Feeding Your Child: How and When to Start?

As a new mother, you, and everyone around you, might be worried about how to serve your child something other than your breast milk. For working mothers, it can be an extra challenge, as they have to start going back into the office after maternity leave is over.

As soon as your child celebrates his 6-month birthday, you should start preparing to feed the best nutrition to your child, and to go back to work as well! Working mothers have that extra pressure because no matter where they go, their child and his nutrition are always on their minds.

Here are some helpful tips that I hope will aid you!

1. Choose the right feeding bottle. Your child may not be used to bottles if he breastfeeds. So, choose a bottle with a soft nipple, rather than a hard one. This will help your child get used to the feeding bottle quickly.
   There are glass bottles available in the market, which you can use. I have always used glass bottles.
   It will be best if you can pump your milk, and someone can help you by putting the bottle in hot water, after you go to office. You need at least 15 days to get your child used to his new feeding schedule. Go slow, and do give the minimum 2 hour difference between the meals served to your baby.
2. The very first meals should be very light and easy to digest for your baby. My pick is 3 purees: khichdi puree, bottle gourds puree, and pumpkin puree. Sieve the puree by pressing it hard, so that you can get it to the minimum size and smoothest texture. After your child crosses the 7-month mark, put the puree in an electric chopper. There are plenty available in the market, so you can buy one. It will help you a lot. After one month, you can also temper your khichdi with hing and jeera. Chop and serve – that’s the basic idea! Also, make small meals, so that they can be digested easily.

Hope this will help! Do comment, parents.

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