A four-month-old baby delights his parents with the emergence of new skills and discoveries. He grew up and became stronger, and began to stay awake more during daylight hours. There are some changes in the daily routine compared to. He still alternates between periods of sleep, feeding, daytime activities and hygiene. The main changes will affect only the duration of these periods of time.
Approximate daily routine at 4 months of life
At the age of four months, the little man can clearly distinguish the faces and voices of adults. Among those around him, he easily recognizes his mother. Sleep time decreased from 16 to 14 hours, and wakefulness increased by 1-2 hours. The child grows, gains weight and height in a special rhythm programmed by nature.
The baby's daily routine undergoes changes, and at four months it looks something like this:
| Time | Regime processes |
|---|---|
| 7 hours | Waking up, first feeding, hygiene procedures (washing, diaper changing) |
| 7 hours 30 minutes – 8 hours 30 minutes | Playing in the crib, staying awake |
| 8 hours 30 minutes – 9 hours 30 minutes | Morning dream |
| 9 hours 30 minutes – 10 hours 30 minutes | Second feeding, games and communication with mother |
| 10 h 30 min – 12 h | Sleep (preferably during fresh air) |
| 12:00 – 14:00 | Third feeding, gymnastics, light massage and air baths |
| 14:00 – 16:00 | Sleeping during the day in a stroller |
| 16:00 – 18:00 | Fourth feeding, staying awake, listening to children's songs, spending time with adults |
| 18:00 – 19:00 | Dream |
| 19:00 – 20:00 | A period of wakefulness, quiet communication and games |
| 20:00 – 21:00 | Bathing, fifth feeding, getting ready for bed |
| 21:00 – 7:00 | Night sleep |
The baby already distinguishes between light and dark times of the day, and wakes up at night less and less often to feed, preferring to get enough sleep until the morning. During the day he is able to play and spend time without sleep for about 3 hours in a row. The baby is no longer interested in lying around doing nothing; he loves to listen to adults talk and perks up when they turn to him. During the daytime hours of wakefulness, the baby explores the world through touch, examines surrounding objects and listens to new sounds.
Baby 4 months old: (mother’s experience):
Baby sleep at 4 months
The need for prolonged sleep in children at this age remains high level. After eating, the baby willingly falls asleep and can take a short nap in the evening. The sleep pattern will be established by itself no later than six months, but for now a mother cannot always predict at what exact hour her child will fall asleep. Remember that the baby is still too small, and in every situation it is not advisable to follow a time schedule. It is enough to observe the required total duration of daily sleep.
Daytime sleep norms
When answering the question of how long a four-month-old baby should sleep, it is worth noting that the baby should spend at least 14-15 hours a day sleeping. At the same time, on nap takes at least 5 hours, the remaining 10 hours are spent on night sleep. The duration of daytime wakefulness increases every week, and sleep patterns change with this. For some children, four periods of daytime rest are replaced by three.
On a note! If you see that the child wants to sleep, then do not wait for the right hour “according to the schedule” and put him to bed. For nervous system It is more useful to lull the baby to sleep at the first signs of fatigue than to try to do this after a while, not allowing the child to satisfy the need for rest.
Baby nutrition at 4 months
The feeding regimen established for a 4-month-old baby involves a smooth transition to eating five times a day. This is the main difference between the daily routine and previous weeks. Today, mothers have the opportunity to choose nutrition for their baby - through breastfeeding, mixed or artificial feeding.
Breastfeeding nutrition
The most suitable food for children of this age is breast milk. The baby needs to be fed every 3-4 hours. At night, the interval between breastfeeding becomes longer - about 7 hours. Daily routine on breastfeeding most often it gets better no earlier than 5-6 months, because the baby still prefers to feed not according to the clock, but on demand. Meanwhile, the number of meals during breastfeeding is reduced compared to previous months.
On a note! Contrary to many opinions, a 4-month-old breastfed baby does not need complementary feeding. Up to six months, the nutritional value of mother's milk is quite sufficient for the healthy development and growth of the baby.
Formula-fed nutrition
On artificial feeding nutrition is provided exclusively with an adapted formula, or formula and breast milk, the amount of which does not exceed 200 ml per day. At this age, the starting (initial) formula marked “1” is suitable for the child. The required amount of mixture depends on the weight and health status of the little child. Based on these data, the doctor calculates the approximate volumes and frequency of meals per day.
An approximate nutritional plan for a 4-month-old bottle-fed baby looks like this:
Important!If a mother feels that her baby does not have enough breast milk, she should not immediately try to feed her with an adapted formula. First, you should consult a pediatrician or a breastfeeding consultant. A specialist will tell you how to increase lactation and determine whether your little one is eating enough.
