What should a 5 month old baby eat? What does the diet of a five-month-old baby consist of when breastfed, bottle-fed or mixed-fed? Rules for feeding a child of this age

At the age of 5 months, the baby can already hold his head up, gradually learns to sit and crawl, and his first teeth begin to appear. The best nutrition for a child, according to most pediatricians (including Dr. Komarovsky), breastfeeding is milk, rich in all the vitamins and macroelements necessary for the baby. However, there are a number of cases when breast-feeding impossible - the mother’s milk may burn out or be completely absent. In addition, many women need to take antibiotics and other medications that are known to linger in breast milk, thereby harming the baby.

However, feeding a child at 5 months can already partially consist of complementary foods. If, from the first days of the baby’s life, the mother did not produce milk, then in this case, high-quality adapted formulas produced specifically for children of different ages should be used to feed the child.

Before switching your child from breastfeeding to more adult foods, you need to coordinate your actions with your pediatrician or family doctor. At the age of 5-6 months, the baby's first meals can cause digestive disorders, intestinal colic, allergies and other unfavorable symptoms. It is advisable to give your child complementary foods in the form of purees with a teaspoon or tablespoon, and not in a bottle with a nipple. The state of his health and taste preferences in the future will depend on how correctly the nutrition of a baby under 1 year is selected. Overfeeding a baby at 5 months can lead to possible obesity and diabetes in the future, so the diet should be balanced and healthy. So, having decided to start introducing the first complementary foods into the baby’s diet, mothers need to know that earlier than at the age of 5-5.5 months, pediatricians do not recommend switching the child to food, even if the child has been bottle-fed since birth.

Feeding a 5 month old baby, first feeding

The baby’s diet should be prepared by the mother herself; The menu below for feeding a baby at 5 months is approximate. You can start introducing complementary foods to your baby with pieces of peeled and pitted apples or pears, or with a few spoons mashed potatoes without salt or buckwheat porridge cooked in water. Pediatricians call this method of feeding a baby “pedagogical”; its goal is not so much to saturate the child, but to familiarize him with the food that adults eat. At 5 months, the baby’s digestive system is already quite developed, but salted, fried, smoked and fatty foods are in no way suitable for feeding a 5-month-old baby. Also, under no circumstances should you be forced to finish complementary foods - force-feeding your baby is prohibited, as this will lead to nutritional problems in the future.

To begin with, you can offer your child half a teaspoon of new food before the main meal; it is advisable that such feeding occurs in the first half of the day. After complementary feeding, the baby must be fed immediately breast milk or a mixture.

It is important to monitor the child’s condition: if everything is in order, and the baby does not have symptoms of intestinal upset, redness or rashes on the skin, then the next day you can give 1 tsp as complementary food. food. If, for example, taking half a teaspoon of mashed potatoes when feeding a child at 5 months caused an upset stomach in the baby, it is necessary to immediately exclude potatoes from the baby’s diet and refrain from introducing any new food for at least 3-4 days. If the introduction of complementary foods is successful, then you can gradually increase the portion by half a teaspoon per day. In about 7-10 days, it will be possible to introduce a second one, along with the first new product. According to Dr. Komarovsky, breastfeeding or artificial nutrition at this stage can be replaced by a fifth with complementary foods - that is, one baby’s meal can consist entirely of “adult” food. Then you can introduce into the child’s diet drinking water room temperature or warm tea - after or in between doses.

Almost immediately after introducing new products, the mother will most likely notice changes in the child’s stool, as well as the appearance of bad breath, but there is no need to panic: this is how the next stage appears physiological development baby.

When thinking about introducing a new food when feeding a baby at 5 months, parents will most likely be faced with a variety of opinions from pediatricians and manufacturers baby food about the products with which this process should begin. According to Dr. Komarovsky, it is best to add porridge, crushed in a coffee grinder and cooked in water without salt, or vegetable puree, rich in pectin, minerals, vitamins and fiber, to breastfeeding or artificial feeding.

Approximate menu for feeding a 5 month old baby

First breakfast at 6-7 am - a portion of breast milk or formula;
Second breakfast at 10-11 a.m. – a spoonful of vegetable puree, breast milk or mixture;
Lunch at 2-3 pm – a portion of breast milk or formula;
Afternoon snack at 6-7 pm – a portion of breast milk or formula;

Over time, the second breakfast may consist entirely of vegetable puree, and in cases where the child has insufficient weight gain or unstable weight, it is better to use porridge instead of vegetable puree as complementary foods.

Starting from 5.5 months, but not earlier, the baby’s diet, if the parents wish and the child’s body reacts well to complementary foods, can have the following form:

Or the diet could be like this:

Breakfast at 6-7 am - a portion of breast milk or formula;
Second breakfast at 10-11 a.m. – 100-150 g of porridge, 3 tbsp. cottage cheese and 5-6 tsp. fruit juice;
Lunch at 2-3 pm - breast milk or formula and 50 g of fruit puree;
Afternoon snack at 6-7 pm – 100-150 g of vegetable puree, 5-6 tsp. fruit juice and 3 tbsp. fruit puree;
Dinner at 10-11 pm - a portion of breast milk or formula.

