From how many months do babies start complementary feeding? Baby's first feeding: where to start getting acquainted with “adult food”. What are the dangers of early feeding?

The question of how to introduce the first complementary foods to a child at a certain period is very important for every mother. There is very different information about how the baby’s first complementary foods are introduced. At the same time, information on the Internet is fundamentally different from what people of the older generation talk about.

But no matter how many recommendations a young mother receives, it is important that the baby’s first complementary foods are introduced as correctly as possible. That is why you need to familiarize yourself with those recommendations that will allow you to get answers to the most important questions. For example, at what age can you give water to a baby, at what months can you give cottage cheese, and the like.

Every mother needs to familiarize herself with this information in detail so that she can provide her baby with complementary feeding that will be introduced correctly. This, in turn, will guarantee that the child who is on natural feeding , and the artificial baby’s digestive system will function correctly.

First complementary foods during breastfeeding, general rules

Young mothers always have a lot of questions about how to properly introduce supplementary feeding, whether it is necessary to give water, etc. First of all, it is important to take into account that with full nutrition, that is, if the mother maintains the feeding schedule, the baby is actively growing, supplementary feeding before six months the child doesn't need it.

Sometimes mothers, believing that the baby is not receiving enough breast milk, begin supplementing mixture . However, most pediatricians, including Komarovsky, believe that there is no need to supplement well-developing babies. When to give additional formula and whether it should be done, it is better to ask your pediatrician.

A table or chart for introducing complementary foods during breastfeeding will help every mother understand how to practice introducing a new product. This table clearly outlines when to introduce complementary foods during breastfeeding by month, and exactly what foods should be given at certain times.

However, the beginning of the process of introducing complementary foods raises many questions about how and when to start giving a child a certain product. For example, is it the “right” product to start complementary feeding? cauliflower or corn porridge , is it possible to give prunes for a six-month-old baby, when to give water to a newborn, etc.

Ideally, every mother should not only study the literature, but also regularly consult with a pediatrician. It is he who will clearly answer questions about whether pumpkin is ok for breastfeeding, whether broccoli is ok, etc., and will also adjust the complementary feeding regimen that you intend to practice.

When to introduce complementary foods to an infant?

There are a lot of recommendations on when to start feeding your baby. And if you believe the experience of grandmothers, complementary feeding should be started as early as possible.

However, any questions that concern a young mother about how many months a baby can be fed and what exactly she should start feeding should first be asked to the pediatrician.

Indeed, in recent years, the approach to what time to start feeding a baby, and where to start best, has changed significantly. And if the majority of modern grandmothers really are of the opinion that, for example, porridge for a three-month-old baby or cottage cheese for a 4-month-old child is normal, then doctors believe otherwise.

All scientific research conducted by modern scientists and doctors confirms that the answer to the question at what age can a baby be fed is as follows: if exclusive breastfeeding is practiced, then feeding the baby should begin no earlier than 6 months . The recommendations are similar as to how many months you can start feeding a baby who is growing on artificial feeding : such children are introduced to complementary foods a month earlier, but it is also quite acceptable to begin acquaintance with “adult” food from 6 months.

It is very important to take into account all the nuances: what, when, how much to give to the baby. If the baby is approaching six months of age, you should ask the doctor all the pressing questions: when to give the yolk, when to introduce potatoes. It is equally important to know when to introduce meat into your baby’s complementary foods, and what meat to start with. In order to correctly carry out the process of introducing complementary foods and learn everything about its features, parents are also recommended to study special modern literature.

Why shouldn't complementary foods be introduced earlier?

Parents who are trying to take into account all the important rules for introducing complementary feeding should understand that for infants under 6 months of age, any food other than breast milk or formula is not only not beneficial, but also harmful.

The introduction of complementary foods to infants is not carried out earlier, since the baby does not have the necessary enzymes to digest new types of food. Therefore, if the rules are violated and the baby receives certain food earlier (even if it is pumpkin or other “light” foods), it will not be absorbed and will not benefit the body. And if the food is not digested, then it is inevitable, and even small quantities of any food will create a load. That is why the procedure for introducing complementary foods according to Komarovsky, as well as according to the recommendations of other specialists, provides for a certain sequence of introducing vegetables and other products.

When and how to start correctly depends on what the baby eats. First complementary feeding artificial feeding is introduced a little earlier due to the fact that the enzyme systems in such children mature a little earlier. There is a special table for introducing complementary foods during artificial feeding, which can greatly facilitate the introduction of new foods. However, there are certain general recommendations not only about when to start, but also how to introduce it correctly: the introduction scheme provides that any new food is given to the child in an amount of 5 g daily. Gradually, the volume of food increases, usually every day, over the course of a week, and is eventually brought up to 100 or 150 g.

It is advisable to introduce complementary foods during mixed feeding in the same way as during artificial feeding - approximately with five months . Correct administration during mixed feeding involves initially giving the child one type of vegetable and increasing the number of grams of supplementary food every day for 1-2 weeks.

There is a special complementary feeding table for infants who are on breast, artificial or mixed feeding . It suggests a special scheme for introducing complementary foods, there is information on where to start, etc. Similar schemes for how supplementary feeding occurs are offered by Dr. Komarovsky and other specialists.

Table of supplementary feeding for breastfed and bottle-fed children

Modern table for the introduction of complementary feeding according to WHO (by baby’s age)

Baby's age	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Fruit puree	< 30 мл	< 50 мл	< 60 мл	< 70 мл	< 90 мл	< 100 мл	100 ml
Vegetable puree		< 30 г	< 50 г	< 60 г	< 70 г	< 90 г	< 100 г
Porridge		< 100 г	< 150 г	150 g	< 180 г	< 200 г	200 g
Fruit juices		< 30 г	< 50 г	< 60 г	< 70 г	< 90 г	< 100 г
Vegetable oil		< 3 г	3 g	3 g	5 g	5 g	6 g
Cottage cheese			< 30 г	< 40 г	< 50 г	50 g	< 80 г
Wheat bread			< 5 г	5 g	5 g	< 10 г	10 g
Cookies, crackers			< 5 г	5 g	5 g	< 10 г	10 g
Butter			up to 4 g	4 g	4 g	5 g	5 g
Egg yolk				1/4	1/2	1/2	1/2
Meat puree				up to 30 g	50 g	up to 70 g	up to 80 g
Kefir					100 ml	up to 150 ml	up to 200 ml
Fish puree					up to 30 g	up to 60 g	up to 80 g

How to introduce complementary foods by month

Each modern monthly complementary feeding table provides that the child receives additional feeding from 6 months . However, many families still practice earlier introduction of complementary foods, believing that the nutritional norm for a newborn involves more abundant nutrition than exclusive breastfeeding.

Some sources, which describe the introduction of complementary foods by month, note that complementary foods should be included in the menu of a child under one year of age, focusing on the following indicators:

• compared to the original birth weight, the baby’s weight has become twice as large;
• the child sits independently;
• The baby's feeding schedule is changing: the baby asks for the breast more and more often;
• The development of a child under 1 year of age is very active: he is already interested in what is on adults’ plates;
• The baby does not push pieces of food out of his mouth.

Nutritional standards also take into account that the introduction of complementary foods should begin at the moment when the baby will not receive any food in the near future. vaccinations .

When new mothers first begin to study the months, they often believe that when breastfeeding, they should start supplementing their baby with fruit juice. But both research by specialists and the complementary feeding table for children under one year old indicate something else: juice can cause not only digestive problems, but also manifestations of allergies , as well as a set excess weight due to the high sugar content in fruit juices . Therefore, the monthly menu should be written differently.

Also, the mother should take into account the food norm for the newborn. Complementary feeding needs to start with very small portions, and sometimes it takes up to a month until the baby is completely accustomed to a certain type of food.

