Starting Solids - San Diego, CA

Keep his formula the same. Solids are secondary nutrition for him at this point. I had my daughter on a 4hr (between bottles) schedule for formula & then fed her the solids in between. That worked really well for us. He's getting to the age when he should be sleeping through the night. Now that he's eating solids he should be pretty full at night. You may want to try getting him to go back to sleep w/o a bottle. Good luck!

HI E.-I was concerned about the same thing so what I do is use the formula to mix the cereal, rather than using water. That way, my daughter is still getting the nutrients from the formula while eating her cereal at the same time. When she first started eating solids, I would also alternate feeding between a bottle of formula for one meal and then the next meal consisting of the cereal mixed with the formula. Over time, she has gravitated toward more solid meals and fewer bottle-only meals but given that she is eating the formula in her cereal, I feel less stressed about that. Hope that helps! Take care.
S..

He's just starting out with the food, so stick to the same amount in the bottle. I would feed him the bottle a little after he eats the solid food. Don't feed him the bottle before food, because he will be to full to eat it. And yes, he still needs him midnight feeding. (if he wakes up for it)
Try to get on a breakfast, lunch and dinner schedule. He's still really young so don't have to many expectations.
Good luck!

I'm a lactation educator with A Mother's Haven in Encino and a mom to a 14 month old.

Keep her milk intake the same. Right now solid food is all about her exploring the textures and tastes. Most babies only eat about a few teaspoons of solid food at each sitting. Not enough to fill their bellies.

What I found the easiest with my son was to nurse him and then about half an hour later I would give him a solid. When he first started eating solids, I only gave them to him at one meal and then nursed him the rest of the time. When he was about 8 months we went to 2 meals with solids and at 10 months he went to 3 meals of solids. Even now his pediatrician wants him to have at least 24 ounces of milk a day. So I usually give him some in a sippy cup with his meals and then he nurse 3 times a day (before each nap and at bedtime).

Hope that helps!

When just starting 1 TBSP of cereal mixed with BM or formula 3x a day, then his normal bottles after. (right after or 30 min after wont make any diffrence.) Soon you will start adding fruits and veggies (once he gets the hang of cereal) make sure you only do 1 fruit or veggie at a time and continure only that item for 4-5 days to confirm no allergies. After he gets the first one down for a few days, the next item he can have that plus the previous for a change in meal. You feed him 3 times a day, and keep the cereal in his diet for as long as possible (I did for just over a year). Eventually you will be able to increase the amt you give him, but right now formula or BM should be his main source of calories. Good luck!

Give him his bottle after solids, and possibly in between feedings, but he's not drinking too much. Kids know how much they need, and at that age he's still getting almost all of his nutrition from formula. Eventually the number of bottles will go down as solids go up. And he could still need to eat at night- some kids stop, some kids don't, it depends on their size and metabolism. My daughter had to eat at night until 11 1/2 months, but by then it was more of a habit then a need. If you want to find out if he needs it or if it's a habit, try giving him water in a bottle or a binky instead when he wakes- and don't jump up the minute he makes a noise, give him the chance to go back to sleep on his own. It's really hard to tell, though.

Hi E.,
My daughter is 9 months and I started her on cereal at 5months and other solids at 6. The guideline I was given was 24 ounces plus 3 feedings. Our schedule looks like this:
Wake up (7ish)- 6ounces formula
9am ish- cereal
11ish- 6ounces formula
12:30-1 fruit/veggie
3:30ish - 6 ounces formula
5:30ish- protein/fruit/veggie
7:15- 6 ounces formula right before bedtime
Your baby will be a good guide how much food he'll take. If he refuses a certain food, keep trying. They also wait a couple days to introduce new foods because of allergies.
My daughter started sleeping through the night at 5-6 months. I had to let her fuss it out :-(
Good luck!

