Start complementary feeding at 6 months

What:

• When your baby reaches 6 months of age, continue breastfeeding on demand (on cue) both day and night while introducing baby to his or her first foods.
• Begin offering two or three spoons of cooked, soft, mashed (or pureed) food two times each day for several weeks. You can use a little expressed breastmilk or clean water (boiled, treated or filtered) to soften the mashed food.
• This introduction of foods is more like ‘tastes’ than actual servings, to get your baby used to foods that are a different taste and texture than breastmilk.
• Include animal-source foods, such as eggs, meat, poultry, fish and milk products, since these are a good source of high-quality protein and essential fatty acids and they should be introduced early. 
• Avoid unhealthy foods and drinks, like sweet biscuits, sugary drinks or snacks high in fat, salt and sugar.

How:

• Remember that at 6 months of age, babies still have very small stomachs, and they can only eat small amounts at each meal. The consistency of the soft mashed foods should be thick enough to remain on the spoon without falling off (see the image of the spoons on the card).
• After starting with two to three spoons of cooked, soft mashed (or pureed) foods two times each day, you can transition to three times a day, and start to offer more food and different foods as your baby gets older.

Responsive care and feeding practices

• Handwashing and feeding times are wonderful opportunities to interact with and talk to your baby, helping them learn words, colours, textures and tastes.
• Give your baby time to get used to eating foods other than breastmilk.
• Sit down with your baby, be patient, and actively encourage your baby to eat.
• Position or hold your baby in your lap in a way that you can still make eye contact.
• Follow your baby’s lead and hunger or fullness cues. Encourage but never force your baby to eat.
• See Counselling Cards 27, 28 and 29 on responsive care and early learning and Counselling Cards 13, 14 and 15 on hygiene and clean water.

Notes for the community health worker: All cups shown and referred to in the Counselling Cards have a volume of 250 ml. If other types or sizes of cups are used to feed a baby, they should be tested to determine their volume and the recommended quantities of food or liquid should be adjusted.