If a child feels unwell and becomes restless, before introducing complementary foods, it is worth doing blood tests to determine the norm in newborns, etc.

Is it worth introducing complementary foods from 3 months?

Not every modern table provides for complementary feeding at 3 months of breastfeeding, since, according to most pediatricians, it is quite enough for a baby at this age to be breastfed regularly. Normally, in the fourth month, the baby receives approximately 200 g of milk at each feeding, eating 5 times a day.

Those who nevertheless decide to practice complementary feeding at 3 months using artificial feeding must strictly take into account what is possible for a child of this age.

It is recommended to start complementary feeding with a small piece of yolk , which should be given before breastfeeding. After one week, the child should eat half a yolk per day. What else you can feed such a small child depends on the recommendations of the pediatrician. But most doctors still recommend waiting to introduce complementary foods for at least 2-3 months.

What complementary foods should I give my baby at 4 months?

Those mothers for whom the main table for introducing complementary foods is not a direct recommendation are often interested in how to introduce complementary foods at 4 months correctly.

Complementary feeding is generally started at 4 months. artificial feeding .

First experience" - chicken egg yolk how to give it is described above. To properly feed your baby further, you can gradually introduce the next product.

For example, some experts recommend gradually introducing cottage cheese starting with half a teaspoon. But still, ideally, a complementary feeding regimen at this age should be approved by a specialist. Therefore, you should talk to your local pediatrician about what complementary foods you can give from 4 months of age while breastfeeding. It is necessary to take into account individual recommendations on how to properly start complementary feeding at this age, since the state of the digestive tract and the health of the baby as a whole depends on this in the following months, when you expand his diet, introducing porridge, potatoes and other products.

What complementary foods should I give my baby at 5 months?

How to properly introduce complementary foods to a 5-month-old baby depends on many factors. First of all, it depends on what kind of feeding, breast, artificial or mixed, the child is on. Children who are breastfed at 5 months may not be supplemented for some time. But many mothers, believing that the child’s weight is too low for his age, are actively interested in what they can feed and what they can give the baby to eat.

Every mother who is interested in what to feed a child at this age should take into account that a child at 5 months should receive complementary feeding, starting with the smallest amount of new food. The daily scheme suggests that initially the baby needs to be given half a teaspoon of the new product ( yolk , vegetable puree and etc.). Only after the baby gets used to a certain food can you start giving him another product. Accordingly, if at five months a child begins to try a certain product, then at 5.5 months he can already eat several products every day that will be introduced into his menu by this time.

At five months, a formula-fed baby's menu may be the same as a breast-fed one, with the difference that new foods are introduced into the baby's diet a little earlier.

How to introduce complementary foods at 6 months?

If a mother begins to introduce complementary foods to her child at 6 months while breastfeeding, as suggested by the modern table for introducing complementary foods and the advice of pediatricians, it is important to gradually introduce each new product to the menu.

As a rule, the first foods introduced into the diet of children at six months are: vegetables . However, for children who have a very low weight for their age, it is advisable to give porridge . You can ask your doctor what cereals can be given to such a baby. Mainly rice, buckwheat porridge .

The complementary feeding scheme from 6 months onwards is as follows: initially the baby needs to be introduced into the diet vegetable puree , it is best to do this at lunchtime. What can a child who is starting to be fed with vegetables eat? Experts recommend initially giving your baby zucchini, followed by broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and pumpkin. Vegetables are the food from which children are least likely to develop allergies. However, the menu for a bottle-fed baby suggests that a 6-month-old baby eats vegetables such as pumpkin and carrots no more than 2-3 times a week.

At 6 months They begin to give such puree with a small dose - initially the baby should eat 1 teaspoon of the dish, then the dose should be gradually increased.

If bottle-fed feeding was initially practiced, and the child’s development, in the opinion of the pediatrician, does not deviate from the norm, already during this period you can gradually begin to mix vegetable purees. However, such a vegetable mix can be given to the baby only after he has tried puree from one type of vegetable, and he does not develop any symptoms. allergic reaction .

A new type of food is given to the baby only on an empty stomach, so that one can clearly determine how the baby reacts to such food. For example, if a mother is just starting to give yolk to her child, you need to wait with vegetables.

In many ways, where to start the first complementary feeding at this age depends on the preferences of the parents. So, mom can prepare puree from broccoli and other vegetables on her own. Having decided which vegetables to start with, you need to take the vegetables, rinse them well under running water and remove seeds and peels. Next, they are cut and placed in a double boiler or pan. Cooked vegetables (it is better to steam them to puree) are chopped with a blender, after adding water or vegetable broth. As a result, you need to prepare a puree similar in consistency to kefir. An older baby can be fed with thicker purees, but during this period, as a rule, he already eats porridge and other foods.

Such food should not be stored - the complementary feeding norm stipulates that the baby receives only freshly prepared food. By the way, salt, spices, and sugar are not added to the puree.

The diet of a child at 6 months stipulates that it is too early for the mother to think about the questions of what kind of fish or what meat to start complementary feeding with.

Approximate schedule for introducing vegetable complementary foods

Days	Scheme
First	5 g of zucchini puree, then supplement with breast milk or formula
Second	10 g of zucchini puree, then supplement with breast milk or formula
Third	20 g of zucchini puree, then supplement with breast milk or formula
Fourth	40 g of zucchini puree, then supplement with breast milk or formula
Fifth	80 g of zucchini puree, then supplement with breast milk or formula
Sixth	120 g of zucchini puree, then supplement with breast milk or formula
Seventh	150 g of zucchini puree, then supplement with breast milk or formula
Eighth	5 g of cauliflower puree, you can add zucchini if ​​you are not allergic to it.
Ninth	10 g of cauliflower puree, after which the scheme is repeated every day, as with zucchini puree

When can you give it to your child? mashed potatoes , depends on what vegetables you have already introduced before this period of his life. As a rule, potatoes are introduced a little later.

If the child does not eat the entire portion, it means that the amount of supplementary feeding is too large for him. The baby refuses, which means there is no need to force him, since eating habits are formed already in the first year of his life.

How to introduce complementary foods at 7 months?

The age of seven months is the period when porridge should appear on the baby’s menu. The mother can ask the pediatrician which cereals can be introduced first. But it is important that gluten-free and dairy-free cereals are gradually introduced to a 7-month-old child.

Goat and cow milk, as well as milk porridges, are introduced after the child reaches one year. Doctors, while advising what a child should eat, claim that the baby should not eat milk porridge , since they have a negative impact on gastrointestinal mucosa and increase the risk of digestive system diseases.

If it is difficult to introduce porridge into the diet because the child refuses to eat porridge without milk, you can add breast milk or formula to the porridge. Because gluten harmful for a child under one year old, as it provokes celiac disease (pathology of the large intestine), the nutrition table for a 7-month-old child suggests that he can be given gluten-free porridge - rice, buckwheat, corn.

When creating a menu for breastfeeding or creating a formula-fed baby's diet at 7 months, you should take into account that you can prepare porridge yourself or add ready-made porridge to the menu, which can be purchased in a specialized store. Making this porridge is very simple - you just need to add a little water. Your doctor will tell you what you can give your baby to eat at 7 months. But no matter what food the mother introduces, it is necessary to clearly monitor how the seven-month-old baby’s body perceives it: whether allergies are manifested, whether the baby’s growth and development are normal. If the product is poorly absorbed, the stool may change and an allergy may appear. It should be taken into account that allergic manifestations can appear not only during the first time after the introduction of a new product, but also after its volume has been significantly increased. Therefore, a new product should be introduced gradually, observing how the child behaves for a week or two.

What to feed a baby at 8 months?

