Introducing Foods In First Year -- The Indian/AP Baby Way

I was advised to introduce solids after completion of 4 months but it was reiterated to me that milk should be the primary meal to the kid and solids is just to get the kid used to various textures gradually. Excessive drooling and those very observant glances whenever anyone ate (the Brahmi way ;)), I was told was the indication that the baby was ready for solids. However, the signs and readiness may vary from baby to baby. The pediatrician would let us know in one of the monthly or regular checkup visits.

Beginning With
Very ripe mashed banana without the seeds.
Cooked and mashed carrot.
Cooked apple without the skin.
Cooked peas, beans, beetroot.

The quantity however is really less, a spoonful or so to begin with. If the baby wants more, no problem.. but ensure that the milk intake at that point is not compromised and that milk is still to be consumed at a regular rate.

Cereals like Farex, Cerelac, Easum, First Foods or store-bought varieties based on the age-appropriate guidelines mentioned overleaf or as per the doctor.

Fruit juices
Home made juices of pomegranate, carrot, beetroot.. do not overdo on citrus juices like orange unless we get a nod from the ped.

Soups:
Homemade vegetable soups.


Rice:
Completion of 5 months, 6th month.. rice and dal fried and ground to a soft texture and cooked along with finely cut veggies.

The consistence of this rice and dal mix should be varied as per the kid's tolerance and taste preference. I used to give it in ghee (home-made). I find Durga Ghee to be tasty personally and so does the kid.

From 7th month onwards, the ped gradually asked me to try all the vegetables and I had tried a majority of them but avoided brinjal, bitter gourd.

By the end of first year, the kid should be able to eat more or less everything we as elders do, pretty much everything healthy and edible. Also, the powder texture should be made coarser gradually and by 11th month or so very softly cooked complete rice grains should be fine.

Sweet potato could be cooked and mashed but this is a little heavy on the tummy.

About giving Ragi, there are varied views but I was told to keep it until a later date so towards 8th month started on Ragi java or porridge based on kid's preference.

No added salt and sugar initially and gradually go for very very little salt. We might not like the taste without salt but for kids who are not introduced to that flavor it doesnt matter, so limit the sodium intake in first year of life.

Dairy
Rice with buttermilk was also introduced around the same age. There are again varied views as to when to go about introducing dairy products for a kid. here I was given a go ahead in the 7th month and started giving rice with curd/buttermilk.

However, introducing to whole milk or cow/buffalo milk was put off until the kid turned one year old at the best.

I started introducing porridge made of milk little by little as the kid showed no signs of allergy.

Water at this stage should be introduced with a glass or a spoon and the bottle dependence should gradually be weaned.

Egg

Again, there are varied views as to how and when to go about.. Some wait until the 10th month, but I was told to introduce it in 7th month, starting with egg yellow and not the white. White was told to be avoided up until the kid turns a year old. So, hard boiling the egg and giving the kid yellow if he/she likes it. As the time passed, introduced various forms of it like omlette in ghee, scrambled egg, bread omlette sweet/hot.

Non-Veg
After completing 9 months, I was told to try very softly cooked chicken and mutton kheema and fish gradually checking for allergies based on baby's preference. I started with fish, very little but not on a regular basis.. the number of times were few and far between. It again is a debatable issue and doc has mentioned that this or for that matter any new food should not be forced on kid and if and if they do want a little they will have it. Soups can also be given. Mooliga or the gravy in the bone is supposed to be a real healthy food and given to the food.

Whole Milk:
I was told to introduce it gradually substituting one routine feed with the whole milk, diluting at first and then switch completely from around 11 months of age or close to one year.

Sweets, ice-creams, chocolates should be avoided as much as possible but are definitely not a sin is what I was told from the age 10 months onwards... I personally feel that kid is fine enough getting the natural sugar from fruits rather than sweetening agents.

Date syrup is a good alternative for sugar in infants as it is told to avoid honey in the first year of life.

Chewing Food

Sometimes it’s really difficult make children understand the importance of chewing foods rightly, that to such a small child.

