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Birth to 4 Months Old Baby Food Ideas & Feeding Tips
Most paediatricians suggest that it is best to feed your baby breastmilk exclusively for the first six months after birth. However, for some, it might become necessary to supplement with formula. In the first year of birth, babies will gain thrice their birth weight. Thus, it becomes essential that they get all the necessary nutrients right from birth.
Which Nutrients are Important for the Child at this Stage?
Your baby needs the following nutrients to grow and develop well:
Folate – this is essential to help the cells in baby’s body to divide.
Calcium – helps in ensuring your baby has strong teeth and bones.
Iron – besides boosting blood cells, it helps in brain development. Your doctor might suggest iron supplements if your baby is exclusively breastfed.
Fat – ensures healthy hair and skin while providing protection against infections. It is also useful in brain development and provides energy.
Zinc – encourages cell repair and growth.
Carbohydrates and proteins – these are necessary to ensure your baby gets the required energy and growth stays on track.
Vitamins – different types of vitamins such as A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, D, E, and K are also essential to facilitate and enhance the normal functioning of the brain, immune system, nervous system, and blood clotting.
Infant formulas are usually fortified to ensure that they are as similar to breast milk as possible. Apart from the above nutrients, some formulas might also have essential fatty acids like DHA and ARA, nucleotides, prebiotics, and probiotics.
Feeding your Baby: Birth to 4 Months
It is important to encourage healthy eating habits in your baby right from the start. Baby feeding plans can usually be broadly categorized into three – baby-led schedules, parent-led feeding patterns, and combination feeding schedules. As the term indicates, baby-led schedules are determined by your infant and tend to be unstructured. Parent-led routines are where there are specific times for eating, playing, and sleeping. Combination feeding schedules tend to be flexible and though fixed by parents, can accommodate the child’s wishes to a certain extent. You have to determine which of these works best for your family based on baby’s needs and your daily lives.
How much and how Often should you Breastfeed?
As your infant grows older, the number of feedings will decline. Your baby is likely to sleep longer and have fewer bowel movements. On an average, your baby will feed about six to eight times each day. If your baby is alert, happy, active, gaining weight, developing well, wetting and soiling an adequate number of diapers each day, then it is likely that your baby is getting enough food. But if your infant seems unhappy after every feed and wants to continue feeding or is cranky and cries a lot, then it might be due to inadequate feeds.
How much and how Often should you Formula-Feed?
Breastmilk is easier to digest than formula. Thus, babies on formula are likely to feed less frequently than those who are breastfed. As they grow older, the number of feeds will decline further. It is important to take care not to overfeed your baby because it is easier for babies to drink from a bottle than the breast.
Feeding Tips to Feed a Newborn to 4-Month-Old Infant
The nutritional requirements of babies will vary as no two babies are alike.
Cues That Your Infant is Hungry
Your baby starts opens his mouth and turns his head towards the breast or the bottle.
The infant starts sucking on his fingers or hands.
Baby is extremely fussy and cries with clenched fists.
Signs of a Satisfied Baby
Baby is no longer interested in the breast or the bottle.
Falls asleep immediately after feeding.
Hands are relaxed and suck very slowly.
Other Things to Remember
Babies tend to have growth spurts, and for some, it can be at the start of the second week and again between three and six weeks.
Spit ups are common in young babies because the muscular valve connecting the oesophagus and the stomach is immature. This allows some of the stomach contents to come back up.
Bowel movements may be as frequent as one after every feed or even once a day or once in three days. This will vary from baby to baby, and so long as your baby is keeping to his schedule, everything should be fine.
For a 1-month baby, food will be all liquids. Avoid giving babies solid foods until they are at least six months old.
When breastfeeding, be sure to switch breasts midway. This way, you will ensure constant milk supply and also avoid engorgement. It can take your baby anywhere between five to 15 minutes to empty one breast. Changing breasts too quickly can deprive your child of the rich hindmilk which is extremely nutritious and filling.
