At the age of six months, the baby becomes more active, tries to sit, and the time comes to significantly expand his menu. The diet of a 6-month-old bottle-fed baby will differ from the diet of an infant, and the feeding regimen will change slightly.

Features of the diet for IV

Of course, the best food for a child is mother's milk, however, when for some reason breastfeeding is impossible, it is replaced with artificial adaptive formulas. Science does not stand still and such nutrition is balanced both in calorie content and vitamin and microelement composition, but still it is not completely identical to molov.

It is for this reason that by the age of 6 months, and sometimes a couple of weeks earlier, the artificial baby begins to be offered additional dishes.

Worth knowing! Not all pediatricians agree with the need for early introduction of complementary feeding to artificial children. Popular pediatrician-TV presenter Dr. Komarovsky E.A. claims that modern formulas have a sufficient content of useful and nutritious substances, so there is no need to start supplementing the child with other products before the due date.

Benefits of complementary feeding:

• helps the baby gain weight normally;
• supports its activity;
• strengthens the immune system.

You can read how and what to supplement a child feeding on breast milk in the article “”.

It is likely that by the age of six months the child has already tried the first complementary food and one feeding was replaced with it. As a rule, the baby is offered one-ingredient vegetable puree or dairy-free porridge as the first food.

Worth knowing! For a child on IV, you can mix such porridge with a mixture, or immediately choose ready-made milk porridges from various grains.

Authorized Products

Of course, not all products can be offered to a baby at the age of 6 months. It's worth holding off on:

• allergens;
• foods that are difficult to digest;
• cookies, crackers and bagels that can cause a child to choke.

Important! The main rule for introducing complementary foods is one new product per week. Thus, in a month the child will be able to get used to 2-4 products and dishes prepared from their combinations.

From 6 months of age, the child should be offered the following foods:

1. Vegetables. Vegetable puree is extremely healthy for your baby and enriches his diet with fiber and valuable microelements. It is for this reason that pediatricians recommend introducing them into the diet first. Suitable first foods include: cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, potatoes, carrots. When the baby has tried all the vegetables in the form of a single puree, you can offer him soup, combining several products at once. Vegetables and dishes prepared from them will be useful for children suffering from constipation.
2. Porridge. Cereal porridges begin to be introduced after vegetable purees. Hypoallergenic cereals that do not cause unwanted reactions in a child are: rice, corn, buckwheat. Porridge promotes good weight gain and solves the problem of frequent regurgitation. You can purchase baby porridges that are ready for breeding, or cook them yourself. A child should not prepare porridge with milk at such an early age; artificial workers are allowed to dilute it with the usual mixture. If your baby is gaining weight too slowly. It is allowed to introduce porridges into the daily diet before vegetables.
3. Cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is not only nutritious, but also an easily digestible product. It contains valuable milk protein and calcium. Necessary for the development of teeth and bones, minerals and vitamins. At the same time, it may be too heavy for the baby’s developing kidneys, and it is introduced gradually, starting with a minimum portion of 5 grams.
4. Fruits. Kids really like fruit puree. In order not to provoke allergies, children of 6 months are offered apples and pears, as well as a little banana. When the baby gets used to the new product, you can increase its portion to 60 grams.
5. Meat. After a full introduction of fruits and vegetables into the child’s diet, the child is given meat to try: turkey, veal, rabbit. You can purchase ready-made meat purees in the baby food department, or prepare meat purees yourself, carefully checking the quality of the product.
6. Yolk. Egg yolks contain healthy fats, proteins and vitamin A. However, it is worth considering that the core of a chicken egg can provoke an allergic reaction. You should purchase either homemade eggs or quail eggs (preferably), and boil them hard. Children suffering from constipation should be offered the product later, when the stool situation has returned to normal.

Worth knowing! Semolina porridge should not be offered to your baby, or it should be given extremely rarely for variety in the diet. According to research, semolina contributes to the development of rickets and obesity in children.

