How do you know if your baby is ready for the first weaning?

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1. When do you know your baby is ready for the first solids?

The time to decide to introduce solid foods to babies
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that babies should be introduced to solid foods for the first time when they are 6 months old, because at this time their digestive system has developed well. more complex and denser foods can be digested and absorbed than breast milk. After 6 months of age, babies need up to 700 kcal / day for basic living needs and for body development, while breast milk only provides about 450 kcal / day. Because breast milk at this time no longer meets the baby's daily nutritional needs, the baby really needs more food for the body to develop healthy.
However, it is not beneficial to give the baby the first solid food too soon because in infants under 6 months of age, their digestive system can only accept and adapt to digesting liquid foods such as breast milk. . If feeding the baby foods that are processed at a liquid level similar to milk, the nutritional value is often lower than breast milk, not enough to ensure the normal development of the baby. On the contrary, if the baby is given the first solid food too late (after 6 months of age), the baby is often susceptible to malnutrition because the content of nutrients in liquid foods does not meet the daily needs of children over 6 months old. month old. This makes the baby slow to grow both physically and mentally, not having enough resistance because the immune system is too weak, making the baby susceptible to infections.

2. Signs that your baby is “ready” for solids

6 months is an important milestone for making the decision to introduce your baby to solid foods for the first time. Because this is the best period to help your baby get used to new foods but is essential for the baby's development later. However, to make the baby's weaning more convenient, parents need to determine if the baby is really ready to start solids or not. The following signs indicate that your baby is ready for the first solids:
Your baby's weight has doubled from birth weight. Baby can keep his head upright and can sit on his own to make it easier for mom to feed. When feeding, the baby has learned to bring his lower lip forward to receive food from the spoon/spoon Baby has learned to turn his head away when he does not want to eat a certain food, this helps parents recognize preferences children and choose foods that are suitable for each child's taste. The baby's tongue no longer has the reflex to push foreign objects out automatically (when the baby was young, when he put anything but the nipple into his mouth, he also pushed it out). Babies show interest in food when being fed by their parents or loved ones.

3. The basic rules when giving the baby the first solid food

The application of basic principles when giving baby solids for the first time will help to make raising babies more convenient and scientific. These are also the decisive starting factors for the growth and development of the baby to reach the most complete level.
Choosing the baby's first weaning menu
In the baby's first weaning menu, you should prepare vegetables and fruits that are cooked with delicious flavor. These are the ideal foods for your baby's first weaning meals. Familiar fruits such as bananas, avocados, and mangoes are the best suggestions. First, the mother should give the baby a few spoonfuls of food from 1 to 2 times a day. Then, when the baby adapts and is interested in the food, gradually increase it to 3 meals/day.
In the first weaning menus for babies, each meal must ensure enough 4 important food groups to help the baby develop well. The group of powdered sugars includes rice, corn, potatoes... The protein group includes meat, fish, shrimp, eggs, milk, soy products and other legumes... The fat group includes oils and fats. , cheese, butter and oilseeds such as olive oil. A group of vitamins and minerals found in vegetables and fruits. Children under 8 months old should not eat meat such as chicken, beef, seafood, ... because the baby at this stage does not have enough digestive enzymes to digest these foods, and there are Some babies are susceptible to seafood allergies at a young age. Instead, you should give your baby healthy foods such as lean pork, all kinds of fish, ...
Vegetables and fruits contain a lot of fiber, essential micronutrients for development. baby's. In particular, during the baby's weaning period, adding vegetables to the baby's first weaning menu will help the baby's digestive system work better. Moreover, vegetables and fruits contain very high levels of micronutrients such as protein, vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc ... which make important contributions to the development of organ systems. in the body. Especially vitamins A, B, C from green vegetables and fruits will help strengthen the resistance, limit the risk of allergies for the baby and infectious diseases; Helps the body eliminate toxins and helps the baby absorb iron better. In addition, in the weaning menu for children, mothers need to pay attention to avoid foods that are not beneficial for the baby's immature digestive system. Foods including salt, sugar, honey, salty foods like bacon, ..... should be avoided for babies under 1 year old because they are often very difficult to digest and make it difficult for the baby's body bear. For young children, nutrition experts recommend that you should not add fish sauce or salt to your baby's food, because the baby's kidneys are still weak. When adding fish sauce or salt to the dish, it will make the baby's kidneys work too hard, which greatly affects the baby's health later.
Golden time frame for baby's first weaning
Baby's first weaning also needs to pay attention to the time. Depending on the family's living habits, each parent will have a different feeding time frame. The ideal time frame for introducing solids for the first time is around 9-10am. Parents should not give the baby solid foods when the baby is sleepy because at this time, the baby's body cannot react to food, so the baby will not be interested in eating solids.