Be sure to burp your baby every time you switch breasts. Babies who spit up a lot may have to be burped more often.
For a 2-months baby, food choices are limited. This is also true when it comes to a 3-months baby. Food is ideally breast milk or formula for infants up to six months. If for some reason, you need to start solids early, you can come up with a 4-month baby food schedule in consultation with your doctor.
Since babies have small tummies, they need to be fed frequently to meet their growth and developmental milestones. Since babies survive solely on milk, either breast milk or formula, for the first four months of their life, it is important to ensure that these are nutritional. Breastfeeding mothers need to eat a healthy diet as this is what gets passed on to the baby. When picking a formula, choose a reputed brand which is adequately fortified.
Disclaimer: This information is just a guide and not a substitute for medical advice from a qualified professional.
Also Read:
Common Digestive Problems in Babies
Introducing Water to Babies
Food Ideas for 4 to 6 Months Old Babies Read more
Rashmi has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
5 hours ago
Q. #asktheexperts what to give children when starting solids?
Rashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 8 m old girl
5 hours ago
A. After completing the time of six months you should start with dal water and rice water followed by all kind of fruits and vegetables porridge khichadi mash banana mash potato mash sweet potato dairy products and varieties made made out of ragi Suji and oats can also be given to your child
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How to Make a Toddler-Friendly Living Room
The living room is usually where your baby learns to crawl and take his first steps. Thus, keeping your living room toddler-friendly is imperative. Some stellar decorating ideas for a kid-friendly room can hold you in good stead.
The growing up of your little one calls for a reassessment and reshuffle of your home decor. You don’t want anything untoward happening to your toddler, the active packet of energy that he is!
Tips to Create a Kid-Friendly Family Room
1. Get a Baby Playpen
Playpens provide enough room for your baby to crawl about while keeping him safe within its confines. The holes in the fencing make it easy for your little one to hold onto the edges with his fingers when trying to stand up. The best part is that you can go about your work without having to constantly keep an eye on your baby's antics!
2. Use Natural Fibre Rugs
Carpets and rugs made from natural fibres are the best options for your family room when you’ve got a toddler wanting to explore every nook and cranny of the home. These rugs are soft to the touch and give that extra protection to your child's knees and hands. Rugs of seagrass and sisal are highly durable and can be easily cleaned without leaving watermarks.
3. Throw in Some Fabric Toy Baskets
Storage bins and baskets come in handy when you’re looking for kid-friendly family room design ideas. The soft texture of fabric bins and baskets make them safe around toddlers. It's also easy to put the toys back when playtime is over. These baskets look pretty and add colour and depth to a room. Double whammy, we think.
4. Take out those Empty Jars and Bottles
One of the coolest design ideas is a crayon jar or two made from empty bottles. Take all those loose crayons and colour pencils and stack them neatly in your empty jam bottles. Teach your kids to do the same when they are done colouring and then place them on your bookshelf or mantel as a showpiece.
5. Put an Ottoman for a Centre Table
Of all the dangers lurking around your room, children are most likely to get knocked or bumped against the coffee or centre table. Opt for an ottoman instead of the traditional rectangular table to prevent such close run-ins. The soft cushioning of an upholstered ottoman will ensure your heart doesn’t skip a beat every time your child falls!
Ensure that your toddler remains safe and sound while decorating the room. Go on a kid-friendly home renovation spree and put an end to worrying about your munchkin getting hurt. Read more
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Soya Chunks Bhurji
Add jazz to the bland yet nutritious soy chunks with our recipe for Soy chunks Bhurji. Spices like garam masala and the ginger garlic will make the simple soy a grand affair for your little one and will take care of his nutrition quota for the day as well. Add a little zing to the recipe by serving it with a dash of lime juice.