First feeding on IV
For children fed with formula, the first complementary foods are introduced at 4 and a half months to replenish the body with all the missing substances. Pediatricians recommend introducing “adult” food with caution, gradually introducing one-ingredient vegetable purees into the diet, then cereals without milk and gluten, and then fruit juices for baby food.
Acceptable products for introduction into complementary foods for children over 4 months old:
The baby's reaction to complementary foods is of paramount importance: the product must be to his taste. Starting with ½ tsp. new food, its amount increases daily by 1 tsp. After ten days, the volume of the administered component should be 120-150 ml. Thus, four feedings a day remain exclusively milk, and the fifth is replaced with a newly introduced product.
Feeding your baby from 4 months – what to pay attention to:
The daily routine on artificial feeding has its own characteristics:
- As a rule, formula milk takes longer to digest in the baby's stomach than mother's milk. Consequently, infants remain well-fed longer, and it is easier to establish a routine with such babies.
- In infants on IV with a properly selected formula, colic goes away by 4-4.5 months, thanks to which children sleep at night many times more peacefully than their peers.
- Intake of formula milk may vary from meal to meal. The baby ate 160 ml in the morning, but at lunchtime he didn’t even manage 120 ml? This is normal and may not be due to a lack of appetite, but to the time of day or even the baby’s mood.
Mixed feeding
The mixed feeding diet means that the baby receives breast milk (at least 1/5 of the daily volume) and adapted mixture. If a four-month-old baby is on a mixed diet, he needs to be fed on demand. In this case, pediatricians advise giving the diluted mixture from a spoon, and not from a bottle - getting used to it can have a bad effect on breastfeeding. It is easier to drink from a bottle, and soon many children flatly refuse to latch on to the breast.
Walking with a child
The toddler begins to show an active interest in the world around him. While walking, try to tell him about everything that comes along the way: children playing ball, animals, plants and transport. You need to go out into the fresh air with your daughter or son at least twice for 1.5-2 hours a day.
A child's routine in winter and late autumn may change depending on weather conditions - in severe frost, wind and heavy rain it is better to stay at home. Also, the child’s regime in the summer can be adjusted on days that are too hot, which are safer for the baby’s health to spend in a ventilated room.
The pros and cons of walking in different temperature conditions can be seen in the table below.
| Outdoor air temperature | Features of the walk |
|---|---|
| -8°C and below | Babies still have a rather weak nasopharynx. Walking at low temperatures can lead to respiratory diseases. If going outside is necessary, then take care to warm the air the child inhales. Wrap the baby in a fur envelope with a hood, creating an air cushion near the face. You can be outside with your baby at this temperature for no more than 20 minutes. |
| From 0°C to -8°C | Short 30-minute walks will help your baby sleep soundly. Take care to protect your baby from the wind - use a warm blanket or a fur-insulated winter envelope for the stroller. Before going out, apply a special protective cream from frost. |
| +1°C to +8°C | At this air temperature, it’s time to take your baby on long, hour-and-a-half walks. Children fall asleep wonderfully in the fresh, cool air; mothers can also relax and take a leisurely walk in the park with a stroller. |
| From +8°C to +15°C | The air temperature is comfortable and conducive to walking. You should pay attention to ensure that the little one does not sweat from extra layers of clothing. Do not bundle up your little one; in case of unstable weather, it is better to cover him in the stroller with a spare blanket for insulation. |
| From +15°C to +20°C | In sunny weather it may seem that it is hot outside, but in the shade and in the presence of wind it is still far from summer. Before going out into the yard with your child, consider all factors - whether the sun is shining or cloudy, whether the wind is blowing. Don’t dress your baby too lightly; at +16 it’s still quite easy to freeze, especially if you’re motionless in a stroller. |
| From +20°C to +25°C | Days filled with sun and warmth are good for long walks with your baby. But direct sunlight can pose a danger to children's defenseless skin. Choose thin, breathable clothing, and lubricate unprotected areas of the body sunscreen milk 0+. |
| From 25°C and above | The safe period for going outside is before 11 a.m. and after 3 p.m. In this heat, your baby will need extra fluids, so be sure to take drinking water with you. When walking with a stroller, create shade in it by lowering the hood and opening a “window” with a mesh for ventilation. If the celebration takes place in the mother’s arms, then a hat and thin clothing that covers the body from the sun’s rays are required. |
Physical development of the baby
It is important to strengthen and develop muscles in a small child regularly and devote time to this not only in the morning. Gymnastics with a baby – important step on the way to preparing and mastering the skills of rolling over and crawling. Pediatricians consider a 5-7 minute load, performed with the help of the mother in the morning, afternoon and evening, to be optimal.
- At 4 months, children tend to roll over to the tummy position on their own. By strengthening your back muscles, you can speed up the learning process. It is useful to play “ball” with your baby. When rolling your baby onto his tummy and back, accompany the activity with a fairy tale that he has become a ball and now wants to roll far, far away. This exercise makes the abdominal muscles flexible in children.