Despite the WHO opinion on the need for cereals and vegetables in children's diets, Dr. Komarovsky has his own opinion on this matter, recommending starting complementary feeding with baby kefir.

Kefir is similar in composition to milk and does not cause a negative response in the baby’s digestive system. In addition, lactic acid bacteria have a positive effect on intestinal function and promote the digestion of other foods.

According to Komarovsky’s advice, kefir is offered to the child once a day, in the morning, starting with two teaspoons with a gradual increase in the serving volume to 150 ml. Following kefir, you can introduce cottage cheese, adding it directly to the fermented milk drink.

The daily intake of cottage cheese at 6 months of age is up to 30 g, with a gradual increase by 9 months to 50 g.

A popular pediatrician recommends replacing one morning feeding with a fermented milk product, and then starting to try porridge.

Important! The chewing reflex of a six-month-old child is not well developed, so any products offered to him must be thoroughly pureed. It is best to use a special blender. Lumps in food can cause severe vomiting.

Complementary feeding rules

You can supplement your baby's nutrition using different methods. Modern pediatrics involves the use of complementary foods in two ways:

• pedagogical;
• pediatric.

With pedagogical complementary feeding, separate dishes are not prepared for the child and he receives all foods in microdoses immediately from the adult table. This method is advisable to use when the baby is breastfed. At the same time, it is important that only healthy and healthy dishes are present on the parent’s table. Therefore, you will have to give up smoked, preserved, spicy and salty foods during the complementary feeding period.

Pediatric complementary feeding involves the introduction of specific foods into the child’s diet in a certain order, taking into account his needs and physiological characteristics. At the same time, the timing of introducing complementary foods may differ:

1. According to WHO (World Health Organization) recommendations, from 6 months.
2. According to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health (Ministry of Health), complementary feeding is introduced from 4 months for IV, and from 6 months for breastfeeding.

Important! Complementary feeding does not replace milk feeding, but only complements it. You should not try to feed your child new foods; it is important to introduce them to the baby’s gastrointestinal tract gradually.

The product for the first complementary feeding is selected based on the baby’s body weight and other characteristics (susceptibility to allergic reactions, etc.).

The general rules for introducing complementary foods are as follows:

1. A new dish is offered to the child before the main feeding (milk formula). Food is given using a special small spoon.
2. The temperature of the dish should be approximately equal to the child's body temperature.
3. The new product is introduced in a minimal amount (a teaspoon), with the serving volume doubling daily. During the period of introducing a new food, it is important to monitor the child’s reaction to it (pattern of stool, allergy symptoms), and stop introducing the baby to the product if any unwanted symptoms appear.
4. You should not mix different types of foods in one serving.
5. It is better to give complementary foods for testing in the morning, so that it is convenient to monitor the child’s reaction to it, and only then the baby is absolutely healthy.

Mode and menu

From 6 months of age, the child is fed five times a day. With intervals between meals of four hours and a night break of 8 hours.

The feeding regimen of a six-month-old baby may look like this:

1. 6:00 – 7:00 – mixture
2. 10:00 – 11:00 complementary foods + formula
3. 14:00 – 15:00 complementary foods + formula
4. 18:00 – 19:00 mixture
5. 22:00 (before bedtime) – mixture.

Worth knowing! Meal times may vary depending on the child's daily routine and naps. Complementary feeding should be offered at a time when the baby is most active.

After introducing all the necessary products into the baby’s diet, his daily menu will look like this:

Important! The child’s menu can be varied depending on the pediatrician’s recommendations, the time of the baby’s greatest activity and his taste preferences.

Recipes

Dishes for a baby are prepared differently from adult food:

• Do not add salt and seasonings to food;
• It is best to use steaming food as a heat treatment method;
• all dishes must be thoroughly chopped using a blender;
• It is permissible to add oil to food (from vegetable oils, preference should be given to corn and olive);
• For a young child, all vegetables and fruits for complementary feeding should be thermally processed, except perhaps bananas.

