A common concern among mothers is that their babies are not eating enough, especially after they start solid foods (six months and above). Your baby will tell you when he is hungry, so listen for signs and provide food. Because babies' appetites can change based on their growth period, changes in their sleep schedule and the type and amount of food they previously consumed, their eating patterns will change. Be patient and trust your baby to tell you when he is hungry. If you're concerned or if you don't gain weight, talk to your doctor.
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Method 1 of 3: Determining Why Your Baby Might Not Be Eating Enough
Step 1. Trust that your baby will eat when he is hungry
If you think your baby isn't eating enough, or appears to be eating only for a very short period of time, it doesn't necessarily mean there is something to worry about. There are many reasons why a baby doesn't want to eat, ranging from just being full, to being tired, being busy paying attention to something else or a little sick. Try to trust your baby and avoid turning feeding time into a battle. If you are concerned, and he seems to be underweight or his changes are dramatic or sudden, don't hesitate to consult a doctor.
Step 2. Don't worry because babies are picky eaters
It is not uncommon for a baby to refuse some foods that are new or unfamiliar to him. In most cases he will get used to it, but this may take a little time. Be patient, and if he refuses something new, offer him food you know he likes. Come back to the new food again later.
- He may also avoid these foods for various other reasons such as teething, fatigue or simply being full.
- Don't be nervous and irritated with it. Just put the new food aside first and come back to it later.
Step 3. Reduce the occurrence of small vomiting and reflux (spitting up)
Small vomiting is a common occurrence in babies as they get used to digesting food and will tend to decrease as the baby reaches one year of age. Frequent small vomiting or spitting up can interfere with your baby's diet, so taking steps to reduce vomiting will help him develop good eating habits. Be sure to burp him regularly, don't overfeed him and keep him upright when you feed him. You are also advised not to play with him immediately after eating so his body has time to digest a bit.
- To control reflux, feed him more slowly and in slightly smaller amounts at each meal. Keep her in an upright position for half an hour after eating, by placing her in a chair or stroller.
- If she's spitting up a lot, has severe vomiting, or is getting sicker over time, you should call her doctor.
Step 4. Be aware of potential food intolerances or incompatibilities
Food intolerances or allergies can be one reason why your baby may appear to not be eating as much as they should. Allergies can appear suddenly, and often have very obvious symptoms such as vomiting, rash, diarrhea, sweating or abdominal pain. Food intolerances can produce symptoms that are not as severe as allergies, but can result in your baby feeling bloated, full of wind and uncomfortable.
- If your baby has allergies or intolerances he will likely not want to eat, so watch for any symptoms and call the doctor.
- The doctor will be able to perform a series of tests to investigate possible allergies.
- Take your baby to the doctor or emergency room immediately if you notice signs of wheezing, swelling, hives or difficulty breathing.
Method 2 of 3: Finding Ways to Help Your Baby Eat More
Step 1. Make new foods look like their favorites
If you find that he's always refusing new and unusual foods without tasting them, you can try to make things easier by making the new foods look similar to the ones he already likes. For example, if she really likes mashed potatoes, but doesn't like the look of sweet potatoes, try mashing them so that they are similar in shape and consistency to mashed potatoes.
- Try to get him used to it by giving small portions that you will add gradually over time.
- Introducing new foods slowly but surely and not trying to force him to eat anything will help him develop his appetite gradually.
- A completely new food can be a very strange sensation for a baby.
Step 2. Provide finger food
You can try to increase the amount of food he eats throughout the day by giving him small meals between large meals. Soft-cooked vegetables are a great option as a snack, you can also try dry foods like crackers and toast. Noodles are also a great snack.
- Do not give food that can cause choking. Avoid sliced apples, grapes, popcorn, sausages, beans, or hard pieces of raw vegetables.
- If your baby is trying at around six to eight months and is teething, slices of dry toast, teething crackers and no-salt crackers can be great snacks.
Step 3. Make mealtime fun
Your baby will imitate a lot of the things you do, so eating with him can encourage him. He will watch you closely and learn from what you do. If he looks away from the spoon, eat the contents of the spoon itself to show him how delicious the food is. Talk to him when feeding him and include him in family meal times. Having regular feeding times can help your baby learn about when to eat.
- You have to be prepared to see things get a little messy, and make sure that mealtimes are enjoyable.
- Be sure to allow plenty of time to eat and be patient. Follow the baby's tempo and don't try to push him or force him to eat something.
- Don't leave the table until he's finished eating too.
Step 4. Involve more people
Sometimes bringing more people at mealtimes can encourage the baby to eat more. This step can work well if you have an adult friend or family member that he or she likes. Invite your friends over for dinner and the baby will often happily eat for someone other than the mother or father.
If your baby has several friends who are good eaters, inviting them to dinner together can have a similar effect
Step 5. Give him a variety of foods
It is important for you to provide a wide variety of foods so that the baby has a balanced diet and is introduced to various types of food from an early age. Usually, once your baby gets used to new foods, he will learn to like them. Give your baby a variety of healthy foods from a young age to help him grow and develop, and also to get him into good eating habits. Giving him foods and drinks with added sugar, salt or fat will increase his chances of craving these foods in the future.
