What to feed your infant after 6 month along with Breastfeeding "WEANING "- When & how to stop breastfeeding?

WEANING

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Weaning is the gradual replacement of breast milk with other home made food. As your baby gets older, the home made foods should be started with mother's milk.

 This article provides successful weaning tips, including choice of food, proper timing and potential concern. 

🔴 Why is weaning important?

🔹 Breastmilk cannot provide all nutrition to baby after 6 months of age 

🔹 New taste and variety of foods prepare baby to accept all types of food thus helping us to prevent fussy eater in future 

🔹 Weaning helps all family members to get involved in feeding of the baby 

🔴 When should solid start?

🔹 Solid should be introduced after 6 months of age.

🔹  You can start as early as 4 months in case of inadequate breast milk or working mother, but look for the following milestones in your baby. 

▪️ Good head control 

▪️ Sitting up well

▪️ Can hold milk in the mouth 

If the following milestone is not present, it is advisable to start top milk instead of solid food. 

🔴 How to start weaning?

🔹 It is advice to give twice in a day till 7 months of age. 

🔹 Stop breastfeeding 2 hours prior to solid food, so that she will be hungry and ready to accept solid food. 

🔹 Initially introduce one solid food at a time, initially in small amount and gradually increase quantity in next few days. 

🔹 Once she accepts food, introduce new food.

🔹 Make sure that you will introduce new food every 5th to 7th day depending upon baby choice. 

🔹 Respect baby's choice.

🔹 If she doesn't like a new food, stop forcing her and introduce another new food. 

🔹 You can reject recipe after 15 days

🔹 Out of two times in a day, one time should be for new food and in another time, rotate old solid food.

🔹 Try to feed solid food 2 to 3 time in a day during 7 to 9 months of age. 

🔹Try to give solid food 3 to 4 times after 9 months of age. 

🔹 After 1 year, make sure your baby is eating 50% solid food and 50% breastmilk. 

🔹 After 15 month, the baby is eating about 75% of solid food. 

🔴 When to stop Breastfeeding?

🔹 The breastfeeding along with solid should be continued till 18 months of age 

🔹 Breastfeeding is recommended as long as you and your baby wish to continue but it is my personal advice to stop breastfeeding after 18 months of age. 

🔴 What should be given?

🔹 Always prefer home made food than buying packed or ready-made food available in the market because it is cheap, healthiest and baby will be trained for home made food rather than packed food (Chocolates, chips) later in life. 

🔹 Always start food which is safe, less allergic and easily digestible. 

🔹 Initially start with cooked rice water and cooked moong Dal water. 

🔹 After 15 days, start introducing seasonal fruit juices and vegetable soup. 

🔹 From 7 to 8 months of age, introduce various cereal like dal-rice, nachani, dalia, rajgira, rava in watery form 

🔹 From 8 month of age, start semisolid cereals & pulses as discussed above and introduce mashed potatoes, boiled carrot, sweet potato and soft pieces of the fruit like banana, chikoo, Mango, papaya etc.

🔹Avoid non-vegetarian food till 9 months of age. 

🔹 After 9 month of age, you can introduce non-vegetarian food like boiled egg or chicken soup. 

🔹 From 9 to 10 months: - Soft cooked rice, khichdi, ghatta varan, kheer, bread soaked in milk, poli soaked in pulse or milk, various vegetables and fruits, shera, upma, cheese, curd, whole boiled egg bulk etc.  .

 🔹 From 10 to 12 months: - Yoghurt, Varan, Rice, Idli, Dosa, Bread, all kinds of fruits, all kinds of soft salads, eggs, chicken, well cooked soft pieces of fish etc.

🔹 After 1 year, the baby can be the given anything which is according to your traditional belief. 

🔴 Foods to be avoided during weaning 

🔹 Top milk (If breastmilk is sufficient) 

🔹 Packed food items 

🔹 Biscuits

🔹 Tea, coffee or soft drinks 

🔹 Honey

🔹 Too much sugar or salt

🔹 Sauce or gravy 

🔹 Nuts

🔴 Foods to be limit

 Some food items may cause allergic reactions in the first year of life. Avoid following items if you or your partner is having food allergy. 

wheat based food

🔹 Cow's milk 

🔹 Egg

🔹 Fish

🔴 Make a child independent 

🔹 As baby is able to seat without support, allow baby to eat on it's own

🔹 Initially start with water 

🔹 Once baby is able to drink water confidentiality, start with vegetable soup and fruit juice 

🔹 Now start with mashed potato or fruits like chikoo 

🔹 Slowly allow baby to eat all items 

🔹 Praise the baby for eating independently 

 In short...Praise the effort not the result

🙏🏻🙏🏻  If you like this blog, please share with other mothers and friends 

 Remember..... Gaining knowledge is first step to wisdom and sharing it is first step to humanity 

Dr Ashish Agrawal, Pediatrician and expert in child behavior, education and developmental problems.

Ph: 8888126037, 7057551985

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