The menu for a six-month-old child is not too extensive, and the recipes are simple and accessible to everyone:

1. Vegetables. Cauliflower is offered to the baby as vegetable complementary food. Broccoli, zucchini and squash. Before cooking, they need to be thoroughly rinsed, peeled and rinsed again. Peeled vegetables are finely chopped and steamed until soft. The finished products are crushed to a puree state. To obtain a soft consistency, you can dilute the puree with vegetable broth or the baby’s usual milk formula and add a few drops of oil.
2. Porridge. You can prepare porridge for your baby yourself, or buy it ready-made and dilute it before use. To prepare it yourself, rinse the selected grains (buckwheat, rice, corn) thoroughly and dry them, then grind them into powder with a coffee grinder. Pour the ground cereal into boiling water and stir occasionally. To further speed up the cooking process, you can grind the grains in advance. You can also cook whole grains for at least an hour, then grind them in a blender and bring to a boil, diluting them with water or a mixture.
3. Meat. Giving your baby meat is strictly dietary. Rabbit, veal, domestic chicken and turkey fillets are suitable. To prepare meat puree, cut the meat into pieces, add water and cook until fully cooked, cool and mince a couple of times. You can grind the meat with a blender, then dilute it with vegetable broth or boiled water and bring the resulting mass to a boil. Meat broth is contraindicated for young children.
4. Soup. After your baby has successfully gotten used to several vegetables, you can prepare a soup for him from them. Boil the selected vegetables until tender, then grind (through a sieve or blender), dilute with vegetable broth and season with a few drops of vegetable oil (you can also take a couple of grams of butter). A little later, you can try adding cereals to the soup, porridges from which the child has already tried.

Nutrition for a 6-month-old baby is an important issue that should take into account, in addition to general recommendations, the individual characteristics of the baby. You should not try to feed a six-month-old baby a large number of different foods, but give preference to those that grow in the region where the family lives.

What menu would be correct for a 6 month old baby? What products should be included in it, and what to wait for? How to prepare food, and is it worth using industrial cereals and purees?

show more

We started complementary feeding at 6 months, as our pediatrician told us. We didn’t have any problems, my son was interested in trying something new besides boobs)) We started with zucchini puree, I actually boiled it, although it would have been better to steam it, of course. Without salt and without anything. Then I stirred it with a blender, and they started)) He ate in a high chair and I gave him complete freedom of action. Mashed potatoes, of course, were everywhere, but he quickly learned to eat himself and this process was interesting to him. Then they started adding carrots, broccoli, potatoes, and pumpkin. Salt began to add a little to 9 months, because my son stopped eating altogether. And I started again with salt. Then they began to eat fruit, and then continued as required according to the complementary feeding table: meat, fish and more. The main thing is patience for mother and baby)

Answer

We started eating bananas and apples when we were 5 months old, and the baby really liked it. Now we are half a year old, we happily eat semolina porridge, mashed potatoes, and light soups. Even though everyone today says that little children can’t drink milk, I give it to my son. He really likes it and everything is fine.

Answer

Usually fruits are not introduced first into complementary foods - after them the child may not eat well.... this is strange, but oh well. I just started giving cereal purees - buckwheat, because I don’t want to take cereals with gluten yet, I’m afraid of allergies. We are 6, 3 months old, buckwheat is going great - naturally without salt and without sugar, purely natural. but a little bit of everything - we gradually increase the dose, the main feedings are morning and evening - on an adapted mixture, on Nuppy Gold. We're still going according to plan)

Answer

Irina, I overcame wrinkles very easily - the “Zdorov” cream helped. I found out about him from an interview about Rotapy... Look here for more details, if interested goo.gl/Rw7vWc ◄◄ (copy_link_to_browser)

By six months of age, your baby is probably eating cereals and a variety of fruit and vegetable purees. He can receive complementary foods 1, 2 or 3 times a day. A sample menu for a child consists of porridge for breakfast, vegetables and bean curd or well-cooked beans for lunch, porridge and fruit for dinner. However, there cannot be strict rules here. It all depends on the child’s appetite and your preferences.