If the child was fed artificially at 5 months or from birth, then the diet suitable for such a baby is as follows:

Breakfast at 6-7 am – 150-200 g serving of mixture or kefir;
Second breakfast at 10-11 a.m. – 100-150 g of milk porridge, 2 tsp. cottage cheese or fruit puree;
Lunch at 2-3 pm – 150-200 g serving of mixture or kefir and 5-6 tsp. fruit juice;
Afternoon snack at 6-7 pm – 100-150 g of vegetable puree, half egg yolk and 5-6 tsp. fruit juice;
Dinner at 10-11 pm - 150-200 g serving of mixture or kefir.

Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:

Breast milk is irreplaceable, but gradually the child must be introduced to adult food. It develops chewing reflexes, improves the production of enzymes in the stomach and saturates the body with vitamins necessary for development. When the baby is artificially fed, doctors allow complementary feeding to be offered to a 5-month-old child. It is recommended for infants at this age with poor weight gain, persistent constipation and lack of mother's milk.

In order not to injure the delicate stomach, new food should be introduced carefully, little by little, and carefully monitor how the baby reacts to it.

How should complementary foods be introduced?

Complementary feeding is any food that replaces formula or mother's milk. How is it useful? Because it provides the child with important microelements, it better saturates and stimulates the development of mental abilities.

At five months, restless baby needs more useful substances to enjoy exploring the world. Take a closer look at it. By behavior you can understand whether he needs additional nutrition.

A signal that a 5-month-old baby needs complementary feeding is the fact that the baby behaves restlessly in the intervals between feedings and often requires the breast.
When the baby firmly holds objects in his hands and looks at the food on the plate with curiosity.
If he sits confidently on a high chair and does not spit out food that gets into his mouth from a spoon.
When his first teeth begin to erupt.

Young mothers are interested in how to properly introduce complementary foods at 5 months. The main requirement is that this must be done gradually, starting with 2-3 drops of fruit juice, half a tsp. pureed vegetables or porridge. Do not add sugar to food or mix foods together. To help your baby quickly taste an unfamiliar dish, the food can be diluted with breast milk or formula.

It is advisable to give complementary foods to a 5-month-old baby before lunch in order to have time to observe his reaction. The ideal time is second breakfast. The baby has already played actively and wants to eat. In this state, it is easier to interest him in an unfamiliar dish.

Each baby is individual, so before introducing complementary foods to your baby, consult your pediatrician. Perhaps the digestive system has not yet developed enough, and the baby is not yet able to digest solid food. The doctor will conduct a full examination and give recommendations on how to feed the child.

The specialist insists to wait with the introduction of new dishes if:

the baby has recently had a cold or infectious disease;
a few days ago he was vaccinated;
there is a lack of swallowing reflex;
The digestive system is not ready to accept new foods.

In other cases, you can gradually diversify the child’s diet without giving up full breastfeeding. Do not forget that starting from 5 months you can introduce complementary foods only with a small spoon. This feeding stimulates the swallowing reflex and does not lead to breast refusal.

Juices and fruit puree

At five months of age, children stop sleeping frequently. They usually wake up at 6 am, eat 5 times a day, play and take two naps. Where to start complementary feeding during this period and how much food can be given at a time? If your baby has previously only drank mother's milk, introduce him to fruit juices. An apple is best for this. green. The fruit is well digested by a weak stomach and rarely causes allergies.

First, you need to give your baby 2-3 drops of juice to try, diluting them 1:1 with water, and observe his reaction. When there is no stomach upset or redness on the skin until the night, double the amount of such food the next day. At this rate, by the end of the 5th month the baby will be able to drink 50 ml of freshly squeezed juice.

If you are interested in what other drinks are allowed to be prepared for feeding a baby at 5 months, try dried fruit compote. It contains many valuable substances that strengthen the immune system. This drink is useful for children suffering from constipation. It normalizes intestinal function and makes stool easier.

To prepare it, wash 2 pieces each of dried apricots, raisins, and prunes.
Pour boiling water over it and add 200 ml of hot water.
Leave for 2 hours, strain and give the baby something to drink after feeding, starting a little at a time.

Kids love applesauce. You also need to get used to it gradually. To ensure it is well absorbed, bake the fruit in the oven.

Wash it, cut it in half and remove the core completely.
Place in the oven and bake over low heat for about 15 minutes.
Wait until the fruit has cooled, carefully remove the pulp from it with a baby spoon and mash.

This dish contains a lot of pectin, iron, phosphorus, and calcium. It improves digestion, immunity and stabilizes metabolism. To begin, let your child try half a teaspoon. Gradually add the amount of puree and bring it to 100 ml.

Some mothers begin introducing the first complementary foods before 5 months, and the baby is already familiar with the apple. Then try treating him to banana or pear puree. The norm of complementary feeding must be observed. Never introduce several new foods at the same time, so as not to overload your stomach. Minimum break between samples different dishes should be at least a week.

