Tips for Feeding Fussy Infants &Toddlers

Looking after a toddler can be an overwhelming task in more ways than one. Not only do you have to deal with your hyperactive kid who’s extremely curious about everything that he comes across, feeding time can seem like a long battle often lost to the young explorer.You might be cooking up the healthiest meal for your child and in a matter of minutes see it splattered all over the table or floor.

To make things worse, you often take this rejection of your cooking quite personally, which adds to the stress. Let’s look at some successfully tried and tested tips on how to feed picky infants and toddlers.

fussy-eaters

Ways to tickle their taste buds.

  1. Offer small quantities of food at regular intervals throughout the day. Breaking the meals into small portions aids digestion and helps the body absorb the nutrients better.
  2. Make use of an ice tray to add different varieties of food in each section. Use foods of different colours to make it look more interesting. For example, you can place a variety of foods like bit-size pieces of boiled vegetables or cut fruits, cereals, cheese bits, etc.
  3. Also, give the above mentioned finger foods some interesting names or cut them into fun shapes. For instance, you can call broccoli florets little trees or thinly sliced carrots ‘swords . Use your creativity or the vast amount of free online resources to come up with something new every once in a while and soon you ll be a pro!
  4. Invite a few friends your child’s age and let them share a meal. Sharing food and watching another child eat may arouse some interest in the food and also inculcate some good habits.
  5. Pack the food in some fanciful way, to make it look like you re making a special delivery just for him. Use easy kitchen tools like a pizza or a cookie cutter to cut idlis, parathas, etc. into interesting shapes.
  6. Make dips out of cheese, fruit or vegetable puree. Kids often enjoy dipping boiled vegetables and toast into their favourite dips.
  7. Make an interesting picture with different food items on the plate and encourage the child to make it disappear one by one (by eating it of course!)
  8. Join your child in the meals and say positive words like, umm’this is so yummy! and, I just love these so much, don’t you?
  9. Don’t keep any hard and fast rules as to what should be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Give your child whatever he prefers during any meal.
  10. Be as inconsistent as possible when it comes to food. The more the variety the more there is chance of the child being interested in eating sooner or later.

The most important factor in dealing with fussy eaters is to be patient. Don’t be surprised if your child does not show interest in the first few days of the change you introduce. Remember that this is just a passing and constantly changing phase. More importantly, remember that it is a perfectly natural developmental phase of your child’s life.

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Introducing solid foods to your baby

A babyŸ??s digestive system is not ready for solid food until after the baby is about 4 to 6 months old. Until then it is recommended that the baby is exclusively breast-fed or formula-fed. Breast milk or formula milk has the nourishment and calories required for your babyŸ??s development in the first 6 months of her life.

Most mothers want to be sure that they introduce solid food at the right time. There are some signs you can look for in order to know when your baby is ready to include solids in her diet. However, make sure the baby can hold her head up, can lean or sit upright on a highchair.

Signs to watch out for in the baby

  • Starts to put things into her mouth
  • Opens mouth when you take food close to her mouth
  • Asks for more frequent feeds or cries for more after her bottle is empty
  • Shows interest in food that others are eating
  • Can hold small bits of food in the mouth and push it to the back of the mouth
  • Her weight has doubled from her original birth weight

What should I feed my baby the first time?

Babies should ideally be given liquid or semi-solid foods with a spoon to see if they are ready and also to make it easier for them to go through this process. One important thing to remember here is to feed the same kind of food for the first few days just to make sure that your baby is not allergic to a particular food, and also observe if her stools are normal. Move on to a new variant if there are no allergic reactions like vomiting, rashes and diarrhoea. You can try the following options:

  • Boiled and pureed vegetables like pumpkin, carrot, potato, avocado, etc.
  • Boiled and pureed single-grain cereals like rice, ragi or lentils
  • Mashed fruits like banana or apple puree
  • Yogurt
  • Custard

Things to remember when introducing solids to your baby

  • Avoid using vegetables like spinach, beetroot that are high in nitrates. Nitrates can cause a type of anaemia in small children.
  • You donŸ??t need to enhance the flavour of the food with salt or sugar.
  • Start with a few spoons at a time and increase the quantity gradually.
  • Make sure that there are no lumps in the food as the baby can choke on it.
  • If you are using commercial baby food, ensure you use boiled water while preparing it.
  • Avoid giving solids in a bottle so that the baby understands the difference between solids and liquids. This will also help the baby adapt to other solid foods eventually.

Once your baby is about 8 months old and has tried different kinds of pureed foods, you can begin introducing some more solid varieties of food. Your baby will most likely begin to chew at this stage although she doesnŸ??t really have any grinding teeth. This is a good time to switch to Ÿ??finger foodsŸ??. These are small bits of foods that can be easily mashed when in the mouth. Babies will begin grasping the food in their hands

  • Soft cheese,
  • Small pieces of boiled vegetables,
  • Cooked pasta,
  • Cut or thinly sliced fruits like banana,
  • Minced meat or chicken are good options during this stage.

Feeding a baby can be a messy affair! So make sure you have a bib and some cleaning cloth in place to clean spills. Another essential ingredient is to have lots of patience. It is not necessary that your baby will like and eat the food in the very first attempt. Feed the baby in a place where there arenŸ??t many distractions so that feeding time is not just a nutritive but a fun learning process for your baby.

For further details or queries , kindly contact us at tomotherhoodindia@gmail.com

Twice the Joy, Twice the Care

Why You Need It?

Sometimes a twin pregnancy just happens. In other cases, specific factors are at play. For example, a twin pregnancy is more likely as you get older because hormonal changes can cause more than one egg to be released at a time. Use of assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilisation also boosts the odds of twins or other multiples.

8th-april-blog

What to expect when expecting twins:

  • More frequent check-ups to track your baby’s growth and development, monitor your health, and watch for signs of pre-term labour. You might need frequent ultrasounds or other tests, especially as your pregnancy progresses.
  • More emphasis on certain nutrients  like folic acid, calcium, iron, protein and other essential nutrients. If you are already eating a healthy diet, keep it up  and be sure to take a daily prenatal vitamin. Your health care provider might recommend an iron supplement as well.
  • More weight gain. Gaining the right amount of weight can support your baby’s health. It also makes it easier to shed the extra pounds after delivery. For twins, the recommendation is often about 17 to 25 kilograms (37 to 54 pounds) for women who have a healthy weight before pregnancy which might require about 600 extra calories a day, depending on your activity level. Work with your health care provider to determine what’s right for you.
  • More precautions. Check with your doctor at Motherhood who might ask you to curtail activities such as work, travel and physical activity as your pregnancy progresses. Although bed rest isn’t proven to be an effective way to prevent pre-term labour, it’s sometimes suggested as a precaution to encourage foetal growth and reduce the risk of complications.

Healthy multiples have the same needs as other newborns. Yet with twins, you will have a double dose. You might need more rest and support than you imagined, especially if your babies are born prematurely or need special medical care after birth. Take time to enjoy your babies and ask friends, loved ones and others for help when you need it.

For further details or queries , kindly contact us at tomotherhoodindia@gmail.com