The menu of an 8-month-old child can already be very varied, since the first complementary foods have already been introduced, and growth and development continue very actively.

During this period, the diet appears meat feeding , mashed potatoes . Potatoes are introduced during this period, since there is a high risk of allergies when taking them. Therefore, even at eight months, this product must be introduced gradually and very carefully, starting with 5 g and over the course of a week increasing its amount to 50 g. In this case, the basis of vegetable puree should not be potatoes, but other vegetables.

If it has not been entered yet yolk , now is the time to introduce your child to this product. For this purpose it is better to use quail egg . Nutrition at this age provides that the baby is given a yolk twice a week. Please note that you can give your baby the yolk to eat in the morning, rubbing it with breast milk or adding it to porridge. Complementary feeding at 8 months while breastfed and the formula-fed menu involves the gradual introduction of types of meat that are considered the least allergenic.

It is recommended to initially drive turkey , rabbit meat . These types of meat need to be changed periodically, and later the baby is given veal . It should be noted that the baby should eat meat for lunch, along with vegetable puree. You need to start with 5 g, and the norm for a child of 8-9 months is considered to be 50 g of meat per day. Often the child does not want to eat meat in its pure form, in which case you can give it in mixed puree - with vegetables.

Can be cooked meatballs made from pure fresh minced meat , freeze them after boiling them in boiling water. Minced meat balls can be boiled together with vegetables and pureed in a blender. How much meat to give depends on whether the baby is used to it.

What to feed a 9 month old baby?

There is a wider list of what a baby can eat at 9 months. First of all, the list of types of meat has been expanded: at this age it is recommended for a baby to eat beef , lamb , chicken .

Those who ask at what age can liver be given should take into account that pork, including liver, is not recommended for children under one and a half years old.

In the meantime, the menu of a 9-month-old baby who is breastfed, as well as the menu of a bottle-fed baby, should gradually expand due to the introduction of fermented milk products. In particular, you can start such complementary feeding with cottage cheese , which is administered very slowly, starting with very small portions - no more than a teaspoon. It is best to use special cottage cheese for children for this purpose, and you should not add sugar or fruit to it.

When can you give kefir , depends on how quickly the child will like cottage cheese. Initially, 30 g of cottage cheese per day is sufficient for a 9-month-old child with breastfeeding. As a rule, it is better to give cottage cheese and kefir before dinner. Children sometimes refuse to drink kefir. In this case, it is better to delay the introduction of this product: for now, the baby has enough other dishes, because his menu is already quite varied.

The answer to the question of what cereals can be given to a child at 9 months is already known: gluten-free.

What should you feed your baby at 10 months and later?

You can diversify the baby menu at 10 months desserts . It is advisable to gradually start giving your baby fruits And fruit juice . First of all, you should give those fruits that grow on our territory - pears, apples, prunes and fruit puree from them. The child is given fruit as a snack, about 100 g per day. Later, other fruits are also available - banana, kiwi, orange. There is no need to introduce fruits before, since breast milk and the formula contain everything the baby needs vitamins .

Gradually, other desserts appear on the menu - cookies, crackers, etc. Doctors warn that the baby should not drink fruit juices, which are sold in bags in stores, as they are not good for the baby.

At 11 months, you can introduce other desserts, because the menu of an 11-month-old baby while breastfeeding is already quite varied. At this time, mothers often have questions about this or that food: when can you give pasta, at what age can you give liver, is it possible to dry it, when should you cook soup for your child, etc. You need to be guided, first of all, by the tables that give an approximate complementary feeding calendar, as well as doctor’s recommendations.

From what age nibbler can be given to the baby, and whether he needs this device is decided by the mother herself.

What should a baby drink?

After the baby is introduced to complementary foods, he needs additional fluid. How much water a baby should be given per day depends on several factors. First of all, on temperature: if the day is not hot, the child drinks 100-200 ml of liquid. On hotter days, the baby drinks more. Also if you have to treat cold if the baby has heat , the child should be given to drink in large quantities. It is better to give liquid to a baby from a cup to teach him to drink correctly.

From the age of seven months, babies can be given children's tea , which contains various herbs, as well as dried fruit compotes .

While practicing breastfeeding, a woman should also adhere to the correct drinking and eating regimen. There is a special nutrition table for a nursing mother by month that will help answer the most pressing questions. But there are also general recommendations aimed at making a baby on breastfeeding feel good. For example, instead of coffee while breastfeeding, it is better for a nursing mother to consume chicory.

What problems are possible when introducing complementary foods?

During the process of introducing complementary foods, the following problems may most often occur:

• the baby refuses to eat the offered complementary foods;
• manifestation of problems with stool ( diarrhea , problems with the gastrointestinal tract due to the fact that food is not digested);
• allergic manifestations I am (allergic to zucchini, allergic to broccoli, allergic to raw carrots, etc.).

As a result of the manifestation of such problems, the baby becomes restless, constantly cries, and sleeps poorly. It is important to understand which product provoked such a reaction. It must be immediately removed from the child’s diet. So, if a baby has an allergy to pumpkin or an allergy to oatmeal, it is better to simply replace these dishes with others. It is possible to reintroduce foods that provoked an allergy no earlier than after 2 months. This is what the pediatrician advises Komarovsky and other doctors. Moreover, the introduction of such a product should be carried out as slowly and gradually as the first time and at the same time monitor the child’s condition.

If the child does not eat meat or other types of complementary foods, you need to temporarily abandon this product.

Food in jars

Those mothers for whom the question of how to introduce complementary foods to a child correctly is very important, often need an answer to the question of which food is better - canned food or homemade products (porridge, cottage cheese, kefir, etc.).

Doctors believe that canned food is one of the options for introducing supplementary feeding. At the same time, it is very important to give your child only high-quality products, and also to strictly ensure that the expiration date of such baby food does not expire. It is advisable to be absent and palm olein in baby food.

When giving your child canned food, you should adhere to the same rules as with “homemade” complementary feeding. If a child receives additional formula while breastfeeding, complementary feeding can be started a month earlier.

It is necessary to introduce the second vegetable only after the baby gets used to the first vegetable puree.

Before introducing porridge, how to introduce meat into complementary foods for a child, fish, etc., you need to make sure that the child’s body accepts well the foods that have already been introduced. In parallel with canned food, other foods are also introduced into complementary foods. For example, yolk is introduced into complementary foods after the child has already accepted several types of vegetable purees, etc.

What not to give to infants

Mothers who often bombard doctors with questions about when to give their baby liver when can you give kefir and other products, you must remember what food it is not advisable to introduce girls and boys in the first year of life to:

• juices – they are not recommended to be given even to children after 1 year, as they irritate the mucous membranes and do not benefit the child’s body;
• semolina , as well as other cereals with gluten free ;
• butter cookies , sweets ;
• goat milk And cow ;
• Exotic fruits .

Basic rules of complementary feeding - conclusions

So, if we summarize all the information, we can derive several very important rules that must be taken into account by all parents of young children who want to raise them healthy.

Education: Graduated from Rivne State Basic Medical College with a degree in Pharmacy. Graduated from Vinnitsa State Medical University named after. M.I. Pirogov and internship at his base.

Experience: From 2003 to 2013, she worked as a pharmacist and manager of a pharmacy kiosk. She was awarded diplomas and decorations for many years of conscientious work. Articles on medical topics were published in local publications (newspapers) and on various Internet portals.

Parents usually have no questions about food for a newborn: he is fed breast milk, formula, or both if he is on a mixed diet. But now the baby has already grown up, and the pediatrician sets the task of expanding his usual diet by introducing new products. But how exactly and when to introduce complementary foods to a baby? In fact, there is nothing complicated about it. Taking into account the type of food, an approximate period for its introduction is established, and then, according to existing rules, the diet itself is expanded with complementary foods.

