The day of a six-month-old baby is varied in its events, and it is important for parents to keep up with the growing needs of their child. This requires a daily routine for a child at 6 months - its effectiveness is confirmed by the fact that children who follow it quickly adapt to the conditions of adult life, are more developed physically and intellectually, and are less likely to suffer from disorders of the nervous system. But you should not take the ready-made tables that are given in the article; listen to the child and correct them so that the whole family is happy.
Baby's daily routine at 6 months
Changes in the daily routine of a six-month-old baby mainly concern a slight decrease in time for sleep, an increase in the period of wakefulness, and it should be harmoniously supplemented with daytime rest.
Another important point is the introduction of complementary foods for breastfed children. The new diet, in turn, can affect the activity and quality of sleep of the baby, that is, all aspects of his life are closely interconnected. Therefore, a new daily routine is needed for the baby and for the parents - the table will approximately indicate at what time it is better to conduct classes with the baby or put him to bed.
It is not necessary to follow this schedule literally; the schedule is drawn up for living people, so there is always room for an alternative, the main thing is that everyone - the baby and his parents - feels comfortable.
Six month old baby sleep
The approximate sleep norm for a baby at this age is 12-14 hours. Night rest time can be up to 9-10 hours; during the daytime, sleep is allowed 3-4 times from 30 to 50 minutes. But the most common regimen for children is two times a day with a quiet hour from 13.00 to 15.00 and from 18.00 to 19.30, with 9 hours at night. If you add to this the hours when the baby falls asleep during a walk, the duration of daytime rest will be slightly longer.
Parents do not have to strictly adhere to such time limits - if the baby is cheerful, active and in a good mood, it means he is getting enough sleep.
Main periods of sleep:
- Six-month-old babies, as a rule, wake up early - at 6-7 o'clock. This is due to the fact that during the night they manage to get hungry, and a wet diaper makes itself felt.
- After washing, showering and breakfast, the baby is usually busy playing, but after a couple of hours he may be drawn back to bed. In terms of time, it’s 9-10 a.m. and the baby can sleep for about 1.5 hours. If you take your baby for a walk, he will sleep much more outside.
- Afternoon nap starts from 12.00-13.00, and it can also take place outside, weather permitting.
- But the evening rest should not last more than an hour and a half, and after that it is better to take him for a walk cheerful, so that he has time to splash out his energy.
- Evening walks, hygiene procedures and a quality dinner are very important for night sleep - then you can be sure that the baby will quickly fall asleep and have a restful night. A peculiarity of the body of six-month-old children is that they can already do without feeding at night.
Problems most often arise during a night's rest, and they are associated with the following reasons:
- For a child, special rubber and latex teething toys will help in this situation; massage of the gums, applying ice or cooling medications will also help relieve pain.
- Long daytime sleep will negatively affect night rest, so children should be woken up during the day, and their waking moments should be filled with active and educational games.
- The baby's sleep can be interrupted due to his desire to eat, but for children at the age of six months, especially those who are breastfed, this is no longer necessary; in the child this happens, rather, out of habit.
- If the climate in the room is disturbed - too hot, dry, this is a good reason that the baby sleeps restlessly. The temperature in the nursery should not exceed 20 degrees, and the optimal humidity is maintained at 60%.
- Complementary feeding often leads to digestive disorders, and this disrupts the infant’s proper sleep. This is why experts advise feeding your baby breast milk or formula in the evening, and leaving complementary foods for the morning and afternoon.
- A failure in the established daily routine also leads to sleep disturbances, but the parents themselves are to blame for this, putting the baby to bed later. Overfeeding, changes in walking hours or usual hygiene procedures have a negative impact on sleep.
You can restore proper rest by eliminating all of the above factors, spending more time walking in the fresh air, and actively spending your waking hours with your baby. In addition, it doesn’t hurt to check whether he sleeps comfortably in his crib; perhaps it’s worth changing the linen and even the mattress.
Feeding: breast and artificial
The main event for infants feeding on mother's milk is the introduction of complementary foods, which becomes a necessity for them and helps to enhance the production of the necessary enzymes in their body. This is also evidenced by such signs as sitting independently, showing interest in adult food and readiness to accept it, which is expressed in the opening of the baby’s mouth when a spoon with an unfamiliar dish is presented to him.