For example, a child with a poor appetite can be given fruit for breakfast, tofu with vegetables or beans for lunch, and porridge for dinner. If your baby is prone to constipation, you can give him prunes with porridge every evening, and other fruits for breakfast and lunch. You can also give your child beans and vegetables for dinner, like all family members, and porridge and fruit for lunch.

Many babies and some formula-fed babies don't start eating solids until they are 6 months old. Their digestion and taste preferences by this time are better formed than at 4 months. They can be offered new food more often and, accordingly, move to three meals a day faster.

Eating with hands at 6 months

By the time a baby is 6-7 months old, he wants to pick up food, suck and lick it. This is good preparation for independent feeding with a spoon at one year of age. If children have never been allowed to eat with their hands, they will likely be reluctant to try eating with a spoon.

Traditionally, the first food that is given to a child is a stale crust of bread or cracker. A small dry bun will also do. Children happily suck and chew it with their toothless gums. If they are teething at this time, their gums itch, and biting gives them special pleasure. As saliva softens the bread, some of it enters the mouth, and the child feels that he is eating something. Of course, bread mostly ends up on your hands, face, hair and furniture. Cookies often contain too much sugar, which makes children addicted to sweets. Therefore, it is better to give him something more harmless.

At 8-9 months, most children already have sufficiently developed coordination of movements to grasp small objects with their fingers. At this moment, you can put pieces of fruit, boiled vegetables or bean curd on the table in front of the child so that he can pick them up with his hands. (This is the age when you need to be careful that there are no small objects lying on the floor that could pose a choking hazard. A good rule of thumb is that an object is a hazard to your baby if it fits into the opening of a toilet paper roll.)

Children love it when their parents give them pieces of food from their plates. Some babies refuse food given to them by their parents, but will gladly take it with their own hands. Many children put everything in their mouths at once, so it’s better to start by offering them one piece of food at a time.

Usually the first teeth appear by 7 months. Many children already have 4-6 sharp front teeth in their mouths per year. (However, there is no strict timetable for teething, and the process occurs differently for every child. Many healthy babies don't grow their first teeth until after they're a year old.) Most children don't have their first molars, which can be used to chew food, until they're 15 months old. . However, teeth or no teeth, they are somehow so good at eating that by their first birthday, most of them are able to refuse specially prepared baby food and can eat with their hands the same thing that the rest of the family eats. , provided that the food is finely chopped and does not contain hard pieces that could cause choking.

Purees and chunks after 6 months

After 6 months, the child should be taught to eat food in pieces. If after this age he continues to eat only pureed food, then it will become increasingly difficult for you to make this transition.
Some children seem to naturally handle morsels easily. Others, even at an older age, easily choke on pieces of food. This most likely happens because parents either tried too hard or too late to switch them from purees to kibble, or forced children to eat when they didn't want to.

There are two important things to consider when making the transition from pureed food to kibbles. First, the transition must be gradual. When you first give your child vegetables in pieces, mash them thoroughly with a fork. Don't put too much food in your baby's mouth. When he gets used to this consistency of food, knead it less thoroughly. Secondly, allow your child to pick up small pieces with his hands and put them in his mouth. But don't try to shove a spoonful of morsels into his mouth that he's not used to.

So, start changing your feeding pattern around 6 months by allowing your baby to pick up food with his hands. You can prepare food for your child in the form of purees and pieces from those boiled vegetables and fruits that you use for the rest of the family, or buy him baby food that uses crushed products. It is not at all necessary to give all food in the form of pieces, but it is useful for the child to get used to the fact that every day he receives not only purees.

If you give your child meat, it should be thoroughly chopped. Most children do not like to chew large pieces of meat. They chew them for a long time and do not dare to swallow them, as adults do. This may cause the baby to choke. There are other reasons why you should stop eating meat, or at least postpone introducing it into your baby’s diet until an older age.

