Breastfeeding. Monthly foods - table

With all the advantages of breast milk and its benefits for a growing body, there is still a drawback - the lack of vegetable protein and fiber in its composition necessary for the full growth and physical development of the child. In this regard, there is a need to introduce complementary foods during breastfeeding, when the baby reaches a certain age.

The introduction of complementary foods

The international health system annually develops new programs for the correct introduction of complementary foods, thereby wanting to find the most optimal balance of products necessary for the proper growth of the child's body. Pediatricians insist that even after the introduction of new products, breast milk should be left as the main food for children. Such useful substances, immunoglobulins, as in human milk, are not found in any product. Therefore, to continue strengthening immunity, young mothers should pay special attention to breastfeeding.

All products that the child will consume should not contain salt, especially vegetable purees. It is also necessary to heat them.

Basic rules for introducing new products

Healthy children are able to switch from a single product (breast milk) to a wide ration of a home table in six months. Thus, by the first year of life, the child can already eat from an adult table.

On the other hand, young mothers giving their children exclusively human milk after six months of age risk their babies' health. The consequence of such malnutrition is a violation of the physical development of children due to the limitation of nutrients and minerals. In children, whose nutrition is based only on breastfeeding, after 8 months, a swallowing reflex of solid food is not developed, which in the future complicates the proper development of the digestive system. Without the required amount of iron, children develop anemia.

The introduction of new products should occur in the cool season, because in hot weather food poisoning and indigestion of new food is possible. After each feeding a new product to the baby, it is advisable to give it to be washed with breast milk. So the baby will be easier to adapt to the new rules of nutrition.

Therefore, the introduction of complementary foods should take a leading place and attract special attention of young mothers.

When to introduce the first lure?

Depending on the type of feeding the baby, pediatricians call different timing of the introduction of complementary foods. The first feeding during artificial feeding is advised to be administered to newborns when they reach the age of four months. By this moment, the child has already formed a digestive system, ready to take more complex foods than the mixture.

Another criterion for the earlier introduction of additional food is the lack of all the necessary vitamins and minerals in infant formula.

The first lure for breastfeeding is advised not to be given before the baby is 6 months old. One of the reasons for this is the possibility of developing atopic dermatitis, therefore, in addition to mother's milk, there is no need to give other products.

Listed below are some of the dangers of early feeding:

• After the introduction of additional products, the production of breast milk in a woman may be reduced or even stopped altogether.
• Due to its immaturity, the baby’s digestive system is at risk of infection by pathogenic bacteria contained in foods or liquids.
• The risk of food allergies increases.
• Immaturity of the digestive tract can lead to a violation of the digestion of adult food and malnutrition.

Problems encountered with the later introduction of complementary foods:

• Lack of energy and nutrients can slow growth, development of the child and malnutrition.
• Breast milk does not replace iron and zinc, therefore, their deficiency is possible.
• Inadequate development of chewing skills, taste perceptions of food.

Thus, it is necessary to start giving complementary foods during breastfeeding on time.

Digestion of children during the introduction of complementary foods

In infants, digestive secretion is not developed as in adults. By nature, it is originally intended to digest only human milk, which contains such substances that contribute to the proper digestion of food and prepare the child's body for adult food. Violating this process with earlier or later introduction of complementary foods, you can disrupt the proper functioning of the digestive system.

By the age of six months, the child’s gastric system is already sufficiently prepared for the intake of dietary fiber, starch, protein and fat from family foods.

Some products contain low energy density, and the volume of a children's stomach can take no more than 30 ml per kilogram of body, that is, getting a sufficient amount of low-calorie food, the child does not satisfy its energy needs. Thus, when choosing products, mothers need to consider what energy density and micronutrient content are in a particular product.

How to choose the first product

When a 6-month-old baby is breastfed, her mother begins to think about which product to administer first. Pediatricians are advised to start feeding a child with mashed vegetables.

In the recent past, children's doctors have recommended choosing mashed fruit as the first course. However, most pediatricians now criticize this product. The reason for this was studies that revealed a high risk and frequency of cases when the tender children's gastric mucosa was irritated by the juice contained in fruit purees. Also, many babies then refuse more sugary products in terms of taste.

Dairy products have also recently gained popularity among the options introduced first. However, due to the presence of various proteins in them, many babies react to them with allergies or indigestion.

Semolina, so popular in the past, today is increasingly receded into the background in the list of complementary foods. Previously, with her help, young mothers easily solved the problem of underweight children due to its low cost and availability. However, at present it is practically not prepared for its children due to the presence of gluten in its composition, which can cause allergies in the child.

Staying on a specific product, mom needs to carefully monitor how the child responds to new foods.

How to cook complementary foods

When the time has come for the introduction of complementary foods, mothers ask themselves: to buy finished products of industrial production or to cook at home on their own? Most are inclined to the second option.

