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Weaning an infant, using 100 % natural food and totally avoiding formula foods !

Discussion in 'Infants' started by darmesh, Apr 30, 2014.

  1. darmesh

    darmesh Platinum IL'ite

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    PLEASE NOTE : This is one member's opinion and experience. As always, you should consult your pediatricians to know what is medically and scientifically acceptable before deciding on a course of action. Please do not follow anything without sufficient research. While this goes for anything in the forum, given the potential implications of a wrong course of action, we are specifically mentioning it here.


    Dear friends,

    I am starting this thread, based on popular request from at least two members.

    First, I and my wife are basically Gujarati descendants, but born and brought up in Tamil Nadu. They call as Sourashtrian Tamilians in South Tamil Nadu. My forefathers moved to South Tamil Nadu 4 generations back, still we retain our Gujarati surnames.

    But, for all practical purposes, I am a 100 % South Indian , a Tamilian. So, our food habits are basically South Indian ones.

    In the following schedule, if you find it difficult to make idlies daily, if you are a North Indian, then, you can substitute idlies with cooked dalia of wheat. Otherwise, for a North Indian also, rest of the food stuffs will remain the same.

    Why Natural food ? Why not artificial food ?

    There is a study which says, kids who were given formula foods are prone to allergic disorders later as adults. As an adult, I suffer very severe allergic disorders starting from frequent nasal allergy(stuffiness) and skin allergy etc, My mom says, whatever I ate as an infant was formula food apart from breast milk. They gave me natural food only after I crossed the age of 2. This is probably the reason why I developed severe allergic tendency as an adult.

    Indian Association of Pediatrics has done this study and is of the view that formula foods given to the infants, increases the chances of the kid developing allergic disorders when it grows into an adult. Formula foods contain so many preservatives hence, they induce the kid's immune system into an allergy prone one.

    This is the concept. Fifteen years back , this concept was aggressively promoted in Tamil Nadu. Doctors there at that time, refused to accept sponsorships from formula foods companies like Nestle even for their academic programs.

    Now the concept has fizzled out and I can not even locate a reference to it in Internet.

    Luckily my sister herself is a doctor who took us to a Paediatrician who was a part of that group which was aggressively discouraging formula foods.

    How successful it was ?

    It was a phenomenal success to our kid. Several times, I myself has prepared Cereal Pulse Preparation, because my wife is a working woman. Though my wife did only a part time, when our son was before 1, at least five times in a week, I had to prepare the Cereal Pulse Preparation mentioned below, to feed him.

    We could rear our son, with 100 % natural food, not a single tin of formula food.

    There was one occasion when he was 8 months, and we had to travel in train. That was the only time we gave him cerelac, which he hardly liked.


    Here we go :
    Weaning the baby using natural foods only :

    Upto 3 months.

    ONLY BREAST MILK. Nothingelse is needed. NOTHINGELSE SHOULD BE GIVEN.

    Even water is not required.

    From 3 and half months.

    Skip breast milk at around 1 pm . Give Rice Gruel at this time. 2 tsp of raw rice / boiled rice is well fried on a dry pan ( without oil ) on a low flame for few minutes. Then, this dry-fried rice is powdered in a mixie. This powder is added to required amount of boiling water and gruel ( kanchi in Tamil ) is made.

    Continue breast milk at the other times.

    From 4 months.

    Rice Gruel ( preparation as above ) at two times , one around 1 pm and the other time around 8 pm.

    Continue breast milk at the other times.

    From 5 months.

    Half idlie at 9 am.

    Rice gruel at 1 pm

    Cereal Pulse Preparation ( C.P.P.) at 7 pm.

    Breast milk at the other required times, other than the above three timings.

    How a Cereal Pulse Preparation ( C.P.P.) is made ?

    Take 50 grams of wheat + 50 grams of rice + 30 grams of ground nut + 20 grams of Bengal gram ( Pori kadalai / Pottu kadalai in Tamil, chanaa ki daal kaa dalia in Hindi ) . Dry fry (varuththal in Tamil) them on a dry pan individually on a low flame.( a few drops of oil can be smeared on the dry pan for making dry frying easy ). After the grains are fried like this, they are mixed and powdered in a mixie. The jar of the mixie should be absolutely dry. This mixture will be coming to around 150 grams. This dry powder can be saved for a few days use in a dry container.

    First, add one / two teaspoonful or refined oil / ghee on a pan, then pour around 50 to 75 ml of boiled cow / buffalo’s milk . Allow it to reboil. Then put 2 or 3 teaspoonful of this dry mixture powder is showered on the boiling milk + ghee , taking care to avoid small , small clot formation. If clots form, they can be gently disintegrated with a spoon. As boiling continues, gentle stirring has to be continued. Add two teaspoonful of jaggery ( vellam in tamil ) to it now. Continue boiling and gentle stirring. Within ten minutes, a fine paste will be coming.

    The final product will look like uppumaa or kesari.


    This is Cereal Pulse Preparation ( C.P.P ).

    Apart from the above, breast milk can be continued at the frequency of once / twice in a day.

    5 and half months.

    Idlie in morning.

    Cooked rice + Cooked tuvar dhal ( tuvaram paruppu ) + cooked vegetables like potato, carrots mixed in a mixie, salt added. This can be given as lunch in the afternoon.

    Evening – C.P.P to be given.

    Apart from the above, breast milk to be given at the frequency of once / twice a day. In the middle of the night, the baby may need breast milk.

    6 months.

    8 am idlie.

    1 pm Rice + dal + vegetables + salt mixture

    5 pm C.P.P.

    8 pm idlie.

    Try restricting breast milk to once a day.

    7 months

    same as 6 months. But instead of smashed cooked rice + dal + vegetables mixture, try whole rice here in the afternoon.

