Baby care-guide to introducing solid food
The nutritional needs of babies change and increase according to age and their overall development. It is an important part of baby care that we need to provide for the development in the way of complete nutrition. During the phase of breastfeeding and liquid diet, mothers are not worried about nutrition. However, it is at the time of introducing solids that it becomes troublesome for many. This is the time when the diet should meet calorific requirements of a growing body. The ideal period of introducing solids actually depends on the development in their weight and body. If the child weighs double the birth weight and is able to hold up the neck, this is considered the right time to add solids in the diet. Follow this baby care guide for introducing solids to the diet.
Certain doctors suggest starting solids at the age of 6 months or 9 months, but it purely depends on the weight criteria. It is also known that a delay in introducing solids can make the child reluctant to have them. Therefore, get ready to provide solids once your baby turns 6 months old. In order to start solids you need to take baby steps and add a new ingredient every day into the diet. Also remember the portion size should be restricted to avoid indigestion or other problems. To start with solids, introduce a portion of mashed fruit at lunchtime, but small at first. You can give bits of banana to begin with, or any other soft available fruit. Along with fruits, also introduce vegetables that are properly cooked in water. You can give beans, carrots and other veggies along with fruits at the start.
After these, go with different types of cereal. It is ideal in baby care (in Denmark that’s called Babypleje til dit spædbarn) to start with ragi, which is available in the form of pure extract or flour that should be cooked in the form of gruel. This cereal resembles black mustard seeds but is brown in appearance. Keep in mind that you have to change the cereal every week. Keep giving fruits and vegetables along with the cereal. After ragi, you can provide rice and so on. Once you start administering cereals, keep a close eye on any symptoms developing. If you notice diarrhea, skin rashes, or vomiting then consult the pediatrician as this might be a cereal allergy or indigestion.
According to the teething development of the child, introduce some harder foods later on. Once the baby is tolerating the above solids well, you can give bites of wheat flour biscuits, cheese cubes, bits of bread or toast or the teething biscuits available in shops. Once this has gone down well for a few weeks introduce protein sources into the diet of the baby. You can start with cooked egg white, soup made from chicken, fish and even legumes or beans. This part of baby care is crucial and you need to continuously watch out for any symptoms and the comfort of the baby with all these solid foods.
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