When mom cooks on her own, she sees the quality of the products, the food immediately becomes ready to eat, does not contain preservatives or other additives. Although the Ministry of Health always closely monitors the quality of children's products, different situations arise in life.

Depending on which first feeding for breastfeeding, the mother decided to introduce, below are simple ways to prepare them.

When preparing vegetable puree, first you need to boil one or several vegetables a small amount of time (so that all useful properties are not lost). Then you need to grind everything with a blender to a homogenized state, that is, mashed potatoes.

Kefir can be made from sour milk. Cottage cheese is easily made from ready-made kefir.

It is better to cook buckwheat or oatmeal. It is advisable to cook it in water, without adding milk. After the cereal is boiled, it will be necessary to grind it with a blender to a state of homogeneous mass.

Mashed potatoes as a first meal

The easiest for the introduction of the first feeding and digestion by the child's body are vegetables. Of all the vegetables, pumpkin or zucchini are optimal for the child. They have all the beneficial properties found in many vegetable crops, as well as low allergen. Some mothers begin to give their children vegetable lure at 5 months. It is only necessary to observe the skin of the baby, and also give no more than one teaspoon on the first day. Every day you need to add a spoon, gradually bringing the volume to 100 g per day.

Vegetable puree is the source of most of the necessary vitamins and minerals needed in such a crucial period for the child - a period of rapid development. Eating the necessary daily norm of vegetables, the child along with them strengthens his immunity, receives a boost of energy for full physical and mental development.

Porridge - the first lure

The first lure of porridge is allowed to try to give the child also after six months. First you need to decide which porridge to choose for the child: home-made or industrial. Pediatricians agree that it is better to give the first feeding of factory-made porridge, as they are prepared using technologies that maintain the optimal balance of healthy food elements and vitamins. Before you take your favorite porridge from the store counter, you must carefully read the contents of the package. It should not contain preservatives, sugar, vanillin and food additives from category E. Also, attention should be paid to the period from which it can begin to be introduced into the feeding of a child.

Cooking such cereals is very convenient. It is enough to dilute a small amount of porridge in the infant formula, if the child is given the first complementary feeding during artificial feeding. An additional dish is prepared for a baby eating mother's milk in the same way, with only a few adjustments for natural feeding. That is, the porridge is divorced in breast milk, if this is the first complementary feeding during breastfeeding. Next, you should immediately feed the child with the obtained porridge and do not store it for more than half an hour. In the event that the child does not eat cooked food, it is necessary next time to cook a new complementary foods porridge.

It is useful to give mashed fruit along with cereals. You can give half a teaspoon of fruit puree for one teaspoon of porridge. However, it is better to combine them already when the mother is convinced that the child does not have allergies from any product.

The table of products and terms for the first feeding

In order to make it easier for young mothers to navigate the timing of the introduction of new food and its composition, a special feeding table was developed. Recommendations for the introduction of various products are general, therefore, before fully following its contents, you should consult your pediatrician.

It is important to remember that throughout the entire period when complementary foods are introduced, the baby must, as before, be left on priority feeding with human milk. Next, we turn to complementary foods, which are described in the table below.

The amount in the table is indicated in grams, excluding chicken yolk.

Introducing the right complementary foods, you must consider the following:

• butter (both butter and vegetable) is added directly to cooked food;
• it is advisable to give fish once or twice a week, as it can cause allergies in the child;
• juices should be diluted with water, especially for freshly squeezed home juices; if it is not possible to prepare the juice yourself, then it can be purchased at a store where it is presented in a wide assortment.

Having decided to give complementary foods at 5 months, mothers can also use this table. However, you should carefully monitor the reaction of the baby, perhaps some products, such as chicken yolk, should be postponed until a later date.

Conclusions and recommendations

When a mother says to her baby: "Let's go to the lure!" - this should not mean that she will give him a taste of some adult food, and then from time to time she will be lured with new products. It is important for young mothers to remember that complementary foods should be given systematically so as not to harm the baby's digestive system. You can only step back in those cases when the baby is too negatively reacting to new products: either with an allergy or vomiting in general. In this situation, you should consult your pediatrician as soon as possible.

Introducing complementary foods in the form of porridge, you can not simultaneously start trying the vegetable menu. Otherwise, in the event of an allergy, it will not be possible to determine which product is not suitable for the child. Gradually introducing complementary foods for months, the mother prepares the child’s body for the digestion of adult food, while doing this in stages, studies the taste preferences of her child and limits it to products that are not suitable for him at this time.

Having familiarized yourself with how to cook complementary foods on your own, you can see that there is nothing complicated in it, and it’s very easy to go to the new stage of growing up a baby. Most importantly, a clear sequence of actions and an attentive attitude of the mother to the well-being of the child should remain.