6 months Exclusive breastfeed, What next?

     I was tapping my shoulder for successfully completing my 6 months of Exclusive Breast-Feed journey,unaware of the following steps to be taken. 

So many queries, so many confusions with added fear,

• How to start top feed?
• What should be the first thing to be given to him?
• What if he doesn't accept the change?
• What if he falls ill because of that?
• What should be the quantity to be fed?
• What about the frequency of breastfeed & top feed?

My anxiety asked me to lengthen my Exclusive Breast-Feed journey 15 more days, 
So finally when Kartavya was 6&1/2 month of age, I decided to get my queries resolved by none other than the expert i.e Kartavya's Pediatrician.

Following her advise & looking at Kartavya's weight gain graph, I went ahead.

From 6 & 1/2 month till 7&1/2 month of his age I started top feed, 

Not Solid But Liquid that too having same consistency of my milk, like

• Dal-pani,
• Fruit juice,
• Drained milk from mashed chapati-milk mixture.
• Raab (Wheat/ Ragi flour cooked in ghee + hot milk & jaggery)

If all of sudden we start semisolid than baby's suffer from feeling of being choked so they avoid eating & even develops fear of eating.
And about the quantity, The amount of intake & its frequency has to be decided by your baby & gradually you would be able to understand their demand.

He loved the taste & different colour of his food,
I would always make him sit & feed so they can even regulate the amount of intake they can swallow.
So once he is full, he would signal he by his "No" gesture.

First week I used to keep frequency of top feed & breastfeed to be equal, i.e every 2-3 hourly feed which would include alternate top-feed & breastfeed.
Later on the frequency of top feed was increased in comparison to breastfeed.

Every month I checked his weight just as a confirmation that my path is right.
His weight, potty, pee count were always on watch, on any change in consistency of food.

From 7 & 1/2 month I started semisolid i.e

• Drained mashed chapati-milk mixture
• Drained Apple shake & fruit puree
• Drained Mashed Dal- rice .
• Mashed boiled pulses  & vegetables.
• Khichdi

So it was liquid but the consistency was quite thick than before.
He used to love this change of consistency and taste.

From 9th month I started introduction of Solids & by age of 1 yr, he started eating

• Upma, 
• Sheera, 
• Poha, 
• Halwa, 
• Roti-sabji, 
• Dal- rice.

Because of gradual change in consistency of food he has developed the chewing habit from very beginning.
Taking him to Restaurants never felt a task for me, as I used to make him eat everything.

Still I would add,

As all Mommies are Not Same So Are the Babies,

Please consult the Pediatrician & go ahead with the food pattern.
Solid Food should complement- not replace- breastfeeding. You can continue to breastfeed till 2 years of age.

Ultimately they are baby, so let them enjoy these changes gradually, they too can get bored with everyday sweet taste of milk.

Feel free to experiment with colour, consistency and taste, so feeding your little one would never be laborious for you my dear mommies.