Feeding your baby porridge. How to introduce porridge into complementary foods, porridge for first feeding

When it's time to introduce porridge

Porridge is the second stage of introducing complementary foods. They begin to be introduced after vegetable purees. A baby's readiness for complementary feeding can be determined by the following criteria:

• his weight has doubled since birth;
• he shows interest in adult food;
• at least one tooth has erupted;
• he can sit up on his own.

Children on IV can start using vegetable purees at four months. Porridge starts at five. Breastfeeding babies begin complementary feeding at 6 months.

If a baby has a tendency to loose stool, or often suffers from rotavirus infections, it is recommended to start introducing “adult” food with cereals. The pediatrician will also advise starting with them if the baby is not gaining weight well.

Is it possible to dilute dairy-free porridge with a mixture?

If you do not use dairy-free porridge for feeding or complementary feeding, then it will be completely tasteless for the child, even buckwheat. Taste it and see for yourself if you like this kind of food.

It is precisely because such porridges are very bland that the question arises: is it possible to dilute the porridge with a milk-based mixture. For a child, this will look exactly like mixing lunch and dinner together, since each box is designed for a separate meal. This is if you mix porridge and borscht in one dish, but we don’t do that. Formula milk is very filling, so it should be given to the baby separately.

An excellent option for making porridge without milk would be regular milk, goat's or cow's, which should be diluted a little with water and added sugar to taste. You can also dilute the porridge with a mixture of powdered milk, which is sold in baby food departments.

Types of porridges

Depending on the method of preparation, baby porridges are divided into:

1. Soluble. Produced by leading baby food manufacturers. They don't need to be boiled. The porridge is diluted with warm boiled water.
2. Ready. You can find ready-made porridges. It is recommended to warm them slightly to room temperature and give them to the child. They are convenient on the road or for a walk.
3. Homemade . They are prepared from ground cereals. Doctors usually do not recommend starting complementary foods with them.

Based on their composition, porridges are divided into dairy and dairy-free. They begin to introduce the baby to new foods with dairy-free ones. Cow's milk is considered a strong allergen and can be introduced into a child's diet after one year.

Porridges are also divided into gluten-containing and gluten-free.

Gluten is a protein found in some grains. In extremely rare cases, it is not absorbed by the body. Therefore, it must be abandoned. It can also cause allergies in children prone to atopic diathesis.

According to the number of types of cereals, porridges are single-component and multi-component (contain 2, 3, 5, 7 types of cereals).

When to start feeding

Dairy-free porridge for children

There are several opinions about complementary feeding, and two different pediatricians working in the same clinic may give different advice.

• First opinion. Complementary feeding should be started no earlier than six or seven months. Since it is during this period that the child develops more actively and learns about the world, he does not have enough breast milk.
• Second opinion. The first complementary foods should be introduced from the age of four months. This opinion is present among many pediatricians, especially for mothers whose babies are bottle-fed. Infant formula cannot provide adequate saturation with vitamins and microelements. From the age of four months, they also begin to feed a child who has problems with height and weight.
• Third opinion. Oddly enough, but it is considered the most faithful to feed the child according to his desire. That is, the toddler should be interested in food and enjoy it.

Nothing bad will happen if a breastfed baby happily eats porridge at four months. Or, on the contrary, he will refuse to eat at all. Here you need to be patient, it’s worth figuring out why the child doesn’t want to eat the food offered. And try to correct the situation. Maybe a few pieces of fresh fruit will help interest the fussy eater.

Advice: porridge, like other new foods, should be introduced into the diet gradually, possibly over several days. For example: on the first day, start with one spoon and within a week increase the amount to 100-15 grams. So, the little one will quickly get used to the new food and will not refuse it.

How to enter correctly

Pediatricians give the following recommendations on how to introduce porridge into a child’s diet:

• Start with single-ingredient (one grain) dairy-free cereals. It would be nice if they were gluten free.
• It is better to start complementary feeding with “factory” cereals. They are designed taking into account age characteristics. The composition is hypoallergenic. Raw materials undergo several quality checks.

Features of introducing different types of cereals

The type of cereal determines which porridge to start complementary feeding with. Pediatricians advise introducing your baby to new foods starting with buckwheat. If you don't like it, you can replace it with rice.

We have indicated in the table the schedule for the introduction of cereal complementary foods

Multicomponent cereals are introduced no earlier than 8 months. They start with three-grain cereals. Provided that the baby tolerates each of them well. From 10 months you can give porridge with added fruit.

Before introducing a new complementary food, it is better to consult a pediatrician or health visitor.

how to make porridge for first feeding

Rules for feeding children Why introduce complementary foods to a baby while breastfeeding?