- An exercise to strengthen the spine and arms will prepare the baby for the skill of sitting. The child grabs onto index fingers adult; then the parent carefully and low pulls the baby towards himself. After counting to ten, we lower it back to the lying position.
- To encourage crawling, an adult can place a hand under the baby’s heels when laying it on its tummy. The toddler will use his palm as a support - trying to push off with his legs, he will try to move forward. To ensure that your child’s efforts are not in vain, make the surface comfortable for crawling - this could be a floor covered with a rug or blanket.
Gymnastics and possible exercises with the baby (video):
Games and development at 4 months
Four-month-old babies are awake for at least eight hours during the day. A selection of interesting developmental activities for your baby can be a good help for a young mother every day.
"Excursion"
The little one likes to spend time in her mother’s arms and look at everything around her. Give the younger family member walks around the house. “Traveling” in his parents’ arms, he replenishes his passive vocabulary with the names of various objects. All the information heard from adults is little by little stored in the baby’s memory, which you will soon be able to see - your child will turn his head towards the subject that was mentioned in the conversation.
“We rustle - we ring”
Fine motor skills and tactile sensations contribute to the development of intelligence. It is useful to introduce the baby to objects/toys that have different textured surfaces. Children enjoy rustling paper, kneading a teddy bear, and exploring a rattle with holes. It is important to focus on the material, and not on the color - toys oversaturated with shades distract attention.
"Musical Minute"
Rhythmic music is what delights four-month-old babies. Simply clapping your hands to the beat of the melody helps to form a sense of rhythm from the cradle. Just take your child in your arms and dance with him to lively music - this activity improves mood, develops memory and coordination.
"Magpie - white-sided"
Little ones are very amused by finger toys story games, such as “Ladushki”, “Hide and Seek”, “The Horned Goat is Coming” and various play actions with their legs and arms. In combination with funny faces and stroking fingers, the brain centers are activated - they are responsible for preparing the articulatory apparatus, and, in the future, speech.
You should be especially attentive and caring with young children. They need to know what they can and cannot do. It is in the first years of life that the baby develops the basic functions of the body. This process is influenced by many factors, such as daily routine, the emotional environment at home and, of course, nutrition. This is exactly what we will talk about today.
About the process of transition from breastfeeding to regular nutrition
It's no secret that the food of one-year-old children differs significantly from the diet of older children and, especially, adults. Do not forget that a newborn baby feeds on mother’s milk and only then moves on to a “heavier” diet. solid food. The transition process is, of course, gradual. Nobody offers to feed immediately six month old baby fried chicken or pork ribs. Not at all, first the child is “transplanted” to semi-solid foods like purees and juices. This food is quite easy to digest digestive system, but at the same time is no longer mother’s milk as such. In this case, it is necessary to observe moderation and caution in everything if you do not want your child to develop an allergic reaction.
What to feed? What can he be given and what can’t he? What products can be harmful? one month old baby? How to make a smooth transition?
Let's sort things out in order.
To feed or not to feed
It is worth noting the fact that at 4 months the baby can already start giving complementary foods. Whether to feed or not is always at the discretion of the parents. Of course, breastfeeding is the basis in any case.
It is important to understand that you should not give special feeding unless clearly necessary - at least that’s what doctors recommend. It is best to postpone this period until at least 6 months of age. IN early age It is most important for a baby to be given breast milk, and excessive “indulgence” in other types of food can contribute to the development of an allergic reaction. We think there is no point in explaining to young parents what complications this can lead to in later life.
When does it become necessary to add special mixtures to the diet? We answer. In the event that breastfeeding is no longer able to provide the baby with a lot of nutrients. It is precisely during this period that the baby begins to produce its own saliva, and parents have the opportunity to give, in addition to mother’s milk, more solid food - the same nutritional mixtures.
What exactly to feed
What can you eat at such a young age? The opinions of different nutritionists may differ on this issue. Some experts are of the opinion that it is necessary to eat vegetable-based mixtures or drink vegetable juices. Others lean towards fruit-based juices and purees.
Be careful! The baby may have an allergic reaction out of habit. For this reason, we start complementary feeding with small portions - we need to give his body time to adapt to more solid food compared to milk.
Basic Rules
- Start with one specific product. Why is this necessary? This method will allow you to promptly identify the product that causes an allergy in your baby, and, accordingly, exclude it from the diet for an indefinite period. Start eating a little bit at a time.
- If you decide to start the process of complementary feeding with fruits, you must first feed your baby apple juice. It is very important that this juice is fresh and of natural origin. Store options are not even considered! If you do not notice a rash or diarrhea in your baby, you can continue to feed him juice (but in small quantities at first!). After the first month, you will be able to give your child 30 ml of this drink at a time.