Still try some simple tips, may be that may help:
1. Explain to your child the importance of chewing their food. Let them understand, if they will not chew food enough, they are likely to produce more sounds from rear, may be an embarrassment will make him chew more.
2. Make a game of it for younger children. Have the kids chew their food 15-20 times before swallowing and taking another bite. If he follows that for a meal, his incentives are valid. May be incentives help him to learn the habit.
3. Make sure you all eat one meal together. While eating, bring up the subject of chewing and let your kids see you slowly eating the food before swallowing.
I am sure; gradually they will start eating food better. Here incentives work a lot. If they follow give incentives, if they dont, may be don’t talk him for some time, any sort of mild reproach nothing harsh, so they do understand mom is not happy with what I do.

Introducing Solids -- My Way 2

The main concern at the time of starting solid, semi-solid food is..

What should I feed my kid?
Check out the first post HERE.

how much should i feed my kid?
Well, to begin with just a little scoop of whatever it is.. say mashed banana, cereal, rice, etc. and go gradually go about increasing it.

Some kids might take an instant liking to what is being fed and some might be very resistant varies from kid to kid. Some might take to it with joy, bored of drinking the same milk/formula day in and day out and that is indeed a blessing. The doctor asks to start very little but if the kid is taking it well and demands for more, do not ration it out. Like start with one scoop is fine but you dont have to give just 1 scoop on day 2 and 3 also because you were told to give just a scoop, let the kid guide you with cues.. do not overfeed but do give them enough.

Some kids have a little resistance to shift from breast/bottle to spoon/finger.. gulping down liquids is easier than solids, so the change in consistency is also a major factor.

What should be the consistency of the cereal/first food??
to begin with very liquidy, semi solid consistency and then go about with the recommended quantity on the cereal pack.

How often do I introduce new foods?
Give a gap of about 3 to 4 days between introducing each new item and monitor for any signs of allergy and go about. Check out the brands available and the doctor's recommendations and go about.

Do I give the kid water?
Yes, with the solids you need to give some water; however, not very much.. just a spoonful or so.

How do I feed the kid?
Upright or semi reclined would be an apt position. However, if starting in 4th month or so, then if the kid is not able to lift up his neck then on the legs but head as much elevated as possible with support.

What if the kid is rejecting the food outright?
Try gradually do not rush, do not force feed. If the cereal you are giving right now is not appealing to their taste buds, go for different flavors available in the market. Always begin with stage-1 no matter when you are introducing them.

Stuffing Food: The biggest problem when I introduced food was how do I feed the kid, when do i give water, between the food or after the food. How should I give the food, as the kid gulps it down immediately rather than chewing how fast should I be feeding. When the kid was very small she used to eat happily because it was a change from routine milk but as time passed, feeding was a big issue. She would open her mouth only for a few times and my task was to push in as much as possible in those few open times.. phew, so I felt like I stuffed up the kid in that little time she gives me. Then came a time when I had to forcefully open her mouth and stuff the food and make her sit up right and give her some time to gulp it down and repeat the action :((... sigh!!! and then when she got sick she completely stopped food for a while which gave me panic attacks, but that is a phase, as long as the kid is in her normal behavior pattern with just the same energy levels it is not an area of concern, make sure the kid is well hydrated and fed at least small amounts every once in a while and wait for the kid to get back to normal :(.

Tips: Variety of colorful bowls, spoons, sippers, stories, funny faces, songs, etc. would be of some use during the food sessions.

But I would say, let the feeding sessions be the happy times for self and the kiddo, give the kid what she likes, how much she likes, give them variety, eat along with them, make meal sessions pleasant ones. When the kid is force fed, stuffed beyond what she would happily eat, they would gradually get averse to feeding sessions. See to it that the kid is fed enough but dont try for more. It is but natural that we want our kids to stuff in a lot of nutritious food but they just cant take beyond what they can, realize that and just take it a little light :).

Water: Do not give a sip of water after each morsel of food, a few morsels a spoon of water and after finishing the entire bowl of food or complete meal session a little bit of water.. just a little, too much of water immediately after meal makes them throw up a little at times, so a little water and then maybe after a few minutes or so, how much ever the kid wants to drink.

Activity: Another important thing is do not let the kid sleep on tummy or carry the kid so that the tummy is exerted immediately after meal. If possible let the kid play for a while or if sleeping let them sleep on their back first and then sleep as they want to.

TV/Computer: I would personally say avoid showing TV/computer while eating the food. It makes our task easier in the beginning but as they say, we need to focus on food when we eat. It is one habit I personally would like to inculcate in the kid, no TV/computer when eating period. Meal time should be happy time, family time, together time and a sacred time :) 'cos we are what we eat.