• by 3 months of life, digestive enzymes mature in children;
• in 3-4 months, local intestinal immunity and swallowing mechanisms are formed.
• from 6 months, mother’s milk or its substitute cannot fully satisfy the needs of the child’s growing body for energy and nutrients;

New foods introduce your baby to different tastes and textures.

When to introduce complementary foods to an infant?

New products are introduced into the child’s diet on the recommendation of a doctor no earlier than 4 months and no later than 6 months.

Watch your baby carefully, he himself will tell you that he is ready for the introduction of the first complementary foods. This will happen when:

• at the beginning of complementary feeding, the child’s weight should be at least twice his birth weight (for premature babies - at least two and a half times);
• the baby will stop reflexively spitting out thick food from his mouth (in infancy, children automatically stick out their tongue if something different from their usual food, breast milk or formula gets into their mouth, as an innate reflex is triggered, protecting babies from the threat of choking on a foreign object). It is very easy to check this - give the child a little porridge or puree from a spoon, if everything ends up on the chin, then it is too early to introduce these products; if the child does not stick out his tongue, but swallows food, then the pushing reflex of the tongue has already passed;
• the baby will begin to become excited at the sight of food and open his mouth like a little chick, clench his lips tightly and turn away if he is full;
• The baby will show great interest watching his mother prepare something, and will begin to ask to sit at the table with his parents and, sitting in your arms, will strive to try the food from your plate.

Why is it not advisable to introduce complementary foods to a child in the early stages of breastfeeding (up to four months)?

If at such an early age you replace at least one breastfeeding with complementary feeding, then the mother's breast milk production may decrease, which means that the baby risks receiving less energy, nutrients and protective components contained in breast milk than he needs.

The intestines of children are not yet ready for the introduction of any other food, and this increases the risk of indigestion and various types of allergies.

Why is it undesirable to introduce complementary foods too late (after 6 months)

• Breast milk can no longer provide a growing baby with the necessary amount of energy and nutrients, or satisfy his growing needs for microelements (especially zinc and iron).
• A monotonous diet can lead to stunted growth.
• Important skills such as chewing do not develop (chewing prepares the gums for teething); the development of fine motor skills is inhibited (the child wants and must tinker with food with his hands).
• The lack of a child’s positive perception of the new taste and texture of food inhibits psycho-emotional development.

With the timely introduction of correctly selected complementary foods, health is improved, the baby develops correctly physically and psycho-emotionally. Vegetable and fruit purees and cereals are used as the main complementary foods.

How to introduce the first complementary foods to an infant?

• When breastfeeding, start introducing complementary foods with one-ingredient fruit or vegetable purees, cereals, which do not contain salt, sugar, or thickeners. Carefully study the label to ensure that it does not contain other purees or juices other than the fruit or vegetable indicated in the name. Otherwise, the product cannot be considered one-component.
• Any new product should be introduced when the child is healthy.
• Introduce a new product in the morning before breastfeeding to monitor your reaction throughout the day.
• Complementary feeding is introduced gradually from 1–2 teaspoons to the required volume with a gradual increase over 7–10 days. It is convenient to keep a food diary in which you can record possible unwanted reactions to the foods you introduce. Complementary foods should be given warm from a spoon; from 7 months you can teach them to drink from a sippy cup. In case of poor tolerance, it is necessary to stop administering the product and try to introduce it again after a while. If a negative reaction occurs again, you should discard the product and try to replace it with a similar one (for example, applesauce with pear puree).
• Feed your baby each new product for 5-7 days before introducing another, you will allow the baby to get used to the product, and you will also be able to understand, in case of an unwanted reaction, which product provoked it.
• If your baby doesn’t like the dish, try offering it after a few days. Be patient when offering a new product up to 10-15 times.
• Use a flexible plastic spoon to avoid damaging your baby's very sensitive gums.
• Do not combine the introduction of complementary foods to your child with any changes in his usual way of life (for example, moving).
• It is better not to combine the introduction of complementary foods to your child and vaccinations.
• From 6 months, start seating your baby at a common table with the whole family. Wash your baby's hands before feeding. This will teach him the rules of personal hygiene. Give your baby an individual set of tableware (cup, spoon, plate) and a separate towel (for hands).
• Complementary feeding dishes at the initial stage of introduction should be homogeneous (a very high degree of grinding, possible only in industrial conditions) and semi-liquid. Gradually they are made thicker, and later more dense for the correct development of chewing and swallowing skills in the baby. From 8–10 months you can give food with soft pieces

The doctor should advise which product to introduce as complementary foods and the amount of complementary foods.

What foods should you start complementary feeding with?