- Please note that you should not try to cram all the daily norm juice in one go! In addition, do not forget that you should not mix different types of juices while eating.
- As a rule, the baby is first offered complementary foods and only then breastfeeding is given. In the event that a child does not want to eat complementary foods, it is necessary to first breastfeed him, and then with complementary foods. Remember the rule: no more than one new product per day!
- The amount consumed of each new product over the course of a week is adjusted to a full serving. Then it becomes possible to add a second product to the diet, also mastering it within a week. And already in the third week you will be able to alternate these products with each other. At the same time, of course, look at his reaction to all these products!
- When the baby reaches the age of four months, parents have the opportunity to make vegetable puree for their child. Please note that it is freely sold in many grocery stores in special glass jars. Remember that factory-produced food does not require additional salting or adding oil. There is also no need to add sugar.
- If you see ingredients such as tomatoes, garlic, onions, and various spices in a particular mixture, then you should not buy such a product. The fact is that doctors are against children eating food with such ingredients.
- There is an opinion that adapting a baby to pureed vegetables is very difficult. The fact is that vegetable puree contains much less sugar than human milk, so it will taste very unusual for a child. In some cases, it becomes necessary to feed a new dish several times until your child gets used to it completely.
- Don’t make a very serious mistake - don’t feed your baby porridge! Otherwise, as your child gets older, he or she may not perceive vegetables as appetizing food.
- It is necessary to take into account the fact that the results of the first complementary feeding will largely determine how things will turn out with the subsequent nutrition of your child. If you do not carefully choose food for him and feed him everything indiscriminately, then at an older age you will end up with a sick child who has the prerequisites for obesity.
- The following vegetables are perfect for your first feeding: cabbage, zucchini, potatoes. Why them? The fact is that these vegetables are less allergenic than all the others. After some time, you can add carrots and beets to this list.
As a conclusion, I would like to once again recall the main points regarding whether it is possible to give a child at the age of about four months additional complementary foods? And if possible: which one, how often and in what quantities? All these questions, of course, are of great concern to young mothers who are afraid of taking the wrong step and thereby harming the health of their child.
So, you can give your baby complementary foods starting from four months. But you should approach this issue with the utmost caution and thoughtfulness. After all, the slightest excess with the number of servings - and now the baby begins to develop an allergic reaction. Among other things, it is also very dangerous due to the complications that can appear and develop at a later age. Here, as they say, the message “take care of your health from a young age” is relevant!
As always, we would like to wish our readers patience, attentiveness to their children, love, care and warmth. Our children are the most valuable thing we have. Take care of them, and over time they will protect and care for you!
Mother's breast milk for feeding a child at 4 months still forms the basis of the diet, but since the baby is actively growing, the body's need for nutrients increases, and to satisfy it it is necessary to gradually introduce new products. The menu of a normally developing child at 4 months should include freshly prepared juices from fruits and vegetables, boiled vegetable puree, cottage cheese, fresh fruit puree, and egg yolk.
Feeding a baby at 4 months: vegetable puree
Recommended for five to six feedings a day 4 one month old baby breast milk Gradually replace the third meal with vegetable puree. Vegetables will provide your baby with additional vitamins, microelements and fiber. At normal development His digestive organs are already able to hold and digest more complex food, but for the first time the baby should be given one teaspoon of vegetable puree and carefully monitor the child’s body’s reaction to the new product. By increasing the portion, completely replace one breastfeeding with vegetable puree within a week.
Vegetable puree To feed a 4-month-old baby, it is prepared as follows: wash the vegetables with warm water, peel them, pour over boiling water, then boil over low heat in a small amount of water under a lid or steam. After the vegetables have cooled, grind them in a blender or rub through a fine strainer. Dilute the resulting puree to the desired consistency with vegetable broth or diluted boiled milk, add sunflower, corn, olive or softened butter, starting with 1 g, increase gradually to a teaspoon. To prepare vegetable puree, a variety of vegetables are used, such as potatoes, carrots, cabbage, pumpkin, zucchini, tomatoes, and beets. If possible, you can add sweet bell pepper, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach. Potatoes in baby vegetable puree should be no more than half of the total volume. If your baby is overweight, it is better to use cabbage, zucchini, and pumpkin for making purees; they contain less carbohydrates.
Feeding a baby at 4 months: cottage cheese
At the age of 4 months, the child must be given fresh cottage cheese daily, which should preferably be prepared at home or taken from a dairy kitchen. To prepare baby cottage cheese, take special baby kefir, pour it into a container, an enamel mug or small pan will do, place the container with kefir in a pan with hot water and keep on low heat until a thick clot forms from the kefir. It should be placed in cheesecloth or a thick sieve and strained. From 200 g of kefir you get 2 teaspoons of cottage cheese, a daily portion, necessary for the child at 4 months.
