Complementary feeding from 3 months is a controversial issue. Some pediatricians believe that at this age the child is ready to be introduced to adult food. Others say that early complementary feeding is best introduced for medical reasons. One of these doctors is Dr. Komarovsky. There is no need to start feeding your baby at 3 months if he is absolutely healthy and has no deviations in weight gain and growth.
Baby on the tummy
Is your baby ready to start complementary feeding at 3 months?
At 3 months, children have an insufficiently formed digestive system. It is difficult for them to digest adult food. The main nutrition at this age that the baby receives is breast milk or an adapted milk formula. If the baby is absolutely healthy, gaining height and weight in accordance with generally accepted standards, then there is no need to feed the baby. For artificial babies, the optimal age for complementary feeding is 4 months, for infants – 6 months.
In some situations, pediatricians prescribe early complementary feeding. There are several reasons for this:
- underweight;
- prematurity;
- the child does not get enough milk;
- feeding cow's milk instead of formula or breast milk.
In such cases, new products will enrich the baby’s diet and give him all the necessary microelements and vitamins for development.
Physiology of a baby at 3 months
3-month-old children can hold their heads confidently, walk, actively explore the world around them, and are able to recognize people from their environment. They are interested in bright toys and reach out to them. The main food product at this age is breast milk or adapted milk formula. The child’s body does not produce enough gastric juice; the intestinal walls are not thick enough to easily digest adult food.
Child looking at his leg
Why might a doctor recommend complementary feeding?
Complementary feeding for children who are fed breast milk is most often recommended from 6 months. Until this period, mother's milk is balanced and fully satisfies all the requirements of the child's body. But there are a number of reasons why the pediatrician strongly recommends introducing complementary foods in the early stages of development:
- the child does not gain the required weight or refuses to breastfeed or eat artificial nutrition;
- lack of artificial nutrition established by standards. This problem is more observed in children who have a large body weight at birth;
- allergic reactions to mixtures.
Any of the reasons requires mandatory consultation with a doctor. Only he will be able to adequately assess the entire current situation and recommend the right way out of it.
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The need, advantages and disadvantages of complementary feeding at 3 months
Mixed feeding of newborns
Early complementary feeding is prescribed for strictly defined reasons. You should not feed your child food from the common table without consulting your pediatrician. This can lead to serious consequences. Complementary feeding from three months is administered according to certain indications:
- slow weight gain and height;
- metabolic problems;
- frequent allergies to infant formula;
- lack of microelements in breast milk;
- the child does not eat enough liquid food and often demands more.
Important! Unauthorized prescription of complementary foods at 3 months can cause health problems for the child. Before making such a decision, you should consult with a specialist.
Early feeding of children has its advantages and disadvantages. The benefits include:
- variety of diet;
- establishing a clear diet;
- reduction in the frequency of allergic reactions;
- active weight gain;
- accustoming a baby to a spoon.
Among the shortcomings, an inadequate reaction of the child’s body is noted. A new product can provoke not only an allergic reaction, but also problems with stool. Therefore, at 3 months, purees, juices or cereals are given to taste with a couple of drops.
Boy on his stomach with a spoon
How to introduce complementary foods correctly
Formula-fed infants are introduced to complementary foods when they reach 3 months of age. At this time, the baby begins to behave restlessly because he lacks the nutrients necessary for active growth. He often wakes up, cries and looks for a pacifier with his lips. It's time to switch your child to additional nutrition other than milk. How to do it?
To ensure that the first feeding at three months is successful, pay attention to the following:
- The baby should be healthy and well-rested.
- The consistency of the new dish should resemble liquid puree.
- New food should be monocomponent.
- You should start new complementary foods at 3 months with one coffee spoon.
- Complementary foods should complement, and not exclude, formula milk.
- It is not recommended to introduce a new type of food with the first and last feeding of the baby.
- You should not give new foods twice a day.
- If acne appears on the face of a newborn or stool upset, complementary feeding should be temporarily stopped.
A mother must understand that introducing a new dish to a child is a whole event. He may not like the taste or smell of the product, or the new sensations of eating unfamiliar food. Therefore, new food should not be offered to a child who is in a bad mood or recovering from an illness.
