Complementary Feeding is the transition of moving your baby from a diet of breastmilk to solid foods. This phase helps in building healthy habits and also teaches your infant how to eat from a spoon to swallow pureed food and eventually chew them.
Complementary Feeding is the transition of moving your baby from a diet of breastmilk to solid foods. This phase helps in building healthy habits and also teaches your infant how to eat from a spoon to swallow pureed food and eventually chew them.
Instilling Healthy Eating Habits
While establishing a feeding scheme, remember to introduce healthy food right at the start. Prepare your meals using vegetables that are a good source of Iron, Zinc, and Vitamins. It will benefit the baby in the long run. Your baby may dislike the taste of single mashed vegetable at the beginning, but try feeding them without mixing any sweet food, they will get used to the taste.
Understand Your Baby's Reflexes
While feeding your baby, ensure that he is sitting straight on a chair or is placed comfortably on your lap. Turn off the TV or any distraction around while feeding. During the first few feedings, your baby may take only a few bites. When he pursues his lips or turns his head, understand that he is full.
How Long Do Babies Take To Adapt To Flavours?
After six months, when you introduce new flavours, colours and textures your baby make take around a month to get used to them. It’s different for every baby; some may take more time to adapt. Don’t worry about the time and take it slow. If you identify any allergic reaction or intolerance then consult your paediatrician immediately.
Breastmilk Is Still Essential
Even though you have introduced solid foods to your baby, breastmilk remains a vital source of nutrition for your baby. Create a daily meal plan where you start the day by breastfeeding the baby followed by breakfast, mid-snack, lunch, snack, and dinner. In between these meals, you can breastfeed as per your baby’s requirements.
Make Meals Exciting
Babies can sometimes be least interested in the food served and may just turn their head away or spit it out. Make meals enticing by making it look delicious. Serve mashed rice and vegetables in a vibrant bowl with fun spoons. Use boiled vegetables to make funny faces in a bowl or rice. Use quirky bibs and towels to make meals more interesting.
Feeding Scheme for Babies
Develop a meal plan as per your babies wake up time and naps. You will identify that a child is hungry after he wakes up from a nap or after playing or walking around.
Also, establish a feeding scheme keeping in mind the various stages of growth.
Newborn to 6 months: Breast milk.
6 months onwards: Introduce solid foods in the form of smooth purees.
8 to 9 months: Start making food lumpier, which will teach them to swallow.
9 to 12 months: Introduce diced foods that are soluble and add variety to food in the form of vegetables and fruits.
If you are aware of the development stages of babies, it will help you establish a great feeding scheme for your baby.
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