Feeding Tips – what you need to keep in mind

As a parent, we always wanted what’s best for our child. And most importantly, we wanted them to be healthy. Right mommies?
Nung malapit na mag start kumain ng solid food si Lia, I took time in researching & gathering informations of what are the best firsts food to give for infants because we wanted to give her naturally & homemade prepared food. And we wanted her to find the joy in eating healthy food & to establish good eating habits too.

But before giving them solids, how can we tell that our baby is ready for it? Baby should meet all signs for readiness before introducing them with solid food. And these include:
✅Baby is at least 6 months old (WHO recommended) for preemies, follow corrected age of your baby.
✅Has good head control. Your baby needs to be able to keep his head in a steady, upright position.
✅Able to sit well unsupported. Your baby needs to be able to sit upright.
✅Loses the “extrusion reflex.” or the reflex to push food out of his/her mouth.
✅When baby doubled his birth weight or weighs at least 13 pounds.
✅Baby has chewing motion and curious about food.
✅Can pick up food and put it in their mouth

There are two approaches of weaning: the traditional & baby-led. We started with traditional weaning & Lia was spoonfed with mashed veggies/fruits when she was 6-8 months old. I also researched about Baby-Led Weaning (self-feeding) before pero hesitant pa kami at first sa process so we proceeded with traditional weaning muna

There are two approaches of weaning: the traditional & baby-led. We started with traditional weaning & Lia was spoonfed with mashed veggies/fruits when she was 6-8 months old. I also researched about Baby-Led Weaning (self-feeding) before pero hesitant pa kami at first sa process so we proceeded with traditional weaning muna.
And then one friend invited me to join the group ‘Tamang Pagkain for Babies & Kids’ on facebook. Doon nag explore ako at yung principles ng ‘Tamang Kain’ yung naging basis namin sa 1st two months sa solid food journey ni Lia.
Sa ‘Tamang Kain’ principle, meron silang tinatawag na 3-day rule which means giving our baby the same food for 3-straight days to test if meron ba silang allergic reactions to that particular food. So if may reactions yung body nila after eating that particular food, madali lang natin ma-trace back kung ano yung kinain nila so we can avoid it next time. Nung mag consult din kami sa pedia ni Lia, yan din yung advise niya so sinunod rin namin yung 3-day rule kasi ako rin may allergic reactions sa food & probably pwedeng mamana ni Lia.
We started giving Lia bland taste mashed veggies with breastmilk bago yung sweet ones like fruits. And we alternately offer green & yellow veggies/fruits to avoid Carotenemia—the yellow pigmentation of the skin caused by prolonged and excessive consumption of carotene-rich foods, such as carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes

We opt to offer Lia mashed food instead of pureed one so she can practice her chewing skills. Nababasa ko kasi sa group na nakaka-encourage mag chew kapag may texture yung food unlike with puree since diretso nila itong nilulunok

How do I prepare her food?
✅Wash the vegetables/fruits properly. May nabasa ako sa isang group na in order na maging thoroughly clean yung vegetable/fruits, you need to soak it with a cold water with salt (1 tsp salt in every 2 cups of water) or water with vinegar (1 part vinegar in 2 parts of water) for 15-20 mins. Then rinse again with running water.
✅I always steam Lia’s food. Steaming baby food preserve most nutrients, unlike boiled vegetables. Kapag boiled kasi, napupunta sa water yung nutrients ng vegetables kaya it is best to steam veggies. Yung ginagawa ko, minsan sinasabay ko sa sinaing to save time at kuryente or minsan sa baby food steamer.
✅Yung sobrang steamed veggies nilalagay ko sa baby food storage then store sa freezer. Pwede din sa ziploc or any airtight container. Kapag sa freezer kasi naka store yung food it will lasts upto 3-6 months. Matagal siya masisira.
✅How to thaw? Nilalabas ko one hour before kainin ni Lia yung food at room temperature lang then mash & mix na with breastmilk. Pwede mo din i-reheat like yung porridge.
I sometimes cook by batches like porridge with veggies at hanggang ngayon ganyan pa din ginagawa ko para may pang reserba lang if ever yung ulam namin ay hindi pwede kay Lia. Nilalagay ko lang sa baby food storage niya then store sa freezer.

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Reminder: NO SALT, SUGAR & HONEY FOR BABIES BELOW 1 YEAR OLD
I hope this post helps lalo na sa mga first time moms like me at sa mga babies na mag sisimula pa lang kumain ng solids.
For more feeding tips & guidelines, follow us on Facebook: Ma’am to Mom Diaries & instagram: anathalia_estela. We have a lot of baby-friendly meal ideas & recipes in our feed too!

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