Everything new for the baby is of particular interest and is remembered for a long time. If he gets a negative experience from an unfamiliar food at three months, it will remain a negative memory in his mind. Subsequently, the mother will have problems feeding the baby.
The consistency of the new dish should resemble formula milk so as not to cause rejection or fright in the child (in some cases). When teething symptoms appear in infants, the consistency of food should become denser to promote the formation of chewing skills.
Features of complementary feeding for artificial and infants
Children on guardianship and on birth receive different types of nutrition. This means that the development of their digestive tract differs slightly. Infants are less likely to have problems with stool and allergies, while artificial babies have the opposite.
Weight loss in newborns in the first days
When introducing complementary foods, it is necessary to take into account the individual developmental characteristics of the baby. They begin feeding strictly according to the doctor's instructions. In other cases this is not necessary.
The beginning of feeding a breastfed baby is carried out in several stages:
- The child is allowed to taste boiled, cooled water. At first, the baby will refuse it. You need to offer it for several days in a row until the baby gets used to it.
- Then the child is offered a few drops of juice. If the concentrate is prepared independently from fresh fruits, then it is diluted by half. Monitor the reaction for the first day, then double the portion.
- After juices, they offer fruit puree, vegetable puree and dairy-free cereals.
- Breastfeeding continues as usual. You cannot wean your baby from your breast.
Important! The later a change in a child’s diet occurs, the less often he develops allergies and problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
Formula-fed babies are adapted to foods other than breast milk from birth. They digest vegetables and fruits more easily, while cereals are more difficult to digest. Therefore, without certain indications, they should not be introduced into the diet. The principle of feeding artificial babies is the same as for infants. Any new food products are introduced with caution, carefully observing the child's response.
Boy drinking juice
How to prepare your baby for the introduction of new food?
Complementary feeding requires certain skills from the child, so before introducing it, it is necessary to do a little preparatory work.
- Spoon training.
Doctors strongly do not recommend bottle feeding. To begin with, you can give boiled water from a spoon. This will help develop the correct swallowing reflex. - The introduction of a new food should begin with a few drops. It is very important to observe the body's reaction to a new product, as some children may be allergic to a certain component.
- When introducing complementary foods, your baby should drink plenty of water to avoid constipation or bloating.
Every mother should remember that introducing a new diet to a bottle-fed baby is a difficult process. All new food should be given only in diluted form. If the child does not have an allergy, then after a few days another product can be introduced. For such children, it is extremely important that new food is given at a certain interval in time (3-5 days). This makes it possible to identify the allergenic product in the event of such a reaction.
Where to start feeding a 3 month old baby
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What can you feed a baby at 3 months, young parents ask. Children of this age take liquid foods; therefore, complementary feeding should begin with a product of a similar consistency. Pediatricians recommend giving infants and infants fruit juices and purees to try. If there is a lack of body weight, then the first product should be dairy-free cereals.
Start feeding with a small dose. The first time the baby is given 3-4 drops of fruit juice. Then the body's reaction is monitored. If no changes in behavior are observed, then complementary feeding is continued, increasing the dose by 2 times each time. It takes 2 weeks to get used to one product. By the beginning of 4 months of life, the baby tries 2 products.
Table for introducing first complementary foods from 3 months
What complementary foods can a child start giving at 3 months? The beginning of changing a child's diet occurs according to a certain pattern. On the first day, the portion of juice is a few drops. By the end of 2 weeks, the portion is increased to 30 ml. After each juice feeding, the baby is supplemented with breast milk or formula.