Most children love potatoes, pasta and rice. They can be given to the child along with other foods. Pasta made from whole wheat grains and brown rice contain more fiber and vitamins than refined foods.

Homemade baby food for 6 month olds

Many parents prefer to prepare food for their babies themselves from time to time or constantly. There is nothing particularly difficult about this. When you cook yourself, you have more control over the ingredients in your dishes and how they are prepared. You can use fresh produce grown with organic fertilizers for this. Plus, home-cooked food is cheaper than store-bought food.

There are many good recipe books for children. To prepare food, you will need a mixer, blender or food processor.

Before feeding your baby, be sure to thoroughly stir reheated food and check its temperature, especially if you reheated it in a microwave oven, which heats the food from the inside, which may cause hot spots in the food. As a result, one spoon may turn out to be cold and the other too hot. You can prepare food for your baby at a consistency that suits him. If necessary, it can be diluted with water, expressed breast milk or artificial milk formula. Or freeze in an ice tray and store as needed.

Food for a child under one year of age should not contain any seasonings.

If your baby eats the same food as you, you will have to slightly change your taste preferences in terms of using salt and sugar and carefully grind all foods.

Ready-made baby food aged 6 months

When they first started producing baby food in jars, it consisted of either only vegetables, or only fruits, or only meat. Nowadays, companies producing it offer purees consisting of vegetables and starch, fruits and starch, as well as combined meat-vegetable purees, which include starch, vegetables and meat. Most often, refined rice, corn or wheat are used to make starch.

If you buy ready-made food for your child, carefully read the small letters on the packaging. The can may say "Mashed Beans" in large letters, but in small print it may say "Cornstarched Beans." Try to buy just vegetable or fruit purees to be sure that the child receives these valuable products and not refined starch. Avoid foods that contain sugar or salt.

Do not expose your child to puddings and desserts containing gelatin. They do not have the necessary nutritional value and contain a lot of sugar. It is better to give your baby regular pureed fruits. If your child has never tried refined sugar, fruit will taste naturally sweet to him.

What to do if a child chokes?

All children choke sometimes when they start eating solid foods, just as they fall when they learn to walk. The following are the most common foods that children under 5 years of age most often choke on:

• pieces of meat;
• dragee candies;
• pieces of raw carrots;
• peanut;
• grape;
• apple pieces;
• cookie;
• popcorn.

Nine times out of ten, children who choke easily spit out food or swallow it without help. When your baby fails to do this, remove the stuck piece with your fingers if you can see it. If it is not visible, place the baby on your lap, belly down, and vigorously tap your palm between the shoulder blades. This almost always helps and the child can start eating again. In some cases, you may need to take immediate action.

Some parents are so worried about the child choking that they are too late in allowing him to handle food with his hands and give him food in pieces.

The problem is not that children cannot chew or swallow. Most often this happens when the child takes a deep breath while eating. This can happen if the baby laughs, cries, or is surprised. At this point, food from the mouth enters directly into the respiratory tract, blocking it.

This does not mean that a child under 5 years old should not be given the above products (although I would not recommend the pills at any age). However, children should eat while sitting at a table under constant adult supervision. Teach them to chew their food thoroughly and take smaller bites from larger pieces.

Your baby is already six months old, it’s time to introduce complementary foods. All children are different, so it is difficult to predict how your baby will react to this. Sometimes it takes time for your baby to get used to different textures and different tastes of foods. But perhaps your baby will like complementary foods right away.

Some mothers are in no hurry to wean their babies from the breast and leave the initiative to them, others quite quickly switch to spoon-feeding all kinds of purees. We will explain which foods are best introduced at a given age so that the baby gradually gets used to regular food.

Why should you give something other than milk?

At six months of age, baby begins to need additional nutrients from solid foods - especially iron. However, he will need breast milk or formula for a long time - at least up to a year.

Over the first six months of life, the child’s digestive and immune systems gradually become stronger and more resilient. By six months, the child’s body is ready for solid food. And physiological readiness means that he is unlikely to have a reaction to what he has eaten.

