Feeding children from 4 months of age

Complementary feeding of children from 4 months is a burning issue that is of great interest to mothers of babies who have reached the age of four months. It is during this period that the child requires additional substances and microelements that are not found in mother's milk. Such innovations in the baby's diet should be carefully prepared and thought out; it is better if complementary feeding of children from 4 months - its menu, regimen and dosage are selected by the attending pediatrician, and not by an all-knowing neighbor or caring grandmother. Classic options for complementary feeding are considered to be mashed cereals and pureed boiled vegetables. In addition to supplementing the diet with useful vitamins and calories, such supplements help to develop the child's chewing skill, which should soon displace the sucking reflex.

The beginning of complementary feeding, as a rule, falls between the fourth and sixth month of the child's life. Early complementary feeding is undesirable, since up to 4 months the internal organs and systems of the baby are not yet formed to accept such food, a later period - after six months is also not justified, since mother's milk cannot replace the entire range of nutritional value of complementary feeding. Also, the introduction of late complementary feeding is fraught with rejection of unusually dense food, because the baby already gets used to the liquid substance of milk in six months and has difficulty adapting to new food. Complementary feeding of children from 4 months is not a strict recommendation, supplements can be introduced from 4.5 months and from 5 months, it all depends on the individual characteristics of the baby's development and health. The optimal timing is as follows:

• Artificial feeding – introduction of complementary foods from 4 or 4.5 months;
• Breastfeeding – introduction of complementary foods from 5 or 5.5 months of life.

The norm of complementary feeding, which is introduced from the fourth month

It is considered normal if the baby eats an amount of food that is about 1/6 of his body weight, that is, approximately one kilogram per day. Of course, this amount of food should be evenly distributed among 5-6 servings, then you will get a quite “comfortable” figure of 150-200 grams per serving. Pediatricians advise starting complementary feeding of children from 4 months with a small portion of egg yolk, which the baby is given to try first, and then gradually increasing its amount. Boiled yolk, literally on the tip of a teaspoon, should be given before breastfeeding, after about a week the portion of complementary food should increase to half a yolk per day. In the same way, you can start giving mashed cottage cheese, which is the main source of calcium and protein. Cottage cheese is given on the tip of a teaspoon, gradually increasing the portion to four teaspoons per day. You should be attentive, not so much to the baby's reaction to the unusual taste of food, but to the digestive reaction, that is, to the stool. If upset stomach or constipation begins, the menu should be adjusted or the portion of complementary feeding should be reduced. There is also an unspoken rule: complementary feeding of children from 4 months should be done with a teaspoon, it should not be replaced with a bottle with a nipple, no matter how liquid the additive is, for example, juice or puree. Feeding with a spoon is simply more convenient, since you can adjust the portion, in addition, the baby should gradually wean off the sucking habit. It is also important to remember that new dishes should be introduced gradually, first accustoming the child to one product, and then adding the next one. All food included in the complementary feeding of children from 4 months should be thoroughly heat treated, this is especially true for eggs and cottage cheese, and the food should also be chopped either in a blender or in another convenient way (grind on a special grater). Poorly chopped food can be swallowed by the baby, but its digestion will be clearly difficult and can provoke flatulence, constipation or upset stool, up to intestinal colic or vomiting. It is better to give all new dishes for acquaintance before the main feeding, since after saturation with breast or artificial milk, the child is unlikely to want to try food that is unfamiliar to him. After the baby adapts to complementary feeding, supplements can be given as a "dessert". There are often cases when the baby begins to be capricious and demand milk, refusing complementary feeding, in such situations a compromise is needed: first a small portion of milk, then a little complementary feeding and milk again.

The rules of the regime and menu, in order to correctly introduce complementary foods to children from 4 months, are quite simple, here is an approximate schedule and a diet option:

• Morning, 6.00. Breastfeeding or formula feeding.
• Morning, 9.00 – 9.30. Before feeding, a little egg yolk, breastfeeding/formula and 15-20 milliliters of fruit juice.
• Day. 12.30-13.00. Breastfeeding/formula and 20-25 milliliters of puree, preferably fruit.
• Day. 16.00-16.30. Breastfeeding/formula and 20-25 milliliters of juice, preferably with pulp.
• Evening. 19.30-20.00. Breast milk/formula and 15-20 grams of boiled vegetable puree (can be replaced with fruit puree).

Complementary feeding of children from 4 months should be carried out in compliance with the following rules and recommendations:

• Early introduction of complementary feeding (before 4 months) can provoke allergies and further problems associated with intolerance to a certain product.
• Complementary feeding should not be abundant, fatty or sweet, or exceed age norms, no matter how much the child likes the new food. Excessive amounts of carbohydrates, fats and sugar can lead to metabolic disorders and, subsequently, to obesity.
• Complementary feeding of children from 4 months should be quite varied, a mono-diet can provoke hypovitaminosis in a baby, up to rickets.
• Late complementary feeding (after 7-8 months) is also unacceptable, no matter how much mother's milk there is, it cannot replace the caloric content and protein content of complementary feeding.
• What “attributes” and utensils might be needed to introduce complementary foods.
• A small, bright, colorful plate, so that it would be more pleasant for the mother and more fun for the child.
• Two or three small teaspoons, special ones are fine.
• Special cups or containers called sippy cups are used to make it convenient for a baby to drink tea and juice.

What should be included in the complementary feeding of children from 4 months, in addition to milk?

• Fruits, vegetables in the form of juices and purees. These are the ingredients of the diet that supply the child's body with B vitamins, vitamin C, iron, and plant fiber. At first, you should give juice squeezed from vegetables or fruits as an "educational" and comfortable nutrition in consistency. Then, after one and a half to two weeks, purees should be made from the same products. There is a recommendation regarding the quantity and volume of vegetable and fruit complementary foods: the volume should be equal to the baby's age, which should be multiplied by 10, for example, 4 months X 10 = 40 grams.
• Cereal porridges, which contain starch, plant proteins, vitamins, and microelements (magnesium, selenium, iron). Porridges are added from the age of 4 months, no more than 5 grams per serving, gradually the portion is increased to 150 grams per day. At the age of one year, the child should receive at least 200 grams of porridge per day.
• Meat products, which are a resource and supplier of protein, iron, and B vitamins, which are essential for growth. Meat is introduced at six months of age in the form of well-mashed puree.
• Fish, preferably sea fish. A source of essential polyunsaturated fats, vitamin D, vitamin A and iodine. Fish also complements the baby's diet, starting from the age of six months.

Feeding children from 4 months is, of course, an important event in the life of the baby, because in this way he begins to get used to real "adult" food. The choice of products and the method of their preparation depends on the preferences of the parents: you can prepare complementary food for children from 4 months at home on your own if you have the desire, strength and time, or you can buy ready-made baby products (porridge, puree and juices) in specialized stores or pharmacies. The main thing is that the baby likes the new food and gives him pleasure.