If you feed your baby exclusively with breast milk, then you should start with single-grain porridges, for example, rice or buckwheat, and later – corn and millet . This is due to the fact that by about the middle of the first year of life, the content of iron and zinc - the most important nutrients for proper physical and mental development - in milk is no longer sufficient to fully meet the baby's needs. Porridges for the first feeding of a baby should be dairy-free. Give them breast milk or baby formula. In the future, dairy and gluten-containing porridges (oatmeal, wheat, semolina, barley), as well as porridges made from a mixture of cereals, can be used.

vegetable puree as the first complementary food . First, offer your baby vegetable purees from one type of vegetable with delicate fiber (for example, cauliflower, pumpkin, broccoli) and only then introduce other vegetables (white cabbage, carrots, zucchini, potatoes, etc.). It is necessary to allocate one week for the introduction of each new product so that you can determine how the baby tolerates this product.

Cottage cheese, egg yolk, meat and fish are valuable sources of animal protein, a number of minerals (iron, calcium, phosphorus, etc.) and vitamins A, E, B1, B2, B6, B12, which most fully meet the high needs of children in the second half of the year life. Therefore, they are introduced into the diet after 6 months, and egg yolk after 7.

Feeding with vegetable purees

It’s better to start with vegetable puree from zucchini, cauliflower, potatoes or pumpkin. If these vegetables do not cause any negative reaction in the baby, then you can combine vegetables. The volume of a portion of vegetable puree depends on the age of the child; they begin to introduce it gradually: from 20 g over 1–2 weeks, increasing the portion to the age norm - 100–150 g. The second two weeks are for the child to fully adapt to the new dish. Only after this can we talk about combining vegetable dishes and introducing a second course of complementary foods. If an allergy or stomach upset occurs, the introduction of complementary foods is stopped, and further nutritional steps are discussed with the pediatrician.

Trying fruits and vegetables

After your baby has tried complementary feeding with juice, you can start giving him thicker foods - fruit purees. The puree is given from a spoon: start with half a teaspoon and gradually increase the volume to 40–50 ml. The amount of fruit puree for a baby, as well as the amount of juice, is equal to the number of months multiplied by 10.

Preference is given to applesauce at the beginning of complementary feeding. Feeding applesauce rarely causes allergies and, moreover, this product contains pectin, which ensures good digestion. From five months onwards, it is recommended to use puree of plums, peaches, and apricots.

How to introduce your baby to his first complementary foods?

Breast milk or a milk substitute should make up the bulk of your baby's daily diet.

• Feed your baby only when he is hungry, if possible try to feed at the same hours
• Sit him on a high chair, you can prop him up with a few pillows
• Sit your child upright, facing you. This will make it easier for him to swallow and reduce the likelihood of choking.
• Spoon feed, not bottle feed
• Hold the spoon with food approximately 20 cm from the baby’s face. Special spoons for babies with a long handle are very convenient
• Wait until the baby notices the offered treat and opens his mouth
• Feed your baby at his own pace
• Let the young gourmet touch the food
• He may still be wary of unknown food and a strange object - a spoon. He has the right to this! It will take some time before the child gets used to the spoon and the new taste.
• Talk to the baby, but don't entertain him
• Let him eat as much as he wants
• Stop feeding as soon as your baby indicates that he is full.

Pay attention to how the baby behaves during feeding. When you just start feeding him something other than breast milk or formula, the baby may refuse to eat. Offer several times, but don't force him: he may not be ready yet. Set the product aside and try again in a few days.

A sign of getting used to the spoon is that the baby’s mouth opens wide the moment you bring the spoon to him. Sometimes children put their fingers in their mouths to help them swallow new food. This is good - this is how the baby begins to explore this new world of taste sensations and different textures.

And as soon as the baby is full, he will definitely let you know by turning his head away from the spoon or swatting it away with his fist.

source: https://www.nestlebaby.ru/Advice_article.aspx?artid=126&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Gerber

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Introduction principles

Baby porridge is administered in the same way as vegetable or fruit puree.

1. Start with a teaspoon. Gradually increasing the amount eaten. Over a week or ten days, the serving volume is increased to 150 grams.
2. The portion per day is increased by a teaspoon.
3. At the beginning of the introduction of cereal complementary foods, breastfeeding children are given breastfeeding immediately after porridge. After a new meal, children on IV are given a mixture based on the total volume of food of 200 milliliters per feeding.
4. The serving of porridge is increased depending on the age of the child. So at eight months it should be 170 grams. At nine months - 180 grams. At ten months and beyond - 200 grams.
5. A new type of cereal is introduced after the child has eaten a full portion of the previous porridge for at least a week.
6. It is better to give porridge for breakfast.