Having carefully thought through the child’s daily routine at 6 months, mom and dad also need to have a good idea of what and how to feed the baby at this time:
- the first products introduced into the child’s diet are vegetables and fruits in the form of juices and purees; they must be fresh and of high quality, or frozen;
- low-fat dairy products designed for this age are allowed;
- Complementary feeding is best done in the morning and afternoon, avoiding the evening;
- You can continue breastfeeding, gradually reducing the duration of feeding;
- two unfamiliar dishes should not be given to a baby at one meal - in the event of an allergic reaction, it will be difficult to determine which of them is not tolerated by the baby;
- if the child does not like the product, you should not force him, as this can lead to the baby losing his appetite;
- They feed children from a teaspoon, give half at first, then gradually increase the amount to a full spoon.
Some doctors recommend starting with dairy products, for example, with low-fat kefir in an amount of 150-200 g. Later, you can put low-fat cottage cheese in it, stirring until smooth. The fact is that dairy products are more familiar to a child’s body than vegetables and fruits.
Parents should remember that some foods are not recommended for children - mushrooms and citrus fruits. The prepared dish cannot be left until next time, even if it is put in the refrigerator. A single dosage can gradually increase to 150-200 g, and ultimately replaces one feeding with breast milk.
Formula-fed children already know what complementary feeding is, because they need it already at 4-5 months. It helps improve immunity, keeps the child active, and allows you to gain weight. A new dish should be given before feeding with formula, warm and in a minimal amount. In this case, it is important to focus on the pediatrician’s recommendations, taking into account the weight and physiological characteristics of each baby.
Hygiene of a six-month-old child
Hygienic cleanliness is an important condition for a child’s health; it is the prevention of many, including infectious diseases. Some procedures have a hardening effect, so they should be carried out regularly. The exception is days when the baby is sick. The undoubted benefit is that the baby learns order, cleanliness and self-discipline.
Such events should be carried out daily, and mother should know how to do it correctly:
- Waking up in the morning always involves washing your face and neck, including the area behind the ears, with warm boiled water. Even before the first teeth appear, the baby’s mouth needs to be cleaned using wipes designed for this purpose, placed on the finger and soaked in a special plant-based composition. This should be done not only in the morning, but also after every meal - the mucous membrane of the mouth, as well as the tongue, are wiped. If your child's teeth are already growing, this will help prevent inflammation, tooth decay, and the appearance of a white, cheesy plaque called infantile thrush. The baby's nose is also subject to careful hygiene, which is cleaned with cotton wool and vegetable oil.
- Washing is carried out under running tap water, but if it is not available, you can use a damp towel or napkins. After blotting the skin with a soft towel, you need to leave the baby naked for 10 minutes - to harden and prevent inflammatory processes on the skin.
- Ritual evening bathing is an important condition for healthy sleep, but it must be done about an hour before going to bed. Now you can add a special bathing foam to the bath, and for atopic dermatitis - baby oil.
The hygiene of six-month-old children is important because, becoming more mobile and inquisitive, they spend a lot of time on the floor, playing and crawling, so it is difficult to overestimate the importance of water procedures.
Waking period: games, walks, gymnastics
A six-month-old child should have a lot of toys, which are changed periodically to maintain his interest, and therefore activity. At six months, children should be given ordinary objects to play with, provided they are bright in color, of different shapes and textures. Touching and feeling are necessary for the development of the baby's tactile sensations; in addition, he learns to distinguish the colors and geometry of things.
Musical toys - children's musical instruments, squeakers, boxes will help improve the baby's hearing organs, small objects are necessary for the motor function of the hands. Such games should be carried out under the supervision of adults, since due to teething, children often pull into their mouths everything that gets into their hands. Therefore, you need to think in advance about buying toys for the baby that you can and even need to put in your mouth - these are teethers, which, along with the play moment, help relieve pain.
It is necessary to choose the right activities and time for them, in this case, the hours spent with the child will really benefit him.
Here are some tips to heed:
- play with the baby or engage with him, preferably after feeding or sleep;
- active pastime is more suitable for the morning and afternoon;
- the room should be well ventilated before classes;
- activities and games should last no more than 15 minutes, since the baby’s attention quickly dissipates due to fatigue;
- The baby needs praise and a friendly attitude; such support inspires children to further achievements.
