It is difficult to receive sufficient nutrients for a child’s growth from only breast milk or formula.
So, at a certain age, you start weaning.
Weaning food can be said to be the beginning of growth for children who used to eat only breast milk or formula milk.
So when should we start weaning food and how should we feed it?
The Mom Story wants to share the timing and method of baby food to moms who need to prepare baby food.
What is baby food?
Weaning food is when a baby who has been breastfed or formula fed is fed solid food from 100 days to 6 months after birth.
It is more accurate to use the term solid food to practice swallowing solid food.
1. Why baby food is important
It is correct to think of baby food as a process of preparing for the time when the child grows up and eats, not just to supplement the child’s nutrition.
It is training for the gradual transition from nipple to spoon, from sucking to chewing, from liquid to solid food.
Through baby food, children learn the taste and texture of various foods and learn how to eat by using spoons.
A variety of nutrients for growth can also be obtained through baby food, and a sense of taste can be developed through various ingredients.
If the weaning food is poor, the possibility of unbalanced eating is high.
Dermom Story’s pick: Buying guide for baby food storage containers
2. When should we start weaning?
The timing of starting weaning food can be flexible according to the baby’s developmental situation, but start full-fledged weaning food considering nutrition after 100 days at the earliest, usually around 4 to 6 months.
It is good to start weaning food at least 6 months ago.
The reason is that minerals such as iron and calcium, which the baby brought with him when he was born, are lacking from around 6 months, and it is also the time when the development of digestive ability should occur, so it is recommended to start weaning food before 6 months of age.
Points to note when starting weaning
– Start with rice bran, which has little to no allergic reaction.
– Be sure to use a spoon to feed.
– Start when your child is able to sit up on their own and shows interest in food.
– Use only one ingredient at a time to check for allergic reactions.
– In the early stages of weaning, food may be pushed out with the tongue, so put it in the middle of the tongue.
– I do not season the food.
– Please refrain from using new materials when your child is not feeling well.
3. When and how to start weaning food
In the early weaning period, which is 4 to 5 months of age,
• Feed 800 to 900 ml of breast milk or formula per day and
• It is recommended to start with baby food at 10-20% of the daily intake, once or twice a day.
• After the first feed, try feeding the first formula before starting the second feed. It’s a good time to try baby food because it’s a moderate hunger time.
• Better in the morning than in the afternoon. If you have any problems such as allergies after eating baby food, it is a good idea to visit the hospital.
After that, gradually increase the amount of weaning food and reduce the intake of breast milk or formula according to the increased amount of weaning food.
Early weaning can be said to be the time when a child does not reject weaning food and learns and adapts to the taste and texture of new ingredients.
Don’t feel too impatient if your child doesn’t eat, and start with the mindset of feeding a little more every day, one spoon at a time.
If you experience any allergy or abnormal symptoms after eating baby food, write down the baby food ingredients, the time you ate the food, and the reaction so that you visit the hospital.
Don’t forget to take a picture too.
4. Recommended ingredients for baby food by season
Early 4-6 months: Rice, zucchini, beef, potatoes, mushrooms, etc.
Middle 6-8 months: Seaweed, silken tofu, white fish, egg yolk, etc.
Late 9-12 months: Somen, rice cake, bread, bean sprouts, cheese, broccoli, cabbage, etc.
Completion 13-24 months: milk, honey, strawberries, nuts, fish and shellfish, etc.
The Mom Story’s pick: Recommended guide for baby bibs
Commercially available baby food, precautions
– Check the expiration date and eat within a week if refrigerated, or within 2-3 days if possible.
– You must check the labeling of food ingredients and check whether or not it is a genetically modified food.
personal opinion
When you make baby food at home, don’t you get far from potatoes, carrots, and zucchini?
My eldest son spewed out as soon as he put in the first spoonful of baby food.
It’s important to get used to it rather than feeding it at first.
Even if you only eat 5 spoons, you will succeed.
When you start mid-term baby food, commercially available baby food is not bad if you consider the cost of materials and efficiency.
You can access many different foods. Instead, check the food label carefully.
It is said that children who are good at weaning are less likely to eat unbalanced, so it is recommended to try various things thinking that it is a job to develop a child’s lifelong eating habits.