Hi E.,
I'm living a parallel life here in Vista, CA. I have a 6 month old and am just starting solids and am not really sure how much to feed and when. And am also having the same sleep thing. Little guy goes down around 7pm and will wake up anywhere from 11pm-3am...totally unpredictable. sometimes once and sometimes 2x. there isn't a super clear pattern.
take care,
corinne

Hi E.-
I have a 10 month old daughter and I breastfed her til she was 8 months. I always breastfed her or gave her the bottle of BM first, waited about half an hour and then fed her solids. I always felt the BM and now formula is healthier than the solids.

In the morning, first the bottle, wait and then feed him the solids. same goes for lunch and dinner. I would wait from 30 minutes-hour.
I never pushed more breastmilk on my daughter and now formula. She is taking 5 oz of formula every three hours now. She drinks between 24-27 oz of formula a day. For awhile til she was about 7 months old, she was only taking 4 oz every 3 hrs and that was pushing it.
She is at a healthy weight....now at 23 lbs and 10 1/2 months.

I have a 5 month old and I'll be starting her on cereal next month. From other moms I've spoken with, you should do formula in the morning (6ish), cereal or other soft food at 9am and then more formula or breast milk (I'm still breastfeeding exclusively, so either or), then formula or breast milk for noon feeding. Basically, just alternate the milk and the food, but you'll still keep the milk feedings the same, just adding in the food about an hour or so after the milk. I'm not sure if that is the best way, since I haven't experienced adding other foods yet, but that's what other moms have told me they're doing. Also, if you are wanting your child to go to sleep through the night, I got some great advice from my pediatrician. My baby began sleeping through the night at 2 months old and hasn't awakened since then before 5:30 am! After the baby's last feeding at around 7 or 8, put him down while he's still awake and he'll put himself to sleep. Let him cry. It will take about 3 days for him to get the picture that he's supposed to just go to sleep. Plus he'll have just eaten, so he'll be a little drowsy anyway. If he awakens in the night, don't rush in there! Let him cry for no more than 15 minutes. Babies will self-quiet after about 10-15 minutes. If he does cry for longer, go in (don't talk to him or make eye contact) and just pick him up and hold him without rocking. If he quiets down, then nothing is really wrong. If he doesn't quiet down, then change the diaper and wait until he's quiet again. Don't feed him! That way, he knows that he will no longer get food in the middle of the night and after a few days, he'll sleep right through, or if he does awaken, he'll put himself back to sleep because it's still dark outside. I did this with my girl at 2 months old and I've gotten a full night's sleep every night! Give it a shot!

you have a lot of responses, but some of them are conflicting. Here is my two cents:

Everything I have read (5 different sources) and my pediatrian says that the milk intake stays the same! The food is just to get them used to it, or as a lot of people said, a sensory experience. Until they are 10 months to one year old (depending on what you read), the formula is still the main nutrition. Nutrition is important not just for thier body growth, but BRAIN growth as well.

Since formula is still the main nutrition, I really didn't want my baby to fill up on food and not want formula. I always give her the bottle first, then about 30 minutes later the food. She still is a really good eater, so don't worry about your baby being too full for food.

Lastly, I would say that most babies, most nights, should be able to go through the night at 6 months without feeding. BUT if you just starting food, WAIT TO CHANGE the night feeding, you might find that it just goes away on it's own cause food is harder for them to digest so they stay full longer. If, after solids, that night feeding doesn't go away I recommend the book "sleepeasy solutions".

Good luck!

I have been a postpartum doula for the past 6 years and in my experience, the bulk of his nutrution should still be coming from the formula. I would need a little more info on how much food he is eating, you did not say. If he just started I am assuming it is cereal and that you are making it with formula which counts as well. As far as giving him the bottle you should wait between meals, try and space the feedings apart but again make sure he is drinking enough. From the info you gave here he should be sleeping through the night at this point. If you want help with getting him to do
that, write me back and I could give some sugguestions.
L.

Hi E.,

Better than the advice from other people on this topic, I suggest you check with your pediatrician about this. At just 6 months old your baby still needs plenty of formula. Really do call your pediatricians office.

Also, continue feeding him the formula as he needs during the night.

Hope this helps!

