Food for 6 months old baby:

You have raised and provided all the proteins and nutrients to your baby by feeding your breast milk or the formulated milk for 6 months. But now, you should promote your baby to the next level by introducing the food to your 6 months old baby. Though you start the solid food supplement for your baby, you should continue breastfeeding until the baby becomes one year old. It doesn’t mean to stop breastfeeding by one year, purely depends on the individual opinion and the baby’s health status.

Doctors recommend continuing breastfeeding till 18 months and later for premature babies, low birth weight, twins, or triplets. The food transitions from liquids to solids should be started in later 5months. It is not an easy task to switch the baby’s food to solids.

If you are a first-time mother, then you might be stuck with many obstacles likely. What type of food? How much quantity? What if the baby does not swallow the food properly? How many feeds a day? Can I breastfeed and solid feed at a time? How can I add veggies and fruits to the baby’s food? What if I observe any food reaction? Don’t worry, after reading this article you might feel comfortable.

What is the average weight gain of a baby:

A 6 months old baby will gain an average of 50 to 100 grams of weight a week based on the type of feed given. A breastfed baby will gain more weight than a formula-fed baby in the first year. Formula-fed babies initially show slower weight gain, but their weight will be as the breastfed baby after the first year

.

How can I add vegetables and fruits to my 6 months old baby?

Healthy fruits like apples, pears, bananas, peaches can be given to a baby, and vegetables like potatoes, carrots, beans, sweet potatoes can be given. Fruits and vegetables should be cooked or steamed properly. Vegetable Puree or Fruit juice will be good and easy to digest for the baby.

Can I breastfeed and solid feed at once?

No, you cannot feed both at a time, which may suddenly lead to severe diarrhea and vomiting. We are set in the process of introducing solid foods to the baby. It doesn’t mean to fill your baby’s little stomach with solid food. They need a few spoons of food in the initial stage, gradually increasing the quantity of food. Never include multi veggie in a feed. Prefer only a vegetable or a fruit at the single feed. It’s best to introduce cereals and veggies at the stage of transition, which are purely mashed or malted.

If you solid feed the baby in the morning, then breastfeed in the afternoon. Give on a minimum two to three hours gap between each feed. In some situations, the milk supply in your breast might be less than you can stitch to solid feed. As the baby grows older, the number of solid feed will be increased to that of breastfeeding.

Quantity of food to be given for 6 months old baby:

When your baby is six months old, he/she is not familiar with solid foods. His/her body is in the learning process to digest these solid food items, so it’s better to introduce them in small quantities. Plan for 2 to 3 meals of 2 to 4 tablespoons a day along with breast milk or formula milk.

When your baby turns nine months old, you can give him 3 meals a day of 1 cup quantity with some in-between snacks. The quantity of food may vary from child to child. Don’t try to overeat your child initially because his/her body is not familiar with solid foods and cannot be able to digest them.