Babies should be exclusively breastfed till 6 months of age. After that complimentary feeding needs to be started. Why we have to start complimentary feeding at 6 months is because
- The physical and mental growth of a newborn baby is very high in the first 2 years, in that the birth weight doubles by 5 months and triples by 1 year.
- The energy needed for this rapid growth is very high
- This high energy need is unmet by only breast milk by 6 months
- The amount of breast milk also starts to come down by 6 months
- Baby develops digestive enzymes by the this time
The top questions on infant feeding.
When to start?
Complimentary feeding can be started by the end of 6 months
What to start?
We can start with mono-cereals like ragi, wheat, rice or banana powder. Ragi is a very good complimentary food as it is rich in iron and calcium.
How frequently to be given?
Initially we can start once a day which can be gradually increased to twice or thrice daily over a couple of months. Breastfeeding should be continued along with this.
When to introduce multiple items?
By 8th month we can introduce multiple items as they develop taste buds well and appreciate taste well.
When can we introduce other food items?
By 8th to 9th month , they will have first their first teeth and the urge to chew. We can introduce soft foods like idli,rice, chapathi etc after soaking in milk or water. We can also introduce mashed potato, banana also. We can try egg yolk by 9 months and then egg white by next month. We can also try minced chicken or fish too around 10 months. We have to be very careful while giving all these and make sure it is properly mashed. We need to introduce all tastes to the baby in these months as they can appreciate it well. We need to introduce boiled vegetables (carrot/beet root/ potato) and fruit juices also by 10th month. Better to avoid food which is ground in mixer. Because it will in a paste like consistency and they wont get a chance to chew it.
What is family pot diet?
If we follow a healthy complimentary feeding as described above, your baby will be ready to take the same food as you by the age of 1 year. It is called family pot diet.
Can we depend on commercially available ready-made food items?
My answer would be better to avoid. It is always preferable to give home-made food. It is financially cheaper and higher in quality too. There is a huge misconception in parents that these commercially available food items are superior to our home made foods which is absolutely wrong.
What to do with fussy eaters?
I very well know it is not easy to feed babies as it is told. But it needs lots of patience and consistency. You may have to introduce a food many times , then only your baby may take one or two spoons. So my advice to all mothers is not to get disappointed by the refusal of feed by your baby, you may have to try for many days to introduce a new food to his/her menu. So be patient and they will definitely like it and take it one day! Remember, there is no short cut to success!
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