It feels too overwhelming to become parents, but at the same time, it is something that brings loads of responsibilities. Responsibilities to keep your baby safe and sound, healthy and to make sure he/ she gets the best of everything especially when it comes to baby nutrition.
As you become a parent, you need to learn everything related to your baby. How to keep the baby comfortable, aid growth and development, what to feed, what things to use and what not; and much more.
However, proper nutrition for the baby is something that every parent prioritizes. What foods to feed and which to avoid; when to start giving certain foods and when to stop giving others! All these are the things you might also want to know, and you should know as a parent to a newborn or parent-to-be.
In this article, you'll find everything you need to know about what Ayurveda suggests for your baby nutrition and baby nutrition food till 6 months.
Nutritional needs
A baby grows every day in some sense or the other. It is during the initial days that the baby's development starts taking place. The brain develops, muscles and bones get stout, and the immune system builds up. You need to be very careful about your baby nutrition to foster growth and aid development.
Some of the most important nutrients a baby needs in the first six months are
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Calcium: Since the bones of the baby show significant development during the first six months, calcium is a very vital requirement for babies. It is also vital at the teething stage of a baby.
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Folate: Folate is commonly known to aid cell division and is required by babies.
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Fat: Fat gives your baby energy and helps to develop the brain, hair, and skin cells. It also builds immunity against infections.
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Iron: Iron helps in the development of a child's brain and also aids in the building of blood cells.
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Zinc: Zinc helps cell growth and repair of tissues.
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Vitamins: Just like an adult, the baby's body also needs various vitamins like Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, and B12, Vitamin C, D, E, and K to carry out different growth processes and foster development. All these vitamins contribute to the growth and building process of a baby's body in various ways.
Now that you know all about the baby nutrition till 6 months, let's see what you should feed them to provide all of these.
What food to give?
The stage of a baby from 0-6 months is referred to as the Kshirap Stage. This is because the baby only depends upon milk during this phase. Ayurveda suggests that milk is the best food for a baby till the age of 6 months.
Breast milk contains all the essential elements mentioned above and can provide the baby with enough nutrition until 6 months after birth. Therefore, the mother's milk is considered best for the baby. In such case it is very important that the mother and baby nutrition is perfect as both are co-related. But in any case, if the mother is unable to breastfeed the baby, buffalo's milk can be used as an alternative.
There are some babies born before the completion of nine months or underweight. Significantly, these babies are not as developed as the ones born in their due period. Such babies need some special nutrition in addition to their mother's milk.
In such cases, extra nutrition is provided by adding fortifiers to the milk to meet the nutritional requirements of the baby for proper growth and sound development.
What to avoid?
As you see, Ayurveda is all about getting the best from natural things. Therefore, Ayurveda suggests breast milk is the best food for the baby and suggests avoiding formula or powdered milk. Also, whole cow's milk is considered unfit for a newborn baby as it lacks some important nutrients essential for a baby's development and is heavy. The best alternative, in case breast milk, is not available, is considered to be buffalo's milk.
Make sure the mother eats the healthiest food rich in nutrients that can nourish the child as well. Mother and baby nutrition is very important when you are breastfeeding your kid.
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