What is complementary feeding?
What is complementary feeding and why is it so important?
Good Nutrition is fundamental for future health. Childhood is a phase of rapid growth and brain development and therefore having optimal nutrition is key to ensure your little one has the best start in life.
Dietary habits are formed in the very few years of life and this is quite shocking if you think about it! Complementary feeding is therefore a crucial time to help your little one shape his/her food preferences.
Introduction of solids, also called complementary feeding, begins usually around 6 months Although the main source of nutrition for your baby is still mainly breast or formula fed, the first few tastes of solids start to begin. The amount of solids given at this time is still very small and it will gradually increase as the child gets older.
Why at 6 months?
Around this age the baby starts to develop motor skills that allows him/her to become interested in solids. Moreover, the demand for energy and nutrients become higher compared to the nutrients and energy provided by breast- or formula-milk only. Therefore, introducing solids is key to ensure adequate growth and development.
Signs of readiness
There are different signs to look out for to understand if your baby is ready to start taking solids:
Sitting upright holding head straight
Eye, hand, mouth coordination
Swallow the food properly rather than spitting this out
They are interested in the food you are eating
There are different approaches to complementary feeding, such as pureed-spoon feeding, finger foods and a mixture of the two.
What's important is to respond to babies' hunger and satiety cues. This allows carers to respond adequately and avoid babies to overeat and/or force them to eat. This is also called responsive feeding.
Food textures
There are also different food textures depending on your baby weaning phase. Starting from very smooth purees and then gradually moving to lumpier foods.
This is to ensure that food is safely given and choking hazards are minimised as much as possible.
Never leave your baby alone while eating and always secure the baby on a high chair with a five point harness.
This can be a very exciting time, your baby discovers something that has never tried and he/she is exposed to very different textures, flavours from milk (breast or formula). It can be very, very messy, fun and overwhelming all at the same time. A rollercoaster of emotions for both mums and babies. Just follow your baby lead and enjoy!
Want to know more?
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/infant-and-young-child-feeding