When to introduce complementary foods to an infant?

The timing of introducing complementary foods differs for children on different types of feeding:

• When breastfeeding The first complementary foods are given at 6 months. Before this age, for babies who are fed breast milk and are gaining weight adequately, it is not only not necessary, but also not advisable to administer it, since there is a risk of developing atopic dermatitis.
• When to start feeding your baby with artificial feeding? Pediatricians say at 4 months. The composition of infant formula is not as rich in nutrients as breast milk, so their deficiency can only be compensated for by products that contain them. And at this age, the digestive system is considered to be sufficiently developed to cope with more complex food than formula. (Read more about how to introduce complementary foods at 4 months)
• With mixed feeding(breast milk and formula) complementary feeding for infants begins at 5-5.5 months. However, the age of the child is not always the deciding factor. You can find out that your baby is ready to receive complementary foods based on certain signs.

Signs that a baby is ready to introduce complementary foods

The period of time when the baby is ready to absorb adult food may not coincide with the general timing. Parents must understand that reaching a suitable age is not a reason to immediately introduce complementary foods.

A number of specific signs indicate that it is time to feed the baby not only breast milk or formula:

1. The child’s need to try new food becomes obvious: he shows interest in the parent’s food (not to be confused with interest in the very process of eating by the parents, which usually appears even earlier, when the baby curiously watches the movement of cups or plates). He wants to eat it and signals this with his voice, gestures, opens his mouth when the spoon approaches, and does not turn away from it. Accordingly, the reflex to push an unknown food product out of the mouth fades.
2. The baby tries to grab food from the table with his hands, pulls it into his mouth or grabs a spoon, repeating the characteristic actions of adults.
3. The frequency of on-demand feedings increases. If this is not related to teething, then it means one thing: the baby is no longer satisfied with milk alone.
4. The child can sit independently.

If the combination of these signs is absent, then complementary feeding of the infant should be postponed for two to three weeks. This is still better than facing the problems of its early introduction.

Early introduction of complementary foods to infants: dangers

Some parents believe that from the first months of life the baby can be given a little water or juice dripped into a spoon, because children also want to drink. They usually rush with complementary foods: the sooner, the better. What could this lead to?

Here are some dangers:

• all foods and liquids contain pathogens that, when entering the baby’s body, with its immature immune system, can cause infection;
• a similar thing happens with the digestive tract: its activity is still weak, which means that it is difficult for the stomach to digest any new food;
• food allergies may result from early consumption of various types of food;
• If a child begins to receive complementary feeding, then his need for milk may decrease markedly, and accordingly, he will refuse the breast or bottle. In the first case, this is a decrease or loss of lactation in the mother; in the second, it is a lack of nutrition and weight loss in the baby.

Introducing complementary foods ahead of schedule is just as dangerous as delaying their start. With late introduction, a deficiency of zinc and iron is possible, since there is not much of them in breast milk. Lack of nutrients interferes with the production of energy necessary for the normal growth and development of the baby. Another problem is a decrease in taste perception and inhibition of the chewing reflex. Therefore, without harm to health, complementary feeding should be introduced not only in a timely manner, but also in accordance with all the rules.

Rules for feeding infants

There are not many of them, but they are very important:

1. Any complementary food is given from a spoon. It can be purchased at a children's store or pharmacy; it is made of soft food-grade plastic so as not to accidentally injure the child. You can take an ordinary teaspoon, after washing and boiling it, provided that no one else except the baby will use it.
2. At first, half or one teaspoon of complementary foods per feeding will be enough for the baby. It is useful to know that a teaspoon is 5 g, a tablespoon is 20 g, and a dessert spoon is 10 g.
3. Current rules for complementary feeding of infants provide for the introduction of one new product at a time. Then the same product should be given to the child for the remaining 3-7 days and do not try anything else for now. This way you can make sure there is no allergic reaction, especially if anyone in the family is prone to food allergies.
4. On days 3-5, the amount of complementary foods should increase by one teaspoon per day.
5. One-component purees of vegetables and fruits can be administered once every 1-2 weeks.
6. If a child does not eat the entire volume of complementary foods, it means that he has developed an individual food dose. It will last at least six months, so there is no point in forcing him to finish it all.
7. A new product is offered for trial only in the first half of the day. In case of indigestion, the child will react with vomiting or diarrhea, and intolerance will manifest itself as allergies. And this will not happen at night, that is, the mother will have the opportunity to take the necessary measures.
8. For the first 4-6 months, a complementary feeding diary is kept. The required columns are the product, its quantity, how much was eaten, the time of administration and the reaction to it. This will help both the pediatrician and the mother so as not to get confused.
9. Complementary feeding changes the color and consistency of the stool: what was at the entrance will also be at the exit, only somewhat blacker/greener, thicker/less often. These reactions are considered normal, so they should not be labeled as “negative” or “adverse”.
10. To avoid panic, you need to know the properties of the products. Weak: beets, pumpkin, plums, pears, grapes, dried apricots, oatmeal, eggs. Fortified with: beans, peas, carrots, banana, blueberries, rice, cottage cheese.

How to introduce complementary foods to a baby?

According to the existing classical (pediatric) scheme, complementary feeding is introduced gradually and with certain groups of products characteristic of the area in which the family lives:

1. Vegetables. Vegetable puree is the first type of complementary food. The product must be white or green, heat-treated and ground until smooth. How to properly introduce vegetable complementary foods to a baby? For the first time - this is any type of cabbage, zucchini, zucchini or squash, the amount is half a teaspoon (3-5 spoons per day), then the baby is fed with breast milk or formula. Later, it is permissible to switch to pumpkin, carrots and potatoes that are more difficult to digest (from 7 months). At 8-9 months they give beets and peas. From now on, a little vegetable oil (corn, olive) is added to them. Products that are mainly consumed raw (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers) are not introduced to babies under one year of age. First, they give one-component purees, then - from two or three types of vegetables (multi-component).
2. Fruits. Some mothers offer them to their child as the first complementary foods, but you should be wary that after trying them, he will refuse less tasty foods. Therefore, you should switch to fruit purees after introducing complementary foods from vegetables. In addition, fruits are given raw, and fruit acids can irritate the stomach, and it would be better to first prepare it for such food. For the same reason, the child is not yet given fruit juices. Purees can consist of several types of fruit at once.
3. Porridge. Introducing complementary foods to infants in the form of porridges is carried out as follows: for the first time - rice, buckwheat or corn, because they are low-allergenic and gluten-free. From 7-8 months – cereals and oatmeal. Semolina porridge should not be administered until one year of age.
4. Meat. The product is administered in the form of meat puree from approximately 7.5 months. This is veal, turkey, lamb, lean pork, chicken. Complementary feeding begins with one type of meat (a third of a teaspoon), then gradually increases the volume to 60-70 g. On the 5th day, you can give another type of meat.
5. Dairy products: kefir and cottage cheese. They are administered at 8-9 months, starting with a teaspoon, gradually increasing the volume by 1 spoon per day. After a week, the amount should be 40 - 50 ml, and after three weeks - up to 200 ml per day.
6. Eggs and baked goods. From 9 months - a quarter of a quail egg yolk, then half, bread or cookies - 3-5 g, then 10-15 g.
7. Fish. From 10 months - river and lake, can be mixed into vegetable purees.

You can study in detail how, how much and when to introduce complementary foods to an infant, using the tables below.

How to properly introduce complementary foods to a child? - Doctor Komarovsky

As the baby grows, so does his menu. Gradually it becomes almost the same as that of mom and dad! But still, these are specially prepared dishes.

