Now, regardless of the type of feeding, it is recommended to introduce complementary foods when the child has all the signs of readiness.
Kyiv. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – May 16, 2021 – Lifestyle
When to enter supplementary food?
Supplementary food, first of all, is a transitional table – from liquid breast milk or mix to dense products and dishes from the general table. That is, complementary foods are a certain stage in a child’s life. And, since all children are individual, this stage begins at all at different times. Now, regardless of the type of feeding, it is recommended to introduce complementary foods when the child shows all the signs of readiness to introduce complementary foods.
Signs of readiness of the child for the first feeding
The baby doubled its weight after birth
Of course, children, especially those who are breastfed, can double their weight by 3-3.5 months. But the requirement to double your weight is not the only one, although it is necessary!
The child is able to sit with support
Here there is a big confusion: to sit independently, that is to sit down independently, children study till 6-11 months. But in order to introduce complementary foods, it is not necessary for children to be able to sit down themselves! All that is needed is for the baby to be able to sit on the lap of an adult or in a high chair without leaning forward or sideways. Indeed, if you try to put a newborn baby on his lap, the baby will immediately begin to fall from his knees. Ability to support – sit with support! – the torso in a vertical position appears closer to 4-5 months.
Here many people may object: “Children can not be put!”. It’s true.
The child should not be placed on the sofa or on the floor, covered with pillows so that the baby does not fall over, as was often done before. But here to take the kid to himself on his knees or to put in a chair for feeding (with a back and sides) it is possible from 4-5 months.
The child can eat from a spoon without pushing it out with his tongue
Up to 3-4 months (sometimes longer!) In children there is a reflex of “pushing out a spoon”, i.e the child will push out with his tongue all objects except the mother’s breast. With age, this reflex fades – and you can start to enter the supplement.
The child has an active nutritional interest
This is one of the most important signs of a child’s readiness to introduce complementary foods. If the first three signs (weight gain, the ability to sit with support, the ability to eat from a spoon without pushing it out with the tongue) appear as the child grows older, then parents will have to work on the emergence of nutritional interest. Nutritional interest, that is, an active interest in the food that adults eat: attempts to grab the food, pick it up, put it in their mouth, and try it on their own are all the result of imitating and copying the actions of adults.
“Mom takes it and puts it in her mouth? I will too, I want it too”!
Therefore, parents should take their baby with them when they eat, so that the child has something to pay attention to and something to copy. Then, as the nervous system matures, the baby will begin to actively demand food on its own.
Thus, it is necessary to enter supplementary food if and only when the kid grew up (doubled or even tripled the weight), grew up (is able not to lie down on knees at adults, is able to eat from a spoon), and started loudly interfering with adults to eat (food interest, desire to try). adult food).
Usually, all signs of readiness for the introduction of complementary foods appear closer to 5-6 months.
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Source: Ukrgate