Feeding Solids

Hi there, The mommies below gave great advice. I just wanted to add that this website helpd me a lot. http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/solids.htm
It gives charts on what they should be eating when and how much, which foods to introduce ect. I used it only as a guideline but found it helped keep me informed and my 10 month old eats just about everything even spinach and brocoli.

No offense, but don't listen to your mother in law. Babies don't eat 3 meals a day. I am amazed you already have him down to 4 feedings a day. You definately don't want to eliminate them once you start solids. Formula/Breast milk is thier main source of nutrician until about thier first birthday. I nurse my child, so I don't know the total number of ounces of formula needed per day for a 5 month old, but I think it is around 32oz. Double check, or perhaps another mom knows. Until your child is actually eating food and "meals", I would not expect to decrease his formula supply.

Thoughts about feeding infants have changed alot since you MIL was raising children...heck, my Mom was feeding me MEAT when I was only 2 months old!!!

Yes, breastmilk or formula should be the primary source of their nutrition until a year. He is just barely old enough to be beginning solids. Feed him his bottle first, then top off with the food. Until they are a year the solids are really just to help them learn how to eat, not necesscarily for nutrtion. And you don't really need to start with cereal it doesn't really give them anything nutritionally. You can start with a veggie or a fruit, whatever you think he might like. Just don't give more than one thing for the first few days or so, just to make sure he isn't allergic.

Do not cut a baby down to three meals a day! No offense to your mother-in-law, but she is probably of the generation that thought it was ok to smoke and drink while pregnant. Feed that baby when he's hungry, even if it is six times a day (or more). Little babies won't eat enough solids to be nourished, and they can't get the amount of protein and fats they need from fruits and veggies and cereal. He needs formula or breast milk until he's at least one year old, and then he can start on whole milk but still may need formula (ask your pediatrician for his/her opinion on that).

You are correct (and all the PP), you don't want to reduce the number of formula feedings. My daughter was like your son, she had reduced herself down to four feedings a day around four months (I fed on demand, and that is how it turned out). She is now 7 months and we still have the 4 bottles a day. I introduced solids at 5 months. I started with the morning, but it doesn't matter--you can start wherever. She is now 7 months and I just added a third feeding of solids. There is no rush. Some babies want more solid foods sooner and others are content with where they are at. Just follow your sons cues and what you think. From this point on, the formula will probably stay constant and you will just add more solids. The formula actually never goes away--it just becomes whole milk after they turn a year old.

for abbie she gets a bottle when she wakes up and then 2 hours later solid foods(sorry she is 8 months, but we have always done it this way) then a nap, a bottle when she wakes up, 2 hours later solid food, nap, bottle when she wakes up then for dinner its a mix of solids and a bottle. hope this helped.

Here's the way I did it, if it helps at all. I started with feeding her rice cereal one time in the morning about an hour after her bottle. Once she was eating that consistently, I added rice cereal in the evening. Then I added fruit to the morning, then veggies in the evening, then fruit at lunch time, then veggies at lunch time. Some time in there I also replaced the morning cereal with baby oatmeal. I always gave her her bottle first and then the food about an hour later. This plan seems to have worked for all three of my babies. The youngest is now starting to switch to table foods. Good luck to you!

He should still be getting his main source of calories from milk so based on your # of feedings, I would not remove a bottle. Check out gerber or enfamil to name a couple for some guidelines on feeding. I would stick to just breakfast for at least a month... starting just with rice cereal and then once he gets the hang of that introducing fruit with the rice cereal. Good luck! :)

Hi M.
Usually until the baby is 6mths you should offer formula/breast milk first and then solids so as not to replace any feedings with the solids. After that you can slowly ofer more solids and elimanate 1 or reduce the amount of oz offered with a bottle feeding. But your baby will let you know if he still is hungry after a solid fedding.

Don't you love mother in laws? He's a little young to put on a 3 meal a day schedule. He should continue to receive most of his nutrition from breast milk/formula. Just keep slowly introducing solids, allowing for about 1-2 weeks between different foods to be able to keep an eye on allergies and you'll know as you go when to start reducing formula, he'll start showing lest interest in the formula and more in the solids and these are the questions you ask your DOCTOR at your well baby visits too. Just nod and smile to your mother in law and follow your doctors orders, your son's lead and your own intution!

Your child is getting all the nutrients he needs with the cereal and baby food. I always put a scoop of formula in with his cereal & a touch of applesauce 4 taste. My son eats his veggies real well. His Doc says that they tend to eat less of their bottle when they start solid foods. Just give him what he likes. Not what your Mother-In-Law suggests. Unless she has a PH.D then listen to your doctor! LOL. Good Luck. Have Fun!

I think we have the same mother in law -- she said the same thing to me, ha ha! Agree with the posts -- don't reduce formlua/b milk. Just add the meals on as extras.

Around 6-7 mos, the doc told us that he needs 3 meals and 2 snacks a day. He's now almost 11 mos and we do formula at every feeding and snack time, and a variety of solids (about 6-8 jars a day plus cereal and table food.) But things will be diff for you based on your baby's age. If you're unclear, a quick call to the peditrition will work. (Sorry for the rambling, it's FRIDAY!!!)

My son is eating three meals a day at 5 months, but he is not nursing any less. He's very interested in eating, and is usually eating a 4 oz jar of fruit with 1/3 cup of cereal in the morning, and a 4 oz jar of veggies with a 1/3 cup of cereal at lunch and dinner. Then he nurses after each meal, with snacks of nursing in between these meals. I don't know how much he takes, but he does nurse for a good length of time. I don't know if your MIL meant only just 3 meals a day, but I do know that I have always fed my kids three meals, to get them used to eating when everyone else does. For us, lunch and dinner are sit down at the table meals, so all three kids expect to eat then.