Vegetable puree

This type of complementary feeding is usually prescribed to children no earlier than 5 months. It is better to start with puree from one type of vegetable, as this allows you to avoid food allergies, which are often observed in infants when using multi-component mixed dishes. But later you can move on to them.

On the 1st day of introducing vegetable puree, a serving of 5-10 ml (1 - 2 tsp) before feeding, and then supplemented with breast milk or formula. It is necessary to monitor the nature of the stool. If it remains normal (yellowish-brown, without mucus, greens, or lumps), then the next day the amount of puree can be increased to 30-50 ml.

Usually, within 1 week, one feeding is completely replaced with vegetable puree and increased to 130-150 ml. The second week is reserved for complete adaptation to the new food.

A variety of vegetables are gradually included in the puree, each type in turn for 5-7 days (zucchini, cauliflower, white cabbage, potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, etc.). By adding them one at a time, it is easy to track which of them cause allergic reactions in the child and eliminate them from the diet in time

Cook at home

To prepare vegetable puree at home, you need to take one type of vegetable, for example, cauliflower, rinse thoroughly, put in an enamel pan, add water and cook until tender. Drain the water, but not completely, mash well, add 3-5 ml of vegetable oil (sunflower, olive), maybe a little boiled milk, and stir until a homogeneous mass is obtained.

Porridge

This dish is given to the child approximately 2 months after the start of complementary feeding. If your baby gets his first spoonful of juice at 4 months, then it’s time for him to try porridge at 6 months. And if complementary feeding began when the baby was six months old, porridge is introduced at 8 months.

The first thing the baby is given is porridge that does not contain the vegetable protein gluten (it can cause damage to the cells of the small intestine in young children - celiac disease and allergic reactions, since babies a few months old have a deficiency of the enzyme peptidase, which breaks down gluten). At the beginning, rice, buckwheat, corn are recommended, then oatmeal, and after a year - semolina porridge. Start complementary feeding in the same way as in the case of juices and purees - with 5-10 ml before breastfeeding. It is better to do this in the morning, and vegetable puree, which the baby is already accustomed to, can be postponed to a later time. On the 2nd day, the amount of porridge increases to 30-50 g, and in a week the volume of one feeding is increased to 130-150 g. The second week is reserved for complete adaptation to the new product. Add 3-5 g of butter or baby cream (10%) in a volume of no more than 50 g to the porridge, which can also be used in preparing vegetable purees.

When introducing 2 complete complementary foods into the baby’s daily diet, it is advisable to separate them by taking breast milk or formula, for example, 6-00 - breast milk, 10-00 - porridge, juice, 14-00 - breast milk (or formula), 18-00 - vegetable puree, 22-00 - breast milk.

Modern industrially produced porridges are prepared immediately before consumption. They are divided into dairy and dairy-free (for children with milk intolerance), as well as those that need to be boiled and those that do not require cooking. These baby cereals have proven themselves well; they are enriched with vitamins, minerals, and iron, taking into account the physiological needs of babies in their first year of life. A number of cereals (both dairy and non-dairy) contain fruit and vegetable additives. In addition, industrially produced porridges that do not require cooking significantly save time. But sometimes they can cause allergies in children predisposed to this disease due to the various additives they contain.

Children's porridge should be prepared strictly following the recommendations for the cooking method indicated on the packaging. It is also necessary to observe the terms and conditions of storage of both opened and unopened packages.

Cook at home

Cooking porridge at home is also easy. The cereal can be pre-ground in a coffee grinder to the state of flour (of course, the coffee grinder should not contain coffee residues) or the already prepared porridge can be broken in a mixer until a homogeneous mass is obtained. It is better to cook the cereal in water, and immediately before feeding, add 20-30 ml of breast milk or the formula that the baby usually eats. This will improve the taste of the dish and make it more “familiar” for the child. At first, the porridge should be liquid (5 g of cereal per 100 grams of water), but gradually you can make it thicker.

When can you cook porridge with milk? Recently, many nutritionists have strongly recommended postponing a baby’s introduction to whole milk until a later age: according to some data, up to a year, according to others - up to 2-2.5 years, since recently the number of cases of food allergies to cow’s milk protein has increased significantly. .

Cottage cheese

This dairy product is introduced into a child’s diet no earlier than 6 months. (If the first complementary foods were introduced at 6 months, then, accordingly, from 8 months). They start giving it with 0.5 teaspoon (according to the same rules as other types of complementary foods), after a month the portion is increased to 30 g, and by the year - to 50 g per day. Sometimes, with insufficient weight gain, the amount of cottage cheese increases. However, in each specific case, it is necessary to consult a doctor, since cottage cheese is rich in protein, calcium, and a large amount of this product can lead to obesity and high blood pressure in the future.

The modern food industry produces children's cottage cheese, which is prepared from natural cow's milk using a special starter culture. In terms of fat composition, it can be milk (4.5%) and creamy (10%). In addition, natural fruit, berry and vegetable fillings are often added to the composition of cottage cheese for children, which allows not only to diversify the assortment, but also to enrich the baby’s nutrition with plant fibers, vitamins and microelements. However, children with a tendency to allergies should be given cottage cheese with fillers with caution.

Cook at home

You can prepare cottage cheese for your child yourself. Of course, the question may arise, why do this if this product is on sale?

The answer is simple: at home you can always be sure of its quality and freshness. In addition, self-cooking makes it possible to prepare cottage cheese of the desired consistency and in the required quantity. The methods for making homemade cottage cheese are quite simple and, in principle, remain the same as many centuries ago. You just need to keep in mind that this is a perishable product, so it should only be stored in the refrigerator, and no longer than 2-3 days.

1. Cottage cheese with sourdough

Required Products:

Milk: 1 l;
50 - 75 g kefir, yogurt or sour cream for sourdough

Preparation:

Milk is boiled and cooled to a temperature of 35 - 40 degrees. Then the starter is added to it, mixed and left until the milk acquires the consistency of curdled milk. After this, the sour milk is heated over low heat until the whey separates. Then take a colander, put gauze in it and pour the heated mass onto it. The whey flows down, and the gauze with cottage cheese is tied and hung so that the excess moisture drains completely. If you want the cottage cheese to be denser, place a board treated with boiling water with a weight on the semi-finished product in gauze. After 5 - 6 hours, the cottage cheese is ready. You can do without sourdough, but then the milk must sour on its own, and this requires a longer time.

2. Cottage cheese without leaven

Required Products:
kefir 600 g

Preparation:

One-day kefir is poured into a clean saucepan, covered with a lid, placed in a water bath and simmered over low heat for 30 minutes. During this time it should curdle. After this, remove the pan from the heat and place it in a bowl of cold water. The cooled cottage cheese is placed on a sieve covered with clean gauze, lightly squeezed and rubbed through the same gauze. From 600 g of kefir you get 100 g of cottage cheese.

Yolk

From 7 months, babies are given the yolk of a chicken egg (if the first complementary foods were introduced at 6 months, then the yolk is introduced at 9 months). Start with 1/8 of it and gradually increase the portion to 1/2 yolk per day. This product is unacceptable in the diet of children with allergic diseases. If you are prone to allergies, quail egg yolk is recommended.

To prepare such complementary foods, you need to thoroughly wash the egg with running water and boil it for at least 10 minutes, then remove the protein, which is the main allergen in the egg, and take that part of the yolk that did not come into contact with the protein. After this, it needs to be kneaded and given to the baby along with breast milk or added to vegetable puree.

Meat

From 8 months, the child’s daily menu includes meat purees - a source of protein and easily digestible iron (if the first complementary foods were introduced at 6 months, then meat should be given from 9-10 months). For healthy children, meat purees are given starting from 5 g (1 teaspoon), and by the age of one year they are gradually increased to 60-80 g. It is better to start with turkey, beef, and lean pork.