Vegetable dishes

A baby at 5 months can be given vegetable puree. Dilute it with breast milk or boiled water. It is better to start complementary feeding with potatoes, zucchini, and cauliflower. It is preferable to cook carrots or pumpkin from 6 months. Brightly colored vegetables often provoke allergies.

The feeding rate for vegetables is the same as for fruit puree. It is half a tsp. on the first day. Then gradually increase the amount until it reaches 100 g per feeding.

Children have different taste preferences. When they don't like a particular dish, don't insist. Try to interest them in other foods, and cook the “rejected” vegetables or fruits again in a few weeks. Perhaps this time they will like them.

Many people are interested in whether it is possible to introduce store-bought canned purees into complementary foods for a 5-month-old baby? Parents must make this choice themselves. If you decide to purchase baby food, do it in a special section of a large supermarket or pharmacy, carefully studying the expiration date.

It’s safer and healthier to find time and prepare your child’s vegetable puree yourself than to buy dubious canned food. This is done simply and quickly.

Take a vegetable for example cauliflower, cut a piece from it, wash it and let it cook under the lid for 15 minutes.
Then cool slightly and rub through a sieve or beat with a blender. Dilute the finished puree with breast milk so that it becomes a homogeneous liquid consistency.
Doctors recommend not mixing at first different vegetables, and cook the zucchini, cabbage or carrots separately. This makes it easier for the baby to get used to unfamiliar taste sensations.

When the baby adapts to several types of vegetables, they can be boiled together, blended with a blender and diluted with the broth in which they were boiled. Typically, infants begin to be fed such dishes at six months.

Is it possible to give porridge?

3 weeks after the start of feeding vegetable puree, you can introduce complementary feeding with porridge. They are a rich source of calcium, iron and other essential elements. Most suitable for infants:

buckwheat;
rice;
corn grits.

You can start feeding your baby porridge at 5 months with buckwheat. This product should be boiled in water.

Inspect the kernels thoroughly, wash and dry completely.
Pour them into a coffee grinder and grind them into powder.
Stir a large spoonful of the resulting flour in 100 ml of boiling water for 10 minutes.
Cool, dilute with breast milk and use.

Baby porridge is easy to prepare in another way. Cook regular buckwheat or rice, beat them with a blender into a fluffy puree, dilute with mother’s milk or water and feed the baby.

Sample menu

Buy a comfortable high chair. If it is not there, you can sit the baby on your lap, but this is not very convenient. Before introducing complementary foods, make sure that the child is absolutely healthy. Porridge, vegetables and fruit purees should be offered before breastfeeding. The introduced product must not be prepared for future use and given twice a day.

The main rule to follow is the sequence of actions. Don't rush, introduce a new product when the baby has fully adapted to the previous one.

During this period, it is important to monitor your stool. If your baby develops a disorder or rash, rule out the cause. unpleasant symptoms food from the diet for a month or two.

For a child aged 5 months, a table with an example menu is presented below. It clearly shows what the norm of complementary feeding should be at this age.

The data is given taking into account the fact that the baby gradually got used to the products and tolerates them well.

Before the introduction of cereals, other features of complementary feeding at 5 months - what can be given, the table below will tell you:

Don’t forget to give your baby breastfeeding or water after complementary feeding. Liquid must enter his body in unlimited quantities.

Complementary feeding should be introduced according to all rules. It shapes the child’s future taste preferences. Therefore, it is important to accustom him to healthy foods, which will strengthen his immunity, make him strong and resilient.

Breast milk has unique properties, which have been closely studied by medicine. Scientists have proven that the composition of mother's milk changes over time, continuing to correspond to how many different components the child needs for full development. It is recommended to deny an infant such food only in exceptional cases related to the health of the mother in labor.

Advantages natural feeding there is no doubt:

breast milk is always fresh and sterile;
Mother’s milk has protective properties: the baby’s immunity increases, diseases are more easily tolerated;
It is difficult for them to overfeed, the child can eat as much as he wants;
when sucking, the baby develops the muscles of the mouth and jaw apparatus;
During the feeding process, blood circulation in the brain is activated, which has a beneficial effect on the formation nervous system and the whole organism as a whole.

It’s amazing how many points there are that speak about the benefits of breastfeeding babies for their subsequent development. At the same time, with age, the child’s need for various substances, therefore, a healthy child at the age of five months should get used to new types of food. But at the beginning of this important stage, it is necessary to consult with the pediatrician who saw the baby.

Introduction of complementary foods

The World Health Organization promotes the value of mother's milk for the development of a child and strongly recommends keeping the baby completely on this product for up to six months.

The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation in “Methodological Recommendations” No. 225 adheres to the same positions regarding natural feeding, while allowing the introduction of complementary feeding from 4-5 months. Final decision The introduction of complementary foods should be decided individually in each specific case.

By observing the baby together with the pediatrician, you can determine the level of development of his physical characteristics. It is advisable to start feeding if:

with the support of adults, the toddler sits calmly;
holds and turns his head without tension;
the child’s weight became approximately 2 times greater than at the time of birth (about 6 kg);
the baby eats at least 900 ml of mother's milk or after 8-10 feedings is still asking for food.