You can work with your child in different directions, for example, teaching him to crawl. To do this, take your favorite toy and place it so that the little one cannot reach it. In such a situation, he has to get to it on his own, and, more often than not, he understands what needs to be done.
To improve fine motor skills, special developmental aids are used, but you can also get by with simple entertainment - opening and closing jars with lids, assembling a pyramid, stringing rings on a rod, dropping balls into a container or glass.
The daily routine of a six-month-old baby includes two or three walks with the baby. They should take about five hours a day, but sometimes you can limit yourself to the balcony, dressing the child according to the weather.
Physical exercises during waking hours must be present, because the baby needs to strengthen the spine and muscular system. Exercises for bending and straightening the legs and arms, pulling movements, and rolling from the back to the stomach are still needed. After each workout, a massage is performed to relieve tension - this includes stroking, kneading and gentle pinching, alternating with gentle rubbing of the skin.
Having adjusted the child’s new daily routine at 6 months, parents can calmly and consistently care for the baby, take their time doing their business, and devote enough time to play with the baby, who so needs their love and attention.
World health standards recommend starting to expand your baby’s menu with additional products from the age of six months. A child's diet at 6 months becomes more varied. Baby products often have labels on them that confuse mothers, making complementary feeding a very complicated issue.
Many mothers who feel that their baby does not have enough milk introduce complementary foods literally from 2-3 months, because they see no reason why carrot juice or pear puree could be harmful. They try to stimulate appetite so that the baby asks for the breast more often, but they get a completely different effect:
- tendency to obesity;
- persistent food allergies;
- chronic digestive disorders;
- diathesis.
If lactation is insufficient, then it is necessary to give the baby not porridge or puree, but a milk drink prepared from a dry mixture, which the pediatrician will recommend. If a child has a decreased appetite, it is also necessary to contact a local doctor for consultation and diagnostics. Remember that up to 5-6 months, the body of a healthy baby most often cannot cope with digesting food other than breast milk or formula for mixed or artificial feeding. These indicators are average, so pediatricians recommend introducing complementary foods when the baby:
- healthy;
- shows interest in food;
- doubled my weight since birth;
- sits independently;
- begins to demand food more often;
- I almost stopped spitting up.
A child's diet at 6 months most often involves replacing 1-2 feedings with other dishes. The consequences of late complementary feeding are no less dire: rickets, anemia, retardation in psychomotor development, dystrophy. Carefully select the products that you will give to your baby, as multi-component purees can cause allergies. You should not introduce your baby to several types of purees, porridge and other products at the same time.
Many manufacturers label canned purees for babies that they are allowed after 4 months. You shouldn’t focus on it and rush to replenish your little one’s menu with them.
Basic Rules
When breastfed, the nutrition of a 6-month-old baby should be based on the rules.
- Introduce new foods when the baby does not have indigestion (constipation or diarrhea), he should not suffer from colds, and his body temperature should be normal. It is prohibited to introduce new dishes 5-7 days before the expected date of vaccination and the same period after it.
- Additional nutrition is given before breast milk. After complementary feeding, he needs to be supplemented.
- The temperature of the dish should be moderately warm, and the consistency should be as watery as possible, without lumps or pieces. There are no special recipes for cooking food for a baby. If you cook yourself, you must first steam the vegetables, then chop them in a blender or puree them. Porridges are first boiled in water and then diluted with milk. The first feeding is best done with lactose-free cereals.
- You need to feed your baby while sitting, from a spoon. It is forbidden to feed a lying baby or give porridge at the same time as formula.
- The first portion of a new product should not exceed a quarter teaspoon in size. You need to give a new product only once a day, gradually increasing its volume to 150 grams per day. This usually takes up to 2 weeks. This portion will completely replace one breastfeeding.
- You can proceed to the introduction of the next product after adapting to the previous one. For this reason, the diet of a 6-month-old baby will not be large: in one month you can manage to introduce 2-3 products.
- During the period of introducing complementary foods, monitor the condition of the baby.
To make it easier for you to introduce complementary foods later, simultaneously with replenishing the baby’s diet, begin feeding according to the schedule, with an approximate interval of 4 hours. The nutrition of a 6-month-old breastfed baby is not much different from what is recommended for a bottle-fed baby. The menu will be more extensive if the baby has received additional products from 4 months.
How to diversify a child's diet?