Cook at home

You can prepare meat puree at home. To do this, fat-free meat, cleared of veins and films, must be boiled, finely chopped with a knife and minced at least twice. The resulting minced meat can be mixed with vegetable puree or milk (mixture). To save time and effort, you can take a different route: prepare meatballs from raw minced meat, put them in the freezer and use as needed. They can also be boiled together with vegetables, and then chopped together in a blender.

Important Limitations

Chicken meat should not be used in the diet of children with allergies, and the menu of children with allergies to cow's milk protein should not contain veal and beef. If a child is allergic to many types of foods, it is best to use horse meat, venison, and rabbit meat for complementary feeding. And in children with anemia, meat puree can be introduced earlier than 7-8 months. From 8-9 months you can give meat in the form of meatballs. They are prepared as follows: meat without fat, films and veins is passed through a meat grinder twice, the crumb of white bread is soaked in milk and added to the minced meat, then the mass is passed through the meat grinder again. To make the minced meat more fluffy, beat it thoroughly. Then small balls are made from the bread and meat mass and steamed or boiled. By the year you can cook baby and steamed cutlets. The minced meat for them is made in approximately the same way as for meatballs, but the serving size should be approximately 10 g larger.

If you don’t have a special pan for cooking steamed dishes, you can put the meatballs or cutlets in a bowl, fill halfway with water, cover with a lid and cook in the oven. Meat broths are not used in the nutrition of children of the first year of life.

Kefir

As recent studies have shown, the use of this fermented milk product by children 6-8 months old can lead to pinpoint hemorrhages in the intestines, so kefir can be given to babies starting from 9-12 months in an amount not exceeding 200 ml. Baby kefir and kefir enriched with bifidobacteria are sources of protein, some vitamins and mineral salts. They are prepared from natural cow's milk using a starter containing kefir grains, which ensure better absorption of lactose and protein. Enrichment of kefir with bifidobacteria has a positive effect on intestinal flora, reduces the risk of developing infectious diseases, and normalizes the activity of the digestive tract.

Other complementary foods

You can also diversify the menu of a growing baby with special baby cookies, which quickly dissolve under the influence of saliva. Thus, there is no danger that the child may choke on crumbs. These cookies are given to babies starting at 7 months. But despite all the safety of the mentioned product, the baby should not be left alone with it. The baby can stuff the entire cookie into his mouth and will not be able to cope with such a volume. If a child does not show interest in liver, it can be “masked” by dissolving it in juice or mixing it with cottage cheese or fruit puree.

From 7-8 months, wheat bread in the form of crackers is introduced into the baby’s diet, which the child happily tries to bite with 1-2 teeth that have recently broken through, or even just with his gums.

From 8-12 months it is recommended to treat your baby with fortified milk. However, due to the high ability of this product to cause allergies in the menu of children of the first year of life, it is better to use it in small quantities - only for preparing cereals and vegetable purees.

Children 10-12 months old can be given low-fat fish (cod, pike perch, hake, etc.) instead of meat puree 1-2 times a week if they are not allergic.

In addition, from 8-12 months, the baby will benefit from specialized baby milk (not creamy!) yogurt with a moderate content of fats and carbohydrates.

We feed correctly!

When feeding your baby, you should not be guided by your own, “adult”, tastes. There is no need to sweeten your child's food or add salt and spices to baby food. The natural amount of carbohydrates and minerals contained in vegetables, fruits, meat, and fish completely satisfies the baby’s needs. Do not reheat food or reuse leftover crumbs of food. For feeding, it is better to use a plastic (silicone) spoon with smooth edges.

You should never force your child to eat. You should be prepared for the fact that he will reject some new tastes. However, the preferences of a young gourmet are usually changeable, and therefore a dish that has fallen out of favor can be prepared for him again, after some time.

Some children love liquid food and are willing to eat a lot of it, while others prefer thicker food in smaller quantities. Sometimes the baby eats a whole plate of porridge, and sometimes only a spoonful. In addition, babies often ask for a drink while eating. Don't deny them this - after taking one or two sips, they will continue eating. And there is no need to be upset if not everything goes smoothly during the process of feeding your baby. The main thing is that the child is healthy and gaining weight well.

When it is necessary to introduce the first complementary foods during artificial feeding, parents begin to ask this question almost from the birth of the baby. Babies who receive artificial formula generally grow as well as breastfed infants. As a rule, they are also healthy, vigorous and develop at a normal pace, like infants, because manufacturers of modern formulas for feeding try to give the child as much as possible everything that is contained in human breast milk, maintaining its nutritional value, as well as the balance of proteins and fats and carbohydrates.

Of course, there are some components in breast milk that cannot be reproduced in formulas, despite all the efforts of scientists and the capabilities of modern production levels. First of all, these are immunomodulators (substances that activate the immune system and protect the baby’s body from diseases during the entire period of breastfeeding), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and other essential polyunsaturated fatty acids necessary for the successful intellectual development of the baby, as well as some other components . But all these substances are specific ingredients that are found only in human breast milk and nowhere else, and no complementary food can replace them.

Why is complementary feeding needed?

Therefore, the introduction of complementary foods during artificial feeding should not set itself the task of compensating for something not received by the artificial baby; it is necessary to obtain new vitamins and microelements that the baby’s body begins to need as he grows up, to increase the number of calories needed by the rapidly growing body, and to gradually introduce the child to “adult” food. The reasons for introducing complementary foods are exactly the same as in the case of infants: the child grows up, moves to new stages of development, his needs change, and parents try to satisfy them in a timely manner.

All children - both those on artificial feeding and those on natural feeding - have absolutely the same structure of the digestive system, and our organisms are of the “old build”, regardless of the successes of the food industry: hundreds of years ago, when formulas did not exist in principle, children were exactly the same the same as now, and in the traditions of almost all peoples of the world, the introduction of the first complementary foods is timed to coincide with the appearance of the first milk teeth and the development of the ability to sit. Together with the beginning of interest in your “adult food”, these are the three main markers of readiness to receive new types of food, and on average this age is estimated by modern experts as 5-6 months: for bottle-fed babies a little earlier, for babies on breastfeeding - a little earlier. from six months.

When to start feeding your baby: why not from 3 months?

In the middle of the last century, during the heyday of the era of artificial feeding, pediatricians around the world recommended that mothers introduce the first complementary foods from 3, or even 2 months, and were advised to start with apple juice, designed to compensate for the lack of iron in formulas. But at present, both the age of starting complementary feeding and its type are recognized by competent pediatricians as premature: at 3 months (and even more so earlier), the baby’s stomach is not ready to process anything other than breast milk or its substitutes, and even more so - acids: they are irritating and lead to gastroenterological problems later. Therefore, if you start early complementary feeding, then definitely not with apple juice, as has been recommended for decades.

Unfortunately, even now pediatricians who do not strive to engage in their own professional growth and get acquainted with the latest research in their field continue to insist on the excessively early introduction of complementary feeding for artificial babies (they recommend complementary feeding at 3 months with artificial feeding). Although since this postulate was invented, artificial feeding has become different, and formulas have undergone significant changes, greatly improving their composition, and the consequences of introducing complementary foods for babies at such an early age have been studied and described. But until now, doctors in clinics and “specialists” on the Internet advise introducing the first complementary foods during artificial feeding as early as possible - websites are full of similar recommendations, and mothers trustingly follow them (especially since grandmothers also support - after all, they themselves raised their children according to "old" schemes).

Also, many people like to refer to “WHO recommendations,” although if you read them carefully, you can make sure that all of them are not categorical and have rather blurred age boundaries due to sociocultural differences in different countries and ethnic groups.

We will not mislead parents, and will offer them the most correct option for introducing the first complementary foods for IV - you can use our rules and scheme and evaluate for yourself how well they work.