Solids this early might be too soon: but check with your doc. Swallowing solids can be different/ difficult so see how your baby reacts. Also, try to offer breast milk instead of formula in a bottle or naturally... ultimately the baby will let you know what's best: they won't let themselves starve. If formula is the way for you to go, offer it at the usual times you would breast feed, then supplement with solid food. Let your baby get a chance to learn, don't force it into real food yet, They're good to go on breast milk and/ or formula for at least the first 9-10 months (MAX!!!) Teething is a good point to watch for when introducing solids. Always start with a runny cereal.
I reccomend "What to Expect: The First Years" book. It will give you a straightforward guideline for what baby needs and expects regardless of your preferences.

As for sleeping: it depends on the child: I have one that is a morning person and another that's a night owl: one of the "fun" things about parenting is dealing with your kids' timeline: and it NEVER fits yours!!!! :) They live on their own clocks no matter how much you want to train them! Learn to enjot early morning naps and late night coffee!

Hi E., wow you have sure gotten a lot of responses. I have a two year old son and when he was little he started on cereal and then soon went to solids. I started him out with a Table spoon and then soon it went up from there. My son would eat his bottle afterwards and your baby will probably let you know when he is full. If he doesn't and you think that he has had enough then stop and if he still seems hungry then give him some more. My son started sleeping through the night at about 3 months old. The doctor gave me a hand out that talked about getting your child to sleep through the night and this worked for me. It said that after you feed them don't put them back to bed right after. It said to feed them and then play with them for about 30 minutes afterwards and then put them down tired but a wake so they can learn to put themselves to sleep. They said to do this cause if you feed them and then put them right to bed the last thing they are thinking about is eating and sucking and that's why they wake up. I did this with my son and it worked right away! I hope this info helps! Good Luck to you!

E.,

Let him have as much formula as he wants. This will keep him hydrated. You do not want him to get dehydrated because then the Dr. will put him in the hospital with an i.v. and that is not fun!

Give him the bottle after he eats say a bowl of cereal or what ever food you are giving him. Just before he goes to bed, give him cereal, and a little more than you would for any other meal. This will help him sleep a little longer between waking up. He may still wake up for a bottle in the night, but that is okay. When you are tired of getting up with him during the night, or he starts sleeping all night then I would start giving him more cereal and let him sleep, or cry it out when he does wake up. If he is starting to get teeth, then don't give him a bottle during the night- because you don't want cavities, and the milk sitting in his mouth can and will cause cavities.

Good luck! Hope this helps!!!

Hi,
You probably already got lots of responses... give him the solid food first and then the bottle right after - same amount that he has been taking. You can always adjust the amount after you see how it's going. He shouldn't need to eat in the middle of the night - get him on a schedule to eat every 3 or 4 hours during the day - eat, awake, sleep, repeat - that will help him sleep through the night.

Dear E.,

I wanted to comment on the milk intake portion of your question. I took my son to an endocrinologist at the age of two. She asked how much milk he was drinking - my response was that I wasn't sure - I could only tell her that he got a minimum of 12 ounces (two 6 oz bottles a day), but the rest was out of a cup, which I didn't measure. She wanted to know why I wasn't giving him 3 three 8 oz bottles a day, and I said because he was two, and I was weaning him form the bottle! Anyway, she stated that the calcium requirement for a pre-pubescent child is the equivalent of 24 oz of milk per day. This can come from cheese, yogurt, or any food with calcium in it, but at this point, I would say that the easiest way to make sure he's getting his calcium requirement taken care of is to make sure he gets 24 oz of milk each day. (She also told me that post-pubescent, the requirement is the equivalent of 32 oz of milk)

Good luck!
B.

AND, I don't believe that cereal before bed promotes sleeping through the night - I had two sleeping through the night (10 hours, praise the Lord!) LONG before I ever introduced solid food at all - 5 and 6 weeks old!