If you want to start introducing complementary foods before six months, you must first take your baby to the doctor. At this age, the baby cannot yet digest many substances, including gluten, which is found in cereals, cow's milk and eggs.

When the baby is six months old, many foods can be given to him - and introduced quite quickly. Here's where to start:

• Mashed or well-mashed boiled vegetables - for example, potatoes, parsnips, carrots, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower;


• Fruit puree - poached ripe apple, pear, mashed banana;


• Boiled rice or other porridge with the addition of the milk that the baby usually drinks;

At first it is better to give the child puree, although some babies can already cope with small lumps - provided that the product is well mashed. Children quickly learn to crush soft food with their gums, even if they do not yet have teeth.

When the child learns to eat from a spoon, complementary foods can be varied with new foods. Children, like adults, get bored of eating the same thing. Instead of constantly offering your child pureed vegetables and porridge, try the following:

• Puree of meat, fish or chicken. Boil the meat thoroughly and make sure there are no bones.


• Lentils, peas, chickpeas or other legumes, pureed or well mashed.


• Whole milk yogurt, cottage cheese, homemade cheese. But remember that a child should not be given cow's milk (or goat's or sheep's milk) until he is one year old.


• Vegetable puree with a more intense flavor - for example, from green peas, cabbage or spinach.

Try to feed your child homemade food. Try to use baby food jars only occasionally and not for everyday feeding.

Although it is generally recommended that solid foods be introduced at six months, you may see baby food for 4-month-olds in the baby section of the store. You can also give food that says “from 7 months.” But it may need to be further mashed or crushed.

Whatever baby food you buy, read the labels carefully. Choose the one that has the least salt and sugar.

What foods can be given to a 7-9 month old baby?

Now the baby can be seated at the common table during family meals. Several reasons why homemade baby food is better than store-bought food:

• you know exactly what ingredients are in the dish;
• the child gets used to your cooking.

If you are breastfeeding, your baby may be able to taste the food you eat. Therefore, he will most likely quickly get used to the food that you prefer.

A baby of this age can already be given mashed or finely chopped food instead of puree. It was noticed that children who were given heterogeneous food after 10 months rejected it more often. Such children become more picky, and in the future it is more difficult to persuade them to try food with a new taste or texture.

A significant portion of a child's diet should consist of starchy foods. For example: porridge, baby bread, potatoes, couscous, bread, pasta, rice. But, of course, starchy foods should be supplemented with protein. You can give your child something from this list:

• fish (not shark, swordfish or marlin);
• hard-boiled eggs;
• dairy products;
• lean red meat;
• bird;
• legumes

If your child eats a lot of beans and lentils - for example, if you follow a vegetarian diet - be sure to give him bread, rice or pasta. Too much fiber can make a small stomach feel full, and your baby may not be able to absorb other important nutrients.

If your child likes to eat small pieces and take them with his hands, encourage him. Perhaps he likes to feel that he is in control of the process. Try giving your baby boiled green peas or carrots, cubes of cheese, slices of banana or soft pear.

The child may still drink a lot of milk, but this does not stop him from trying other drinks. Give him cooled boiled water from a glass with a soft spout. If you decide to give your child fruit juice, save it for lunch and dilute it with water in a ratio of 1 to 10. It is better to pour the juice into a glass or sippy cup, rather than into a bottle. Giving your child juice with their meals helps them absorb iron from foods, and their growing teeth are less affected as a result.

You can supplement your baby with formula milk after meals. But this is not necessary if you have a balanced diet.

What to feed a baby 10 months and older?

Now your baby's food is more like an adult's. Products no longer need to be ground into pulp; they can simply be chopped. The child can be fed thoroughly two or three times a day, and given something to snack in between.

If you are breastfeeding, your baby can be offered regular feedings. Perhaps now he will not ask for the breast as often as before. If you bottle feed your baby, you can eliminate one or two daily feedings. But a child under one year old should still receive 500–600 ml of formula per day.

