The ideal food for a newly born baby is mother's milk. It is intended for this, so this wonderful drink contains all the necessary proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. In the digestive tract of a newborn, the same juices and enzymes are secreted as in adults, but their quantity and activity are very small, and the ratio differs from the adult body. That is why the best liquid nutrition for a baby is milk or, in its absence, baby food.
But time passes, and the moment comes when the baby is not enough milk. The newborn is not too mobile - he constantly lies and most of the time immersed in sleep. He spends a few calories, so milk is excellent enough to give the most intense weight gain in the infant period. This continues until six months. By 6 months, the baby's activity is noticeably increased. He sits down, shows interest in the world around him. The fact that the child is constantly hungry is evidenced not only by a sharp decrease in weight gain, but also by the increasingly frequent feeding on demand. The baby is increasingly asking for breasts! All this suggests that it is time to expand his diet and introduce the first lure.
When to introduce complementary foods
Currently, most pediatricians agree that the best time for first feeding during breastfeeding is 6 months. It is by this time that the child’s body is ready to absorb nutrients in new food. But with artificial feeding, the first lure can be introduced earlier, for example, at 4 months. The same thing - with a lack of milk from the mother.
But before 3 months, feeding is by no means necessary. Adaptation of the body to the environment continues, intestinal microflora is formed, new food can easily provoke a malfunction. This will cause diathesis or digestive disorders - diarrhea, constipation, gas formation. The activity of enzymes of gastric juice and pancreas increases by 3 months, and by 4 months it almost corresponds to an adult. Why, when breastfeeding, do not rush to the beginning of feeding the baby? New food will displace breast milk from the baby’s diet. When he eats, he will suck much less. And milk is useful for the formation of immunity and is easily digested.
There are signs of readiness for feeding. This primarily concerns the nuances indicated below in the article. Young parents need to pay special attention to them. Consider the features of the first feeding during breastfeeding.
When is it time?
- Ejection reflex attenuation. Until this time, the baby usually pushes new food out of his mouth with his tongue, so it will be problematic to feed him from a spoon.
- Sitting posture while feeding. If the child already knows how to sit, then firstly, the likelihood of choking on new food will decrease. Lying with a spoon of mashed potatoes or porridge is not so convenient. Secondly, the baby can take an active part in eating and show his reaction. If he likes food, he leans to the spoon. If he has already eaten or he doesn’t like the meal, he can slightly push his head back.
- The need for calories. The kid has become more active, in addition, he is already noticeably larger than the newborn. He needs more food. As you know, solid food is much calorie liquid. After all, milk is inherently a nutrient solution. Eating porridge is much easier than milk.
- Interest in food. Children love to imitate adults, and when they see what they eat, they also want to try. True, the baby may not only have a food interest in food. A child can perceive food as a toy, for example, turn a fruit in his hands, crush it.
If the child is 6 months old and these symptoms are not observed, wait 2-3 weeks. If this also happens later, it is better to discuss the introduction of the first feeding with a doctor. This may indicate any serious deviations. With artificial feeding, the first complementary foods have to be introduced earlier than this period, because no mixture provides such a good nutrition as breast milk, and the baby's body begins to require an expansion of the diet earlier.
Fruit discussion
For a long time it was decided to start complementary foods with fruit purees. Children eat them with pleasure and quickly get used to it. However, modern science and practice are opposed. Fruits exert a greater burden on the pancreas than vegetables because of their sweetness. And besides, their main plus turns out to be the main minus. Accustomed to a delicious and sweet fruit puree, the baby is difficult to switch to vegetables.
Therefore, vegetables or cereals are the most suitable products for the first feeding.
Vegetables or cereals
So where is the best place to start? Usually the first lure is vegetable. Vegetables have many advantages. They are largely similar in composition to fruits, but have several advantages. Like fruits, they normalize digestion. However, they contain many times less fructose and do not exert such a load on the child’s pancreas. They are easier to digest than fruits, and less allergenic. If the child is healthy and has normal weight, it is recommended to start complementary foods with vegetables. They are also useful if the baby is prone to constipation or has a lot of weight, because vegetables are less calorie than cereals, and better stimulate intestinal motility.
Porridge is recommended for those children who are slowly gaining weight. They are very nutritious. For the first feeding, cereals made from gluten-free cereals are prepared. These are rice, buckwheat and corn. Rice or buckwheat is recommended as the first porridge - they are easily digestible and not allergenic. Buckwheat is very useful and contains essential amino acids, rich in iron.
Vegetables
Complementary foods begin with the least allergenic and most easily digestible vegetables. This is zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, and a little later - pumpkin and carrots. Carrots are already considered relatively allergenic, like all fruits and vegetables with bright orange or red color. It is no coincidence that they have such a color. It is given by carotenoids. This is one of the types of vitamins, and later they will be of great benefit to the growing body, but so far it is not worth rushing. Vegetables are introduced into the baby's diet in the form of mashed potatoes. The baby only has teeth, and he still can not chew.
