful and are easily absorbed by the child's body. Chicken and veal can be introduced after a couple of months. Beef is recommended since the year.

Meat puree is introduced in the amount of 5 grams along with vegetables, preferably for lunch. A month later, the child should eat 50-60 grams of meat. And by the age of one year, up to 100 grams of meat should be present in the daily menu. It is very important to mix it with vegetables for good absorption.

Egg yolk

Introducing complementary foods for babies according to the table is considered the most correct solution for all mothers, as the risk of frequent allergic reactions is reduced. For example, egg yolk is the most allergenic product, so it is introduced literally crumbs. Preference is given to quail eggs, but chicken eggs are also allowed with a normal reaction.

It is recommended to give the yolk no more than 2 times a week. A couple of weeks after the introduction of small parts of the yolk, it is allowed to give the baby half a quail and a quarter of a chicken. It is better to mix this product with porridge or grind it with milk, and feed the baby in the morning.

Baby 9-10 months old

Cottage cheese

At 9 months, fermented milk products are included in the menu. Cottage cheese should be low-fat, without added sugar. It must be rubbed well through a special sieve or turned into a homogeneous mass without lumps using a blender. You need to start with 5 grams and gradually increase to 30-40 grams. By the year the child should eat up to 80 grams 3-4 times a week.

Kefir

Kefir is taken for children, without additives. It can be purchased at pharmacies or specialized baby food stores. Start with 10 milliliters and work up to 100-150 ml per day. It is better to feed in the evening before dinner, about 2 hours before. You can alternate with cottage cheese.

Ban on sweeteners

Some children reject fermented milk products due to the presence of a sour taste, but it should be remembered that sweeteners are strictly prohibited, so you need to set them aside for a while and repeat a little later.

Fruits

To feed a child means to give carbohydrates at the latest period of the introduction of complementary foods. Fruits are introduced in small pieces in the form of puree. Preferably apples, pears and prunes. You can juice from them, but not more than 50-70 milliliters per day, because a large amount of fruit acids irritate the baby's intestines.

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