Nutrition In The Baby’s First Year Of Life
For the child to grow healthily and develop properly, correct control of nutrition will be essential in the baby’s first year of life. The food you receive during this period will provide you with what you need to stay healthy, although we often don’t know exactly what it requires.
Nutrition in the first year of life
As we know, the little one needs a fairly controlled feeding and breast milk will be their first food until they are ready to receive others.
To have a better understanding of this, it is important that parents take into account how nutrition should be in the first year of life of the child according to their age.
0 to 6 months
During this stage of the baby, breastfeeding will play a very important role. It is because it is the right food and the one that provides a large amount of nutrients to the little one.
It is recommended that the mother ingest at least 10 micrograms of vitamin D per day in this phase.
4-6 months
When the baby enters 4 months of age, experts recommend starting to add his first solid foods. Of course, it should be done under the recommendations of your pediatrician.
The most advisable thing is that you begin to diversify your diet including fruits and vegetables; as long as the baby is at least 4 months old.
6 to 8 months
When the baby reaches 6 months, he continues feeding with breast milk or formula. However, it is important that you also get solid foods such as fruits and vegetables.
If you receive these new foods without any problem, you can also integrate chicken, pasta, fish and others. It is important that those foods that may be difficult for the baby to eat, such as fish, are shredded.
8 to 12 months
Here the baby enters the stage where he can receive a more varied diet and can adapt to eating three times a day. Chicken, rice, vegetables, eggs and other sources of protein can be integrated into your diet.
It is essential that, during this time, you do not consume cow’s milk; at least until he is over one year of age.
Tips for Feeding Your Baby in His First Year
Some habits or foods can affect the baby during breastfeeding and many mothers do not know it. For example, coffee can cause insomnia and great difficulties for you to fall asleep. Therefore, it is important to know what foods and habits can affect your health:
- During the lactation period (where the baby can receive everything we consume) it is advisable not to ingest alcohol, coffee, wine, artichokes, cucumber, peppers, cauliflower and medications that have not been prescribed by the doctor.
- It is advised that the baby receives a lot of water, especially on days with very high temperatures.
- The mother must rest properly during breastfeeding periods. Stress and fatigue can greatly influence milk production.
- It is important that the baby feeds in a calm environment that does not generate stress; This will allow your body to have better digestion.
Advantages of breastfeeding
It is extremely important that the baby receives breast milk for at least the first 6 months of life. In addition to helping them to strengthen their immune system and prevent them from getting sick more easily, breast milk has many benefits for the little one. These are some of them:
- It helps to establish an adequate regulation in the baby’s appetite.
- Breastfeeding reduces bleeding after delivery. In addition, it helps the uterus return to its regular size.
- Breastfeeding helps the mother return to her weight faster; This occurs because the fat stored during pregnancy is converted into energy to produce milk.
- Strengthens the bond between mother and baby.
Good nutrition in the baby’s first year of life will allow him to grow healthy and develop without any inconvenience. It is important that parents are informed about what foods the baby cannot receive until reaching a certain age. In this way, they will be able to establish a diet that does not harm their health.