Introduction of complementary foods during artificial feeding: basic rules

1. The first complementary food during artificial feeding is offered to a baby who is completely healthy, cheerful and in a good mood. For a child who has recently been ill or has been vaccinated, it is better to wait a week with complementary feeding.
2. The time for the first spoon is before the start of the next feeding: we give a portion of complementary foods, and then wash it down with a mixture. Complementary foods are always given in the morning to monitor the reaction to it during the day and not to overload the baby’s stomach at night.
3. The dosage of complementary foods begins with micro-doses: for the first 1-2 days, half a teaspoon, then, if there are no allergic manifestations and the child likes the food offered, we increase its amount to 1-2 spoons during the week, and then - according to the situation, depending on the situation. baby's appetite and taste preferences.
4. The consistency of the first complementary foods is liquid, then in the form of a puree, and only after 10 months can you begin to offer your baby to chew pieces of food if he already has at least a few teeth. Do not try to grind everything in a blender for too long - the child will get used to this consistency and will object to the slightest “lumps” in the food. At 6-7 months, start with baby cookies or apple slices, which you can give to chew, and then it will be easier for the baby to later get used to pieces of vegetables in the puree soup.
5. At the beginning of introduction, complementary foods must undergo heat treatment and are given to the baby in boiled, stewed or baked form. The temperature of the food should be comfortably warm - about 36-37 degrees.
6. Keep a diary to help you determine what and when caused your allergy or digestive upset. Write down in it what, at what time and in what quantity the baby tried, and then it will be easier for you to navigate if problems arise. And in order to understand what he likes and doesn’t like, note his emotional reaction to different types of complementary foods.
7. Complementary foods at the “beginning of the journey” are always mono-products: you can mix pumpkin, apple or carrot puree only when you are convinced that none of the components causes allergies in the child. When all the products have already been checked, you can mix them together, preparing mixed vegetable or fruit purees, as well as adding meat, egg yolk or fish to vegetable mixtures.
8. Do not offer a new dish until you are sure that the previous one is completely safe, leaving an interval of at least 5-7 days.
9. If an allergy occurs, immediately remove this product from the menu and seek help from your pediatrician. You can return to it no earlier than in a couple of months, if everything happens again, exclude it from the diet until the child grows up.
10. Don’t forget to offer your baby something to drink (first boiled water, then compote or juice) when complementary feeding has already started.
11. Never force feed your child! No matter how useful the product may be in your opinion, pushing it into a child against his will is completely wrong. Firstly, the baby is a living person, and not a stuffed pepper, and secondly, you yourself do not like all dishes, so your child has the right to give preference to something and refuse something.

Scheme of the first complementary feeding during artificial feeding

Now let's talk about the sequence of appearance of certain products in the baby's diet. We will talk about this in more detail in the material “Menu of a child with artificial feeding”, but for now we bring to your attention a scheme for introducing complementary feeding for up to a year.

1. We offer products to the artificial baby in the following sequence: vegetable puree › fruit puree and juice › porridge › kefir › cottage cheese › butter and vegetable oil › yolk › bread and cookies › meat puree › fish puree.
2. Complementary feeding for healthy, normally gaining weight babies begins with vegetable dishes, and not with fruit ones: having tasted a tasty apple or a sweet banana, the child is unlikely to enthusiastically accept zucchini or pumpkin.
3. If your child is underweight, start introducing complementary foods with cereals: they are nutritious and will solve your problem faster than vegetables. Pay attention to the calorie content of dishes and offer them first when your menu is already quite extensive. Also remember to avoid force feeding. otherwise, problems with food will accompany your baby for many more years.
4. If the baby is well-fed, hold off on porridges, or give them not too much, choosing those that maximally saturate the child with useful substances and not calories (that is, buckwheat and rice, and not traditional semolina). When offering cookies and bread, do it to a minimum, do not overdo it, even if the baby “really asks.”
5. If the baby has digestive problems, the best option for the first complementary feeding would be baby kefir, and only then the rest of the products. Give all new dishes especially carefully.
6. The introduction of vegetables basically happens like this: first they offer zucchini, pumpkin, cauliflower, broccoli, and only then carrots, beets (in the absence of allergies), green peas and potatoes. But it is better not to give white cabbage, eggplants, tomatoes and cucumbers for up to a year.
7. The sequence of introduction to fruits can be as follows: apples, pears, peaches, apricots, bananas. Plums mainly cause constipation, but citrus and exotic fruits are not recommended for children under one year of age at all.
8. We introduce porridges in this order: first gluten-free ones - buckwheat, rice, corn grits, and after 8 months you can introduce gluten porridges - oatmeal, millet, barley. Well, semolina porridge is the most useless in terms of its saturation with vitamins and microelements, but it is “overloaded” with calories. In the first months, cereals for porridge can be ground in a coffee grinder.
9. Protein products in the baby’s diet appear in the following sequence: kefir, dietary meat (rabbit, chicken, turkey, veal), cottage cheese, hard cheese, low-fat fish, preferably sea (hake, cod, flounder), egg white (it’s better to start from quail, it is not recommended to give chicken protein up to a year, but the yolk can be tried as part of other dishes from 8 months.)

First complementary foods during artificial feeding: choice of products

What foods should I prefer and in what order should I offer them to my child if he is bottle-fed? Let's find out!

• It is advisable to choose products not only according to the season, but also local ones: after all, everything that needs to be transported far away or grown at the wrong time retains its presentation only thanks to special treatment with chemicals that are not at all intended for baby food. Therefore, even while you are expecting your baby, it is better to take care of storing berries and finely chopped vegetables in the freezer - preferably grown in safe conditions.
• Fruits can be given not only in the form of purees, but also as part of compotes - they are much healthier than any store-bought juices. You can also use dried fruits for compotes - it’s tasty and healthy. When preparing fruit or vegetable juice, in the first months make it without pulp and dilute it a little with water.
• Cow's milk is contraindicated for infants under one year of age (do not rush to give goat's or sheep's milk either). It causes severe digestive disorders and allergic reactions, besides, nowadays formulas are produced that are maximally adapted to natural human milk, and offering your baby milk from animals whose cubs have completely different characteristics and needs is risky and imprudent. If you want to dilute complementary foods, it is better to add milk mixture to the porridge or puree, but in no case cow’s milk, especially the so-called “long-term storage”. Man in general is the only creature in nature who offers his children milk from representatives of another species, and this is by no means his best decision.
• Meat and fish intended for complementary feeding should not be “store-frozen” (for the same reasons: they contain too many ingredients that are hazardous to health). If your child is prone to allergic reactions, it is not recommended to give fish to children under one year of age at all.
• Soups for babies up to one year old are prepared in vegetable broths; meat soups are still too heavy for the kidneys.
• When cooking for babies under one year old, no salt, sugar or spices are used! It may seem to you personally that it is not tasty, but this is only because you are used to something else, while the child is quite capable of feeling the natural taste of products.
• If you buy ready-made meals, be sure to ensure that they are appropriate for the baby’s age and are not expired. Try not to overuse store-bought jars: this is a great option on the road, on vacation or at a party, but for everyday meals it is better to choose homemade dishes.

Table for introducing complementary foods during artificial feeding

To make it easier for you to navigate through all this variety of information, we have prepared for you a table in which artificial feeding and complementary feeding are coordinated, and the sequence of introducing certain products into your child’s diet is systematized and clear: complementary feeding by month with artificial feeding is in front of you.