Goals of introducing complementary foods into the diet:

compensation for missing substances and microelements;
introduction to thick foods;
preparing for the transition to a new menu;
development of the chewing skill that has begun to form.

What to feed a 5 month old baby

Lists of products acceptable for introducing complementary foods into the diet of infants of different ages, are indicated in methodological recommendations on methods of feeding children of the first year of life, developed in the laboratory of the Research Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences and approved by the Ministry healthcare of the Russian Federation.

What can be given to children with complete natural feeding?

Food products that can be used for a baby’s menu at 5 months:

fruit juice and puree;
vegetable puree;
milk porridge;
cottage cheese;
whole milk for porridge, puree;
little vegetable;
butter.

What can you give to bottle-fed babies?

List of food products used to prepare complementary feeding for five-month-old “artificial” infants:

special milk formulas;
fruit juice and puree;
vegetable puree;
milk porridge;
cottage cheese;
whole milk for purees and cereals;
biscuits with crackers;
vegetable oil;
butter.

The order of introducing natural juices into complementary foods:

apple juice;
peach, pear, apricot, plum;
cherry, blackcurrant, etc.
citrus fruits, strawberry, tomato - by the 6th month and with great caution due to potential allergenicity.

The order of introducing vegetables into complementary foods:

zucchini, potatoes;
carrots, pumpkin, cauliflower.

You should always monitor the baby's condition if it is administered new look food.

Catering for 5 months

During this period, it is important to properly organize the child’s nutrition. Most attention should be paid to the correct introduction of complementary foods and feeding regimen, to how much food the baby eats.

Rules for introducing complementary foods

To ensure that innovations in nutrition do not affect the baby’s well-being, you must follow the advice of your pediatrician. General recommendations:

You can start complementary feeding if your child had his last vaccination no later than a week before.
The little one must be completely healthy and examined by a doctor.
You can offer one-component puree from a high-quality vegetable.
Complementary feeding is given in the amount of 0.5-1 teaspoon of warm puree before the start of regular feeding.
There is no need to worry that the baby does not want to eat the food offered: this is a new taste for him and he will get used to it as long as it takes.
If the child copes with the proposed portion, then the next day double the volume. You need to feed him all week, gradually increasing the amount of puree to 150 grams. That is, one feeding will be completely replaced by complementary feeding.
It is important to observe how your child reacts to new foods. If the stool is disrupted or an allergic reaction occurs in the form of a rash, then you need to temporarily stop giving complementary foods. After everything returns to normal, you can continue trying, but with a different product.
The second component in the puree can be introduced after 2-3 weeks. This can last for any number of days, sometimes not even within a month.

You should definitely consult with your pediatrician about which vegetables to give and in what order. Especially when the baby begins to be fed with other foods (cottage cheese, cookies, etc.).

Diet

Power mode is necessary for normal functioning digestive system child. After starting complementary feeding, at approximately 5.5 months, the baby’s daily diet should correspond to that recommended by doctors:

06.00 – breast milk (formula);
10.00 – 50 g vegetable puree, 3 tbsp. l. fruit puree;
14.00 – breast milk (formula), 2 tsp. cottage cheese, up to 6 tsp. natural juice;
18.00 – breast milk (formula), 5-6 tsp. natural juice;
22.00 – breast milk (formula).

Another option for the diet of a baby aged 5.5 to 6 months:

06.00 – breast milk (formula);
10.00 – 50 g of porridge with milk, 2-3 tsp. cottage cheese for baby food, up to 6 tsp. natural fruit juice;
14.00 – breast milk (formula), 50 g fruit puree;
18.00 – 150 g vegetable puree, 6 tsp. natural fruit juice (can be replaced with 3 tablespoons of fruit puree);
22.00 – breast milk.

If the baby sleeps peacefully and does not cry due to hunger, then he is getting enough food.

In conclusion

American scientists have found that people who were given the most variety of fruits with vegetables, they tend to actively consume them later, when they grow up. Therefore, it is necessary to offer the baby as much plant food from different color groups as he needs. This way he will be provided with minerals, vitamins and nutrients, and a culture of healthy eating will gradually develop.

Hello dear readers. The child turned five months old, and the question arose in the mother’s head about what to feed him now and whether it was necessary to do this anymore. It turns out that it all depends on the type of food the child eats. If your baby is artificial, then from the age of four months it is allowed to introduce foods as complementary foods, but if he is on breast milk, then it is better to wait another month to expand the diet.

For whom is it time for complementary feeding?

Five months is the age when you can slowly expand the baby’s usual type of nutrition. However, not all children need to do this right now. Let's figure it out.