What foods should not be given to a child under one year old?

Some foods should not be given to a baby if he is under one year old:

• Salt. The baby's kidneys cannot cope with salt yet. In addition, it is generally better not to accustom him to salt for as long as possible. Do not give your child mashed foods prepared for adults if they already contain salt.


• Honey. Even if the baby has a cough, he should not be given honey until he is one year old. It may contain bacteria that are toxic to your baby's sensitive intestines.


• Sugar. If you wish, you can sweeten the dessert with mashed banana or mashed dried fruit.


• Artificial sugar substitutes. Diet drinks and ready-made porridge containing artificial sugar substitutes are not suitable for a child. They are not nutritious at all and only provoke a love of sweets.


• Whole nuts. The child may choke.
• Certain types of fish. A child should not be given shark, swordfish or marlin meat. These types of fish may contain mercury.


• Tea or coffee. Do not rush to add tea to a bottle of milk. The tannin contained in tea can interfere with the absorption of iron from food. Do not give your child any drinks containing caffeine.


• Low-fat foods. Butter, yoghurt or low-fat cheese are not suitable for a child. Give your baby foods that contain the usual amount of fat. He needs calories.

Some foods can cause poisoning. To play it safe, do not give your child:

• soft blue cheeses, such as camembert or brie,
• raw or poorly processed seafood,
• soft-boiled or raw eggs,
• liver paste.

What about food allergies?

If there is a history of allergies in your family, it is best to discuss your baby's diet with your doctor.

It makes sense to introduce foods that often cause allergies one at a time. This way you can immediately see if your child has a reaction and can quickly rule out allergens. Start with very small portions - and do not give these foods to a baby under six months old. Products that should be administered with caution, separately from others:

• cereals containing gluten – wheat, rye, barley and oats,
• Fish and seafood,
• citrus fruit,
• peanut butter,
• cow's milk
• eggs.

A six-month-old baby no longer looks like a newborn baby. During his first six months of life, he more than doubled his weight, learned to roll over, crawl, and maybe even sit. His leisure time becomes more varied, he is actively interested in the space around him, acquires new skills, and expresses his emotions. For normal development of a child, a properly organized and comfortable daily routine is important. A 6-month-old child needs proper sleep, proper nutrition, hygiene procedures and walks, as well as educational games, exercises, and massage.

Content:

Features of a child's nutrition at 6 months

For a baby at 6 months, breast milk remains the main food product, which he can receive on demand or according to a schedule. However, its nutritional value is no longer able to fully satisfy the child’s needs, so complementary foods are being introduced into the diet of infants. For artificial infants, complementary feeding, in agreement with the supervising pediatrician, begins 1–2 months earlier. For children who are fed mother's milk on a schedule, as well as those who are on mixed or completely artificial feeding, 5-6 feedings per day with an interval of 4 hours are recommended. If the baby receives mother's milk on demand, then the number of feedings may be greater.

Depending on the child's reaction to new food and the rate of weight gain by the end of the sixth month, complementary feeding can completely replace one breastfeeding. Products recommended for complementary feeding include fruits and vegetables (apples, broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower) in the form of juices or purees, porridge, special children's kefir, yogurt or cottage cheese. Their choice is carried out under the supervision of a doctor, taking into account the characteristics of the baby.

When introducing complementary foods, you must adhere to the following rules:

1. Each product is given for the first time, starting with ½ tsp, gradually increasing the amount in subsequent days, provided that the child’s body reacts normally to it.
2. It is necessary to give completely new food in the first half of the day in order to be able to track the reaction throughout the day.
3. Dishes should be offered to the child in a well-chopped semi-liquid state, since he is not yet at all familiar with food with a solid consistency.

If skin rashes and other allergic reactions or gastrointestinal disturbances occur, the introduction of the product that provoked such a reaction should be postponed for several weeks.

Sleeping and waking patterns of a six-month-old baby

The total waking time of a newborn baby, as a rule, is no more than ¼ of the day. As it grows and develops, it gradually increases, and by 6 months it can already be 8–9 hours.