Milk porridges are introduced closer to the child’s first year. It is better if they are made with goat milk.

It is important!

And yet, pediatricians recommend using industrially produced ready-made cereals to feed a child.
Their most important advantage is their additional enrichment with vitamins and minerals, so necessary for a growing body. And of course, ease of preparation!

Porridge with baby formula is a very necessary and healthy dish in a baby’s diet. It contains the entire complex of minerals, vitamins and microelements so necessary for the full growth and development of a child.

The baby will like porridge prepared with a balanced milk mixture and may even become his favorite treat.

Rating of the best store-bought cereals

Why do pediatricians recommend “factory-made” cereals: they have a balanced composition, enriched with zinc, iodine, and calcium.

They do not thicken after they cool. Such porridges are well digestible. They are easier and faster to prepare.

The rating of cereals for the first complementary feeding includes:

• Baby
• Heinz
• Nestle
• Hipp
• Baby

#1. Baby

The line includes baby cereals from 4 months. They do not contain sugar, GMOs, or gluten. The manufacturer has a large range of dairy-free and hypoallergenic products.

There are special cereals enriched with prebiotics to improve digestion and restore microflora. The brand produces cereals with added fruits and berries. There are multigrain complementary foods with fruit.

Porridges are affordable and can be found in any supermarket. According to parents' reviews, they are well received by children.

#2. Heinz

A wide range of complementary foods allows parents to choose cereals to suit every taste. The line includes products intended for children from four months.

You can choose hypoallergenic dairy-free cereals. For older babies, there are a variety of multi-grain, dairy, and fruit supplements.

Porridge is easy to breed. Almost all children like them. The consistency of some products is not similar to the usual baby porridge.

#3. Nestle

The brand produces a variety of baby food. It is one of the market leaders in this niche.

Nestle porridges are loved by many children. In the line you can find products enriched with calcium, iodine, and B vitamins. There is a series with pre- and probiotics to normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Dairy-free cereals are suitable for the first complementary feeding. For older children, you can find complementary foods with fruits, prunes, pumpkin, and multi-cereals.

But Nestlé products need to be carefully administered to children with a tendency to allergies - they contain lecithin. It can cause atopic dermatitis. Carefully study the composition on the packaging.

#4. Hipp

A slightly less well-known brand than Nestlé, but no less in demand. The line includes instant porridges and porridges in jars. They include fruit and vegetable purees and decoctions of medicinal herbs.

For the first feeding, there are dairy-free rice porridges. They do not cause allergies and are well absorbed.

Among Hipp products you can find special overnight porridges. They contain decoctions of lemon balm and chamomile. Such a dinner has a beneficial effect on the baby’s nervous system and helps him fall asleep faster.

#5. Baby

Malyutka is a well-known brand in our country. More than one generation has grown up on his cereal.

Malyutki products are more often recommended for children on IV. The line includes dairy and multi-grain porridges. For the first feeding, hypoallergenic ones are suitable.

According to reviews, the porridge is well received by children. But parents will have to work hard to separate it without lumps.

What sets Malyutka apart from other products is its affordable price.

Which dairy-free cereals are best for first feeding?

Choosing the first porridge for complementary feeding

To ensure that the child does not experience discomfort from the introduction of new food into the diet, when choosing the first complementary food, you need to be guided by several rules.

Important: pediatricians recommend industrial dairy-free products, since they are sterilized in production and are better processed, especially for baby food. At the same time, the industrial product is perfectly balanced, which is difficult to achieve at home.

One-ingredient food

One-component dairy-free porridge for complementary feeding

Porridge should be chosen according to age. For children under seven months, it is best to choose porridge from three grains:

• rice;
• buckwheat;
• corn.

This choice is due to the fact that these cereals do not contain gluten. This substance is of plant origin, but in most cases can cause stomach upset or severe allergies. In this case, a special sign will be drawn on the packaging: a crossed out spikelet. If this is not available, you need to carefully read the composition.

Several cereals

Dairy-free 8-grain porridge

After seven months, a child can be given porridges made from several grains. Previous use of the “mix” can lead to allergies. In this case, it is difficult to determine which grain the baby is allergic to.

Age restrictions

A certain grain must be given at a certain age so that the child does not have problems with the digestive system.

It is best to follow these tips:

• up to seven months you can give: rice, buckwheat or corn;
• from eight oats and wheat groats are introduced;
• from nine months it is allowed to give pearl barley and barley;
• after a year, manna groats are allowed.

Adding fruit

Pediatricians recommend consuming fruits after six months. Exceptions may be apples or pears. If the child is not allergic, then it is allowed to add fruit after heat treatment.