Babies who eat mother's milk receive enough nutrients, carbohydrates, proteins and fats into their bodies. And you have a month left before you have to introduce a new product. Some mothers believe that the baby does not have enough milk or want to stop breastfeeding; they think that vegetables will be more beneficial to the health of the baby. However, breast milk is indispensable for development little man, and no one has yet created it better. In addition, do not forget about the benefits of mother's milk:

Enriched with all the vitamins and minerals necessary for the proper growth and development of a child.
It is always the ideal temperature for feeding the baby, always fresh.
In the process of sucking, the baby trains the jaw muscles.
The baby consumes as much as he is supposed to, and here you cannot make a mistake with the portion. When the baby is full, he will spit out the nipple.

As for children who eat adapted formulas, such food is not enough for them already at 4 months. Therefore, complementary foods are introduced into their diet.

In addition, at the age of five months, food intake is also allowed for children drinking breast milk, but only for medical reasons. It could be:

Severe weight loss (in accordance with age limits).
Deviations in development, both mental and physical.
Lack of mineral elements (for example, iron, calcium) or vitamins.
Poor lactation in the mother of the child. Then the child definitely does not have enough food.

Fortunately, my baby’s development was fine, and since he was breastfed, I postponed the process of complementary feeding until he was six months old.

No matter what feeding the baby is on, before introducing complementary foods, you should consult with your children’s doctor and tell him about your concerns and feelings. And together you will decide whether the baby is ready to start eating some more food or not.

Toddler's diet

When you start to become interested in complementary foods, the question arises of how many times to feed a baby at 5 months. At this age, five meals a day is sufficient for a baby. A sixth feeding at night is allowed. The baby's diet will consist of breakfast, breakfast No. 2, lunch meal, afternoon snack and dinner. Complementary foods should take up a third of the total food volume, no more. During the day, the baby consumes about a liter of food, including water and juice, or compote.

How to properly feed a 5 month old baby.

When you decide that it’s time to introduce new foods to your toddler’s diet, it is extremely important to know how to do it correctly. It is necessary to comply with all standards so that the entire process is successful and without consequences.

We introduce complementary foods

Give a new product only if the child is in good health.
The baby can take food with a liquid consistency and absolutely homogeneous, without any lumps.
Prepare dishes exclusively with one component. Cook porridge only in water.
Start new food with 5 ml, no more. Watch the baby's body's response. If everything goes smoothly, continue to introduce your complementary foods, increasing the portion. If the slightest symptoms of product rejection appear, stop complementary feeding immediately. You can try again after a month.
Start and end meals exclusively with formula, not complementary foods.
Develop a routine for your child. Let all his feedings occur strictly by the clock and at the same time every day.
Give your child only warm food.
Ingredients for toddler dishes should only be of high quality production, without flaws.

What is prohibited

There are foods that are strictly prohibited for feeding a child aged five months. These are fish, meat, cottage cheese, butter, eggs, salt, sugar and much more that will be introduced in the next months or even after a year. This food is too heavy for a baby. His body may not absorb it. Disturbances in the digestive system will occur. At this age, it’s easier to say what is possible: vegetable, fruit purees, gluten-free porridge.

Drink

A baby can quench his thirst not only with breast milk or formula and water. Now he has access to compotes, rosehip decoction (but very weak), fruit juice (if homemade, it must be diluted halfway with water), jelly, raisin water. The main thing is that these drinks include only fruits and berries that are familiar to the child’s digestion.

Store-bought or homemade

Of course, it is always better to eat food that you prepare yourself. This way you can be sure of the quality and freshness of the product, its sterility and the absence of additives and dyes. But there is not always enough time and opportunity. In addition, there are products (such as juices or cookies for the little ones), correct process preparations that you cannot reproduce at home. That is why this issue must be approached with full responsibility. Weigh the pros and cons. If you cook at home, use high-quality, unspoiled ingredients, special water for infants, and avoid adding sugar and salt. If you decide to purchase a product in a store, be sure to read the label, look at the expiration dates and composition (do not buy if it contains dyes, flavors and other additives).

It is important to remember that the baby only needs fresh dish. If you cook yourself, feed your baby only on the day of preparation; after storing in the refrigerator, food loses most of its nutrients. If you use store-bought products, store open jar no more than a day, and it’s better to throw away your baby’s cooked, uneaten porridge than to put it in the refrigerator for later reheating.

So it’s up to you to decide which method is better for this or that complementary feeding. At least it is allowed to mix them and give the baby either store-bought or home-made food.

What can you feed a 5 month old baby?

The variety of acceptable foods directly depends on the child’s diet. And if with breastfeeding the baby will most likely still manage without complementary feeding, then with artificial feeding he will already expand his diet, although it will still be quite meager.

Babies on breast milk

As you know, almost all experts believe that it is too early for babies to be given complementary foods at the age of five months; their mother’s milk is enough for them to grow and develop properly. However, if for one reason or another the doctor advises your baby to introduce new foods during this period, do not be alarmed. At this age, if there are various prerequisites, the baby may be prescribed vegetable purees or porridges (gluten-free), but only single-ingredient ones, without added sugar, salt and oil.

During this period, I sometimes gave my son raisin water and that’s all. No new products. But at the onset of six months, he tried vegetable puree.

