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Baby porridge

Make the introduction phase easier with delicious baby porridge

When your baby is about 5 to 7 months old, you should slowly start introducing complementary foods. Pure vegetable mash made from carrots, courgettes or parsnips is ideal for the first few attempts. Only gradually begin to add potatoes, rice, cereals or meat.

At what age should you start feeding baby porridge?

Experts recommend starting complementary feeding at the beginning of the 5th month at the earliest and at the beginning of the 7th month at the latest. When the right time is for the first spoonfuls of porridge differs from child to child. Whether your baby is ready depends on its individual growth, development and also its readiness to eat something else besides breast milk.

Here's how you can tell when the baby is ready for its first porridge:

-The baby can hold its head independently and sit upright with a little help.

-The baby can put things in its mouth independently

-The baby no longer pushes the porridge directly out of its mouth with its tongue

-The child shows interest in what other people are eating

-The baby opens its mouth when the spoon comes

How do I introduce my baby to complementary foods?

It is best to start with a midday porridge. At lunchtime, babies are usually awake and in a good mood. If your child is a little hungry but his or her stomach is not growling yet, it is the ideal time to feed the baby complementary food. This is when the new meal is most likely to be appreciated. However, don't be irritated if your little one shoves the vegetable puree into his mouth, but pushes it out again when he tries to swallow it. It's hard to get started, and after two or three attempts, your baby will probably want mummy's breast or the bottle again.

It can take two to three weeks for the baby to get used to and enjoy the new tastes. For the time being, just continue breastfeeding in peace and quiet and only give your baby the vegetable or fruit puree in small amounts. When a few spoonfuls of the porridge have made their way into your baby's stomach, reward him or her calmly - he or she can then go back to mummy's breast or to the bottle. Only skip the milk meal if the child manages to eat his or her fill with the baby food. If it works well at lunchtime, you can introduce complementary foods in the evening as a second step.

Which baby food should I start with?

Pure vegetable porridge is ideal for the first attempts at complementary feeding. Vegetables such as courgette, carrot, pumpkin, parsnip or fennel are very well tolerated by babies. You can then gradually increase the amount from a few spoonfuls of vegetable mush to half a jar. If the acclimatisation phase goes well, another ingredient can be added after a few days. Potatoes, for example, are recommended. Always take small steps so that the baby's sensitive stomach can get used to the new food. A diet plan can also be helpful in the first few weeks of the change. This will help you to keep an overview. 4mybaby supports you with a wide range of baby porridge during the adjustment phase. From vegetable porridge to cereal porridge to fruit puree, you will find a large selection for supplementary feeding.