The duration of night sleep for a six-month-old child is about 10 hours. During this time, many babies wake up once or twice to eat. This is especially true for those who are breastfed. Children on artificial or mixed nutrition mostly eat porridge or cottage cheese at night, which ensures a feeling of fullness for a long time. They can sleep without a break for about 9 hours or more.

Daytime naps become shorter and more frequent. Depending on their temperament, physical activity, state of the nervous system and other individual characteristics, children of this age sleep 2 or 3 times for 1.5–2 hours.

Advice: It is necessary to put the child to bed at approximately the same time (plus or minus 30 minutes) every day, following a certain procedure before bedtime, which will allow parents to avoid many problems when getting the baby to fall asleep.

The child's sleep and wakefulness patterns change periodically. For example, if he previously slept three times during the day, now two times may be enough for him. Signs of readiness to switch to two naps a day are a decrease in the duration of the third nap to 40 minutes, an unwillingness to go to bed, and the ability to stay awake for 3 hours without overwork and whims.

You should put your child to bed at the first sign of fatigue. If this is not done on time, then everything will end in whims, overexcitation, and it will be more difficult for him to calm down and fall asleep later.

Exercises while awake

The baby's periods of wakefulness at 6 months become longer, and he wants to spend this time actively. Walking in the fresh air, various toys, gymnastics, and massage will come to the rescue.

Almost all children like to play while sitting in a high chair, in a playpen or on a development mat. They can spend quite a lot of time doing this activity in front of their mother. Toys that can be offered to a baby should be safe, designed for his age, and contribute to the development of fine motor skills and other skills in the child. Children are especially willing to play with bright toys made from different materials. These can be rubber balls, wooden, fabric and plastic cubes, pyramids, sorters, musical toys and others.

During a walk, it is useful to draw the baby’s attention to the world around him, show him cats, dogs, birds, let him touch leaves, smell flowers. In the summer, when it is light outside for a long time, you need to walk twice a day for 2–2.5 hours. In winter and autumn, if the weather permits, it is recommended to go outside at least once and ventilate the apartment more often.

Parents should pay great attention to the physical development of the child. Many six-month-old children can roll over, crawl, and some even sit. To consolidate these achievements, you need to do simple exercises and a relaxing massage with your baby. They will contribute to the development and strengthening of his muscles, improving coordination of movements. Before starting such activities, you need to consult with your pediatrician to choose the most suitable complex. It is better if a professional children's massage therapist demonstrates to parents the correctness of performing the exercises.

Games that can excite the baby and put him in an excited state should be played no later than 1.5 hours before bedtime, no matter whether it is during the day, evening or night. Overstimulation from play or other activities can prevent your baby from falling asleep peacefully.

Approximate daily routine

The daily routine of each child is formed individually, taking into account his characteristics and the characteristics of the life of the family into which he was born. The main thing is that it is comfortable for the baby and provides all his needs.

An approximate daily routine for a 6 month old baby with three naps during the day:

07:00 – getting up, hygiene procedures
07:10 – feeding
07:00 – 09:00 – exercises, games
09:00 – 11:00 – afternoon nap
11:00 – feeding (complementary feeding)
11:00 – 13:00 – time in the air
13:00 – 15:00 – afternoon nap
15:00 – feeding
15:00 – 17:00 – time in the air
17:00 – 19:00 – afternoon nap
19:00 – feeding
19:00 – 20:30 – games, communication with parents
20:30 – water procedures
21:00 – night sleep
23:00 – feeding

If a child sleeps only twice during the day, then the first nap should be between 10:00 and 12:30, and the second from 16:00 to 18:30. At the same time, night sleep may become longer due to earlier bedtime or later rise in the morning.

Important: Compliance with a certain regime is of great importance for a small child. This will ensure his successful development, good mood and well-being, normal appetite, quick falling asleep and peaceful awakening.

Video: Pediatrician about the developmental features of a child aged 6 months