Experience for the first time with baby food is always a great concern for many mothers. For those who are a mother for the first time, they will surely be surprised in how to choose food for their baby to eat and how to prepare the best weaning menu . Here are some sharing experiences for first weaning to help parents have the best overview.
When did your baby eat solids for the first time?
As recommended by health professionals, babies should start weaning from about 6 months of age. Before that, the baby's digestive system was still developing, so if you eat solids too early, you can increase the risk of infection and allergies.
From 6 months of age onwards, the baby grows strongly, the high growth rate means that the nutritional needs also increase, the breast milk is not enough to meet nutrition for the baby. Therefore, children need to be supplemented with nutrients by weaning to be able to grow well and be healthy. In fact, at 6 months of age, the baby will also more easily coordinate with parents when weaning. So this is the easiest time to practice weaning for children.
Experience for the first time baby food mothers need to master
Baby eating solids for the first time is seen as an important milestone for both mother and baby. Therefore, mothers need to prepare very well experiences for baby weaning for the first time to make baby weaning process easier.
Signs that your baby is ready for solids
Each baby's body and development level are different, so it is impossible to apply the same formula for all. However, there are 4 clearest signs that the child's body is ready to receive a new source of nutrients.
Babies can sit firmly in a dining chair and hold their heads.
When he saw people eating, he was very excited and even acted to try to take food.
Children can combine eyes, hands, mouth to look at food, pick up and put into mouth.
The baby can swallow. For babies who are not ready to eat the powder, they will extrude.
Suitable time for baby food
To make weaning easier, mothers should choose the time when the baby feels the most want to eat. When you practice giving your baby a new food, you should start in the morning because this is a time when your baby is awake and easy to cooperate. Besides, if the baby reacts to food, mothers will also more easily express and control.
One suggestion is to feed your baby close to or at the same time as the family so she can enjoy the joy of eating with mom and everyone. In addition, it is also important to pay attention to the baby's sleep, avoid feeding the baby while sleepy makes the baby uncomfortable.
Prepare suitable snack equipment
In order for the mother to eat happily, happily and cooperatively during the first weaning meal, you should prepare:
A table suitable for babies if they can sit firmly.
Tools for baby to practice weaning such as bowls, plates, spoons, cups of water, water spoons ... The items should be made of good plastic to avoid damaging the baby's mouth during the feeding process.
Wet cloths or towels to clean your baby's mouth during and after eating.
What foods should babies eat for the first time?
Baby's first weaning meal, mothers should feed them dilute powder so they can get used to the weaning menu. Mothers absolutely do not give their baby solid powder at the first time because babies are unfamiliar and may choke food, leading to the risk of airway obstruction. When the baby turns 7 months, the mother can practice feeding the baby solid powder and porridge from the 8th month.
According to the pediatrician, the diet of a baby to be weaned must have 4 necessary food groups: starch (non-glutinous rice, corn ...), protein (meats, fish, eggs, milk ...), fats (vegetable oils, animal fats), fiber, vitamins and minerals (green vegetables, roots). However, when you first start out, you should practice feeding your child each food separately.
Foods to avoid
Some foods that are not suitable for babies include:
Dairy cows
Do not give cow's milk before the baby is 1 year old. Cow's milk does not meet the nutritional needs of infants. They are also not a good source of iron and may increase the risk of iron deficiency.
Honey
Honey can contain spores / bacteria that easily cause a serious illness called infant botulism.
Food can make babies choke
Some foods can make babies choke: large pieces of meat, grapes, raw vegetables or pieces of hard fruit, unless they are cut into small pieces.
In addition, hard foods, such as nuts, seeds, popcorn, and sweets should not be offered to your child.
Food amount
In the first weaning time, mothers should only taste 5ml of solid food (about 2-3 teaspoons), and continue to feed the baby for about 3-5 days with the above amount of food. That way, if your baby does have a reaction - like diarrhea, rash or vomiting, the mother will know the cause.
After introducing single foods, mothers can combine foods with children, ie mix meat and vegetables in porridge. Eat 2-3 meals a day, alternating with breastfeeding your baby. When realizing that the baby cooperates and wants to eat more, the mother slowly increases the baby to 10ml - 20ml - 40ml - 60ml of powder / meal depending on the baby's ability to eat.
Instructions on how to feed your baby for the first time
Children should sit at the table with a sturdy chair and seat belt buckle, so it will help children easily eat and create eating habits in the future.
Children should be allowed to pick up food by themselves and eat by themselves so that they feel happier, more comfortable and free.
In the early stages of feeding the baby, do not force the child to eat too much, otherwise the baby will easily vomit and cry a lot. If the baby cries and turns away, stop. It is important that your baby is eating well and gaining weight steadily.
If the child spits the food out, refuses to swallow, you can combine solid feeding and milk (using a spoon or a bottle), so the food will flow more easily, and the child will accept the job more easily. feeding more. This is a very effective first weaning experience.
Do not let your baby drink much milk during weaning, because otherwise he will quickly become full and full, causing vomiting, esophageal reflux.
Should change the protein-rich foods regularly, mince the meat and fish into the porridge to make the child's meals more diverse and exotic.
Mom always needs to be with the baby when he / she wakes up in case the baby is choking.
Through the first sharing experiences for the baby, we hope that the mother will apply it successfully to help the baby adapt well and eat well.
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