The growth of the child in the very first year of his life is proceeding rapidly. It seems that just recently he was still very tiny, and now he is sitting on his own and eating vegetable puree for the first time in his life.
In this period, the well-being of the child largely depends on nutrition, because at this time intense processes of formation, as well as improvement of many systems and organs of the baby occur. It is up to a year that he grows especially rapidly and strengthens his immunity. Therefore, to properly organize the feeding of a child for months from the first days of his life is a very important and responsible task. It is the most important factor in all those preventive measures that are aimed at reducing the incidence and improving the health of children. In the case when feeding a child for months is carried out by adults with errors, this can affect the health of the little man throughout his entire future life.
Pediatricians have developed a monthly feeding table for the child. Using it is very convenient for parents. The table describes how to properly feed the baby for months. Opposite age, meal times are indicated. The products necessary for the growth and health of the baby are listed for each period of life.
Beginning of life
During this period, the baby only needs breastfeeding. In the milk of a woman is the optimal amount of vitamins and fats, proteins and minerals, carbohydrates and hormones, enzymes and many other components necessary for life and development of the baby. In this case, all useful substances are in the optimal amount. Mother's milk, in terms of its biological properties and chemical composition, has no analogues, meeting to a greater extent the needs of the child. It is also important that the baby receives this invaluable nutrition sterile and warm directly from the chest. Such feeding allows you to establish psychological contact and understanding between the child and mother much faster. At the same time, they remain strong for many years. In addition, breastfeeding a baby has a very beneficial effect on the mother's body. It normalizes a number of functions, having a positive effect on health.
Feeding a baby for up to a month is done every 3.5 hours. At night, you need to take a break. He should be six and a half hours. Thus, the total number of feedings at this age is six times a day. In the event that the baby is weakened, it can be applied to the chest more often, taking three-hour breaks during the day and one six-hour night. The amount of feeding in this case will be seven times a day.
If mom does not have milk, then the basis of the baby’s diet is specialized products intended for baby food. In this case, you can use dry or liquid, sour-milk or fresh substitutes for human milk. The number of meals with artificial feeding and their frequency are similar to breastfeeding.
One month
During this period of the baby's life, it is necessary to feed only mother's milk or its artificial substitutes. Many babies get nutrition from the female breast. They can adhere to the regime of free feeding. At the same time, the baby's nutrition is carried out at his request. However, even in such a situation, mothers pay attention to the fact that feeding a baby in 1 month becomes more streamlined. Such babies begin to develop a certain regime, requiring a breast from eight to twelve times a day.
Those children who receive infant formulas eat strictly by the hour. The optimal regimen for a two-month-old baby is seven feedings per day with a six-hour night break. Unlike those crumbs that feed on mother's milk, they need to offer water for drinking. This should be done two or three times during the day.
The amount of nutrition for a two-month-old baby is approximately one fifth of its weight per day. For example, if the weight of the crumbs is equal to four kilograms, then he will need eight hundred grams of the mixture. In this case, a single dose will be 120 ml.
Those babies who are applied to the breast do not need such calculations. In order to determine whether they have enough breast milk, the weight of the baby in the previous month, its appearance and behavior, as well as the frequency of urination are taken into account.
Two month
The child during this period for one feeding should receive one hundred thirty-one hundred and fifty grams of food. During the day this will be one sixth of its weight. It is very important that part of this norm be given to him in the form of mother's milk. No matter how little the woman has, the infant should first be applied to the breast, and only then fed from the bottle.
Feeding a child at 2 months should be carried out with the inclusion of fruit puree in the diet. At the same time, one general rule should be remembered: on the same day, two new products should not be given to the baby.
An excellent fruit for making mashed potatoes is an Antonovka apple. It is washed, cleaned and rubbed on a plastic or glass grater. A sharp spoon method may be used. Raw grated apple is an excellent source of vitamins. It contains vegetable fibers that will improve digestion. This puree is perfect for children with an unstable chair. On the first day you should give one fourth of a teaspoon, on the second - half of its volume. By the end of the month, gradually increase the amount of mashed potatoes to five to six spoons.
Three months
During this period, the main food of the infant remains breast milk. In addition, it is fed with fruit juices and mashed potatoes.
Feeding a baby at 3 months should include a new product that contains easily digestible proteins, as well as lipids, fats, mineral salts and biostimulants. This is the yolk. It has natural vitamin D, which can prevent rickets. One quarter of the hard-boiled yolk the child should receive in a crushed form with the addition of breast milk. Giving it to your child is best with a spoon.