    8 months

    Start the family diet. ( which other members in the family are taking ). Encourage all kulambu and chatni ( containing spices and masalas ) gradually in small , small amounts.

    DON’T AVOID FOOD CONTAINING MASALA. THIS IS THE TIME TO START IT.

    When 9 months start , the kid should be able to take the complete family diet.

    From 10[SUP]th[/SUP] month onwards, goat’s liver (if you are a non-vegetarian) should be added at a frequency of at least once a week for extra iron supplement The final success depends upon whether you prepare anything special for your kid, after he/she crosses the age of 10th month. After tenth month, the kid should be able eat every thing the adult members eat, including non-vegetarian foods.

    If teething is a problem,( some kids have delayed teething , which is again normal) then the same adult food (with all masala and spices) can be masticated in a mixie and be given.


     
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2014
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  2. yellowmango

    yellowmango IL Hall of Fame

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    Khichdi is themagic weaning food. You can add vegetables slowlyto it and mash nicely. Start by making rice and moong dal...very fluidy Khichadi.....move on to adding vegetable.
    If afew months time you can add variety of dals.
     
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  3. darmesh

    darmesh Platinum IL'ite

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    Yes. The khichdi made of wheat dalia, this can be used wherever idlie is mentioned above (for those who can not make idlies easily)
     
  4. sweetypi

    sweetypi Platinum IL'ite

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    I have a few questions.
    (1). Doesn't the WHO recommend exclusive breast feeding up to 6 months ?
    (2). Is it OK to give cow or buffalo milk to a five month old ?
    (3). Convenience apart, what is the advantage of introducing ALL masalas at 8 months and getting the infant to eat adult food by 10 months ?
    (4). Is rice gruel nutritionally comparable to breast milk for an infant ?
    (5). Do babies need to have salt added to their diets ?
     
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  5. pinky2cute

    pinky2cute Platinum IL'ite

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    I totally agree that babies who grow up with home cooked food rather than commercial formula feeds are more healthy.
    But I disagree with one thing. Though it may or may not be 100% correct for all babies, still it is usually preferred that nuts of any kind are avoided till 2yrs of age. There may be a chance that baby get allergic reaction.

    Also, avoid salt and sugar in the babies food. They don't really need it. And avoiding sugar will also help babies in keeping tooth decay at bay.

    It applies to honey also which should totally be avoided in babies contradictory to the popular belief of feeding honey as first thing after baby is born. Though now nost people know it but still some old women try to compel mothers to do this.

    After babyis of 6months, body iron levels depIetes as breast milk alone doesnt suffice. Hence it is important to include iron rich foods. Especially greens like spinach.
    Even oatmeal and rice serve as iron rich foods for babies and hence are recommended to be ideal for their weaning.
     
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  6. pinky2cute

    pinky2cute Platinum IL'ite

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    Hii sweety, I understand your concerns and as a doctor let me answer them. I hope OP wont mind me interfering here....
     
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  7. gayushiru

    gayushiru Silver IL'ite

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    I agree that natural foods are infinetely better than formula and packaged baby meals. But I do have the same concerns as sweetypi.
    Plus, there doesn't seem to be a lot of fruits and vegetables in the diet above. I thought mashed fruits and/or veggies were one of the early solids given to babies (correct me if I am wrong). Is it nutritionally sufficient to give mostly rice-based foods ? Will this meet the baby's requirements of vitamins and minerals?
     
    Last edited: May 1, 2014
  8. pinky2cute

    pinky2cute Platinum IL'ite

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    1) true. WHO recommends it. Ideally you should NOT introduce anything than breast milk till 6months. If baby is not gaining weight adequately as per age or if breast milk is not sufficient then Only formula feeds or other forms of nutrition is given but NOT without consulting pediatrician!

    2) cow milk or buffalo milk should ideally be given after baby turns 1yr old. But it can be started after 6months of age. It should be boiled and upper layer of cream removed and then small amount of milk be added to solids or other foods for weaning purpose.
    Do not substitute it for breast milk.

    3) many people don't know that even if you are not using masalas in baby's food, when a mother breast feeds the baby, the spices and masals taste tranfer through the breast milk. So your LO is already knowing the taste of masalas.

    Any spice or masala can be given to baby when he/she is ready to take finger foods. That is after 8-10months of age.
    Well, about the advantage, actually I wouldn't call it as an advantage but it is a method to make food more tastier for babies as they don't like it bland after they start on solids.

    4) no, nothing can be equivalent to breast milk. Closest is cow's milk which after dilution can be said near to breast milk in terms of vitamins, calories and proteins.
    Rice gruel is rich in iron more.

    5) no salt or sugar must be added to baby food below 1yr.


    Hope I answered all queries.
     
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  9. pinky2cute

    pinky2cute Platinum IL'ite

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    I have answered sweetypi query. You may check it. Let me know if any doubts.

    Yes you're right, too much of carbs in the form of rice and pulses is not good for baby.

    Vegetables and fruits must be included. Like starting with mashed banana and boiled and pureed vegetables. Later on more varieties kf fruits and vegetables can be started.

    Just make sure you introduce one new food at a time to let baby know the taste and also to see if any food causes any allergy.
    Best would be to give new foods in morning time as you get the whole day to check on allergy if any.


     
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  10. sweetypi

    sweetypi Platinum IL'ite

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    Pinky,

    Thanks for your clarifications.
    But will not the typical masalas used in Indian cooking such as peppers irritate the GI tract of babies ? Plus pulses are supposed to be a good source of proteins too, aren't they ?

    Also, what is an appropriate age for weaning ? Less than a year or less than 18 months ?
     
    Last edited: May 1, 2014
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