Consult your pediatrician; he may recommend preparing special calcined cottage cheese for your child. Typically, such cottage cheese is needed for children with a calcium deficiency, for example, if the fontanelle does not close well or the first teeth erupt early.
The technology for preparing calcined cottage cheese is the same as for regular cottage cheese, only instead of baby kefir, 300 g of boiled milk is taken and 3 ml of 20% calcium chloride is added to it (the drug is purchased at the pharmacy).
For the first feeding of a child at 4 months, less than half a teaspoon of cottage cheese is ground with breast or boiled milk. cow's milk and is given to the baby before meals in the morning and evening. If the child’s body reacts normally, there are no problems with the intestines and allergic manifestations, in next time give 3/4 spoon daily and then twice daily a teaspoon before meals.
Feeding a baby at 4 months: egg yolk
Egg yolks are rich in essential amino acids, contain folic acid, iodine, iron, lecithin, vitamins B2, B12, A, D. All these substances are necessary for the baby to grow and develop. But it should be borne in mind that eggs are an allergenic product. During the cooking process, the main part of the allergens in the egg is destroyed, so the duration of boiling eggs should be at least 20 minutes.
Starting from 4.5-5 months when breastfeeding and from 4-4.5 when feeding formulas, the child is introduced to the menu with the yolk of boiled eggs. For the first time, it is enough to grind a small piece, the size of a match head, with milk to check how the body reacts to it. new food. If everything is normal and no allergic reaction is observed, then the volume is gradually increased to a quarter of the yolk per day; it is better to give the yolk in one of the morning feedings.
If possible, preference should be given to quail eggs; they are more healthy in composition and less likely to cause an allergic reaction. You need to boil quail eggs, like chicken eggs, for at least 20 minutes.
4 months: breastfeeding regimen, sleep
At 4 months, the baby's daytime breastfeeding interval can be 3-4 hours, night sleep can last 6.5-8 hours. But for many children, when breastfeeding, sleep at night may be short and interrupted for night feeding. There is nothing alarming about this, it means that the mother’s milk is not nutritious enough and the baby just needs to be fed. Usually, with the introduction of a sufficient amount of complementary foods by six months, the need for night feedings disappears, and the child sleeps peacefully until the morning.
Feeding a 4 month old baby with artificial formula
When mother's milk is not enough or there is no opportunity to breastfeed the baby, the baby is transferred to artificial feeding. If this happens from the first days of a child’s life, then the introduction of various complementary foods should begin a little earlier, because despite all the thoughtfulness and balance, the mixtures cannot fully replace mother’s milk, and the introduction of complementary foods will enrich the baby’s diet. And the child’s stomach, having adapted to artificial feeding, can more easily tolerate new foods in the diet.
Sample menu for a 4-month-old bottle-fed baby:
- 6:00-8:00 Infant formula 180-200 g;
- 10:00-11:30 Vegetable puree, half an egg yolk, 50 g fruit puree;
- 14:30-16:00 Infant formula 170-180 g, teaspoon cottage cheese, 5 teaspoons (25 ml) fruit juice;
- 19:00-20:00 Baby formula 170-180 g, 25 ml fruit puree;
- 23:00-00:00 Boiled milk, diluted with water 1:1, 1 teaspoon of cottage cheese.
Artificial formula takes longer to digest, so you can wait longer between meals than when breastfeeding. Sleep is very important for the normal growth of the baby and at 4 months he still falls asleep after almost every feeding. But the waking time has already been increased; in total, at this age, the child sleeps from 14 to 17 hours, depending on the character and temperament.
Each baby, based on the needs of his body, lets his parents know which daily routine is more suitable for him. The parents' task is to try to feed the child and put him to bed every day at the same time, chosen by him. This is necessary for the formation of a healthy digestive and nervous system.
Important! Children should not be given complementary foods when allergic reactions, problems with the intestines, when preparing a child for vaccinations, immediately after them and when the baby is not healthy.
Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:
Experts say that newborns up to six months do not need anything except guards. Formula-fed babies can start supplementing earlier (up to 5 months). Often young parents begin to give their baby a little adult food. Is it possible to do this? How will the child react to such a turn? How to make this food safe for your baby? How to introduce complementary foods at 4 months? The first complementary feeding with artificial feeding, the scheme from 4 months of which is proposed below, will not cause problems for young parents.
The first feeding at 4 months is so exciting for new parents. It's not even clear where to start. But this can be done if you find out everything in time.
The first complementary feeding during artificial feeding (scheme from 4 months) is very important. To know what you can feed your baby with, you need to find out information about his physiology at this stage. Here's what's happening in his digestive system:
- production of hydrochloric acid;
- thickening of the intestinal walls;
- the reflexive pushing out of hard/thick food stops;
- the physiology of the chewing process increases readiness to eat.
