First Complementary Feeding with Breastfeeding: At What Age and Where to Start

At a certain point, a breastfed baby requires additional food apart from maternal breast milk. The small amount of food the baby receives in addition to milk is called complementary feeding. Such foods can include cereals, cottage cheese, meat, vegetables, and fruits. For parents of a firstborn, questions about which specific foods to introduce in the first complementary feeding and the best time to do so are particularly relevant.

The timeliness factor must be necessarily considered when expanding a baby’s diet. If new foods are not added to the child’s menu in time, it can lead to insufficient weight gain and a deficiency of essential nutrients in the body.
This, in turn, can result in weakened immunity and the development of various ailments. An optimal feeding scheme for the baby is designed by a neonatologist or pediatrician.

Why the first feeding is important during breastfeeding 

The introduction of complementary foods during breastfeeding is absolutely necessary, even if the mother has enough milk, the baby is gaining weight well, and does not require additional food between feedings. Introducing new products during this period reduces the risk of developing anemia, receiving excessive or insufficient nutrition, and ensures that the baby receives the necessary nutrients on time. Upon reaching a certain age, the beneficial substances contained in breast milk become insufficient for the baby, and they should receive magnesium, calcium, zinc, and iron through supplemental feeding.

Furthermore, the child’s body must gradually adapt to consuming regular ‘adult’ meals, as they will need to eat such food throughout their life. It is important for parents to start complementary feeding correctly and on time to develop a habit of positive acceptance of new dishes.

What age to start complementary feeding

Regarding when to start the first complementary feeding during breastfeeding, pediatricians have had heated debates for a long time. Currently, the community has come to a consensus that the first complementary feeding should be introduced closer to the second half of the baby’s life, specifically during the period of 4-6 months. Until 6 months, breast milk manages to provide everything necessary for the baby, as it:

• promotes the colonization of the intestines with beneficial microflora that protects against infections;
• provides enzymes, hormones, vitamins necessary for growth and development;
• participates in creating a close psychological bond between the child and the mother.

Additionally, the sucking process serves as a foundation for the formation and reinforcement of a correct bite. There are 2 schemes for introducing the first complementary foods. The first includes fruits, while the second includes cereals and vegetables. The optimal solution is to start with green and white vegetables.

Types of First Complementary Foods

For the first complementary foods during breastfeeding, choose hypoallergenic, easily digestible products — gluten-free grains (buckwheat, rice, corn), green and white vegetables. The ideal option for the first day of complementary feeding while breastfeeding will be broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower. For babies gaining weight well and developing normally, vegetables are recommended as the first complementary foods during breastfeeding. 

They are also suitable for children who are prone to constipation. For the first solid foods for breastfed children with low body weight, the best choice would be grain dishes. At the next stage, dishes made from cottage cheese, meat, fruits, and eggs should be introduced.

It’s better to delay the inclusion of juices in the diet to a later time. Since 100-150 ml of juice will satisfy the child’s appetite but will not provide fats, fiber, protein, and other substances necessary for development and growth.

How to introduce new foods into a baby’s diet

New foods should be gradually introduced into the child’s menu following the recommendations of specialists. According to WHO rules, the list of priority foods for children from 6 months to one year is reflected in the table: 

Introduce new food to a child initially in liquid form, gradually increasing its consistency. The products should be environmentally friendly. Start the first complementary feeding for breastfeeding with half a teaspoon of food, gradually increasing the daily volume to 100 ml. If the observations of the baby show good digestibility of a specific product by the infant’s body, the next one can be introduced in about 10–14 days.

Porridges: rules for introduction

As the first solid food introduction while breastfeeding for a baby with low body weight and frequent stools, it is preferable to choose commercially produced cereals. Cereals should be prepared with water since the infant’s digestive system under one year old is not ready to process the large casein proteins found in whole cow’s or goat’s milk. For example, this component makes up 82% in cow’s milk, but only 18% in human milk. 

It’s advisable to choose gluten-free cereals because gluten is a potential allergen, and the enzyme that breaks down gluten will develop in the baby’s body later. Gluten-containing cereals include oat, barley, semolina, and pearl barley. The best choice

for the first solid food is rice and buckwheat cereals. If not using prepared baby food, you should finely grind the grains to a flour-like consistency and cook the cereal with a liquid consistency.

Introducing Vegetable Purees

At the start of vegetable introduction, hypoallergenic fruits such as zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, and pumpkin are introduced in the form of puree. They contain a small amount of natural dyes and rarely cause allergic reactions. In the first week, zucchini puree is introduced, starting with one teaspoon (8 g) and gradually increasing the portion to 150 g per day, adding a third of a teaspoon of vegetable oil to the puree.

In the second week, broccoli puree is introduced following the same scheme. It’s better to offer zucchini first, which is already familiar, and then introduce broccoli. 

The third week can be supplemented with cauliflower puree according to the standard introduction scheme. It should be alternated with other types of puree, gradually increasing the amount of new food. In the eighth week, pumpkin puree is added to the infant’s menu. After 5 days of introducing pumpkin, you can start mixing the puree with sunflower oil – 1 teaspoon of oil per serving.

Meat Supplements: From What Age Are They Allowed

Many parents are particularly interested in knowing from how many months can they start meat supplementation for a baby who is breastfeeding. Meat puree

should be part of the baby’s diet from 5.5 months to maintain normal iron levels in the blood. The first serving should not exceed 5 grams. By the age of one, the introduction scheme suggests reaching the recommended daily amount of 100 g. For making homemade meat puree, boiled meat is permitted. These purees can be used along with industrially produced products. 

However, in this case, the daily portion of the product is reduced by approximately 2 times. The list of allowed includes dietary types of meat that are safe for the baby’s health:

• veal;
• chicken;
• rabbit;
• lean beef;
• turkey.

Meat purees are best combined with vegetables to improve iron absorption.

What other foods are used for complementary feeding 

Grains, meat, and vegetables do not limit the variety of complementary foods during breastfeeding. From 6 months, you can add fruit juices to the baby’s menu, as well as:

• Low-fat cottage cheese for children – after 5.5 months, in an amount of 10 g. For children over 1 year, the norm is 50 g per day.
• Egg yolk – after 7 months, start with a quarter of the yolk. By 8-12 months, double the portion.
• Fish puree – from 8 months old, replacing meat puree, included in the child’s menu twice a week.
• Dairy products (yogurt, kefir) – after 8 months, amount – about 200 ml per day.

It is important to note that complementary feeding for the baby only accounts for 30% of the daily fluid intake. Therefore, it is advisable to include water in the diet – the baby can be given purified or boiled special baby water. It should be given between main meals, adhering to the daily norm of 150-200 ml.