- Providing him with a variety of foods and allowing him to choose what he wants to eat for certain meal times can help him get used to new foods.
- Babies like to choose their own food, so try to give them a choice every now and then.
Method 3 of 3: Developing Your Baby's Diet
Step 1. Find out how many times a baby up to four months old can be fed
When your baby is this age, all of his nutritional needs will be met by breast milk or formula. If you are breastfeeding, a baby can feed about 8 to 12 times a day, approximately every two to four hours, or when the baby is hungry and asks for milk.
- If you are using formula, the baby may need to be fed six to eight times a day. Newborn babies will start with 475 ml to 700 ml consumption per day, with an amount of about 30 ml per each feeding after the first week of birth.
- If the baby is not feeding enough during the day, waking him up at night to feed him may be necessary if he is underweight.
- Maintain a close relationship with your doctor so that he or she can supervise your baby and advise you on what to do.
Step 2. Give more food but less frequently after four months
When your baby is about four months old, he will begin to eat less each day. If you're breastfeeding, she may now drink four to six times a day instead of the 8 to 12 times she used to. However, the amount of milk consumed at each feeding time will increase.
- If you are using formula, the amount of feeding time will also decrease as the baby gets older. To adjust, the amount of formula you give each meal will increase by about 180 ml to 240 ml.
- By the time your baby is four to six months old, he will usually be consuming about 830 ml to 1.33 liters of formula a day, and you can begin the transition to solid foods.
Step 3. Recognize the signs when you can give solids
When your baby is about four to six months old, and is getting ready to begin the transition from breastfeeding to solids. One should be careful and should not be in a hurry in this change. If the baby is physically unable to eat solid food, he is at risk of choking. There are a number of milestones in his development that can signal that he is ready to eat solid foods:
- His body weight has doubled from when he was born.
- He has good control over his head and neck.
- He can sit with little support.
- He doesn't keep pushing out spoons or food with his tongue.
- He can signal you that he is full by not opening his mouth, or looking away from food.
- He begins to show an interest in food when he sees other people eating.
Step 4. Introduce solid foods
When you start incorporating solids into her diet, use iron-fortified baby cereal or rice flour that you have mixed with breast milk or formula. Make sure the food is mixed until it has a runny consistency in the early stages of introducing solids. As he gets used to solid foods, you can give him foods with a thicker consistency.
- To start, mix a teaspoon or two of cereal or porridge flour with breast milk or formula. Give this mixture as a serving twice a day.
- Gradually increase the amount of porridge you mix to three to four tablespoons, once or twice a day.
- After the baby eats porridge flour regularly and regularly, you can try to give him other porridge flour such as wheat, brown rice or green beans.
- Control the new porridge carefully and do not give more than one type of porridge every three to four days. Watch for any intolerances or allergies to any new strain you are given.
- There is some disagreement among experts about the order in which new foods are introduced. Experts agree that you should introduce a variety of new foods to your baby, but there is no scientific agreement on how the food order should be introduced. Some people start with fruits or vegetables, while some even start with meats. Consult your pediatrician if you plan to try a different order of starting solids.
Step 5. Introduce pureed fruit and vegetables
When your baby is around six to eight months and has successfully eaten a variety of porridges, you can start introducing more variety into his diet with pureed fruits and vegetables. As with porridge, introduce these vegetables and fruits one at a time and wait a few days before adding other foods so you can check for allergies or intolerances.
- It's a good idea to start with plain vegetables, such as peas, potatoes, pumpkin and carrots. For fruits, you can start with bananas, apples or applesauce, papaya and pears.
- You may want to start with vegetables first, as some people believe that the sweet taste of fruit can make vegetables less appealing.
- Give three to four servings a day, each serving consisting of two to three tablespoons of vegetables and fruits. Depending on the child, the total amount he can consume can range from two tablespoons to 500 ml per day.
- Although the consumption of breast milk or formula will decrease, you should continue to give it three to five times a day.
Step 6. Switch to the meat
When your baby is about six to eight months old, he will eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, and will be ready to eat some ground or finely chopped meat. If you've been breastfeeding, six to eight months is an appropriate age to introduce meat. Mother's milk is not a rich source of iron, and at the age of six to eight months the iron stores in the body must be replenished.
- You can continue to give breast milk or formula three to four times a day. However, your baby should be off the bottle after one year of age. Any bottles you use after a year should only contain plain water.
- Introduce the meat one at a time, and allow a full week's break before you offer a new type of meat. Feed the meat in three to four tablespoons per serving.
- Increase the serving size of fruits and vegetables by three to four tablespoons, four times each day.
- You can also give him cooked egg yolks (not egg whites), three or four times a week.
Warning
- Call your pediatrician if you are concerned that the lack of appetite is putting your baby's health at risk.
- Call your pediatrician right away if your baby's appetite changes drastically, he appears to be losing weight, or he frequently chokes or vomits with food.
- Do not give honey, nuts, cow's milk, shellfish or egg whites to infants under one year of age.