Serves
Preparation Time
Cooking Time
4 People
10-15 Minutes
15-20 Minutes
Ingredients
1 tbsp oil
3/4 cup finely chopped onions
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1 pinch turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
salt to taste
3/4 cup soya granules
2 tsp lemon juice
Method
Step 1
Heat oil in a pan, add onions and the ginger-garlic paste and saute till the onions become translucent.
Step 2
Add the tomatoes and saute for another 2 to 3 mins.
Step 3
Add to this mixture turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala, salt and mix well. Cook for a further 2 mins.
Step 4
Add the soya chunks to the pan with a little lemon juice, mix well and let it cook for a further 5 to 7 mins.
Step 5
Garnish with coriander and serve hot.
Nutritional Information
Calories
60 K cal
Proteins
7.1 g
Fats
5.5 g
Carbohydrates
5.8 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
292 mg
Potassium
48 mg
*For frying, add approximately 10 grams of fat per serving at 9 Kcal/gm of fat. Read more
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Don't Let The Tricky 30's Mess Up Your Style Quotient
Your age and style quotient should always go in tandem with each other for a refined look. Once you understand what to embrace and what to omit, dressing for your age becomes simple. So go ahead and allow your style to ooze out, even in your 30s!
Are you in that awkward age bracket of the late 20's and new 30's when clothes that once looked ‘wow’ on you are now no longer rated as age appropriate dressing? Wondering what the right kind of clothes for women in their 30's are? It's time you scanned your wardrobe and moved away from your fashion menopause! After all, it’s all about regaining your attitude, style, and looks.
Get Your 30's Style Dresses Right By Picking Wisely
Gone are the days when fashion for women over 30 was non-existent. The average fashion brand too now has a lot to offer to all women across different age-groups! You should only be able to make wise choices.
1. No Junior Department Stores
If you want to know how to dress your age then start looking at nattily dressed moms who're no longer visiting junior department stores. This is the time to evolve your style gracefully with age appropriate clothing. Adopt a more mature, sombre and classic look. In other words, stay away from whimsical designs, kitschy sequins, multicoloured dresses or cute T-shirts.
2. Avoid Scrimping
Instead of scrimping or investing in awkward fashion, buy fewer more refined clothes with better quality fabric and cut. Remember to look beyond the ordinary for a more chic and age-friendly look.
3. What Works, What Doesn't
Cap sleeves with slight stretching materials, knee-length skirts, cuts that are alluring without being crass, shine-free, and designer-wear sans embellishment or tricky details are what you should be looking for. The right dressing for your age at 30 should refrain from graphic tees, skater dresses, non-matching socks, furry boots, and so forth. Short dresses and miniskirts are avoidable too; remember, at this stage of life, some things are best left to the imagination.
4. Age-Old Advice
Skew your dressing sense in line with those of role models such as Victoria Beckham and Angelina Jolie. So, if you are looking towards donning camel shades, then match the same with your skin tone (if it’s too pale, you'll look washed out). Likewise, dressing your age in the 30s with dresses would demand a check on seams, hems, and also their finishing. Most grown-up dressing is also about going in for well-made pieces. Tight dresses that show the bulge should be avoided; wear garments that skim without clinging. Overall, instead of viewing sophisticated dressing as an essential trend, adopt classic ways of dressing as your long-term style strategy.
5. Right Innerwear for a Better Frame
Like it or not, years of physical stress, pregnancy, lack of exercise and other lifestyle issues may be telling on the tightness of your frame. The best way out is obviously to invest in good shapewear. Look good by investing in the right bras, panty-hoses, skin huggers and so forth, you wouldn't be disappointed by the way you look.
Rather than being the ‘treacherous 30s’, these years of your life are all about settling down in your domestic and workplace roles with more fashionable and stylish clothes to boot. However, the important thing is to look your age and rock it with a killer attitude that is fashionable! Read more
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Few things about postpartum which no one will tell you!
Delivery has happened, baby is out and you might think that's the end of distressful times of carrying around a baby in your belly, the mood swings, the cravings and the weight. But let me tell you the struggle has just begun.After all the trauma the body has undergone post delivery whether natural or a c-sec, you have to deal with breastfeeding, sleepless nights, recuperation and post- partem depression.
