Feeding babies is a major concern for mothers. “My baby does not eat sufficiently” is a common complaint from mother. In this post, I am trying to show some tips for feeding the babies. Only breastfeeding is sufficient and must for babies. After that period complementary feeding is added with time. Initially, the baby may thrust food out of his mouth. This is called “extrusion reflex”. It will be gone after a few months. So have patience. Feeding babies is like an exam for mothers. I hope every mother passes this exam with flying colors.
Tips for starting feeding babies
1. Make a Habit
Your baby does not know the taste of any food except your breast milk. So you will be responsible for making the good habit of eating healthy food. If you have implants see this post for better understandings on how to feed. See here the Basics of Breastfeeding. You don’t need to rush things. It will take some time and patience but the fruits will be sweeter.
2. Do not force for feeding
The baby may not like the food you are offering. Or the baby is busy watching TV or playing or maybe sick or maybe not hungry. No need to force-feed. If the baby is hungry and well, it will ask for food.
3. Make the baby eat on his own.
4. Let the baby play. Physical activities will burn calories. And the child will be hungry for food.
5. Make a variety of foods every day.
6. Don’t let the child watch TV or play with mobile during feeding. Offer semi-solid food first. The baby may not like solid food initially.
7. There are no foods to increase feeding. Seek a doctor for any problem, like worm infestation, iron or zinc deficiency, etc.
8. Don’t give too much salty or spicy food. The baby likes sweet food more than salty or spicy food. But too much sweet food will cause other problems like dental caries.
9. Give food first, then offer breast milk. Offer foods that contain all kinds of components like carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, mineral, etc.
10. Watch for food allergy. Look for crying after feeding the baby or development of new rashes, diarrhea or vomiting may indicate a food allergy. Cows milk is popular in Bangladesh which is also responsible for allergy in some cases. Don’t start cows milk before 1 years of age. Start low, go slow.
Feeding the baby correctly is crucial. Growth and development are vital for the first 3 years of life.
See here for more info:
Babycenter: Introducing solids
Mayoclinic: Solid foods, How to get your baby started
Do’s and Don’ts for Baby’s First Foods
Thanks, everyone for reading. If you have any queries, don’t hesitate to ask me.
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