Dishes	5-6 months	6-7 months	7-8 months	9-10 months	11-12 months
Vegetable puree	5-100 g	100-150 g	160-170 g	170-180 g	190-200 g
Fruit puree	5-50 g	50-60 g	60-70 g	80-90 g	90-100 g
Fruit juice or compote	5-50 g	50-60 g	60-70 g	80-90 g	90-100\150 g
Porridge	-	50-100 g	150 g	180 g	200 g
Kefir	-	10-30 g	50-100 g	100-150 g	200-300 g
Cottage cheese	-	10-30 g	40 g	40 g	50 g
Butter	-	1-3 g	4 g	5 g	6 g
Vegetable oil	-	1-3 ml	4 ml	5 ml	6 ml
Yolk	-	-	1\4	1\2	1\2-1
Children's cookies	-	-	3-5 g	10 g	15 g
Wheat bread	-	-	3-5 g	10 g	15 g
Meat puree	-	-	10-30 g	50 g	60-70 g
Fish puree	-	-	-	10-30 g	30-60 g

Dosing products is not at all difficult: 5 g is a little less than a teaspoon, 10 g is 2 teaspoons, and so on.
Well, have a good start! Carefully watch the baby, react sensitively to the signals of his body, feed him with love - and he will be a healthy, cheerful and well-developed baby.

Every young mother who has given birth to her first child is puzzled by a bunch of questions about caring for her baby. One of these questions is: at what age should additional food (complementary foods) be introduced into a baby’s diet and which foods should be introduced first?

Started feeding the baby (from how many months)

A breastfed baby can be introduced to complementary foods no earlier than 5-6 months. The introduction of complementary foods is very important at this age. Breast milk alone is not enough for a baby; he needs to receive vitamins and all the nutrients necessary for healthy development, which are rich in the food of adults. Extra food will help the baby develop faster. At the same time, you need to continue to breastfeed the baby on demand. In order for the child to quickly begin to get used to new food, complementary foods should be given before breastfeeding.

If the baby is artificial, then it is recommended to introduce complementary foods earlier - from 4-5 months. This is due to the fact that the formula is significantly inferior in quality to breast milk, and is not able to supply the baby with all the substances and vitamins necessary for the child’s body. As a rule, the baby himself shows signs that it is time for him to introduce complementary foods - he shows interest in adult food, watches how his parents eat, reaches for a spoon, and more often demands a breast or a bottle, since he is not full.

What foods to start with for the first complementary feeding?

First, cereal dishes, vegetable purees and fruits are introduced. Overweight children and children suffering from constipation should start their first complementary foods with vegetables and fruits. The same goes for children with normal weight. If the child is not gaining weight well enough or has loose stools, then the first complementary food should be porridge.

Porridge

First of all, it is better to introduce rice and buckwheat porridge. It is recommended to boil the cereals in water until fully cooked, and then thoroughly chop and boil along with a small amount of milk.

Vegetable puree

Vegetable puree can be prepared from boiled potatoes, carrots, turnips, and cabbage. Fruits are also pureed - bananas, apples, pears, peaches.

Fruit puree

If you can’t make good lump-free fruit puree at home, you can purchase ready-made puree in baby food stores or pharmacies. When choosing store-bought puree, be sure to check the expiration date and make sure that the lid of the jar is not swollen.

After cereals, vegetables and fruits have been introduced into the baby’s diet, meat and legumes can be introduced. The meat should be of low-fat varieties (preferably poultry), freed from veins and skin, prepared in the form of puree without lumps. Legumes need to be soaked overnight, the water drained, boiled well, thoroughly chopped and the skin removed. Until seven months, you should not give your baby eggs, nuts, fish and seafood, as well as porridges made from semolina, barley, wheat, corn, and oatmeal. It is better to introduce these types of products a little later.

It is very important that the baby’s daily diet contains all the vitamins and microelements necessary for a growing body. You need to start giving complementary foods with a teaspoon per day, gradually increasing the volume. You should not expect your baby to immediately like the offered cereals, fruits and vegetables. It will take a lot of time for the child to get used to the new food, because until now he has not received any other food other than mother's milk. Complementary food for a baby should always be warm, pureed - neither thick nor runny, soft and thoroughly mashed.

You should not delay too much with the introduction of another new dish; at the age of 7 months, the child should already receive almost all types of foods as complementary foods and receive complementary foods three times a day.

The baby's diet must include meat, vegetables, legumes, cereals and fruits. If now a child refuses to eat food that is new to him, then there is no need to force him to do it. It's better to offer this dish another time. You should show your baby how adults themselves eat food with a spoon, and soon the baby himself will try to repeat it.

Until the age of three, you should not give your child tea - neither black, nor green, nor herbal. Substances contained in tea (tannins) bind iron from consumed food, which in turn can lead to anemia (anemia) in a child. It is better to replace tea with compote, natural juices, fruit drinks, and boiled water.

The child’s taste for food is instilled by the parents; it is up to them to determine what foods the child will eat in the future. Complementary foods for an infant should be prepared without adding spices, sugar or salt. They will not bring any benefit to the baby’s body, and a child who has never tried food with spices will be happy to eat without them.

A seven-month-old baby must be given complementary foods at least three times a day, and the baby must continue to breastfeed on demand. When preparing food for a seven-month-old baby, you can already use all types of cereals, as well as well-boiled and mashed pasta, and boiled dough.

Fruits

Soft fruits should be given mashed, without skin and in small pieces. From vegetables you can already give carrots, turnips, tomatoes, cabbage. Vegetables are best steamed. Vegetable oil can be added to vegetable purees; it contains a number of healthy unsaturated fatty acids.

Meat

Every day the baby should receive meat (finely chopped or in the form of minced meat): beef, lamb, pork, horse meat, rabbit and poultry. Meat contains microelements that will protect the baby from anemia.

Legumes

It is necessary to include other sources of iron in the baby’s menu - green peas, green beans, greens, which the child needs to eat several times a week. Legumes must be boiled, pureed, with the skin removed.

Eggs and nuts

At the age of seven to eight months, it is necessary to introduce eggs and nuts into the baby’s diet. Hard-boiled eggs should be pureed and the child should be given both the yolk and the white. Nuts must be thoroughly peeled and mashed to a paste. In small quantities, you can give your baby cottage cheese and hard cheeses, which can be grated on a fine grater and mixed with the main dish.

Dairy

The child’s stomach and digestive system are not yet able to handle whole cow’s milk and undiluted fermented milk products. Therefore, dairy products should be given in small quantities to wash down the main course and in diluted form. You need to dilute it half and half with water: add 30 ml of water to 30 ml of kefir. Whole milk can only be used for making porridge; you should not give your baby whole, undiluted dairy products until nine months of age!

Fish

At nine months you need to introduce fish into your child’s diet; it’s better to start with pollock and flounder.

Gradually, the baby's food intake increases. At 6-7 months, a child needs to eat at least 150 ml of complementary foods (10-11 tablespoons), at 8-9 months - 180 ml (13-14 tablespoons), at 11-12 months - already 225 ml. Complementary foods for infants should be thick. It is necessary to give the child small pieces of fruits, vegetables, and bread so that he can chew them, since semi-liquid food is no longer enough for a child of this age.

In what cases is it better to delay introducing complementary foods?

You should not introduce new foods into your baby’s diet if:

• The child is sick or has recently suffered an illness and his body is weakened.
• The baby has recently had a vaccination or is due to have one in the coming days.
• The child has not yet adapted to the previous product introduced into the diet.
• The introduction of the previous product triggered an allergy.
• After the introduction of a new product, the baby began to have problems with stool.

The introduction of complementary foods is a very important period for the baby’s health and sometimes difficult for his parents. But if you follow all the above rules for introducing complementary foods and the recommended sequence of introduced foods, then there will be no problems with the baby’s health, and over time the child will happily eat all types of foods that are so necessary for his growth and development!

Video - when and how to start the first complementary foods