Formula-fed children

Unfortunately, people have not yet learned how to prepare an ideal analogue of mother's milk. No formula will provide the baby with the entire complex of substances necessary for growth and development, which are fully present in breast milk.

That is why such children need the introduction of complementary foods much earlier. And by five months they are already eating vegetable purees, cereals and fruit purees. They also drink some juices and compotes, jelly. At 5 months, you can slowly introduce lean meat (turkey or rabbit) into their diet. The dish is prepared in the form of puree. Some mothers already add fermented milk products. However, it is better during this period to simply continue to expand the variety of cereals, fruits and vegetables, and start preparing the first two-component dishes, soups.

You can read more about these or other products in the following articles:

Before expanding your baby's diet or introducing a new product, it is always better to consult a doctor. Only he can sensibly assess the situation and understand what the baby already needs, and what else should be delayed. Thanks to his correct recommendations and basic rules of complementary feeding, the baby will be able to sufficiently receive the nutrients necessary for life. The child will be able to grow strong and healthy.

The baby's main diet is still breast milk or formula. A child eats about a kilogram of food per day, on average at five feedings per day. It is important that the baby receives the required minimum of vitamins, the most important of which are D and C.

Introducing complementary foods should begin with half a teaspoon, carefully observing the reaction and gradually increasing the portion as the child gets used to the new taste, and in the absence of allergic reactions. Where to start? And you can start with cereals, juices or purees, at your discretion.

Porridge

Starting complementary feeding with porridge is especially good for those children who are slowly gaining weight. The first porridge for your baby can be oatmeal or buckwheat. You can cook at home yourself or buy ready-made porridge in the store. If you decide to cook porridge for your child yourself, you have two options: the first is to cook the cereal and grind it through. The second is to grind the cereal into flour and cook. With the second method, the porridge is more homogeneous.

Puree

If your child is not bothered by frequent regurgitation, there are no problems with weight and development, one-component purees can also be the first complementary food. To begin, offer your child a scraped apple. Take an apple, peel it and scrape out the pulp with a teaspoon. In the same way, you can introduce your child to banana, pear, apricot, and after all these fruits are introduced and no allergies occur, you can mix the flavors.

You can also add vegetable purees from broccoli, pumpkin, and zucchini. You can prepare it yourself, or you can buy ready-made puree from.

Juices

Start giving single-component juices, with half a teaspoon, preferably diluted with water in a ratio of 2/3, gradually increasing the daily volume to 30 ml. First, introduce your baby to apple juice, then with plum, apricot, cherry, carrot.

Remember, fruit juice is not a complete replacement for fruit puree: fruit puree contains much more nutrients!

Sample menu for a 5 month old baby

Starting from the second half of five, your child’s daily diet may be as follows:
10.00 - vegetable puree (150 g), 1/2 yolk and 3 tablespoons of fruit puree;
14.00 - breastfeeding, 2 teaspoons of cottage cheese, 5-6 teaspoons of juice;
18.00 - breastfeeding; 5-6 teaspoons of juice;

Or you can try this menu:
6.00 - breastfeeding;
10.00 - milk porridge (150 g), a few teaspoons of cottage cheese, 5-6 teaspoons of fruit juice;
14.00 - breastfeeding, fruit puree (50 g);
18.00 - vegetable puree (150 g), 1/2 yolk, 5-6 teaspoons of fruit juice or 3 tablespoons of one of the fruit purees;
22.00 - breastfeeding.

For a child on artificial birth control, the following menu is recommended in the fifth month:
6.00 - mixture (200 g) or kefir (200 g);
10.00 - milk porridge (for example, oatmeal or buckwheat) - 150 g, cottage cheese - 2 teaspoons, fruit puree - 3 tablespoons;
14.00 - mixture (200 g) or kefir (200 g), fruit juice - 5-6 teaspoons;
18.00 - one of the vegetable purees (150 g), 1/2 yolk, fruit juice - 5-6 teaspoons;
22.00 - mixture (200 g) or kefir (200 g).

Remember, eating habits are formed in the first 3 years of a child’s life - teach your baby in time to “unfamiliar” healthy tastes - and he will always love them!

The main thing is to remember that for five one month old baby best food, than mother's milk, simply does not exist.

The number of feedings per day depends on what the mother feeds the baby: breastfeeding or an adapted formula, because this can affect the length of the period between feedings.

With the birth of a baby, new mothers change a lot: joy can be overshadowed by various experiences, including those related to feeding. Many mothers are not sure about the correctness of their actions and the number of feedings per day. So how many times a day should you?

Breastfeeding

It must be said right away that there are differences in feeding with breast milk and adapted formulas. It is difficult for mothers who breastfeed their babies to figure out the number of feedings per day, since the baby may ask for the breast not because he is hungry, but because he is scared and lonely, and he wants to feel the warmth and care of his mother. Therefore, it is recommended to allow the child to be at his breast as much as he wants. As for the food intake itself, as a rule, from birth to 3 months they feed every two to three hours, including at night.

