Table 3 Examples of IYCF messages quoted from interviews with extension workers and health and agriculture workers

‘Child should get only breast milk until 6 months…’ (HDA, Oromiya)

‘At the age of 6 months, child should start to get additional food…’ (ADA, Amhara)

‘After six months, the baby should get additional food at least three to four times a day and breast feeding should continue…’ (AEW, Tigray)

‘There are twelve different food items that we can get from production…’ (ADA, Oromiya)

‘A child from birth up to 6 months should only feed breast milk…’ (AEW, SNNP)

‘Prepare and give semi-solid porridge after 6 months…’ (ADA, SNNP)

‘… So, the child should get more than two spoons full during feeding’ (AEW, Tigray)

‘…feed children different food types in the form of porridge’ (HEW, SNNP)

‘Child from birth to 6 months should get only mother’s breast milk…’ (AEW, Oromiya)

‘After six months, the child should also get complementary food…’ (AEW, Tigray)

‘From 6 to 9 months, children should get two to three cups additional food. From 6 to 12 months, they should get three cups. From 12 to 24 months, they can have more complementary food…’ (AEW, Oromiya)

‘All mother and father should be aware of not to grow any child by eating only Shiro (stew made from peas)…. for example, if the child eats Shiro now, then he has to eat vegetable for the next meal interchangeably’ (ADA, Amhara)

‘Baby should not take any additional food including water in the first six months…’ (AEW, Tigray)

‘From 6 to 12 month, start to give small foods. Small foods mean for example, porridge…’ (AEW, SNNP)

‘From 6 to 9 months, two coffee cups of porridge and from 9 to 23 months, four coffee cups…’ (AEW, SNNP)

‘If we give children fruits, they will have healthy growth, healthy brain, good in learning … we have banana, we have avocado, we have oats. we have all kind of fruits in our land. But, it’s because of lack of knowledge that our children lagged …we learnt to feed different foods…’ (ADA, SNNP)

‘For a child up to 6 months, she should only breastfeed…’ (AEW, Amhara)

‘After six months, they should give additional food in parallel to breast milk…’ (HEW, Oromiya)

‘For a child 6–11 month, we should give at least 1 to 2 coffee cups of additional food per day…’ (HEW, SNNP)

‘A child should get porridge containing different food groups like dried and refined meat…’ (AEW, Tigray)

‘From birth up to six months, the new baby should also be given breast milk only, not even water…’ (HEW³, Tigray)

‘Child up to 6 months only mothers breast milk…’ (HEW, Amhara)