Question
My daughter is 11 months old now, and she is currently only drinking breast milk. She has been constantly asking for milk recently, and my wife’s nipples have been worn to the point of peeling. If the nipples are peeled, can I still continue breastfeeding? If not, what kind of complementary foods should I provide for her? I am very worried.
Answer
If there is breast inflammation, breastfeeding should be stopped. Complementary foods for the baby include vegetable puree, sweet potato porridge, mung bean porridge, pumpkin porridge, millet porridge, steamed egg whites (without any additional ingredients, just salt), and fish soup cooked for over 3 hours. Porridge should have less pork, as pork is warm in nature and the baby’s body tends to be hot; consuming too much can easily lead to illness. These porridges are mainly made with mixed grains, which are mild in nature, easy to digest, and beneficial to the spleen and stomach, reducing the likelihood of the baby falling ill. If the mother is concerned about insufficient protein, she can mix in steamed egg whites and fish soup. However, one must be careful with fish bones and ensure strict preparation to avoid altering the properties and nutrition of the soup. The amount of complementary food should be introduced gradually from small to large quantities. For example, starting with steamed egg whites at 4 months old, initially only 1-2 spoons, and after 3-4 days if there are no digestive issues, it can be increased to 5 spoons. Then, increase by 5 spoons each week. After introducing complementary foods, one should closely monitor the baby’s skin for any allergic reactions such as redness or eczema. If such reactions occur, stop providing that particular complementary food. Additionally, closely observe the baby’s stool; if it is abnormal, temporarily discontinue providing that complementary food until the stool returns to normal and there are no symptoms of indigestion before gradually reintroducing it.