Formula feeding

Formula milk is processed by the baby's stomach longer than mother's milk. Therefore, a bottle-fed baby from birth to 3 months should be fed a little less often - every 3 hours, trying to gradually increase the break by night sleep. In general, it is worth reassuring overly anxious mothers and telling them that the child will set the feeding time himself. If he cries, it means he is hungry or wet. If it is dry, then you can definitely say that he wants to eat, of course, provided that the child is absolutely healthy and nothing bothers him.

If a young mother continues to worry about how many times a day her baby should eat, she should focus on her baby’s weight gain. If the baby gains about 500 grams per month, then the mother has nothing to worry about - she is doing everything right. When a child is malnourished, he becomes capricious, irritable, pulls the nipple as if it were a pacifier, and may even bite out of frustration. A baby who receives mother's milk in the amount necessary for its growth and development urinates up to 12 times a day and “walks around” up to 3-5 times a day. He is cheerful and calm.

Mothers feeding their baby formula should focus on the volume consumed at one time. To do this, the number of days from the birth of the child must be multiplied by 10. Thus, a 10-day-old baby should eat 100 ml of formula at one feeding. If you get approximately this consumption, then there will be no reason to worry about how many times a day the baby should eat.

Up to 6 months, a child can be completely breastfed without harm to health and development. However, there are situations in life when this is impossible. In such cases, early complementary feeding is quite appropriate.

Before you start introducing complementary foods, you need to make sure that the baby is able to eat it, otherwise you can develop a persistent aversion to “adult” food. There are certain signs of not appreciating food. The main thing is that the child’s ejection reflex is triggered, this is a kind of protective reaction against accidentally swallowing foreign objects.

Features of the child's body

An important factor is the readiness of the child’s digestive system. Breast milk can be completely absorbed by the body; to digest “adult” food you need a sufficient amount of enzymes and good intestinal motility. It is believed that the gastrointestinal tract matures earlier, since they receive “foreign” food from birth. Therefore, complementary foods are introduced to them a month and a half earlier.

The choice of products for early complementary feeding is of no small importance. Many parents, sometimes on the advice of Soviet-trained pediatricians, begin complementary feeding with juices. Juices even for an adult - junk food, they contain large number sugar (fructose), about 3 tbsp per 100 grams of water. l., even homemade. In addition, at 5 months the child does not have enzymes that would help him digest fruit juice. As a result, diarrhea or allergies may occur.

Where to start and how to cook

Early complementary feeding begins with vegetable homogeneous (liquid, without lumps) puree. You can use it yourself or use it in a jar. When choosing industrial purees, you must pay attention to the composition and packaging. There shouldn’t be any extra ingredients other than vegetables and water. If the lid does not make a popping sound when opening the jar, the puree should be thrown away immediately. You can store an open jar for no more than a day, so if you don’t want to finish eating for your child, you need to mercilessly throw it away.

When preparing puree yourself, you should remember that food should not be given to a child until he is one year old. He gets the required amount of sodium from his mother's milk (or formula). Of course, no adult will eat bland food, but the child does not yet have his own taste preferences and there is no need to impose. The purpose of complementary feeding is to introduce new foods and gradually accustom them to a common table.

Vegetables for are selected from the white and green groups: broccoli, cauliflower or zucchini. Cooking yourself is quite simple. A piece of the selected vegetable is steamed or in water until soft. Then it should be ground or crushed with a blender. Before feeding, the puree must be cooled to body temperature.

In rare cases, complementary feeding starts with porridge, but you need to choose dairy-free ones, they are bland, but this is not a reason to “improve” the taste. For the first acquaintance, gluten-free porridges are suitable: buckwheat, corn, rice. The selected cereal is ground to flour and brewed.

Amount of complementary foods

Complementary feeding begins with 1/2 tsp, gradually increasing the portion, carefully monitoring the child’s condition. Within 10 days, the serving size increases to 80 grams, for a week the child gets used to the introduced product, and then a new one is offered. If the baby does not want to eat the food offered, there is no need to force it; the child has the right to choose what to eat. In this case, something else is offered, and you can try giving the product you don’t like in a month.

You need to introduce new foods healthy child during the interval between vaccinations. A negative reaction can appear not only to the product itself, but also to its quantity, so you should not try to feed as much as possible, even if the baby asks.

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Rules and table for introducing complementary feeding to children of the first year of life

Of course, during the first year of life, there is nothing better for a child than breastfeeding. Breast milk contains the most nutrients that the baby needs, and which are not found in any other product. It contains a large amount of vitamins, enzymes and various microelements that are needed for the functioning of all systems of the child’s body.

Instructions

Doctors recommend feeding the baby only breast milk during the first month of life. When it is consumed, antibodies appear in the little person’s body that protect such a still fragile organism from various diseases. If the child is breastfed, the number of such feedings depends on how many times the baby wants to eat. In this case, there are no strict dietary restrictions.

A nursing mother needs to adhere to a certain diet in her diet so that any food eaten does not cause allergic reaction at the baby's. She should exclude foods with a strong and specific taste from her diet. These include onions, garlic, cauliflower. A breastfeeding woman should not take medications that are contraindicated during breastfeeding. A woman must lead healthy image life. Smoking and drinking alcohol are simply unacceptable when breastfeeding a baby. If the nursing mother does not follow these recommendations, the child may refuse breastfeeding.

