Complementary feeding at 6 months with artificial feeding: rules, scheme, features

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

When the baby begins to grow up, the question arises about the introduction of complementary foods. This is especially true for those babies who are bottle-fed. After all, such nutrition is similar in composition to breast milk, but it is not capable of completely replacing it. And the baby needs to diversify the menu in order to provide the body with nutrients. Many mothers are interested in how to introduce complementary foods at 6 months with artificial feeding. The article will discuss the features of this process, its advantages and disadvantages.

When to introduce complementary foods

For formula-fed babies, it is recommended to introduce complementary foods much earlier than for babies. Disputes between children's doctors about this do not subside to this day. Some advise introducing new products at 3 months, while others - wait until at least 4, 5. After all, mixtures are not able to adapt to the needs of the baby and change their fat content.

Complementary foods are especially important for babies who are not gaining weight well. And also have some signs of anemia or beriberi. This does not mean that formula-fed babies should receive complementary foods at 3 months. All this is individual. It is best for parents to focus on the start of complementary foods at 6 months.

Six months is the best time. The nervous, digestive and excretory systems of the child are sufficiently strengthened. At the same time, energy needs have increased. At this age, many of the babies begin to sit up, try to crawl and do many other activities.

Later introduction of complementary foods is fraught with a lag in the development of the child. After all, in this case, he will later begin to chew solid food.

How to know when a baby needs complementary foods

Many mothers ask: is it necessary to complementary foods at 6 months with artificial feeding? Usually the baby himself reports the need for more satisfying food. It is not difficult to guess this: the baby is constantly hungry, naughty. Also, a baby who does not eat up loses weight.

If a baby is receiving formula according to age, but wakes up and sleeps poorly, parents should consider expanding the diet.

It is also necessary to ensure that the child has enough vitamins and nutrients. Signs indicating their deficiency include bumps on the forehead, peeling on the back of the head. This may be a manifestation of rickets. To correct the condition, the consumption of a sufficient amount of calcium, vitamins A and D is required.expert advice.

How to introduce complementary foods at 6 months

Before starting complementary foods, parents should consult their pediatrician. Here are the main recommendations:

1. For the first time, food is given in small quantities. Enough 1-2 spoons. Over the next few days, the amount of complementary foods increases. After a week and a half, they can replace one feeding. The serving volume is 150 g. It turns out that the baby has one feeding per day - complementary foods, and the rest - mixtures.
2. New food is introduced into the diet if the child is completely he althy. This rule must be observed at all times.
3. New products appear in the menu gradually. Complementary foods for babies for months must be entered correctly. This will allow parents to follow the reaction of the child's body to a particular product. If the baby has diathesis, bloating, colic or diarrhea, then complementary foods should be postponed for 1-2 months. If everything went well, then gradually increase the portion size.
4. Dishes should be in the form of mashed potatoes so that the baby does not choke on pieces. Over time, food is made thicker, and only then denser.
5. Due to the fact that the baby has not yet weaned from the mixture, he is initially offered a bottle. And only then they give new food.
6. You need to feed the baby with a new dish while sitting.
7. It is also necessary to give the baby water, compotes, herbal teas.

New foods are best introduced into the baby's diet during the day. This way it will be easiest to track his reaction to the product.

Features of feeding a baby on artificialbreastfeeding

There are some differences between babies who are on different types of feeding. With breastfeeding, the mother herself begins to gradually expand her diet. The baby tries new foods indirectly, so the reaction to them is smoothed out. At the same time, the baby's body is gradually preparing for the transition to adult food.

Many mothers are concerned with the question of how to introduce complementary foods at 6 months. If only a mixture was present in the baby's diet, then you need to be extremely careful. Parents must strictly follow the rules of complementary feeding. It is important to focus on the product introduction scheme.

Mixture is not a full-fledged analogue of breast milk. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully expand the baby's menu. You need to start with light and safe products. Sometimes there are situations when the child's digestive system cannot cope even with one-component vegetable purees.

Because of this, the standard start of complementary foods (at 6 months) has to be postponed for some time. And make up for the lack of nutrients with more frequent feeding.

There is also the opposite feature. Despite the fact that milk formulas are saturated with vitamins and minerals, their amount is not enough for the growing body of the baby. In such a situation, complementary foods are administered on the direct recommendation of a pediatrician.

Where to start

The first complementary foods (at 6 months) are recommended to start with mashed potatoes. Some mothers ask why with them. After all, many cereals seem to be more familiar food. There are some features here. Kashi, sosame as milk mixtures, contribute to rapid weight gain. Most often, pediatricians advise them on breastfed babies and those who suffer from low body weight. Usually artificial people do not have such problems.

In addition, vegetable purees at 6 months are best absorbed by the child's body. They contain vitamins and carbohydrates that are necessary for the proper development of the child.

However, not all vegetables are suitable for complementary foods. Pediatricians recommend giving preference to products that have a green color. These include zucchini, potatoes, squash, peas, cauliflower. Yellow, orange and red vegetables can cause an allergic reaction.

You can buy ready-made products. Among them, mashed potatoes "Grandmother's basket" stand out with their properties. However, the choice remains with the parents.

Which is better: homemade or industrial puree

In modern conditions, many mothers are rescued by baby food. From 6 months you can choose products from trusted manufacturers. They can feed the baby from 6 months to 1.5 years. Gradually transferring the child to the common table.

If parents make homemade puree from vegetables they are completely sure of, then there should be no doubt about it. And if they are purchased in a store, they can be treated with various chemicals. And such vegetables can negatively affect the child's body.

Good baby food is made from quality raw materials. Whereinit meets all hygienic requirements. Modern technologies are able to preserve most of the nutrients in puree.

The most famous include mashed potatoes "Grandma's basket", Gerber, Semper, "Theme", "Agusha" and others.