Based on individual characteristics, pediatricians recommend products for starting complementary feeding. The nutrition of a 6-month-old baby on artificial feeding is different, since they do not need high-calorie foods. Children who drink artificial formula should not use porridge as a first course, as they usually have no problems with weight gain.
With breastfeeding, the weight of a baby older than six months increases slowly. He is recommended to start introducing new foods with cereal dishes, since breast milk is no longer able to provide the required amount of nutrients.
With slow weight gain, feeding a baby at 6 months on artificial or natural feeding involves the primary introduction of cereals. These must be gluten-free cereals. Start complementary feeding with single-ingredient cereal dishes. To prepare them, use the following grains:
- rice;
- corn;
- buckwheat
After 3 weeks, make mixtures from these cereals; the little ones especially like rice and corn. To prepare your own dishes, grind the grains with a coffee grinder, cook first in water, and then add a little milk. Regardless of whether you use ready-made porridge mixtures or cook them yourself, you need to add a little butter to each ready-made portion.
If the baby is breastfed, then you can cook porridge with breast milk.
If by six months the child has more than doubled his birth weight, then the first new dish should be vegetables with a small amount of vegetable oil. They are also recommended for artificial people. The most hypoallergenic options are:
- zucchini (especially if you are prone to constipation);
- potato;
- cauliflower and broccoli.
The second stage of getting to know vegetables begins with the introduction of green pea puree. Vegetables with red pigment are introduced closer to 8 months, at the third stage. These vegetables include pumpkin, beets, and carrots.
Make the puree yourself by steaming the fruits or purchase ready-made options. Add sunflower or olive oil to each serving, and an yolk once a week. Start by adding 1 drop, gradually increasing its volume to a teaspoon. When introducing vegetables with yolk, there is no need to mix them. From the second week of complementary feeding, you can add a quarter of the yolk, gradually increasing the amount to the whole.
The first fruits on your baby’s menu should be:
- green pear;
- plum or prune;
- green apple;
- ripe banana.
Fruits and juices are introduced after vegetables and cereals are firmly established in the child’s diet at 6 months. This is due to the fact that they have a pleasant sweetish taste, which babies really like. They may become so accustomed to fruit that they stop eating other foods. The rules for introducing fruit puree are the same as for vegetable puree. The only difference is that before chopping the sweet fruits, you do not need to cook them.
You need to prepare food for your baby without sugar or salt.
Rules for creating a menu
Pediatricians often give a ready-made menu, but young mothers do not understand how to introduce dishes correctly and begin to feed the child according to it right away, not taking into account that the little body needs to be rebuilt. This leads to digestive disorders for the baby, because he is not yet ready for a large number of new foods. The diet of a 6-month-old baby is organized week by week.
An example menu in this case would look like this:
- first week - you need to introduce porridge in the morning;
- second: continue to increase the portion of cereals, offer your baby vegetables at lunchtime;
- third: increase the portions of previously introduced dishes;
- fourth: no later than 3 pm, add fruit to your diet.
By the fifth week, porridge and vegetables should be given in full portions, and by the sixth week, increase the portion of fruits, add juice, which you will give between lunch and dinner. After you have brought one product to a full serving, you can begin to get acquainted with the next one. You need to try any dish with a minimum quantity.
You may encounter an unforeseen situation - a child refusing a new product. Postpone its introduction, try again to offer a new dish in 3-4 weeks. Another problem is decreased appetite. You should not force your baby to eat, otherwise he may refuse the new dish.
If you do not force your baby to eat the prescribed amount of food, this will maintain food interest.
What to feed babies who are fed early?
If, for medical reasons, complementary feeding was introduced to the child early, from 4 months of age, then the nutrition of a 6-month-old bottle-fed child will be somewhat different. According to the WHO table, in this case you can include a larger number of products in your diet:
- milk porridge from two components;
- fruits and vegetables with red pigment;
- vegetable broth soups;
- cottage cheese and kefir;
- cookie.
These products need to be distributed over 4 feedings, which will be completely replaced by 7-8 months of age. Try to wait 4 hours between feedings. Artificial producers need to start introducing new products with vegetables and fruits, and later introduce cereals and other products.
Soups can only be cooked in vegetable broth; you can add rice and yolk to them. This is due to the fact that the baby’s kidneys are still underdeveloped, and meat broths containing purine bases put an excessive load on them. When introducing complementary foods to children using this type of feeding, it is forbidden to increase the portions; it is better to offer the baby a small amount of the mixture after eating.