I had five - Nursed them for couple months.... then on bottle for couple months and no waking up in night and walked at 7 months [[ 1st one and girl [ 3rd was walking at 8!! ]]] and others allbefore a year old --- N o bottles -- and we never had cups to drink from like there is NOW!!!! And drinking out of small tupperware glasses was all I used... Good luck... :-)

what i would do since i assume your starting him on ones or just cereals is offer him a bottle right after you feed him and make a mental note if he drinks it all, half, or doesnt want it. if he doesnt want it then offer it to him about an hour later. what i would do for bed time is feed him a solid mixed with a little cereal about an hour or so before bed. then give him a normal bottle amount he would normally drink for bed. he may wake up try just offering him a couple ounces of water to go back to sleep. with time you will get a feel about how much he will drink and eat. your on the right track!

His main source of food intake until he is 1 year is formula.I have a 7 mo old n I started out giving him a bottle so he wasn't so hungrey that he was fussy when trying out the baby rice cereal.after he got the idea I would feed the baby rice cereal still offer the same amount bottle but let him drink as much as he wanted.not always finishing the full amount. I started out 1 a day (evening) n then slowly work up 2x a day.Eventually as he grows up he'll eat more solids n less formula but by the time he's 1 you'll incorparate whole milk n food. I hope this was helpfull W/o being to confussing.good luck.

E.,

Solids do not need to be introduced right now unless breastfeeding or formula is not enough. If your baby is still hungry then start with rice or oatmeal cereal. Use that after the bottle. Food should be bland and almost mushy. Start introducing foods one at a time. This allows for the taste buds to develop and for the digestive system to adjust without a lot of cramping and gas. You should keep this habit up for the first year. Lastly, if you are not breastfeeding then I also recommend a good infant multivitamin. I have one if you are interested.

Here to help.

L. C
Nutritionist

i would highly reccamend a little bit of juice with meals and then formula an hour or 2 later because i learned the hard way that formula with the meal is over filling... my pediatrition said to give him formula with his meals but for almost a month of my son vomiting shortly after lunch and/or dinneri started juice insted and he hasnt thrown up since....

The main source for nutrients is still the formula/breastmilk. You are mainly introducing food to your child, what I did was first thing in the am I would give him a bottle, then mid morning, cereal mixed with fruit-usually bananas, then another bottle, lunch later, bottle, dinner, bottle. The baby should be taking in at least 24 ounces of formula or breastmilk. And if he fussed like he was hungry then I would give him juice or more formula. Your feedings of solids should be in the 4oz. range. Good luck I hope this helps you.

E.,
The formula is actually the most important part of his diet. Check with your doctor for his/her recommendation, but you son should take in about the amount he is currently. Any food on top of that is fine. All the nutrients he needs come from the formula. I would suggest a bottle when he wakes, breakfast food about an hour later, then do the same for lunch and dinner. If this seems like too much food, just do breakfast and dinner.
Good luck!
T.

Same amount of formula. Give bottle after meal.

You should feed him the food before you give him the bottle. He may be resistant to the solids so you want to feed them while he is hungry. The amount of formula should decrease as he takes more food. Your pediatrician should be able to give you a schedule for introducing foods: which ones first and how much to start with. Normally you start with cereal at breakfast and then at dinner time, followed by the introduction of vegetables and then fruit. He shouldn't need any food in the middle of the night--only a bottle, because the objective is to have him eventually be able to give up the night bottle.

Right now food is just for the experience, it doesn't change how much they nurse or take formula, offer the same amount. THey don't need to eat during the night unless maybe they're sick or going through a growth spurt.My son quite eating at night around 4 weeks and slept from 7pm-6:15 or 7:30am. A lot of times they want to "eat" at night just to be comforted to go back to sleep. You want them to learn to settle themselves. Maybe let him cry for a bit and see if he'll go back down. There are a lot of books out about this, good luck, you just need to do what feels right for you. However, I would recommend doing it before he learns to sit and stand in his crib, that's a whole other issue.

What worked for me, I nursed my baby just like regular, but around dinner time when my milk supply is at its lowest, I'd feed him some baby food, then right after I'd nurse him to top it off. I just wanted him to get used to eating from a spoon, and to start experiencing new tastes so he's not a picky eater. It worked great, because I ultimately still wanted most of his food to be from nursing. He did wake up at night still to be nursed, but after a few days of the same day feeding routine, he slipped into a regular night routine of just waking to eat once.