As the baby grows up day by day, his digestion ability gradually improves and he needs more nutrition.
Eating only the mother’s breast milk can no longer meet the needs of babies over 6 months old. At this time, babies need to switch from eating only liquid food to eating solid food.
In this process, we need to add semi-solid supplementary foods to the baby to supplement nutrition and exercise chewing and digestion functions.
When did what start to add supplementary foods?
It is recognized by all countries that the time point when the baby starts to eat supplementary foods is 7 months old, but this figure can certainly fluctuate.
Mom and Dad can pay attention to observe, if the baby has the following performance, you can consider adding supplementary food:
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Interest in adult food
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Can maintain a sitting position
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When something solid is put into the mouth, the sticking tongue reflex of the small tongue disappears and food can be swallowed.
However, it should not be added too early in a hurry-if it was 4 months ago, the baby’s digestive system was immature and prone to dyspepsia; Moreover, adding supplementary foods so early may increase the risk of food allergy.
Too late also has hidden dangers-at the 3rd and 4th months, the baby will consume almost the same amount of iron brought by his mother. If he starts eating supplementary foods too late, iron deficiency anemia may occur. Even if iron is supplemented in time, supplementary food is not eaten, and supplementary food is given to the baby later than 8 months, the phenomenon that the baby rejects solid food may occur in the future.
How should supplementary foods be added?
Before telling you how babies of all ages should eat supplementary foods, I would like to tell you the following principles for adding supplementary foods.
1. From one to many
From the very beginning, it should be remembered that only one kind of new food will be added, and the same kind of food will be tried for several more days in a row. When the baby gets used to it, new ones will be added.
This is to judge whether the baby can accept it and whether it will be allergic, such as rash, diarrhea, vomiting and other reactions.
If there is a reaction, symptoms will usually appear within 6 hours. If there are symptoms, this kind of food will be stopped first and added after 3 or 4 months, and the baby may not be allergic.
2. From thin to thick, from fine to coarse
The same kind of food should be made into different forms with the gradual growth of the baby’s age, showing different viscosity and particle size:
- Mud that does not need to be chewed and is easy to digest, such as minced meat mud; Need to chew, swallow semi-solid, such as chopped minced meat; A solid form that requires careful chewing, such as minced meat with small particles.
The specific what is made into what shape, which I will talk about carefully later. The purpose is to adapt to the development of baby’s gastrointestinal function and chewing ability.
3. From less to more
From the first time to try a kind of food for your baby, start with a small spoon.
On the first day, you can try it 1-2 times, and then you can increase the amount or number of times you eat. After observing it for 2-3 days, the baby can try new food again when he gets used to it.
Remember, we did this at first just to let the baby try to get in touch with new tastes, not to fill TA. Don’t force the child, you can stick to trying for a few days, try several times a day, and forget it.
What should be eaten for supplementary foods. How?
Let’s default that the time for the baby to add supplementary foods is 7 months old, starting around 6 months old.
Before adding supplementary foods, if there are no special circumstances, the baby only needs to drink breast milk, and needs to drink 800 ~ 1,000 mL every day. After that, we have to face new changes almost every month.
1. Beginning at the age of 7 months
Key words of supplementary food: vegetable puree, fruit puree and meat puree
Keep 600 mL of milk every day, drink 4 ~ 6 times of milk and 1 supplementary food every day.
Priority should be given to adding iron-rich foods, such as iron-fortified baby rice flour and red meat paste.
The choice of iron-fortified rice flour can be mixed with breast milk, formula milk or water into a slightly thin mud paste (it can be scooped up with a small spoon and will not drip quickly, and it is not good to be too thin or too thick).
You can also eat vegetable puree and fruit puree:
- Vegetable puree includes sweet potato, pumpkin, potato, yam, western blue flower, etc. Fruit puree such as apples, bananas, pears, etc.
Remember, add the same thing at a time, the observation is no problem, and add a new one.
2. 8 ~ 9 months old
Key words: powdered food
Allow 600 mL of breast milk/formula every day, drink milk 4-6 times and supplement 2-3 times.
Starting from iron-rich foods, it will gradually reach one egg yolk and/or whole egg per day (egg yolk can be added with white protein if it is well adapted), and 50 g meat, poultry and fish (about half the size of the palm of an ordinary adult woman). Other grains, vegetables and fruits will be added as appropriate.
If the baby is allergic to egg yolk/eggs, avoid eggs and add 30 g of meat (about a small piece the size of one-third of the palm of an ordinary adult woman).
The types of foods that can be eaten include:
- Staple food: thick porridge, soft rice, rotten noodles, etc. Chopped vegetables: carrots, green vegetables, spinach, pumpkin, western blue flowers, cauliflower, etc. Small fruits: apples, pears, bananas, strawberries, prune, papaya, avocados; Protein: chicken puree, fish puree, shrimp puree, minced meat, tofu puree, pea puree, egg yolk, whole egg, etc.