Weaning
It is that time where the breast milk is not enough anymore and you can start weaning your baby onto solid food. After four to six months your baby’s energy needs are increased and when you keep giving breast milk, your baby will not grow so well so you need to compliment the breast milk with some foods. “I said compliment and not takeout. You are supposed to breast feed even after six months up to about a year or two” noted by the Dietician, Mr. Nana Kofi Owusu. “Keep breastfeeding, don’t stop breast feeding because you have a lot of advantages from it but if you don’t add food to it the baby will be deficient in energy”, he added.
He advised you increase the frequency with which you feed your baby suggesting five to six times in a day. Her stomach he said, is pretty not so big, from birth. She can take 20mls of food and from one year, can take about 200 mils of food so if you keep giving her small foods you will be hurting her.
You need to keep feeding at short intervals. 3 hrs between feeds are good so that by the end of the day you would have fed about four to six times.
It is not too good to start weaning to much foods at a time, you start and put in one at a time so that you can identify which food may give your baby allergies. Allergies are one of the things that worry babies, so if you introduce them gradually, you can easily identify if they are allergic to any food. It is not good to give children foods that they cannot tolerate. He emphasized on proper hygiene whilst you are dealing with the baby, because if you don’t take care you might introduce diarrhoea to the baby.
Nutrients of Importance.
Babies’ iron levels drop a lot at this stage. Without iron, the body can’t make haemoglobin, which carries oxygen around the body. We normally see infants becoming anaemic at the tender age of 1 and 2. It is important to check her iron status. Iodine is very important for growth, so she need to have them in her foods. Vitamin D helps the body to absorb calcium. 30 minutes of exposure to the sunlight is enough to supply the Vitamin D that your baby will need. Calcium is essential for strong bones and teeth. Milk is the most important source, which should be full fat up to the age of two years old. Milk is full of calcium, protein and vitamin D, with fortification with vitamin K.
The texture of your baby’s food should be very smooth, if the food is rough your baby will not tolerate it. We realised that babies refuse foods at a time, but later on accept them so mothers should not give up when they try to introduce new foods and your baby is not responding well.
• Do not let your baby sleep all-night through, give her some feeds in the night.
• Add some water after six month, hydration is very important for your baby.
Recipes
Apple & Banana with Yogurt Puree
Ingredients: Apple, banana, natural yogurt.
Potatoes Chicken Carrot & Cheese Puree
Ingredients: Water, chicken stock, chicken, boiled potatoes, carrot, mild cheese.
Weanimix Porridge (Rice, soya bean, groundnut roasted and milled)
Ingredients: Water, weanimix.
Apple & Banana with Yogurt Puree
• Deseed apple and slice into a blender
• Add peeled and sliced banana
• Add natural yogurt and blend together
• Serve
Potatoes Chicken Carrot & Cheese Puree
• Set water on fire and add chicken stock
• Add boiled potatoes and a little water
• Add carrot and leave to boil
• Pour it into a blender and add mild cheese
• Blend till smooth
• Serve in a bowl
Weanimix Porridge
• Boil water
• Mix weanimix in a boil with water
• Add to the boiling water and vigorously stir to avoid lumps
• Serve in a bowl when ready
Cussons Baby
Thanks alot. but can there be more of the foods?
Please are can these recipes be given to four months babies?
Hello Akua, we recommend you do exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months. What you’re seeing there is for babies six months and above.
Pls my baby is 4months old and I have to go work and leave her at home what food can I give her
Don’t give food. Express breast milk and leave that for her feeding when you are away.
My boy is ten months old but he doesn’t gain weight at all n I need it ur help
Hello Hard, You need to see a paediatrician who will take a history and examine to find the root cause then manage accordingly
Thankx slot am most grateful
Please my baby is five months old. And I don’t have enough breast milk due to that my baby cry’s alot.can I introduce these foods to her?
No. Breast milk production increases as baby empties the breast. We suggest frequent feeding to allow refilling of the breast.
hello,please you are confusing me,,the beginning of your article makes clear that babies energy needs increases after four to six months and thats the time to start introducing other foods…..Now you are saying exclusive breast feeding for six months,,,please can you explain the 4-6 months at the beginning of your article?
Sorry if you are getting confused dear. It is true that from four months the baby’s energy needs are increased but it doesn’t mean you should quit exclusive breast feeding. You rather need to feed on demand but not on schedule. Immediately the baby turns six months, then you add solids.
Can i please have food recipes for my son. he is one year 3months
Hello Korkor, please kindly check this post
http://www.cussonsbaby.com.gh/blog/complimentary-weaning-foods/#.V_znmOiLSUk
Pls my baby is 18 months I want to introduce more food to what I have been given her cos of late she doesn’t eat them when I prepare them.
What kind of cheese is best
My 1 year baby eating pattern has change she doesnt eat like the previous months
My 1 year baby eating pattern has change she doesnt eat like the previous months
is breastmilk alone at night not enough?
Hello Naa, It would be enough for a baby over 6 months as she’s being supplemented with other foods.
Thanks for sharing….I’m a father and not a mother.
I take pretty much interest in my daughter’s growth. My wife has done 6months exclusive breastfeeding and we’re introducing first food and by that this information is very helpful.
pls i want to ask can u give your child fan yogurt at six months
Natural yogurt is preferred