Since babies who were introduced to complementary foods early are already switching to an expanded menu, you can begin to introduce them to fish and meat purees. They should be given along with vegetables. You can make a complete lunch from a portion of soup, vegetables, pureed meat or fish. In this case, supplementary feeding is prohibited. The first to puree meat or fish should be ready-made varieties, as they have a consistency that cannot be achieved at home. If you don’t trust factory products, then use a blender to make purees and buy only lean meats.
It is permissible to prepare dishes for children from six months of age from:
- veal;
- rabbit meat;
- Chicken;
- turkeys
Babies who drink formula are prone to obesity. Therefore, you should not give them semolina and other high-calorie foods that are not beneficial. It has been proven that semolina porridge in large quantities can lead to the development of anemia and rickets, since it contains a minimal amount of useful substances, but it saturates for a long time. It is recommended to choose low-fat cottage cheese for them: you can buy the one that is sold for children in portions with a fixed weight. Its advantage is its creamy consistency, without grains.
Alexandra is a regular expert on the PupsFull portal. She writes articles about games, pregnancy, parenting and learning, child care and the health of mother and child.
A six-month-old baby changes noticeably, matures, and actively shows interest in everything new and unknown. He has already become acquainted with new food, his menu and diet are now more varied. Of course, at 6 months the child needs to receive an adapted formula, but familiarization with new food products can and should be continued. A six-month-old baby's daily intake of food, including complementary foods, should not exceed 1 liter. The diet does not change.
The following products must be included in the menu of a 6-month-old baby:
Do not forget that in six-month-old children the chewing reflex is not well developed, so all food consumed by the child should be pureed. Any lump that accidentally gets into the baby’s mouth can cause vomiting.
Diet
A six-month-old baby should eat 5 times a day; try to maintain an interval between feedings of around 4 hours and feed him at the same time, observing the regime so that he gets used to the adult diet. Morning and evening feeding - an adapted mixture.
Sample menu for a 6-month-old bottle-fed baby:
- 6-00 – 7-00 – adapted mixture 200 g;
- 10-00 – 11-00 – porridge 100 gr., cottage cheese 40 gr.;
- 14-00 – 15-00 – vegetable puree 100–150 gr., meat puree 40 gr.;
- 18-00 – 19-00 – juice 5 tsp, adapted mixture – 200 g;
- 23-00 – 24-00 – adapted mixture 200 gr.
Let's expand on the question: Corn for breastfeeding: porridge, flakes and other products
The mother can change the composition of the menu products at her discretion, depending on the wishes of the baby.
We cook it ourselves
For six-month-old bottle-fed babies, a liquid, pasty porridge is cooked. As a rule, it is boiled with a mixture or water.
Rice porrige
It is quite difficult to prepare porridge for a 6-month-old baby from whole grains of rice; we suggest using rice flour. You will need 10–15 grams. flour, 150 ml water or mixture, 4 gr. vegetable oil.
Pour water into a saucepan and boil it, carefully add rice flour, stirring constantly. Cook for about 12–15 minutes. Dilute the porridge with the mixture or hot milk, then let it cook a little more. You can add a little oil.
Buckwheat
Great for children prone to allergies. Complementary foods from this cereal can be prepared without adding formula or milk.
Sort the grains and rinse thoroughly. Buckwheat is poured into already boiling water and cooked for about 40 minutes in a saucepan covered with a lid over low heat. When the cereal is boiled, you need to thoroughly grind it and dilute it with an adapted milk mixture to a semi-liquid consistency. Bring the porridge to a boil again and let it cook for about 5 minutes.
Corn porridge
For a 6-month-old baby on artificial feeding, corn porridge is cooked according to the same principle as buckwheat. Before starting the cooking process, soak the washed cereal for 2-3 hours.
Cottage cheese
To make cottage cheese, buy milk for baby food and boil it. Pour it into small containers and leave in a warm place overnight. Container lids must be opened slightly to allow air access. The fermented milk must be covered and placed in the freezer. If you planned to feed your child cottage cheese during the day, take it out in advance and tip it onto a strainer covered with a bandage or gauze on top. In a few hours, the mass will thaw, the curd will remain on the fabric, and the whey will drain. The complementary food will be tender and very tasty.