Routine: Also, it is better to have a routine from the outset and not allow the kids to have a bite from each and every one's plate at home. like a morsel from dad's plate, a morsel from mom's, brother's etc. Mealtimes are strictly mealtimes, no mid-meal meals from others. Eating from other's plates will cause eating irregularities at the time of their personal mealtimes, personal experience, so just avoid that. Eat together and feed from your plate, but do not feed your meals after she is done with her meals..

Digestion
Will my baby be able to digest the food, wont it be strong on her belly..
Do not stuff her up and go a little easy and everything should just be fine. You can give gripe water to aid in digestion. You can give Ajwain (vaamu) in her food. Like boil a few flakes of Ajwain in water and give them to drink or put some Ajwain in the rice/dal mix at the time of cooking or if the baby is a little older, fry vaamu in ghee and grind it with a pinch of salt and give it in the first two morsels to the kid.. supposedly too good for digestion.

Teaching feeding or weaning your child depends on the principle that you are trying to make her understand the taste of different things, which she was not aware of earlier. So, that can’t be done at one time, you need to give things repeatedly. Once she eats that, with time, she will understand the taste. Force-feeding is not the right thing to do. Though I understand, for some children, accepting new taste is not easy, so what I advise, while playing with her or while diverting attention and feeding, you introduce these new things. Involve more people in this. You and she both must enjoy this feeding time. Its upto you how you make this more relaxing and enjoyable. Feeding your child can’t be taken lightly; of course it’s an important part of your daily schedule. Try your own ways to do it.

Introducing Solids.. My Way.

Introducing solids, when, what, how much are the vital questions for a first time mom..

To begin with
My tryst with solid feeds started at the age of 5 months or in fact the day the kid finished 4 months and entered 5th.. a pinch of mashed banana it was, and strained dal water, especially moong dal as it is easier to digest.

Reason to Start
Continuing the baby too long on just bottle/breast feed results in iron deficiency was the one sentence which got me running to solids prior to which I was a little averse to starting. Oficially in AP, we start solids on 6th month 6th day with a ceremony called Anna prasana and until then we don't give rice to the kid and from the day we initiate the kid on it, not a single day should go without at least a rice grain in the baby's mouth :).

For the Starters
So, starting with dal water along with the milk feeds, then introducing mashed ripe banana taking out the seeds, and cereal (store-brought). I personally started with Farex available in India, wheat because I am told that it is easy to digest. We get Wheat, Rice, Wheat/Apple, Ragi/Rice for Stage 1 that is starters in this particular brand. I began with wheat, 1 scoop a day only in the mornings and then continuing with normal feeding throughout the day. After 15 days of introducing the cereal, increased the quantity and went on to 2 times a day 2-3 scoops and gradually introducing one flavor after the other.

Alternating Cereal Flavors
All the while we need to look at the baby's cues on what and how much she wants to. Also, if you have started on multiple flavors, it is recommended that you alternate between the flavors so that the kid doesnt get bored, like say ragi/rice in the morning, 'cos it is a little heavy, rice in the evening or wheat apple in the morning and wheat in the evening or maybe we can go to 3 feeds of cereal also, just depends on you and the baby.

Fruits and Veggies
Then gradually introduced mashed banana, cooked apple, ripe papaya, cooked carrot, cooked beetroot, etc. for solids and fruit juices just less than an ounce to begin with like carrot juice, beetroot juice, pomegranate juice. There was resistance but we just need to keep altering between solids/liquids/milk and keep their interest that is it :(. It is advised to start veggies first and then the fruits..

First Meal
Then when the official meal is started I began with frying Toor Dal and Moong Dal in equal measures and rice like say 1 cup both toor dal and moong daal and 1 cup rice and grind it to a course consistency of rava and then cook it in a small pressure cooker 1 spoon:4 spoons ratio of mix and water, leaving for about 5 to 6 whistles, adding carrots/green leafy veggies/beets/bottle gourd etc.

Indian Breakfast
After we start the rice items in about 6th month we can give all Indian Breakfasts like Idly dipped in ghee, chapati cooked with ghee, chapati dipped in milk/formula, rava kesari, upma, etc. Also, khichdi, saggu jaava, raagi recipes. The portions they take will be small but gradually they should be introduced to all consistencies and textures of foods. It is ideal that we start with veggies first and then move on to fruits.