Scheme for introducing complementary foods to a child at three months
| Day | Juices, ml | Fruit puree, |
| 1 | Apple – 1 | |
| 2 | Apple – 2 | |
| 3 | Apple – 4 | |
| 4 | Apple – 8 | |
| 5 | Apple – 15 | |
| 6 | Apple – 30 | |
| 7 | Apple – 30 | |
| 8 | Apple – 30 | |
| 9 | Apple – 30 | |
| 10 | Apple – 30 | Apple – 5 |
| 11 | Apple – 30 | Apple – 10 |
| 12 | Apple – 30 | Apple – 20 |
| 13 | Apple – 30 | Apple – 30 |
| 14 | Apple – 30 | Apple – 30 |
| 15 | Apple – 30 | Apple – 30 |
| 16 | Apple – 30 | Apple – 30 |
| 17 | Pear – 2, apple – 28 | Apple – 30 |
| 18 | Pear – 4, apple – 26 | Apple – 30 |
| 19 | Pear – 8, apple – 22 | Apple – 30 |
| 20 | Pear – 15, apple – 15 | Apple – 30 |
| 21 | Pear – 30 | Apple – 30 |
| 22 | Pear – 30 | Apple – 30 |
| 23 | Apple – 30 | Pear – 5, apple – 25 |
| 24 | Pear – 30 | Pear – 10, apple – 20 |
| 25 | Apple – 30 | Pear – 15, apple – 15 |
| 26 | Pear – 30 | Pear – 30 |
| 27 | Apple – 30 | Pear – 30 |
| 28 | Pear – 30 | Apple – 30 |
| 29 | Apple – 30 | Pear – 30 |
| 30 | Pear – 30 | Apple – 30 |
| 31 | Apple – 30 | Pear – 30 |
These values are optimal for each child. If the first product is dairy-free porridge, then it is administered in the same small portions as fruit purees. Cereals are prepared liquid, at the rate of 5 g of dry product per 100 ml of water. Convenient to use are children's instant dry cereals, which are sold in all stores.
Important! Adding sugar or salt to children's food is prohibited. This causes additional stress on the kidneys.
A girl is spoon fed
Practical tips for drinking juice
- Do not let your baby drink juice from a bottle. The child drinks from the bottle slowly, which means the sugar may linger on his teeth. It's better to use a sippy cup.
- Dilute the juice with water. This will reduce the amount of sugar and help quench your thirst.
- Juice is a treat that should be given after a meal. Before eating, it may reduce your appetite.
- Packaged baby juice should not contain sugar or fructose.
- Fruit puree is healthier than juice. You can mix it with water and give it to your child as a tasty smoothie. Monitor your baby's drinking regime. Juice cannot replace water!
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What to feed a 3 month old baby during breastfeeding
At the age of three months, children are allowed to try fruit juices, vegetable and fruit purees, and dairy-free cereals. A pediatrician will help determine the right product for a child, taking into account the individual characteristics of his development. The list of permitted products at this age includes:
- apple;
- pear;
- zucchini;
- prunes (for problems with stool);
- pumpkin;
- cauliflower;
- broccoli;
- rice;
- buckwheat;
- corn grits;
- oat groats.
There is also a list of prohibited foods for young children. They are not digested by the baby’s body, causing constipation, allergies and increased gas formation. These include:
- potato;
- beet;
- cottage cheese;
- meat;
- fish;
- meat broths;
- eggs;
- dairy products;
- tomatoes;
- pepper;
- spices.
What are the dangers of early complementary feeding?
Before introducing complementary foods at such an early age, it is necessary to learn about the possible negative consequences of this decision.
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The introduction of early complementary feeding into the diet of a 3-month-old baby threatens the appearance of serious digestive problems. At this age, children usually suffer from colic attacks while receiving their usual food: breast milk or infant formula. When introducing a new product, the load on the stomach and kidneys increases many times over, which will be manifested by severe abdominal pain, vomiting and frequent regurgitation. Stool upset is also possible. The duration and severity of disorders can manifest themselves in different ways: these can be short-term and one-time manifestations. More often there are variants of severe disorders of the digestive system, the restoration of which will require a long time and serious drug therapy.
Another negative manifestation of the consequences of early complementary feeding can be food allergies. Its appearance is facilitated by the immaturity of digestive enzymes and the immune system. The reaction can also be mild and manifest as a rash and irritation. Most often, severe forms of atopic dermatitis and bronchial asthma occur. When an allergic reaction occurs, the maturation of the immune system is disrupted, which leads to frequent infectious diseases in older age.
A three-month-old baby's mechanisms for swallowing thick food have not yet matured, and frequent regurgitation and vomiting are possible, up to a complete refusal to eat. In addition, since complementary feeding reduces the amount of breast milk consumed, there is a risk of cessation of lactation due to a decrease in its production.
Important information! The consequences of introducing early complementary foods can also appear at a later age. Impaired functioning of the digestive system manifests itself in preschool age with frequent abdominal pain, vomiting and upset bowel movements; at a later age, more serious diagnoses are made: gastritis and colitis.