The first complementary feeding at 4 months on artificial feeding requires increased attention.
Important! Do not think that the child is ready to accept adult food. Each has its own characteristics.
Each baby individually undergoes the process of maturation of the body to accept new food. Parents are responsible for abdominal pain, gas, loose stools and other symptoms that occur if the child is not ready to accept new foods. But if you correctly introduce supplementary feeding at 4 months, you may not encounter such problems. The situation at 4 months with breastfeeding and formula feeding is different. The baby should be fed carefully.
Parents sometimes face the forced introduction of supplementary feeding. This happens when the baby was born premature and does not eat formula and does not gain weight.
Then the question arises of how to properly introduce complementary foods and what to introduce. In such cases, it is necessary to contact a professional pediatrician.
What food should I start with? The following recommendations must be followed to ensure that the child tolerates the introduction of nutrition normally:
- Agree with your pediatrician on the foods you will give to your baby. You must obey him 100%.
- Supplementary feeding begins with vegetable purees.
- Porridge for first feeding is an excellent solution. At 4 months, the child can be introduced to rice, buckwheat and corn porridge. These products are hypoallergenic. But some babies may not be suitable for a separate component. Porridge for the first feeding must be prepared according to the strict recipe indicated on the product packaging.
- You can feed your baby new food once every two weeks. This reveals the child’s attitude towards this or that food.
The baby should be fed with a spoon. Try to eat correctly, then it will be difficult to learn again. This will help your baby learn to swallow faster.
During the first feeding with mixed feeding, you should give the baby a taste of half a teaspoon. Gradually you need to increase the number of spoons. In total, the child should not eat more than 150 g at a time.
Watch your child's reaction carefully. If he feels unwell from any porridge or puree, discard this product and then consult a doctor.
Here are other indicators that indicate that it is time to give your baby complementary foods:
- the baby’s ability to sit and turn his head;
- extinction of the ejection reflex;
- demonstration of nutritional deficiency.
It is better to start feeding children only when it is really necessary, especially at an early age.
Feeding your baby at 4 months will be successful if you follow all the recommendations.
How, what and when
When it comes to feeding your children, do not listen to the advice of relatives and neighbors who insist that they know what to feed your child. Previously, complementary feeding could be regulated independently, but now everything is different. When it comes to children, trust the professionals.
Here are the foods that are strictly forbidden to give to a 4-month-old baby when breastfeeding or formula-fed:
- yolk;
- cottage cheese;
- meat;
- bouillon;
- fish.
This can lead to serious consequences:
- dismetabolic nephropathy;
- allergy;
- damage to functionally immature kidneys.
Even now, debate continues about whether to introduce food to a four-month-old baby or not. Starting complementary feeding at 4 months is an important process.
It depends on many factors. Period during which supplementary feeding can be given: 21–26 weeks. If the child does not have enough food, complementary feeding is recommended from 4 months, and if everything is fine in this regard, then from 26 weeks.
Feeding a child from 4 months of age who is prone to constipation should begin with vegetable puree.
If your baby has bowel movements frequently, you can start complementary feeding with strengthening cereals.
To begin, create a rough menu of complementary foods for children.
How to feed your baby correctly
How to give complementary foods correctly? This is an easy question.
It's funny to watch how your baby reacts to new food. Vegetable puree is not as appealing as breast milk or formula. Don't force your baby to eat if he doesn't want to. Wait until the baby is hungry, and then let him try a new product. In two weeks, the baby will love the puree and will eat it with a bang.
The baby's feeding position should be vertical. Be careful so that the baby does not choke.
During feeding, you can give toys to your child, because he will show interest in them, forgetting about the new taste of puree.
How to prepare and choose baby foods
Where to start complementary feeding? This question is spinning in the minds of many parents. Everything depends on you. Whether the child has a mixed diet or not now, be extremely attentive to the child’s reaction.
If you prepare puree yourself, then you should know some subtleties. For example, best choice products for early supplementary feeding - domestic vegetables and fruits, since foreign ones are chemically processed (simplification of transportation and storage). You should not choose red and orange vegetables and fruits.
The choice of food for infants is huge. Mothers can feed their children meals that they have prepared themselves or bought. It all depends on personal preference. Know that any mother can cook a dish for a child. To do this, you must adhere to the following algorithm:
- Wash the vegetable well and pour boiling water over it.
- Remove the peel from the vegetable.
- Place the vegetable in the pan, add water and cook for 15 minutes, covering the container with a lid.
- Grind through a sieve or use a blender.
- If the puree is thick, dilute it with broth.
- After a week, you can add a little vegetable oil to the dish.
Cereal porridge is the next dish that can be included in children's diet. They are very easy to prepare. After all, you just need to stir the dry mixture with water until smooth. This type of food is good because parents can be sure that the product High Quality, safe and rich in vitamins and minerals.