Avoid Maggie, etc. in the first year of life due to MSG content.

Milk and Solids
The big question is... how do we adjust between milk and solids... there will be a change in the milk intake with introduction of wide variety of foods and also a change in the color/consistency/smell/frequency of the stool which is pretty much normal. However, give some gap of a week or so before introducing new foods or new combination to figure out if the kid is allergic to anything that is started and let them get used to the new changes.

Coming to the milk part, there will be a gradual cut down in the intake but ensure that the kid is having at least 15 to 20 oz of milk throughout the entire day. Give small quantities of milk in frequent intervals if the intake has gone down drastically instead of trying to give the usual 5-7 oz per feed.

Water
Introduce water too with the solid feeds with a spoon or a bottle, very little to begin with and a little more as the kid grows up. Ensure that the kid is fed both solids and liquids in equal portions and has a well-balanced serving of fruits and veggies along with milk and water on any given day.

Cookies and Biscuits
We can also give multigrain biscuits, Threptin biscuits (in India), sugar-less cookies, bread soaked in milk/formula as mid-meal snacks once the kid is about 7 months old.

small portions in frequent intervals is the best way is what I am told.

Do not force the kid to the point of aversion on any particular feed, if the kid is totally averse or has a dislike to something give it a break for a while and begin your attempts but by and large force just works the other way round and tends to make the kids adamant.

Nibbler

Also for the beginners, like at the age of 5 months when I started the solids, I found this very useful item called a Nibbler in the baby store, a mesh with a handle where in we can cut fruits like apple or even chapati and put it in the nibbler and give it to the kid to chew on, make sure you get 2 in case one falls down.

The one I got is of brand Nuby with non-toxic BPA free plastic and costs around 400 rs/- from Brooks, Mogalraja puram, Vijayawada. Sunbaby ones cost around 135/- and are good too. Must say, it is a boon to begin with so that the kids do not choke on the solids, it also acts as a soother and satisfies the kids urge to chew on something while sending in some fruit juice/pulp into the mouth which kind of teaches the coordination of biting, sucking, chewing and gulping it down. Absolute paisa-vasool item I must say for the beginners.

Introducing Solids

Start with Moong Dal Water. Later, you can start on a combination of green leafy vegetable soups and dal water. Begin with thin soups such as carrot, pumpkin, bottle gourd etc. Begin with strained soups and dal water initially. As your baby grows older and is about 7 months old, you can start on unstrained soups and dals. Later on, you can add other green vegetables to your baby's diet. These are a good source of iron, calcium and vitamin C.

Begin with one type of vegetable or dal and gradually accustom your baby to a combination of these vegetables and dals. Try vegetable variations like Beet and Carrot Soup. A wide variety of soups and juices will help your baby savour and develop a palate for foods other than milk

Rice is the most common cereal to begin with, as it is nutritious and easiest for babies to digest. Gradually, try a combination of a cereal and pulse, such as rice with moong dal in the form of khichdi. Your baby would best accept a well mashed khichdi thinned down with warm water, which will be easier for her to swallow and digest. Serve Moong Dal Khichdi and see your baby happily gurgle it down.

Other cereals such as wheat, ragi, bulgur wheat etc can be added as baby starts accepting semi-solid foods. Cook and puree these cereals with milk to form a smooth creamy consistency that is balmy for your baby’s tongue. Add a teaspoon or two of butter or ghee to these foods, as these are a rich source of vitamin A. A great start could be made with the Jowar and Ragi Kanji, which is an unusual and yummy combination to initiate your baby to this diet. Begin with one to two teaspoons and gradually increase the quantity to about half a cup. Once your baby accepts these changes, it is time to introduce her to mashed fruits and mashed dals as well. Most babies will love the sweet taste of fruits and welcome this innovation in their regular diet. A mashed banana (diluted with a little milk) makes an excellent meal. Chickoo, papaya and ripe mango can also be great additions. Introduce stewed fruits like apples a week or two later.

Remember to begin with a single fruit or vegetable and gradually accustom your baby to combinations.

By the end of the fifth month, most babies readily accept more variety and can be served boiled and completely mashed vegetables like carrots, potatoes etc. Ensure that these vegetables are properly cooked and blended to a semi-solid consistency so that they are easy to swallow.

Courtesy: Sireesha (M&B)