With practical, handy tips on topics such as introducing a sleep schedule, travelling with a child, weaning and advice on raising two children together, All You Need To Know About Parenting by Tanya Khubchandani Vatsa will see you through every sleepless night and temper tantrum.
Here are some handy tips for new moms, when it comes to feeding right!
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends starting solids (mushy solids, of course) at around six months of age because children should be exclusively breastfed for six months.
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The amount you are feeding your child should not go down even with solid food. Some moms believe this to be true till one year, but medically, your child should be getting three meals in addition to breast milk or formula by nine months of age.
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Many paediatricians use their experience, combined with the guidelines, to recommend that solids be started between the ages of five and six months, as iron and vitamin D are nutrients that breastfed babies tend to be deficient in at this point.
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You can start with veggies, fruits or cereal. However, if your child is getting gassy, using cereal(mixed with breast milk or formula) to dilute the quantity of vegetables can help.
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There are some foods that are best avoided until one year of age: cow’s milk, wheat, strawberries, nuts or egg whites (can cause allergies), honey (can cause botulism), chocolate or caffeine, unpasteurized cheese (too much bacteria), shellfish and processed juice (more sugar than nutrition, healthier to give fruits).
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Children get fussier about food as they get older, so introduce different foods when they are young.
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After one year, it is safe to offer sweets and cater to their tastes in moderation so that they do not feel deprived and instead have well-rounded palettes.
Read All You Need to Know About Parenting for more such helpful tips!