Let's expand on the question: Preparing carrots for complementary feeding
Fruit puree
The apple or pear is peeled, cored and cut into small pieces. Pour 50 ml of water into the pan and cook over low heat until the fruit softens. Grind until puree.
Meat puree
It is better to feed your baby purees prepared at home. Use lean meat - rabbit, turkey, veal. Cut the meat into small pieces, remove the veins, and cook for 1.5–2 hours. The finished dish must be finely chopped using a blender or meat grinder. Rub the resulting mass through a fine sieve, add a little mixture to the complementary foods and you can feed the baby.
Proper organization
The diet of a 6-month-old baby on artificial feeding expands significantly. One of the main tasks of a mother at this age is not only to diversify the menu, but also to develop a kind of ritual and rules of behavior during feeding.
Eat in the kitchen, dressing your baby in a napkin or bib, putting a bottle, plate and spoon, the child must understand that it is time to eat. If your baby eats complementary foods without much pleasure, you don’t have to try to make the menu varied. Identify his favorite foods and offer them more often. If you force children to eat complementary foods, then the process itself will be remembered in memory with negative emotions. For your little one, you can try to buy bright, interesting dishes to interest him. Use charm and acting skills, the baby can eat well, opening his mouth by inertia, turning all attention to the mother. Do not forget to follow the regime, choose only high-quality products. The diet of a six-month-old baby on artificial feeding should become more varied, because he is actively growing and needs vitamins and microelements.
By about 9 months, the child develops a stable feeding schedule: frequency, time, dosage. All basic complementary foods have already been introduced, but the basis of nutrition is still breast milk or formula. Still, mothers are confused in what order and in what quantity to give food. to kid aged up to a year. You have several approximate options menu for children from 9 months of age up to 1 year in tables. With the help of convenient tables, it will be easier for mothers to create a nutrition plan for their baby, taking into account age characteristics and individual preferences. Study, select, apply.
Weekly menu for a child from 9 months to 1 year
Menu of our mothers and grandmothers: from the book “Mother and Child”, 1954, authors B. A. Arkhangelsky and G. N Speransky - members of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences. The sample menu is designed for 5 main feedings per day (click on the table to enlarge it)
Features of the menu for children under 1 year
- A 1-3 month old baby eats only breast milk or formula.
- In the menu of a 4-5 month old artificial baby, the first complementary foods are introduced.
- The menu does not include additional dishes for breastfed children under 6 months. By this time, breast milk no longer meets the nutritional needs of the growing baby.
- A 6-7 month old child eats 4-5 times a day, the menu becomes varied and looks something like this:
Options for the daily menu for a child up to one year old (table)
- Table “Child's menu 6-7 months«
- Menu for children 8 - 9 months
From 8 - 9 months of age, meat, fish, cottage cheese, kefir are added to the menu:
- Sample menu for 1 day for a child 10 months:
Aged 10-11 months In the evening feeding, milk can be replaced with kefir, gradually weaning the baby from the breast. Children's menu 10-11 months must contain:
- breast milk or formula
- milk oatmeal
- rice or buckwheat porridge
- vegetable broth
- meat dishes
- vegetable puree
- fruit purees
- vermicelli
- egg yolk
- kefir
- jelly
Number of breastfeedings up to one year
Your baby is growing and it is no longer enough for him to have breast milk or dry milk formula for artificial feeding. We will look at how to supplement your baby’s diet with complementary foods, and what main dishes you can prepare for a 6-month-old baby in our article. The diet of this period should consist not only of mother's milk or formula, but also be supplemented with pureed vegetables and fruits.
If your baby receives only breast milk and develops his skills according to his age, then complementary foods are usually introduced from 6 months. New dishes for a 6-month-old baby are always stressful for the body, so the baby needs to be fed very carefully and gradually accustom the baby’s digestive system to new ingredients. Pediatricians advise giving an unfamiliar product or a mixture of both for at least 3 days, and only after the child gets used to the new dish can the diet be enriched with the following.
For bottle-fed babies, complementary foods are introduced from 4 months, since formulas with powdered milk do not contain enough nutrients for the development of the child - compared to breast milk. Therefore, the children's menu from 6 months only complements the diet that was already established earlier.