How to give baby solid food for the first time?
In addition to choosing a reasonable first weaning menu for your baby, parents also need to know how to feed their baby for the first time so that the baby gets used to the food, helping the baby's weaning process to take place successfully and favorable.
Should continue to breastfeed your baby every day alternating between solid meals. Breast milk is the best food source for the comprehensive development of infants under 24 months of age, because breast milk contains colostrum ingredients that help increase resistance and help babies develop healthy. Do not give the baby too full milk before giving solid food. Because when the baby is full, he will no longer be interested in eating. Mothers should give the baby less milk than usual to stimulate the baby's attention to eating. Mothers should also not give the baby solid foods for the first time when the baby is too hungry. Because the baby absolutely cannot eat quickly to satisfy hunger, which will lead to the baby anorexia, fussiness when eating. In order for the baby to gradually adapt to solid foods and make eating easier for the baby, parents should let the baby get used to new foods gradually. That is, starting weaning from foods close to breast milk, from sweet flavored powder first and then gradually replacing it with salty flavored powder with more nutrients. After the first few times of exposure to new foods, when the baby has gradually gotten used to solid foods, the mother can give the baby nutritious powders. This will create a variety of foods in the first weaning menus for babies. In order for the baby's digestive system to gradually adapt to the increasingly rich food and nutritional ingredients, it is recommended to give the baby a small amount and then gradually increase it. For example, in the first month of learning, you should give your baby 1 or 2 tablespoons of flour each meal, gradually increasing it to 1/3 cup of flour, then half a cup and then a cup of flour... Digestion and absorption of nutrients well, provide adequate energy needs as well as nutrients necessary for the growth and development of both physical and intellectual baby. Gradually increasing the coarseness of food from dilute to solid helps the baby not to react when eating strange foods and the baby's digestive system can keep pace with the process of digesting and absorbing more complex foods. . From there, the baby's weaning process will be favorable. Granular foods when feeding babies need to be pureed or crushed to make it easier for babies to digest. When the baby does not want to eat anymore or has an attitude against solid foods, parents should not force the baby to eat. Instead, give your baby a break from solid foods for a period of about 5-7 days and then continue to practice giving them solid foods again so as not to create psychological stress for the baby when eating. While the baby is eating solids, the mother must always be with the baby to avoid choking or choking. It's best to let your baby touch and hold the food he wants. When you see that the baby wants and cares about the food, let the mother hold it and eat it with her hands. It is necessary to test the temperature of the food before giving it to the baby. The dishes need to be regularly renewed, varied, colorful and beautifully presented to attract the baby's attention. This can help your baby get used to different foods and flavors, and at the same time stimulate your baby's eating. You should cook each meal to ensure nutrients, limiting reheating food will reduce the quality of the dish. Weaning is an extremely important period for children to develop comprehensively. Children who do not eat properly are at risk of micro-mineral deficiencies, causing anorexia, growth retardation, malabsorption, etc. If they notice the above signs, parents should supplement their children with supportive products. The supplement contains lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, and B vitamins to help fully meet the nutritional needs of children. At the same time, these essential vitamins also support digestion, enhance nutrient absorption, help improve anorexia, and help children eat well.
Parents can learn more:
Signs of zinc deficiency in children
Micronutrient deficiency and failure to gain weight in children
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