Zucchini puree recipe
Usually mashed potatoes for the first feeding are prepared from zucchini. This vegetable does not have a bright taste, but the baby is not yet familiar with anything else. But zucchini does not cause allergies and is easily absorbed by the children's body. Making mashed vegetables is easy. You need to clean the zucchini or any other vegetable. Seeds must be removed. Cut the pulp into small cubes or rings. Vegetables are cooked in a double boiler or in a pan. You can make an impromptu double boiler from a pot of water and a sieve with slices of zucchini located on it. So the vegetable loses less vitamins, which when boiled in water can go into the water and pass. Zucchini is not cooked for long - from 7 to 10 minutes. But to make homogeneous puree out of it can be a little more difficult due to its fibrous structure. You can rotate the boiled zucchini with a blender and then rub through a sieve. It is better to cool the mashed potatoes in the refrigerator - due to the low temperature, bacteria multiply there less. It is best to eat mashed potatoes right away. But it is allowed to store it for up to 4 days in the refrigerator, to warm up before each use. Before eating, you can add a little breast milk there, so that the baby tastes the usual taste. But salt and oil do not need to be put.
Other vegetables puree
Mashed potatoes from any other vegetables are prepared in the same way. Only the time or cooking method is different. Pumpkin can be baked in the oven, slightly filled with water. But it is administered later than other vegetables - it can cause allergies. Potatoes can also be introduced into the diet of a child, but it is difficult for the baby to digest, therefore it is used in mixed purees. For example, you can combine 1 potato and several broccoli inflorescences, with broccoli taking a little more. Carrots are treated similarly - in pure form carrot puree is risky due to a possible allergy, but adding it as a component to mixed puree will not hurt. Carrot puree is prepared in a different way: freshly peeled carrots are rubbed on a grater, then steamed or in a pan. After that, it is rubbed through a sieve without any problems.
Porridge
Usually cereals for the first feeding are dairy-free. Cow's milk will enter the baby’s diet only in a year, and then carefully and gradually. True, adding a little breast milk or an adapted mixture is not forbidden. Despite the fact that usually cooked at home - it means useful, doctors advocate the use of ready-made cereals for feeding. They are adapted for children of this particular age, their structure is more delicate and uniform, the composition is balanced, they are hypoallergenic, and they are also quickly and easily brewed. But homemade cereals are also popular. If you have the time and opportunity, you can tinker a bit.
How to cook porridge for feeding
In order to get dairy-free porridge for the first feeding, you first need to make flour from cereals. Wash cereals several times until the water becomes clear. Then it is dried naturally on a napkin, or quickly in the oven. Dried grits must be ground into flour in a coffee grinder or a suitable blender. Flour usually does a lot, so most can be stored in a dark, dry place. It only takes a tablespoon. In a small saucepan, heat 100 ml of water. Then a spoonful of flour is placed in water and boiled for 15 minutes. The first porridge should be liquid - it can be diluted to the consistency of breast milk. As with mashed potatoes, the first cereal should include only one cereal. When the child is already accustomed to each porridge, you can sometimes mix them, but it is better to stick to one-component dishes.
Choose ready porridge
If you still trust the advice of doctors or decide to save time and choose to buy instant porridge, this choice should be approached carefully. What is important to consider? Porridge for the first feeding should be milk-free, gluten-free and contain only one component. Of course, in the food of babies there should not be any sugar or sweeteners, and especially flavorings and other artificial additives. The packaging usually indicates the age of the child from which such porridge can be consumed. In addition, as with the selection of any food product, it is important to pay attention to the shelf life and integrity of the package.
Meat
For the first feeding, meat is not used. After all, it is more difficult to digest, and its time comes in 8 months. Meat is important for infants because it is the best source of iron. This element is also found in other products, but in smaller quantities. In addition, only meat contains heme iron - the same as in our blood, as part of hemoglobin. It is absorbed much better. The meat is also rich in B vitamins, zinc. All this helps the baby to be active and have good immunity.
Which meat is healthier?
The safest and most easily digestible types of meat are rabbit meat and turkey. Many doctors advise starting the introduction of meat products with mashed potatoes or minced rabbit. There are other types of meat that are suitable for babies. Beef is very nutritious, and chicken is easily digested, but you need to be careful - these products can cause allergies. Beef allergies are especially severe in children who are allergic to cow's milk protein. You can also offer pork as a substitute, but this is a fatty and heavy variety of meat, and you should not get involved in it.
Meat puree
You can also buy meat puree in a store where for the very youngest age it will be crushed almost to a homogeneous state, or cook it yourself. If you decide to make it yourself, it is important to carefully choose the meat and be sure that it meets sanitary standards. It is necessary to remove all the tendons, put the meat in cold water, bring to a boil, cook for 5 minutes, then drain the water, pour the cold and cook for the second time until it is ready. At the first cooking, all harmful substances will come out of the meat. Boiled meat can be cranked 2 times in a meat grinder or blender, trying to achieve the most uniform consistency.