The first porridge for your baby
At four to six months, your child is in the transition phase from milk to the first solid food. Uncertainty is natural there. We give you tips on how to deal with the first porridge.
When is your baby ready for the first porridge?
The older your child gets, the more the question arises as to whether milk alone is sufficient food. Ultimately, you should judge for yourself. If you feel like your child is doing well and continues to grow and develop well, there is no need to rush into introducing complementary foods. However, if your child no longer seems to be getting enough and is watching you greedily and curiously while you eat, you can start giving them porridge. Basically, in the first year of life, the baby can get by on its own with its mother’s milk. If you can’t or don’t want to do this, you should start complementary feeding at the earliest in the fifth month of life, because up until then breast milk is giving your child everything it needs in terms of nutrients. In our nutrition planyou will learn more about the introduction of supplementary food. The plan is based on the recommendations of the Research Institute for Child Nutrition in Dortmund.
What to look out for with the first porridge meal
When the time comes and you start complementary feeding, there are a few things to consider. Especially at the beginning, the food should still consist mainly of milk, as your child needs the nutrients it contains for its development. The digestive tract has to get used to the solid food slowly.
In addition, most children under the age of six months are overwhelmed when they are asked to eat all their meals with a spoon. Your baby is good at feeling and touching with their sensitive mouth, so use a soft, rounded plastic spoon, such as the YOOFOSS baby spoons we found on Amazon.advertisementThis should be narrow and not too deep. With the introduction of complementary food, your child will need extra fluids. It is best to offer them still, lukewarm, boiled water. You can also have your tap water quality checked .
For example, use a learner’s cup – our recommendation: the Magic Cup learner’s cup from NUKadvertisement. Drinking cups are unbreakable, stable and have a spout attachment. But don’t let your child suckle all the time, not even on the bottle or with water. Because the suction attachments prevent the saliva from washing around the upper front teeth. And that promotes tooth decay because the saliva normally compensates for mineral losses in the teeth.
If you start with complementary food, you should make sure that the products come from organic farming and you can be sure that they are not contaminated with harmful substances. If you want to make porridge yourself, you should make sure to use high-quality vegetable oil when preparing it. Fat-soluble vitamins can also be absorbed through the oil. You should also avoid salt, sugar, honey and whole milk (whole milk only in porridge). Mild spices such as cinnamon or aniseed are allowed in small amounts. You can find out how you can make your own complementary food and what else you should pay attention to when preparing it in our special ” Beikost “ magazine .
Not too many foods at once
You should also be careful not to introduce too many new foods at once. It is best if you introduce one new product per week, so for example in the first week there is only vegetable puree, in the second week vegetable puree with mashed potatoes, from the third week also with pureed meat and so on. This way you can easily determine what your baby gets and likes and what doesn’t. You also prevent your baby from being overwhelmed with all the new tastes. If your child has an allergy or intolerance, you can find out which product your baby reacts to with an intolerance by introducing the foods one after the other. In such a case, you should discontinue the new product immediately and continue with the usual foods that have been good for your baby up to that point. You can introduce the new product again at a later date. If your baby doesn’t get it again, you should ask your pediatrician for advice and have your baby examined.
allergies or intolerances
It’s good to let your baby taste everything, provided he can bite the food and isn’t exposed to too many new foods at once. While there used to be whole lists of products that babies should not eat, nowadays almost everything that is also healthy for adults is allowed. Studies have shown that children who eat different and varied foods when they start solids develop fewer allergies . So feel free to let your baby try it. If it reacts strangely to some foods or if it struggles with severe flatulence, it may have a congenital allergic reaction or intolerance. If you suspect something, you should have your baby examined by a doctor as soon as possible.
All beginnings are difficult
Problems and chaos are inevitable when you change your diet. The first meals usually end with a “mess”. So prepare yourself by putting on non-sensitive clothing for you and your baby and, of course, don’t forget a bib. The best are bibs made of food-safe silicone, advertisementbecause these are waterproof and dustproof and can also be cleaned very easily. And above all: be patient. If it doesn’t work the first time, just wait a little longer. Your child knows best when it is ready to change its diet. Just keep trying.