Let's look at the children's menu for babies from 6 months on breastfeeding and bottle feeding, since there are some differences in complementary feeding dishes.
Menu for a 6-month-old breastfed baby
As a rule, up to 6 months, babies who eat only mother's milk do not need complementary feeding. Only by the age of six months, the digestive system of babies is already able to digest foods other than breast milk. It’s not for nothing that the first teeth also erupt at this age - so that they can already acquire the skill of chewing food.
If your child has not yet received anything other than breast milk, then the first dishes for a 6-month-old child should be juices (mixtures of juices) or purees of fruits and vegetables. They should be given at lunchtime, immediately before breastfeeding. Gradually, as the baby grows, the lunch meal is completely freed from mother's milk.
The safest addition to breast milk is a simple mono-component puree. This could be apple puree, banana puree, carrot puree or mashed potato. When the baby’s stomach gets used to each of the products, you can give any combination of them. First cook the carrots and potatoes until soft and beat with a blender or grind through a sieve.
The next complementary food after puree can be milk porridge, porridge with vegetable broth or rice water.
Acceptable cereals: rice, oatmeal and buckwheat.
Milk buckwheat porridge
It’s easy to prepare porridge for a baby: first, boil buckwheat (1 tablespoon) washed in several waters with 50-70 ml of water, grind through a sieve and pour 100 ml of hot milk into a homogeneous mass and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes.
It is better not to add sugar and salt yet.
Milk rice porridge with pumpkin
Cut the peeled pumpkin (100 g) into strips or cubes, add water just above the level of the pumpkin pieces and cook for 30 minutes. Add 1 tbsp. washed rice (can be replaced with buckwheat) and simmer together with the pumpkin for another 30 minutes.
We rub the cooked porridge through a sieve, add 2-3 tbsp. milk and bring to a boil. You can add half a tsp. butter
It is better not to use sugar and salt.
Complementary feeding options for lunchtime feeding
- Vegetables with rice: carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, parsley, stalked celery.
- Potatoes with carrots, zucchini, broccoli, beets, onions, celery.
- Porridge or soups with vegetable broth.
- Half a chicken yolk, which we mix with vegetable puree. We begin to add the yolk (boil hard-boiled eggs) from a small piece, carefully observing the reaction of the child’s body. Give the yolk no more than 2 times a week.
- After the child’s body gets used to vegetables, you can add 1 tsp to them. refined sunflower or olive oil. We also add the oil slowly, starting with a few drops.
- Starting from the age of 6.5 months, you can already introduce low-fat meat or chicken broth into the menu and prepare vegetable purees with it.
Allowed meat: veal, rabbit and chicken. All purees are prepared using a second meat broth.
Maximum volume of feeding broth 6 month old baby – 30 ml.
- Give each new dish to your child in small portions once a day, carefully observing the reaction of the baby’s digestive system. Some children are prone to immediate manifestations of exudative diathesis, especially in response to red and orange vegetables or meat broth.
Start with 1 tsp. food unfamiliar to the child, gradually (over the course of a week) increasing its volume to 150 g. - Children under one year old should not be given cow's or goat's milk. Mammalian milk contains a high percentage of proteins and fats, and the baby’s kidneys may not be able to cope with such a load.
Porridges and other dishes made with cow's milk can cause allergies and increase the risk of diabetes and anemia. Therefore, milk from infant formula is added to porridge.
Menu for a 6-month-old bottle-fed baby
Dishes for a 6-month-old baby who eats dry milk formula become more varied. A bottle-fed baby needs additional nutrients more than an infant. Therefore, as a rule, additional dishes for infant formula are introduced earlier than for babies fed breast milk. Those. At this age, we only supplement the menu and fully provide lunch with vegetable soup with or without the addition of meat broth.
As an independent meal, children can already receive milk porridge or vegetable puree soup in full - 150 g + 20-30 ml of fruit juice or puree. For porridge, in addition to buckwheat, rice or oatmeal, you can take barley, corn and others. First, we carefully wash the cereal, then cook it in water, and season the finished porridge with the diluted milk mixture.
Formula-fed babies switch to meat-based soups and a more varied menu earlier than their infant-fed peers. They try meat and dairy products earlier. But it is very important to remember that new dishes for a 6-month-old baby are also introduced to the menu in very small portions, starting with half a teaspoon. We wish your baby to grow up healthy and energetic!