There are two ways to prepare fruit puree:
- A dish of raw fruits. This is an excellent cooking method, since in this case everything is preserved. beneficial features product.
- A dish of boiled fruits. This cooking method preserves fiber and a certain amount of microelements.
After the baby has eaten puree, he needs to be supplemented with breastfeeding or bottle feeding. The baby will definitely love the new food, he just needs a little time. Give the children's menu due attention.
The first complementary feeding while breastfeeding will be easier if you refer to the complementary feeding schedule. This is what you can feed not only a 4 month old baby, but also older ones.
Additional food during breastfeeding: scheme of allowed foods:
| Dishes | Age | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 1 month | 1 month | 2 months | 3 months | 4 months | 5 months | 6 months | 7 months | 8 months | 9-12 months | |
| mixtures | 700 ml | 800 ml | 900 ml | 900 ml | 700 ml | 400 ml | 350 ml | 300 ml | 250 ml | 200 ml |
| fruit puree ml | - | - | - | 5–30 ml | 40–50 ml | 50–60 ml | 60 ml | 70 ml | 80 ml | 80-100 ml |
| from vegetables | - | - | - | - | 10–100 ml | 150 ml | 150 ml | 170 ml | 180 ml | 180–200 ml |
| milk porridge | - | - | - | - | - | 50 gr | 150 gr | 170 gr | 180 gr | 200 gr |
| whole milk | - | - | - | - | 0.1 l | 0.2 l | 0.2 l | 0.2 l | 0.2–0.4 l | 0.2–0.4 l |
| drain oil | - | - | - | - | - | 1–4 g | 4 g | 5 g | 5 g | 6 g |
The table for introducing complementary foods is simple. The complementary feeding scheme from 4 months contains everything you need. In order for the child to accept new food normally, it is necessary to give it strictly according to the scheme. From 4 months, the table suggests that it is necessary to start complementary feeding from one product. Don't worry if your baby flatly refuses to eat. The next day, give him a similar product. This may take a week. All of these components provide everything the baby needs. The first complementary feeding with artificial feeding from 4 months is similar to that with breastfeeding.
You need to get used to each product gradually; in the fourth week of supplementary feeding, you can introduce two products. Complementary feeding at 4 months of breastfeeding should be done slowly.
If the child is artificial, it is advisable to start complementary feeding with a small spoon, slowly increasing the number of spoons. To make the task easier, create a menu.
The first feeding should be introduced as follows:
- Food should be given before the main meal, in our case before formula feeding. The amount of formula must be reduced, otherwise the child will overeat. After a week, when the baby already eats 159 g, he skips one meal with formula.
- After 3 weeks, another feeding should be taken away. When the baby turns 7 months old, the formula is reduced to two supplements, which the baby eats in the morning and in the evening.
- When your baby turns 8 months old, you can give him fermented milk products.
If you understand that the baby is completely satisfied with the nutrition he is receiving now, you do not need to start feeding the baby at 4 months.
When feeding a baby with breast milk, he needs complementary feeding only at six months. When this time comes, you should carefully begin complementary feeding.
Until six months, a mother who is breastfeeding has no problems thinking about what to feed the baby. But after he turns 6 months old, you need to take care of what to feed him.
For every parent, starting complementary feeding at 4 months is a serious process, because the baby’s condition depends on it. Don't worry, just follow the doctor's advice and use our advice on the first complementary foods when bottle-fed, the scheme from 4 months.
Complementary feeding of a 4 month old baby - an important event for him and for you. Choosing the right one children's menu for the baby, you provide him with a healthy condition. The development of events should be gradual. Now you can’t go wrong knowing what complementary foods you need to introduce; the scheme from 4 months is simple.
The rules are extremely simple for mixed and regular feeding; within an hour the baby will show interest in the new food. At 4 months, complementary feeding is easy.
The daily routine of a 4-month-old baby is significantly different from the routine of a three-month-old baby. This is due to an increase in the duration of night sleep - most children, between the fourth and fifth month of life, switch to one night feeding, and the duration of night rest reaches 8-9 hours. Features of psycho-emotional and physiological development also require correction of the regime, since the child begins to actively explore the surrounding space, and periods of continuous wakefulness can reach 3-4 hours.
Approximate daily routine and nutrition of a child at four months
Below is an approximate daily routine for a four-month infant, which each mother can adjust taking into account the characteristics of the child, as well as the needs of the rest of the family.
You don't have to strive for the routine presented above. According to statistics, less than 10% of infants live according to the regime accepted as the standard norm. All children are individual, each with their own character and pace of physical and physiological development, which have a direct impact on their daily routine. Parents can adjust the given routine, but if the child becomes restless, refuses to eat and is often capricious, you should consult a doctor. The pediatrician will help create a regimen that is most suitable for a particular child and meets his needs.