Before becoming a mother I was ignorant about few facts however with responsibility comes experience. This post might help to be mothers, father's and their closed ones.
1. Breast feeding is not as natural as it may sound. There can be problems with baby not latching or mothers not producing enough milk. I struggled for my baby to latch for initial two months. I was persistent and one day she latched like a pro. If you want to breastfeed your baby and things are not going the way you wanted immediately contact alactation consultant.
2. It's not easy for every mother to cope up with breastfeeding immediately after a delivery. With so much turmoil your body has gone through, breastfeeding is about round the clock feeding, extended hours of feeding and sleepless nights.
3. A mother who breastfeeds should be supported in every possible way. Someone needs to understand that her body is still recovering. A mother needs to be there for a child which means someone close (father, closed relatives) should take responsibility of the mother and the household chores. The mother needs to eat healthy to build and maintain her milk supply. Initially I thought I can manage all on my own. But this can lead to deterioration of your health, depression and extreme stress.
4. Giving formula is no crime. No mother should feel guilty and neither anyone should accuse or doubt her for giving formula. It's a mothers choice. She will do what is best for her child. No one knows the reason behind her starting formula and she should not be judged or be answerable to anyone.
5. Postpartum depression is real. I faced it for initial 2 months. There is a sudden dip in hormones and a mother feels sad all the time for no reason. That's where the father should understand and support her partner to snap out of it. Some mothers struggle and give up on everything including their baby.
6. I haven't been able to gather much courage to feed my baby in public as I didnt feel comfortable but feeding in public should not raise any eyebrows. That's baby's food. Like we eat in public, it should be as normal to feed in public.
I hope this article helps you and your loved ones to get ready mentally. Do your best but in doing best don't pressurise yourself physically, mentally and emotionally. Read more
Rashmi has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
6 hours ago
Q. can I take zanocin 200 during breastfeeding
Rashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 8 m old girl
5 hours ago
A. I’m not aware about what medicine it is for I can only tell you that these basic medicines you can take throughout your lactation it’s not a problem the medicines that you could take before your pregnancy can always be taken during the time of lactation
Rashmi has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
5 hours ago
Q. #asktheexpert mam iam 33 weeks now when can I expect delivery date
Rashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 8 m old girl
5 hours ago
A. The basic delivery date is normally 39 to 3 40 weeks of your pregnancy whenever you are ready for your delivery and whenever you hit your labour that’s going to be the right time for you further move your Dr is going to tell you when are you going to deliver with the help of an ultrasound
Rashmi has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
5 hours ago
Q. iam 33 weeks pregnant now
Rashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 8 m old girl
5 hours ago
A. What is your question associated with your pregnancy that you haven’t mentioned clearly can you please repost your question providing all the necessary details so at least I know and understand what are you willing to ask and accordingly I can give you help and assistance on that
Jennifer has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 3 months
3 hours ago
Q. I am 23 weeks 1 day pregnant. I was feeling the movements actively until today. Baby movements were not that good or maybe I didn’t feel it that way today. Is it a cause of concern? Should I wait for a day or two or should I go and see my gynaecologist?
Please suggest!
Read moreJennifer
Mom of 6 children
3 hours ago
A. please consult ur gynae asap.
Dr Sameer awadhiya has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
2 hours ago
Q. she doing from yesterday at night time only once and she having breast milk as well as formula feed nan pro 1 ,I have concern about like this potty yellow and grey ,I want to know it's normal ???
Dr Sameer awadhiya
Paediatrician
1 hour ago
A. Loose motion are most of the time infective where it is associated with fever and vomiting and its known as gastroenteritis where symptbomatic treatment along wjith management for dehydration is required if loose motions are associated with foul smell mucous high grade fever than it could be bacterial infection which needs antibiotics treatment
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