Nutrition 4-month-old baby should be monotonous, but healthy. The fact is that at this age, the baby’s stomach still cannot process large volumes of heavy carbohydrates, but it can cope with lactose without difficulty. Nevertheless, it is already worth thinking about expanding the diet of the baby.
4 months diet
First you need to determine and draw up a common daily routine. At 6.30 in the morning it is recommended to feed the baby for the first time (early breakfast). Up to 8.00 the baby should be awake. Then for 2 hours the child needs to sleep. Morning sleep is the strongest and most useful after night.
At 10.30 the time of the second feeding comes. Then one and a half hours of wakefulness, which can end with a light massage. Daytime sleep starts at 12.30. At this time, it is recommended to take a walk so that the baby can sleep in the fresh air. It is very useful for the respiratory system and brain activity of the child.
The third feeding should take place closer to 14.30. Then again a period of wakefulness and sleep. The child can have dinner at 18.00 or at 18.30 (at the request of the baby). During the evening wakefulness it is recommended to bathe the baby and do gymnastic exercises to strengthen the muscular system. The last feeding begins closer to 22.30. After him, you should put the baby on a night's sleep.
It is important at this stage to build just such a diet of a 4-month-old baby. The intervals between feedings should be from 3.5 to 4 hours.
4 months diet
From 17-18 weeks of life, the baby should gradually switch to 5 times feeding. At the same time, the diet of a 4-month-old baby needs to be expanded, replenishing it with new vitamin products. A day, the infant should eat 1/6 of its mass. One serving is approximately 180 g.
The first product that is allowed to replenish the nutrition of a 4-month-old baby is broccoli. This vegetable is rich in vitamins and minerals necessary to strengthen immunity. In fact, at the initial stage of expanding the baby’s diet, almost all vegetables are allowed, except for potatoes, carrots and beets.
Babies who feed on breast milk are more likely to tolerate the introduction of new foods. Therefore, by the end of the 4th month they are allowed to give a spoonful of apple juice. At this age, mother's milk (mixture) should remain the main
source of nutrition. All other products are supplementary.
Right feeding
The nutrition of a 4-month-old baby should be rich not only in carbohydrates and proteins, but also in vegetable fats. At this age, babies lay the foundation of a healthy body. That is why it is so important to gradually introduce new products into the diet from 4 months.
Any juices at this age are not recommended, as in most cases they entail an allergic reaction and severe colic. A similar supply of vitamins and microcomponents is found in various vegetables and fruits.
Food for complementary foods must be in semi-liquid form. Puree is made from boiled (steamed) products on a blender. Bananas can be grated. It is recommended to give complementary foods a few minutes before the main feeding in a small volume (1-2 teaspoons). The transition from one new product to another is done only after 7-10 days, so that the stomach has enough time for getting used to.
Meat or fish should not be introduced into the nutrition of a 4-month-old child. If a baby has a skin rash on his face or body, the new product should be removed immediately from the diet. Also, an allergic reaction can manifest itself in the form of constipation, diarrhea, gneiss, flatulence.
Lactation Products
To begin with, the nutrition of a 4-month-old baby can be sequentially enriched with broccoli, cauliflower and zucchini. Each vegetable is administered separately for 1-2 weeks. If there is no allergic reaction from mashed potatoes, you can expand the diet to cereals. By consistency, they must be liquid so that the child eats them through the nipple.
At this age, buckwheat and oatmeal are best suited. Some experts also recommend rice, but because of it, babies often have indigestion and constipation. Entering porridge is also carried out gradually, starting from 30 g.
At 4 months, complementary foods should not replace full feeding. It is allowed to give new products 1-2 times a day until the main meal in a ratio of 50 to 50.
By the end of the month, you can add mashed pumpkin and banana to the diet. Of the fruits, only the most non-allergenic ones, such as a pear, an apple, should be selected. It is important that the puree is made from boiled products, and not from fresh, grated.
Approximate daily menu
The first and last feeding must be breastfeeding. At 10.00, as a complementary meal, vegetable puree with a drop of olive oil is allowed. After 10-15 minutes, you need to start the main meal. Before lunch or evening feeding breast milk, the baby can be given 2 teaspoons of semi-liquid baby curd.
The nutrition of a 4-month-old child-artificer is allowed to diversify with special kefir, that is, a sour-milk mixture. She is best off to start a new day (first breakfast). It is worth noting that the main food remains a mixture. As a morning meal closer to 10.00, you can alternate buckwheat porridge and vegetable puree. In the evening, it is allowed to give the child 2 teaspoons of baby curd or banana.
Useful Tips
Intervals between feedings should be up to 4 hours, with the exception of night (about 8 hours). It is important to adhere to the established diet so that the baby's stomach adapts faster. With breastfeeding, the portions should be slightly smaller than with artificial. Compotes and soups are prohibited at such an early age. Complementary foods in the form of vegetable and fruit purees should take place from a spoon, porridge from a bottle.