If for some reason feeding occurs with formula, then it is necessary to follow the feeding schedule, otherwise the baby may develop unwanted overweight. It should be noted that you need to feed a month-old baby no more than 6 times a day.

At the age of one month, the baby may often wake up at night from hunger. Perhaps the baby simply does not have enough milk. In this case, the mother needs to reconsider the baby’s nutritional intake. It is believed that a child of this age should receive approximately a seventh of his body weight. To accurately determine this figure, you need to weigh the baby and divide his weight by 7.

There are often cases when a mother, due to various circumstances, cannot fully feed her baby with breast milk, then we need to consider several possible options baby nutrition. The baby can be fed with milk from another mother, you can start supplementing it or completely switch to artificial feeding. Each woman chooses the option that she considers most suitable for her baby.

There are different opinions about whether a child who is not yet six months old should be given water or not. Pediatricians believe that there is no need to give water, because... Mother's milk is based on water. According to another opinion, it is believed that water must be given to a child up to six months old. There is no exact answer to this question yet. Whether or not to give water to a baby must be decided by his mother. If it happens that the baby cries for unknown reasons, then you can try giving him some water. Perhaps he's just thirsty.

To establish the correct feeding regimen, it is necessary to carefully monitor the condition and development of the baby. Only a sensitive and caring attitude towards the child will allow you to establish the correct diet.

A sweet, dear, helpless creature is a child in the first days and months of his life. He needs your love, your care. Whether your child will grow up cheerful and healthy depends on you. And how much a young mother should know! But the most important thing is how to feed. Food sustains life at any age, but for infant it is especially important. With good and proper feeding the child receives natural immunity against diseases and grows up cheerful.

Therefore, a feeding schedule should be established immediately after birth. Try giving him food after a precisely defined period of time - 2.5-3 hours. Very soon, the baby’s stomach acquires a reflex to secrete juices rhythmically, and the baby will get used to eating at certain hours.

Mother's milk

Every mother should breastfeed her child. With mother's milk, the child receives not only everything necessary for his existence and growth nutrients, but also protective from the mother’s body, which protect it from diseases. In addition, milk obtained directly from the breast is free of germs; it is easier to digest and assimilate by a child’s stomach than any other food.

After childbirth, both mother and baby need rest. Only after 12 hours, during which sweetened boiled water (5% sugar) is given, can it be applied to the breast. Before feeding, you should thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water and wash the nipple (along with the pigment part around it) with a cotton swab moistened with a 3% boric acid solution. Express a few drops of milk - along with them, the microbes that have penetrated the canals will be removed. If you cannot sit after giving birth, feed your baby while lying down and leaning towards him.

Later, when your body gets stronger, you should feed while sitting on a chair with a back and placing a small stool under your foot - under your right if you are feeding with your right breast, and under your left if you are breastfeeding with your left. Hold your baby with one hand and hold your breast with the other so that it is between your second and third fingers. The baby's mouth should cover not only the nipple, but also age spot around him. Often the baby presses his nose to the breast and therefore cannot suckle calmly. Make sure this doesn't happen. A runny nose makes sucking very difficult. In this case, before feeding, special drops should be placed in the baby’s nose. It is important to feed your baby silently, as talking distracts him. When the baby sucks well, the sound of sips can be heard.

After childbirth, the amount of milk (colostrum) from the nurse is very small - each breast is able to separate only 10-15 grams of colostrum during feeding. This amount increases after the 3rd day, reaching 700 by the 7th day, 800 by the end of the second month, and up to 1000 grams per day by the end of the 5th month. Whether the baby is getting enough milk can be determined by weighing. Weigh the baby before and after feeding at different times of the day, because there is more milk in the morning and less in the evening. By checking your baby's weight every week, you can determine if he is gaining enough weight. If a newborn has enough milk, he gains weight continuously - in the first 3 months about 800 grams, then 600 grams, and by the end of the year - 500 grams per month. As milk supply decreases, the baby urinates less frequently, and his stool changes from golden yellow to green and slimy.

Serious reasons for premature weaning of a child from the breast are cases of serious illness of the mother - severe anemia, chronic nephritis, mental and acute infectious diseases, cancer, diabetes, etc. If a nursing mother falls ill with typhoid, dysentery, etc., feeding should be stopped, but care should be taken to ensure that the milk does not disappear. To do this, you need to express it regularly. After the mother recovers, feeding continues. If the mother is sick with whooping cough, you can feed the baby with specially expressed milk. If you have chicken pox, tonsillitis, catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, or pneumonia, you can feed the child while maintaining the strictest hygiene. In this case, the mother should wear a mask made of four layers of gauze. The appearance of menstruation is not a reason to wean a child. If a nursing mother becomes pregnant again, breastfeeding can be continued until at most 7-8 months. Further feeding can greatly exhaust her.

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