Many doctors agree that a child can begin to give thick complementary foods only after six months. Until this time, the baby should be fed mother's milk or liquid substitute mixtures. However, experts of the International Health Organization believe that complementary foods are indicated for infants from an early age, but it can lead to a lack of iron and affect the growth of the baby.
General principles of nutrition
Each caring mother asks herself questions about what she can give her baby in 3 months of life and in what volume. The norm for an infant at this age is the amount of food equal to 1/6 of its weight. In any case, the baby should eat at least 1/7 part per day. The weight of one serving directly depends on the weight of the child. Therefore, the daily rate is approximately 1 kilogram (1 liter of milk / mixture).
By 3 months, babies should weigh from 4.5 to 8 kg (with growth from 55 to 65 cm). At this age, it is already possible to gradually remove the sixth feeding. Then one serving will be about 200 g. In the case of breastfeeding, the mother should make sure that her child sucks the milk completely.
What can I give my baby at 3 months of age from additional products? At the first stage, you can introduce boiled yolk of home chicken egg into the lure, but this should be done gradually. It’s better to start with 1/8 part (at the tip of a teaspoon). If an allergic reaction does not occur during the day, you can give the baby a quarter of the yolk, and then half. However, too often doing this is not recommended (up to 3 times a week).
Juice is given to a
child at 3 months of age only as directed by a doctor.
It is important at this stage to draw up a feeding schedule. The first breakfast for the baby should be at 6.00, then every 3.5 hours until 20.00.
When to start complementary foods
Most experts agree that introducing additional food into the baby’s menu is only from 4 months old, however, a pediatrician should resolve all disputed issues. If the baby is developing well, it has a strong stomach and there is no tendency to allergies, you can safely go on to feeding and at an earlier age.
When expanding the baby’s diet, it is important to monitor his condition and appetite. It should be understood that not all food products are suitable for a small child (3 months). Komarovsky, a well-known Russian pediatrician and blogger, believes that complementary foods should be given only from a spoon, although they are in a semi-liquid state. This also applies to boiled egg yolk, diluted in milk, and vegetable puree, and grated fruit.
You can not give the baby two new complementary foods at once. To begin with, the stomach and body of the baby must get used to one, and only then to the other. After the introduction of complementary foods, you need to pay attention to the child’s behavior, to his desire to take new food, to the shape and color of his stool, to changes in gas formation, to the presence of allergic reactions.
In the case of artificial feeding, additional products can be tried to give from the beginning of the third month of life. If the breast remains the only source of nutrition for the baby, then expanding the menu is closer to the 15th week. It is important that each complementary meal is cooked and then finely ground. Too thick food, a 3-month-old baby will not be able to overpower, so by consistency it should be semi-liquid.
How to start complementary foods
Toward the end of the 3rd month of life, the child can be given the opportunity to try the most low-allergenic vegetables. For babies, whose diet comes down only to milk, any menu extension is to their liking.
At first, the baby can push the food out with his tongue, noticeably wrinkling his face. However, after a new dish is tasted, the infant's appetite will improve at the moment. What can I give a baby at 3 months of age first thing? Of course, only vegetables in a small amount. The first 2-3 weeks, the portion should be up to 3 teaspoons per day. Introducing new dishes should be closer to dinner, before the main feeding.
It is recommended to start with carrots or potatoes. Vegetables should be crushed to a semi-liquid state. Only cook them for a couple.
Carrot puree
Before cooking, the vegetable must be washed well and cleaned. The next step is to cut the carrots into small pieces so that it is completely boiled, and all the nutrients are not extracted into the water. For steaming, the cubes should be about 1 cm in size. Slices of the vegetable should be heat treated until most of the water has boiled away (25-30 minutes).
As soon as the carrots get a soft consistency, it should be wiped on a sieve or in a blender. Mixing mashed potatoes is recommended with warm milk without adding salt. It is allowed to add a drop of olive oil to the dish.
Mashed potatoes
This dish can be prepared in two ways. Unlike other vegetables (only steamed), potatoes are allowed to boil. To do this, it should be cleaned and cut into large pieces, then placed in an enamel pan and simmer over low heat. It’s not worth digesting potatoes, as all nutrients will enter the water. Next, the vegetable is kneaded to a smoothie and mixed with milk until a semi-liquid state.
To cook steamed potatoes, they should be crushed into small pieces so that the core does not remain solid.
In a vegetable puree for children (3 months), you can add a third of a teaspoon of olive oil.
Mixed lure
If the child responds well to each vegetable individually, then you can start combining them. First, you can give your baby a mixed mashed potato and carrot. Then gradually include in the diet and cauliflower, and pumpkin, and broccoli, and zucchini. Many doctors even give babies turnips and greens, but these products are not recommended for feeding at such an early age.
It is better to prepare vegetables separately, since one of them can already be cooked, while the other is just beginning to reach a soft consistency. The mixture is important to give the child only in the form of liquid puree. It is worth noting that potatoes contain a lot of starch, so it should not be more than half a serving.
How to feed a baby (3 months) if he is allergic to such colored vegetables as carrots and pumpkins? In this case, broccoli is ideal, as it contains more nutrients than any other product that is allowed to feed babies.
Canned Mashed Potatoes
Many people in the winter there is no way to cook complementary foods from fresh products, but do not despair. Expanding the menu for a child (3 months) is also possible with the help of canned vegetables. They are sold ready-made and rolled up in portioned jars.
When choosing such a complementary food, attention should be paid not only to the expiration date, but also to the composition of the mashed potatoes. It should include only vegetables themselves and vegetable oil (salt is allowed). If the roll contains starch or some additives, it is not recommended for feeding up to six months, until the baby’s digestive system is finally formed.
Today in the shops you can see jars of fruit puree, on the label of which is the inscription "3+", that is, "allowed for children from 3 months." This often misleads parents, supposedly a baby at this age should already eat a pear, and apples, and peaches. It is important to understand that for a baby’s stomach, fruits can be very fatal. Before buying such mashed potatoes you should always consult with a pediatrician and an allergist.
Vegetable soup
Closer to the 4th month, you can switch to a new type of combined menu. Vegetable soup is prepared very simply. To do this, rinse and chop the potatoes, cauliflower or broccoli, carrots. On the recommendation of a doctor, beets, parsley and a little salt can be included in the composition.
Soup should boil for about an hour and a half. Ready vegetables are thoroughly kneading until thick mashed potatoes. After this, a little broth is added so that the mixture becomes thin. But what can be given to a child at 3 months old if he has potato intolerance? In this case, the vegetable in the soup can be replaced with semolina. However, it should be prepared separately from the rest of the ingredients.
1/2 teaspoon of olive oil must be added to the soup. A small pinch of salt is allowed.
3 month power problems
In many children, a decrease in appetite is noticed by this age. This is most often associated with the introduction of a new nutritious dish into the diet. In this case, force the child to eat through force should not be. It’s better to leave him alone and feed him early next time. Another thing is if the baby is significantly malnourished throughout the day. Perhaps he has problems with the digestive system, so you should change the diet.
Also, many mothers ask themselves when their baby is 3 months old: "What to feed if the baby has diathesis on his face from all new products?" In this case, a special diet and proper treatment are required, which is prescribed by the attending physician.
If the baby refuses the breast, although it starts to suck with appetite, it means that his ears (otitis media) are more likely to hurt.