Timing of solid foods
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Question:
My baby is eight months old and I am giving solids twice a day, one at around 10 am and the other at 5 pm. She is showing more interest in solids but my parents have scared me and advised me not to give more because of fear of indigestion. Please advice.
My baby is 9 months old. How many times should we give solids to the baby? Adults in our house eat 3 meals a day. Should it be the same for my baby too?
Answer:
How many meals must a baby have is a frequently asked question. There is no definite answer to this. For babies between 6 to 8 months, 3 to 4 meals a day is ideal. They can have ragi porridge in the morning for breakfast, uggu with vegetables for lunch and kichidi for dinner. A fruit or potato mash can be given in the evening as snack. Milk continues to be their main source of nutrition and babies continues to take about 6 milk feeds in a day. This again is a general number. Each baby is different and the requirements can increase or decrease. Solids must always be given when the baby is hungry. This will enhance acceptability of solids. However, if the baby is hungry and demanding milk, you must give milk only because milk quenches both hunger and thirst. Most babies accept solids easily when they are hungry. Milk can be given after the solid diet if needed. But the idea is to gradually increase solids meals and decrease milk feeding. That is why it is called 'Weaning'.