What should you pay attention to when your baby eats complementary food for the first time?

When babies reach four or six months old, they will start to add additional food, which is professionally called adding complementary foods, because babies' food is still mainly breast milk or milk powder. So what should we pay attention to when babies eat complementary foods for the first time? The addition of complementary foods to babies can be professional or casual. Parents who take care of their babies full-time mostly add rice flour, while some parents add foods like thin rice porridge. When the baby is eating, you should observe the baby's eating habits and do not force the baby to eat.

When you first start adding complementary foods, they are just an extra side dish after breastfeeding. You can start by feeding half the usual amount of milk, and then start trying it. You can scoop a little food onto the spoon, as long as the tip of the spoon is full. Just place the spoon between the baby's upper and lower lips, don't push it inside. If she feels food on the back of her tongue, she will bite the spoon. At first, the taste and feel of the food will surprise her, so you need to talk to her patiently and give her encouragement. She may soon discover that the new food is pleasing to her tongue and happily eat 1 tablespoon of pureed fruit or vegetable food, at which point you should resume breastfeeding.

If she doesn't like it, she'll push the food out with her tongue, so wipe it off and try again. If she still doesn't like it, it may be that she doesn't like the taste. You can try another one.

Remember to use a spoon instead of a pacifier. Do not put complementary foods in a bottle. Instead, put them in a bowl or cup and feed your baby with a spoon. This can exercise your baby's mouth and tongue coordination and swallowing ability. When adding complementary foods, do not force the baby to eat, and try small amounts. It is recommended to let someone other than the mother feed the baby, because the child will reflexively ask for breastfeeding after seeing the mother.

The first spoonful starts with rice cereal which is not burdensome to the baby’s stomach. Only feed your baby one or two spoons on the first day, then observe the baby's condition. On the second and third days, you can increase the amount to two or three spoons, and increase it slowly. After 4-5 days, you can add vegetable puree to the rice noodles, and after you get used to it, you can increase the types of vegetables.

Just take two or three spoonfuls for the first time. Even if your baby likes to eat it, you should be cautious if you want him to eat more. You should not give him too much to avoid poor digestion. Generally, after one month of adding complementary foods, the baby will be able to eat complementary foods skillfully. When he can eat 10 small spoons at a meal, he can be fed two meals a day, and the liquid food mainly composed of water can be changed into paste food with less water.

If you find that your baby has dry stools and constipation after adding rice cereal, you can let your baby drink more water, or adjust the ratio of rice cereal to water to make the rice cereal thinner. You can also add applesauce or banana paste to the rice cereal to help your baby digest it.

What should be paid attention to when a baby eats complementary food for the first time? Parents should pay great attention to the first time a baby eats complementary food. The first thing is the choice of complementary food. If rice flour is added, it is best to choose rice flour with original flavor. Babies cannot eat flavored food too early. Secondly, complementary foods should be added from thin to thick, and from very little to more. Finally, the baby's bowel movements should be observed after eating complementary foods to prevent constipation. Appropriate foods can be added to help the baby digest.