The baby has begun to eat complementary foods, and the novice hemp is happy and worried, because eating complementary foods means that the baby's growth process has entered a new stage! But what to eat, how much to eat, how to eat, it seems that I have not yet figured out how to understand.
Complementary food or milk, which is important?
Complementary foods are called "complementary" foods precisely because they are complementary to breast milk or formula, which remains the main food and source of nutrition until the age of 1.
At the stage of adding complementary foods, but it is not that the baby can eat complementary foods, it is not given to the baby to eat breast milk or formula milk, but with the increase of the amount of complementary foods, the amount of milk needed by the baby may decrease.
There are also some babies who rely too much on breast milk and refuse to accept complementary foods, so parents should have enough patience to train their babies to eat complementary foods. With the increase of complementary food, the baby's milk may decrease, but the daily milk intake of 6-12 months old babies should generally be maintained at 600 to 800 ml.
Babies after the age of 1 only need to ensure 360-500ml of milk every day, and the rest all rely on the intake of "three meals" to meet the needs of growth and development.
Eat complementary foods first, or do you eat milk first?
When you first add complementary foods, you need to drink milk first, eat until you are full, and then give your baby a spoonful of prepared rice noodles to taste fresh. No matter how much the baby loves to eat, do not continue to give it to him, because his stomach has a process of adaptation.
The next day, drink the milk first, then give the baby two or three spoonfuls of rice noodles, and on the third day, you can eat three to five spoonfuls, little by little. At the same time, the amount of milk is decreasing little by little.
At this time, we can help the baby to change the order of rice noodles and milk, let the baby eat rice noodles first, and then drink milk after eating. The more rice noodles are eaten, the less milk is drunk, and slowly they are eaten into a meal of rice noodles, and there is no need to drink milk again.
The principle of adding complementary foods
Complementary food varieties from one to many:
Gradually increase the variety of foods according to your baby's nutritional needs and digestive capacity. At first, you can only give your baby a complementary food that is appropriate to your age, try 3 to 4 days or a week later, if your baby's digestion is good and your bowel movements are normal, try another one, do not add several in a short period of time.
If your baby is allergic to a certain food, he can observe it within a few days of trying it.
The amount of complementary foods added from less to more:
For each food you add, you must try a small amount first, and add more after the baby gets used to it.
Complementary food texture from thin to thick:
Give your baby some easily digestible liquid foods with more water, then add semi-liquids, and then transition to soft solid foods.
Food supplements are made from fine to coarse:
When starting to add complementary foods, in order to prevent the baby from having difficulty swallowing or other problems, you should choose a delicate food supplement, and gradually increase the larger particles of complementary foods as the baby's chewing ability is perfected.
The amount of milk or meals for different babies will be different, parents must not look at other people's babies to eat more, force their babies to eat more, as long as the nutrition is balanced and the growth is normal. If you are worried about the baby's poor development, you can give the baby a physical examination to understand its development and seek the guidance of a doctor!