Breastfeeding during this period is carried out six times a day with a break during the day at 3.5 hours, and at night - at 6.5.
In the event that the baby is fed with baby mixtures, vegetable puree should be included in the third feeding in three and a half months. To prepare such a complementary foods should be a special way. In equal quantities, you need to take carrots, fresh cabbage, potatoes and beets. Vegetables are peeled and boiled for two hours in a small amount of water, which is slightly salted, and then rubbed twice through a fine strainer. A small amount of vegetable broth is added to the resulting mass and seasoned with half the yolk and vegetable oil.
Four months
During this period of the baby’s life, mother’s milk remains the main source of nutrients. He receives it six times a day with a break of 3.5 hours.
The daily diet uses yolk, vegetable and fruit puree. Feeding a baby at 4 months old is done with the addition of a new product - home-made cottage cheese. It is a rich source of protein and mineral salts. The first serving should be half a teaspoon.
At four months, a child’s diet can be enriched with vegetable soup. The recipe for its preparation is not very complicated. Peeled and thoroughly washed vegetables are cooked for an hour and a half, and then thoroughly knead.
Five months
During this period of life, the baby should eat mother's milk. However, it is rapidly developing and growing. In this regard, feeding a child at 5 months should fully satisfy the needs of his body. Juices, various vegetable and fruit purees, as well as yolk and home-made cottage cheese will provide the minerals, vitamins and useful substances necessary for growth. What to give the baby, mom can pick up on the advice of a pediatrician. But for a five-month-old baby, one breastfeeding should be smoothly replaced by complementary foods.
Six months
The baby continues to be breastfed. However, as a rule, at this age he has the first teeth that allow him to chew food. Feeding a baby at 6 months should be varied. It should contain vegetable and fruit juices, as well as mashed potatoes. During this period , the baby’s digestive system becomes more mature and can cope with a meal of a thicker consistency than mother’s milk.
Feeding a baby at 6 months should be enriched with meat. It is boiled ground in the form of meatballs. Grains (oatmeal, rice or buckwheat) can be added to the resulting broth. Such a soup, previously ground in a blender, will appeal to your child.
Seven months
The basis of the baby’s nutrition at this age is mother’s milk or infant formulas. However, feeding a child at 7 months should be enriched with cereals, fish and meat dishes, kefir and cottage cheese, mashed fruits and vegetables. Before giving the baby unusual food, you should trace the reaction to it. This requires a gradual introduction of each new dish. In this case, the first portion should be small. In the case when there is no deterioration in appetite or allergic reactions, as well as problems with the digestive system, the amount of food may be increased.
Eight months
At this age, the child is actively acquainted with a variety of complementary foods. However, breast milk should not be excluded from its menu. The table, which describes the feeding of the baby by months, provides for evening and morning breastfeeding. In the remaining hours, crumbs can already be given complementary foods.
At eight months, the baby will be happy to eat:
- assorted cereals on water or on cow's milk;
- meat of turkey, rabbit and chicken;
- dairy products (cottage cheese, kefir, etc.);
- meat broths;
- drying or bread crumbs.
The diet of the baby at this age is 5 times a day.
Nine month
During this period, the baby already knows the taste of many cereals, all vegetables and a large number of fruits. His diet includes several types of meat, kefir and cottage cheese. In this case, three feedings can be organized, consisting of vegetable dishes with meat (for lunch), cereal or fruit with cottage cheese (for dinner or breakfast). In this case, the child continues to eat mother's milk.
Ten months
Breastfeeding should be maintained until the baby's year of life. In this case, he must have mother's milk for breakfast. If this is not possible, then morning feeding should consist of kefir. The following foods should be included in the diet of a ten-month-old baby:
- porridge;
- liquid soups, boiled potatoes and noodles;
- cottage cheese casserole;
- berries and jam;
- meat and fish not only boiled, but also stewed;
- hard and processed cheese;
- vegetable, fruit purees, as well as juices;
- dried fruit compote and herbal decoction.
Eleven to twelve months
Nutrition at this age is a responsible and important issue of concern to caring mothers. The baby's daily diet should be designed in such a way as to replenish the growing body with the necessary amount of proteins, fats, mineral salts and carbohydrates. For this, the child needs to be given a wide variety of food. In this case, you should not include starch, spices or food additives in dishes. At this age, you should not feed your child nuts, chocolate, citrus fruits and whole milk. Pediatricians do not recommend giving your baby fatty foods. In dishes prepared for an eleven-month-old baby, there should not be large pieces. Everything that feeds the child should have a puree consistency. Best if the food is cooked or steamed.