The well-known pediatrician, E. Komarovsky, believes that until the child is six months old, he does not need additional nutrition, regardless of the type of feeding. Considering the possible negative consequences, it is worth listening to his opinion and not introducing complementary foods just because a neighbor’s mother did so or a friend advised. Everyone’s body is different, this will benefit one, but may cause irreparable harm to another. Therefore, instead of experiments, you should consult a doctor and get qualified advice.
Dangers of early complementary feeding
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Artificial babies are recommended the same list of products as infants. The digestive system and general development of children on different types of feeding are practically the same. Therefore, the reaction and process of assimilation of nutrients is the same for them. It is recommended to start complementary feeding with vegetables and fruits, juices or cereals. They resort to cereals only when the baby is gaining little weight or losing it.
Juices
You can prepare this product yourself or buy it ready-made in a store. Pediatricians recommend giving preference to store-bought clarified juices marked “3-4+” for the first complementary feeding. When deciding to prepare the drink yourself, the fresh fruit is washed under water and peeled. One piece is grated on a fine grater. The pulp is placed in cheesecloth and the juice is squeezed out. The liquid is diluted with boiled water 2 times. Then they offer it to the baby.
Fruit or vegetable puree
Homogenized puree is given to children 2 weeks after getting used to juices. Choose products from the list suggested by the pediatrician. Vegetables and fruits are also sold ready-made in baby food departments. If parents decide to prepare puree themselves, they must adhere to a certain scheme:
- 10 g of vegetables and fruits are washed under water.
- Peel off the skin.
- Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes with the lid closed.
- Then the product is kneaded with a fork.
- Add the same amount of broth.
- Beat with a blender until smooth.
Important! For a three-month-old baby, food should be liquid or semi-liquid. If there are lumps in food, the child may choke.
Baby eats from a spoon
Dairy-free porridge
To increase the body weight of children, they resort to feeding them dairy-free cereals. Thanks to their caloric and nutritional content, kids quickly gain weight and catch up with their peers. After such a meal, the baby sleeps well, does not ask for food for a long time and plays actively. It is recommended to choose the following cereals:
- rice;
- buckwheat;
- corn;
- oatmeal.
They do not contain gluten, which slows down the growth and development of the baby. Porridge is prepared at the rate of 5 g of dry mass per 100 ml of water. At 3 months, the child is able to digest and accept food only in liquid form.
According to the pediatrician's recommendations, it is preferable to use ready-made instant dairy-free cereals, which are sold in all stores. The manufacturer removes gluten from the cereals, and they are considered safe for children.
Order of juice introduction
Manufacturers of children's juices always indicate on the packaging the age at which a child can be offered this product. It doesn’t matter whether you buy juice in a store or squeeze it yourself, the monthly input rates are the same.
Mono-component apple and pear juices are considered hypoallergenic and can be offered to a child for the first time.
Carrot juice is also suitable for early introduction, but for children not prone to allergic reactions.
Pumpkin and banana juice are recommended to be introduced from 8 months. Start introducing juices with one teaspoon (5 ml).
Please note that the article indicates the earliest dates for introducing juice. Juice is not a significant food product. You can postpone the introduction of juice for up to 6 months or up to a year without harming the child’s health.
The baby's reaction as a signal to stop complementary feeding
At 3 months, children are able to express discomfort and inconvenience only by crying. This also applies to complementary foods and reactions to them. If certain signs appear, then it is necessary to stop feeding the baby and urgently show him to a specialist. Signals include:
- The baby refuses to accept new food, spits it out and does not take a spoon.
- Long, continuous crying.
- Increased gas formation, bloating.
- Constipation or diarrhea, change in the nature and color of stool.
- Manifestations of rash or red spots on the skin.
- Presence of vomiting and nausea.
The boy is crying
Useful tips
To make it easier for your child to become familiar with new foods, it is recommended to follow certain tips:
- If the baby refuses new food, do not insist; it is better to postpone feeding for a few days, then try again.
- The optimal hours for feeding are considered to be from 10.00 to 14.00.
- At 3 months, children eat liquid food, so complementary foods should be as close in consistency to milk as possible.
- Dairy-free cereals are given first if the baby is not gaining weight well.
- Any introduction of a baby to new food should be under the supervision of a specialist.
