I like breastfeeding so much I fear the day my little boy will start to intake other food aside from mommy’s milk. But traditionally here in the Philippines, babies are given their first food when they reach 6 months old. This is also the same as UNICEF’s guidelines.
Continued breastfeeding beyond six months should be accompanied by consumption of nutritionally adequate, safe and appropriate complementary foods that help meet nutritional requirements when breastmilk is no longer sufficient. From 6-12 months, breastfeeding – if implemented optimally – should continue to provide half or more of the child’s nutritional needs, and from 12-24 months, at least one-third of their nutritional needs.
But what food to give your baby during his first bite? Baby cereals are the most common ones but for me, it is important that these baby cereals/baby food in the market complement breastfeeding.
Launch of Promina, the top selling Asian Baby Food in Indonesia and other Asian countries
I have a great tip to share on how to continue breastmilk intake for your babies even when they’ve started on cereals and porridges. That is, express your breastmilk which will maintain milk supply and instead of using water to dilute baby food, use your breastmilk instead.
That way, your milk supply is continued and your baby gets the benefits of breastmilk even with the introduction of new food.
One dry cereal recently introduced to the market is Promina. I was invited to witness their launch which involved the presence of an expert pediatrician. My husband was also present to taste if for himself. He said it was delish.
Promina complements breastfeeding whilst offering enriched but affordable infant dry cereal. The manufacturers said you can mix breastmilk with the cereals instead of using water like my tip above. It has prebiotic FOS (Fructo Oligo Saccharide) to help the digestive system.
Things I would look for in baby food are nutrition value, low sugar content, quality, and safety. Babies might look for taste and that’s why Promina (like other brands) also has seven flavors which includes beef and broccoli and brown rice with chicken.
The pediatrician said that parents should be prepared for messy firsts when feeding the baby. Do not scold babies for being messy because that’s just how they are. Parents should become ‘models’ on the dining table to encourage good eating habits towards children.
My baby has 2 months more to go before he starts on solid food. I am excited and anxious at the same time. How about you, what was your baby’s first bite?
