As you are all set to welcome the new member into your family it does help if you have a clear understanding of what is the right food for your baby.
Usually, your physician will make you aware of the basic guidelines that you need to follow regarding your baby’s diet.
It is to be noted that every baby is different and his or her nutritional need are unique in that sense. But what we here try to put forward is a simple list of dos and don’ts that you need to follow while you raise your baby.
We should all remember that the first year of a man’s life is the period during which he grows the most in his entire life.
A baby generally adds about an ounce every day for the first six months of his life and about half an ounce every day in the next six months. This simple fact is a good pointer as to how essential a proper nutritional intake for him.
For any baby nothing can beat breast milk. It is absolutely the right nutrition that his body needs to grow. Any baby between zero to four months feeds at intervals of about two to three hours that means he needs about eight to twelve feeding sessions every day.
If breastfeeding is an option, then the baby should feed for 10 to 20 minutes on each breast. This would be enough nutrients for him. If breastfeeding is not an option then you would have to go for the formulas available in the market.
There are many different types of formulas that you can lay your hands on. There are ready to feed formulas where you don’t need to mix anything while there are others that need to be mixed with water before being fed. When you mix the water follow the instructions carefully or else the mixture might not be what your baby really requires.
Also, make it a point that you are there to feed your baby and his head rests on your arm. This would not only be comfortable for him but also goes a long way in establishing the bonds that parents and their kids share later on.
After having completed four months a baby can now be fed cereal. But the solid food that he intakes must be made into a paste or it can be mixed with the breast milk or the formula. And a baby should not be fed more than two to three teaspoons of cereal during a single meal.
But his diet of breast milk or formula must continue, though he now might feed less frequently but in greater amounts.
Once he completes six months you can slowly start experimenting with other solid foods. It makes sense to introduce one new food every week and it is best to do so when he’s very hungry. You can feed him strained fruits, meats, vegetables and egg yolks.
But all these should be introduced slowly and it should be observed if his system could take the new foods well.
It is better not to make your baby drink sodas, soft drinks or tea. Such beverages don’t have the adequate nutritional values that your baby needs at this tender age. Moreover they can also result into cavities.
Also, make sure that your baby sits upright on a chair while having any solids. And it is better to make him practice having meals with the rest of the family at least once a day.
