Mar
4
Guidelines to Supplementary Feeding
I love sharing this feeding guideline my daughter’s paediatrician gave me.
Ivana, my daughter, started eating solid food when she was 5months old. As a first time mom I was so worried about how to feed her, what food to give her, and even worse when she wouldn’t swallow the food but just spit them out.
I have learned that feeding your baby the first time requires more observation on our part.
First, put a little bit of the food at the tip of the baby spoon and put it in the baby’s mouth. The tendency here is that the baby will try to feel the texture of the food with his tongue and lips, so more often than not, the food will come out of the baby’s mouth. Parents have to be patient by continuing to feed the baby this way until the baby gets used to the taste and texture of the food. After few tries, the baby will try to keep the food in his mouth. Eventually, he will learn and get used to chewing and swallowing the food.
The following will give you some ideas on feeding your babies from 5 months onwards.
* Start anytime from 4 to 6 months of age
* The order of food introduction is as follows:
1. Cereals – pure rice cereals; commercially available
2. Fruits: 5 to 6 months. May stew if desired: apples, pears, avocado, papaya, peaches, over ripe bananas. Mash finely and add a bit of water or milk (formula or breast milk).
3. Vegetables: 6 to 7 months. Squash, potatoes, sayote (chokoes), sweet peas, carrots, sweet potatoes. Puree leafy veggies; can be added on to other types of veggies.
4. High protein: 7 to 8 months. Lean ground beef, chicken breast, liver; may add on to veggies and brown rice.
5. Poached or boiled eggs and starchy foods should be introduced later than 6 months. DELAY eggs and citruses past 9 months or 1 year old if the parents have high history of allergy.
Offer starchy foods for good calorie source like potatoes, rice, bread and noodles.
By 8 to 9 months, offer graham crackers or toast.
By 9 to 10 months, try less finely textured food/puree.
Introduce one food item/type at a time. Give 3 to 4 days to observe for any adverse or allergic reaction.
Thicken food gradually by 6 to 7 months.
Preparation: Blenderize or puree food and add more food items to the mixture. Can freeze and store in ice trays and offer several cubes at a time after warming.
March 7th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Great article with clear direction for each stage!
March 8th, 2009 at 9:18 am
Hi BC Doan, thanks for visiting my site. These guidelines to supplementary feeding have really helped me a lot with my two kids. That’s why I can confidently share it with other moms/parents.
August 22nd, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Toni, Jai will start solid food next week and I am so delighted to see this article. I will advice my friends here (also first time mom’s) to visit your site. Keep on sharing your valuable experience, ideas. Love it.
May 15th, 2010 at 3:02 am
I have heard that there is no calorie counting on the EODD. Is this true?