Following Complementary Foods

Complementary feeding at 6 months with artificial feeding is as individual as the initial age. It is best for parents to discuss it with their pediatrician, who knows the developmental features of the child and will advise what and how best to introduce into the diet.

However, there are well-known principles. There should be at least a week between the introduction of two products.

The first porridge for babies on artificial feeding is administered no earlier than six months. They must also be gluten-free. These include buckwheat, rice or corn porridge. Cereals with gluten (oatmeal and semolina) are best included in the diet after 8 months. The scheme for introducing complementary foods with cereals from 6 months is no different from the procedure for introducing vegetable purees. They start with 1 spoon, gradually bring it up to 180-200 g. Cooking porridge is necessary only on water. Milk can cause allergies.

Cottage cheese is a source of calcium and some amino acids. It is allowed to introduce it into the diet from 5-6 months. The daily dose for babies should be no more than 50 g. Otherwise, the child's liver will be overloaded.

It is already possible to introduce the yolk into the menu of a 6-month-old baby. It is thoroughly boiled and rubbed. Initiallythe yolk is given to the baby in small quantities. Gradually bring to 0.5 yolk. Due to the fact that they are very allergenic, it is not recommended to eat them every day. Enough 2 times a week. The yolk can be added to vegetable purees.

By 7 months, the baby's stomach is quite ready to accept meat. It is best for parents to start with ready-made puree. At home, a dish of this consistency is unlikely to work. If a child is allergic to milk, then he is forbidden to eat beef and veal. It is best to start with chicken, turkey or rabbit meat. By the age of 9 months, mashed potatoes are replaced with meatballs, and the first steam cutlets are prepared by the year.

In some cases, meat is introduced into the child's diet earlier if he has anemia. It could be 5 months old. All this is individual and usually resolved with a pediatrician.

By 7-8 months, sea fish may also appear in the baby's diet. It is best if it is cod, sea bass, hake. Fish can replace meat 1-2 times a week. It is good for the baby’s body because it is easily digested and contains many useful substances. It contains a lot of vitamin B and minerals.

Dairy products are allowed to be introduced into the diet of a child from 7 months. At the same time, whole milk should not be included in the menu until the year.

There are several opinions about when to give fruit juice to a child. Many pediatricians advise delaying their introduction for up to a year. However, some experts recommend starting complementary foods with fruit juices and purees. After all, in addition to a pleasant taste, they contain a lot of useful substances andvitamins.

Apples, apricots, and pears are introduced into the child's food. They are steamed or baked. Banana is allowed to be given raw. It is important to introduce fruits into the menu in turn. In this case, it is imperative to monitor how the child's body reacts to them. If the baby digests fruit puree normally, then it can be given to the baby 2 times a day.

Complementary feeding scheme

The Complementary Food Chart for Formula-fed Babies will help parents navigate the choice of foods for a certain age.

Product name, g	6 months	7 months	8 months	9-12 months
Fruit Puree	60	70	80	80-100
Vegetable Puree	150	170	180	180-200
Milk porridge	50-150	170	180	180-200
Cottage cheese	40	40	40	40-50
Yolk, pcs	0, 25	0, 5	0, 5	0, 5
Meat Puree	5-30	50	50	60-70
Dairy products		200	200-400	200-400
Fish Puree			5-30	30-60
Bread			5	10

Proper complementary foods at 6 months with artificial feeding -pledge of the future he alth of the baby. You can understand that everything is done correctly, according to a child who is steadily gaining weight. At the same time, negative manifestations in the form of allergies and other symptoms are completely absent.

Change in stool with complementary foods

When new foods are introduced into a baby's diet, his digestive system adapts to them. During this period, there may be a change in the color and consistency of the stool. It can become frothy, liquid with bits of undigested food. Sometimes the stool frequency increases. Over time, it will harden and darken. This is due to the fact that with the start of eating new foods, new bacteria appear in the intestines. In any case, parents should constantly monitor the child's stool. After all, this is one of the signs of whether the product came up or not. If the feces have an unpleasant odor, and their color is completely different from what the food was, then it is necessary to consult a pediatrician. In some situations, the introduction of one of their products will have to be abandoned for a while.

Complementary foods according to Komarovsky

A famous pediatrician advises starting complementary foods with yogurt. Initially start with 2-4 tsp. After 7 days, the baby can eat 150-200 ml of a fermented milk product.

For children who are bottle-fed, the introduction of complementary foods is postponed by 1-1.5 months in one direction or another.

After yogurt, the pediatrician recommends switching to cottage cheese. Its first portion is added to the fermented milk product. A mixture of kefir and cottage cheese must be brought to a homogeneous state. Within a few days, its amount is increased to30

Dr. Komarovsky advises introducing complementary foods during the second feeding, that is, in the morning. With this scheme, it is easiest for parents to track the reaction of the baby to new food.

The following product includes cereal porridge: buckwheat, rice or oatmeal. At the same time, Komarovsky advises cooking them not with water, but with milk. It is important that the child is not allergic to the product. In this case, milk is best introduced into the diet after the age of 2-3.

The third products (the standard scheme for introducing complementary foods for babies by months is presented in the table above), according to a well-known pediatrician, include fruits and vegetables. They replace the third feeding. It is best to give children fruit or vegetable puree. S alt or sugar should not be added to the dish. The first serving should not exceed 30 g.

Meat is introduced after 2-3 weeks. First, Komarovsky offers to introduce the broth. Next comes the meat puree. Acquaintance should begin with 2-3 tbsp. l. product.

Complementary foods at 6 months with artificial feeding must be introduced correctly in order to diversify the baby's diet. During this, parents need to monitor the he alth of the baby. If negative symptoms occur, the introduction of a new product should be postponed for a while.