Feeding schedule for babies under 6 months of age if they have started to eat

Babies who are still routinely breastfed exclusively have regular breastfeeding schedules or times. Likewise, when your little one has started to get acquainted with complementary foods (complementary foods) to meet their daily nutrition, the meal schedule must still be enforced. The question is, what if the baby starts eating under the age of 6 months? Is there a feeding schedule for babies under 6 months of age?

Can babies under 6 months be given food?

Breast milk is the best food and drink for babies who are not yet six months old. If your baby is already six months old or even more, breast milk is no longer able to meet his daily nutritional needs.

That is why babies should be introduced to solid foods, aka complementary foods (complementary foods) when they are six months old.

In other words, feeding infants less than 6 months has not been recommended. Based on this also, babies under 6 months do not actually have a regular feeding schedule.

The Indonesian Pediatric Association (IDAI) also explained this. According to IDAI, babies who are still at the age of 6 months still need breast milk completely without the addition of other foods or drinks.

Another reason why breast milk is the main food and drink for babies under 6 months of age is that it is easy to digest.

The digestive system of babies who are not yet six months old is still less than perfect. If you are given food or drink intake other than breast milk, it is feared that it will make your little one experience digestive problems.

While breast milk has a variety of good benefits, one of which is safe for the baby's digestive system. Because at this age, the baby's digestive system is still in the process of formation so that it can work optimally.

Giving complementary foods under 6 months should be given as recommended by a doctor. Minimum feeding can be started at the age of 4 months.

Is it necessary to apply a feeding schedule for babies under 6 months?

As previously explained, babies who are less than six months old are not actually allowed to eat solid food.

This means that babies under 6 months of age do not have a regular feeding schedule. On the other hand, because it should still be in the exclusive breastfeeding period, a baby feeding schedule for less than 6 months is a breastfeeding schedule.

Unfortunately, there are certain conditions that do not support breastfeeding in infants. Take, for example, the production of mother's milk that is very little or has even stopped.

Not only that, various other medical conditions, both in mothers and babies, also often prevent mothers from giving breast milk.

The rules for not giving ASI can be enforced either by breastfeeding directly through the breast or through a bottle of nipple by pumping the milk first.

Here are some medical conditions that do not support breastfeeding:

Galactosemia in infants, should not be given breast milk directly or through a bottle
Tuberculosis (TB) in mothers, should not give breast milk directly but can be pumped and given from a bottle
HIV in mothers, should not breastfeed directly or through a bottle because it is an infectious disease
Herpes on the breast of the mother, you should not give breast milk directly or through a bottle
Mothers undergoing chemotherapy, should not give breast milk directly or through a bottle

In a condition where the mother's milk production is lacking or even no longer comes out and there are medical problems for the mother and her baby, exclusive breastfeeding may be stopped.

If breast milk is no longer being given, the baby's daily intake can be replaced with formula milk (sufor). Supportive administration can be continued until the age of six new babies and then introduced with solid food or complementary foods.

On the other hand, babies can still get breast milk without formula milk, but accompanied by providing complementary foods (MPASI) for less than six months.

The reason is that babies less than 6 months can be given intake other than breast milk

Usually, other intake is allowed if the baby is underweight so that it must be added from other foods and drinks.

The provision of complementary foods while implementing a feeding schedule for babies under 6 months must be approved by a doctor first.

Launching from the Mayo Clinic page, if you want to provide food to babies under 6 months, you can start from the age of 4 months.

However, make sure the texture of complementary foods (complementary foods) for babies under 6 months is adjusted to the food for babies for 6 months.

What is the feeding schedule for babies under 6 months?

Apart from the texture of the food, the daily meal schedule must also be adjusted for babies aged 6 months.

This is because both at the age of exactly 6 months and less, babies are just starting to get to know solid foods, aka solid foods.

So, the texture of the food and the eating schedule is the same, especially for babies who eat solid food for the first time at less than 6 months of age but are still getting breast milk.

According to Children's Diet Handbook published by the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia, the feeding schedule for infants under 6 months can be equated as follows:

06.00 AM: ASI
08.00 AM: Breakfast with complementary foods of ASI (MPASI) which has a crushed texture
10:00 am: Breast milk or a snack, for example puree fruit (strained fruit) with a soft texture
12.00: Lunch with solid solids that have a mashed texture
14.00: ASI
16.00: Snack
18.00: Dinner with solids that have a mashed texture
8:00 p.m.: ASI
22.00: ASI
24.00 hours: ASI
03.00: ASI

Breastfeeding for babies at 24.00 and 03.00 does not always have to be done. You can readjust it to the desire of your little one whether it shows signs that you are still hungry or if you are already full.

If at midnight and early morning your little one is still hungry, it is fine to give breast milk directly or from a pacifier bottle.

However, if it turns out that your little one is full and not fussy, it's okay to skip breastfeeding at that hour.

It is important to continue to consult a doctor

Before starting to provide food and implementing a feeding schedule for babies under 6 months, it would be better to consult with a doctor first.

The doctor will assess whether the condition of the mother or baby requires accelerating the introduction of complementary foods (complementary foods).

In addition, the doctor will also pay attention to the signs that the baby is ready to eat solid foods to ensure that it is time for solid foods to be given.