Daily routine of a three-month-old breastfed baby
The diet of children at the beginning of the fifth month of life requires certain correction. The baby's digestive system already produces a sufficient amount of enzymes necessary for the digestion of food, so the volume of milk that the baby can absorb in one feeding should increase from 150 ml to 180-200 ml. In this regard, six meals a day must be replaced with five meals a day, increasing the interval between feedings to 4 hours.
If the mother is breastfeeding and adheres to “feeding on demand”, you can leave the child’s usual regimen, but the minimum interval between feedings should be 3 hours. This is necessary for normal operation digestive organs, comfortable digestion and preventing heaviness in the stomach. In addition, frequent and heavy breastfeeding can be a cause even at four months of age, so it is better not to overload the baby's stomach.
Important! Some mothers give the breast to their baby as soon as he starts crying. Parents should know that only in 13-20% of cases, crying of a healthy baby between feedings means a feeling of hunger. There can be many reasons for restless behavior: fear, cold (or, conversely, overheating), uncomfortable clothing, fatigue. Before offering the breast, you should try to distract the baby and eliminate possible negative factors.
The daily routine of a bottle-fed or mixed-fed baby
Children who receive food as their main diet, starting from the fifth month of life, should receive food 5 times a day. The interval between feedings during this period increases from 3 to 4 hours. This is necessary for the prevention of digestive disorders, spasms and normal absorption of food. The protein contained in infant formula is absorbed by the baby’s digestive system longer and harder than the proteins that form the basis of mother’s milk.
By 4 months, the child should eat 200 ml of the mixture. If the baby continues to be fed every 3 hours, baby food will not have time to be fully absorbed, since enzymes that break down protein and milk sugar will not be produced in sufficient quantities. The consequences of improper feeding can be:
- intestinal cramps and stomach pain;
- excessive regurgitation of undigested milk;
- belching;
- increased flatulence.
For some children at this age, the pediatrician may recommend introducing complementary foods. Usually additional power is required infants with low body weight, delay in physical development suffering from various forms of anemia. It is recommended to start complementary feeding with dairy-free cereals that do not contain gluten, a complex protein that is part of the gluten of most cereals. Buckwheat or rice porridge would be an ideal choice for a first introduction to grains, but rice dishes should not be given to children prone to constipation until six months of age.
Sugar-free apple juice, zucchini puree and apple and pear puree can also be used as first complementary foods. Brightly colored fruits, as well as vegetables with a high purine content, are introduced no earlier than five months of age. Peas can be given to a child only at 7-8 months.
Menu for a 4-month-old bottle-fed baby
An approximate menu for children receiving complementary foods is given in the table below. The volume of meals is indicated for the end of the fifth month of life.
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Important! For children who are on mixed feeding, you can use the same feeding scheme, only instead of formula milk, give the baby breastfeeding in the morning and afternoon. Night feedings should be gradually reduced to 1 time per night. Night feeding is considered to be between 11 pm and 6 am.
How much should a 4 month old baby sleep?
The duration of night sleep in children aged 4 months ranges from 8 to 10 hours. With a properly organized diet, many children are ready to get by with one night feeding, so this period can be used to gradually wean them off getting up at night. The quality of sleep also changes - it becomes more restful. If a child at this age continues to wake up frequently at night, is capricious, or has difficulty falling asleep after night feedings, it is necessary to consult a doctor and find out the reason. There may be several of them:
- uncomfortable underwear (many children sleep poorly if the inner seams of their clothes or pajamas are poorly processed, so it is better to choose seamless underwear for sleep);
- hunger;
- too low or heat air (16°-18° is considered optimal);
- skin itching ( common reason– use of conventional washing powder with strong fragrances, which is difficult to rinse out of clothes).
Important! In order for a baby to sleep healthy and sound, it is necessary to pay great attention to walks. Oxygen is necessary for the normal functioning of the heart, nervous system, and brain. In addition, walks at this age can be an excellent developmental activity, but you should not go outside only when the child is awake. If the baby sleeps 2-3 times during the day, at least one nap should be in the fresh air. The duration of stay outside in warm weather should be 4-5 hours.
In some cases, the cause of intermittent sleep and frequent getting up may be chronic, sluggish diseases with mild symptoms, so consulting a doctor in such cases is necessary.
Daytime naps also change at 4 months. The total duration of daytime rest should be approximately 5-6 hours, but there are children who at this age switch to a one-time nap lasting 3-4 hours, while feeling well and developing in accordance with age standards. The pediatrician advises dividing daytime sleep into at least 2 times (even better - into 3 sleeps lasting 2 hours each), but if the child remains active and has a good appetite with a one-time rest, there is no need to interfere and try to adjust the regime, as required by pediatric standards.
