Before you diversify the baby's menu at 4 months, every mom needs to consult a pediatrician about how to correctly enter the first child's lure, where to start and how much is appropriate at that age.
Specialists in the field of baby food agreed that the optimal period to begin acquaintance with adult food is 4-6 months. At this stage, the baby has an additional need for vitamins and minerals. In addition, by this time his digestive tract reaches a certain maturity, the intestinal microflora is formed.
If you postpone the introduction of the first complementary foods from 4-6 months to a later date, then in the future, the mother and child may face some problems. First, breast milk can no longer provide the baby with all the necessary components, which will lead to a delay in growth and development. Secondly, the baby will be difficult to adapt to food with a more dense consistency.
General recommendations regarding the age of introduction of the first complementary foods are as follows:
- while breastfeeding, acquaintance with other foods can take place no earlier than 5-6 months;
- with mixed or artificial feeding - in 4-5 months.
The first menu for the little ones
It is very important to correctly introduce the first lure in 4 months, starting with products such as vegetable purees, fruit juices, milk porridges.
Children's vegetable puree is prepared from one vegetable, for example, zucchini or potatoes and is given at first one teaspoonful. In the absence of a negative reaction (swelling, frustration, allergy), the portion is gradually increased, completely replacing one feeding. After a few weeks, other ingredients (carrots, cauliflower, broccoli) are added to the dish.
After the baby gets used to vegetables, you can enter gluten-free cereals (rice, buckwheat, corn). When a child is breastfed or mixed , it is better to take milk-based cereals and prepare them for breast milk. The principle of the introduction of porridge is similar to vegetables.
With special care, you need to treat the introduction of fruit juice, since this product often causes allergies and swelling. The most safe for small children is the juice of a green apple.
Obviously, it is not advisable to introduce complementary foods at 4 months if the baby is gaining weight, actively developing and fully breastfeeding.
It is not necessary to add new food to the diet after vaccination or during the period of illness.