Adding Breakfast??

Updated on October 27, 2008
B.T. asks from New Braunfels, TX
12 answers

Yet again I have another ?. As you can tell I am a first time mom with LOTS of questions. My son is 8 months old and eats about 26-30 oz of formula a day plus 2 meals. He eats 1 stage 2 container for lunch and a bowl of oatmeal and a stage 1 fruit or veggie for dinner. He is healthy(except for now he is recovering from strep throat)and a whopping 21 pds. My question is...do I need to add a breakfast meal? I know that this may sound trivial, but I really wonder does he need it? He eats great at his other meals and even now is liking the gerber puffs. Any help is greatly appreciated.

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So What Happened?

thank you for all the responses!! I think that I will wait awhile and see how he does. He has wanted to eat more table foods lately..so I may start with that for breakfast instead of babyfood!! You guys are great!!

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C.B.

answers from Austin on

Relax and do what seems right for the two of you. Breakfast sounds like fun. He might be ready for some finger food like banana chunks. Enjoy every moment.

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A.S.

answers from San Antonio on

o yes avoid the egg. That's a nono. It sounds like he is getting plenty of solid food. That's great. Maybe if you moved the food around he will get it all day. Oatmeal in the morning and the jars lunch and dinner. You don't want him getting used to eating alot because it is true you are on the road to his future eating habits. He sounds cute and plump but when he starts school, it won't be cute anymore. Good Luck!

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M.T.

answers from Austin on

HI B.,

I was in your shoes. I was a single mom until just recently. It wouldn't hurt to give him cereal in the morning. By giving him cereal he may not be as hungry when lunch comes around which is ok. You didn't mention it but just in case infants and children should eat something every 2 to 3 hours. This will also help even out how much he eats at lunch and dinner. You can still give him the same foods but by spreading them out he'll get used to having something every few hours and won't want to eat a large amount in one sitting. Once he's walking and more active you may see pounds come off or he'll grow into the pounds. With my son I guess it was about this age he would only have a small bottle right before he went to bed but very rarely wanted one because he had eaten good for dinner. If you find that your son wants the bottle in the morning then do half of the amount of bottle with cereal or fruit so he gets into the habit of eating at meals. Definitely stay away from foods that could possibly be an allergy, especially this early on. I would stick with baby foods until he's at least a year and then slowly introduce other foods. It's been a while but I think you can start introducing a spoon and teaching him how to feed himself. This may help him slow down when he eats and may end up full sooner than before. Again this will be something you'll have to play by ear. If it looks like he's still too young for that then no need to rush it. Good Luck and it sounds like you are doing great. It will get easier. As soon as my son was old enough to walk he wanted to help pick up his toys and help me with different things.

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M.S.

answers from Houston on

My son hit 20 lbs at 4 months, was breastfed and started solids at about 6 months, some kids are just bigger than others, n he only weighs 25 lbs now at 16 months, so don't let anyone tell you he is too big it comes off once they start moving. About this age (at least my experience anyway) they can start to learn how to gum food. I would give my son a banana and cheerios or puffs for breakfast. I would quarter the slices at first but by ten months he was was off of baby food, he managed to eat just about anything. A fruit jar with some baby oatmeal was good too. I also started giving him those yo baby yogurts w/ the cereal mixed into them at around 7 months and he LOVED those for breakfast.

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S.T.

answers from Houston on

I have to warn you about the below suggestion of giving him scrambled eggs. Eggs are a common allergen and you are not supposed to feed egg whites to a child under the age of 1. If egg allergens (or other severe food allergens such as nuts) are a problem for other family members, then you should avoid eggs for two years. I have a friend whose baby almost died after eating eggs an can't have the yolks either.

I wait on breakfast until the baby has a good pincher grasp and can eat cheerios and small diced fruit. Then I give him cheerios and banana or diced cooked or canned peach or cooked or canned apple. This is usually around 9 months. That is also when I start phasing our the baby food and give finger foods and lightly chopped 'adult' food for meals.

S., mom to 5!

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B.S.

answers from Corpus Christi on

I would say yes. In my opinion (and I am not saying I am right) it will be easier to get your baby on an eating schedule with out formula, if he is already eating on one with the formula. And you know what they say, "breakfast is the most important meal of the day."
I can only pass on what I know from my two children. Hope this helps.

J.B.

answers from Houston on

I think I did two meals for quite awhile while I was nursing. I mean the kid nursed like 8 times a day or something! Anyway, since his weight is doing great, I think it is just fine. In a few months, as he gets on more solids you will probably add breakfast as his formula intake may go down a little. Sounds like you are doing great to me :)

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L.H.

answers from Killeen on

Hi B.,,,,
Sounds like your a Great Mom,,if you feel the need to ask then you could try giving him breakfest ,,maybe a scramled egg ,,so he is not getting more ceral ,,and if he likes it and wants more try adding a fruit with his breakfast.You are doing a good job ,,and rember no queston is dumb . thats how we learn
Good Luck L.

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C.R.

answers from San Antonio on

You would really have to ask his doctor, especially since he weighs 21 pounds, which is a little heavy for an 8 month old. Some kids are just bigger like that though (not necessarily fat, just heavy) and thin out later. It does not sound like he is overeating at all, but i'm not sure how much formula a baby his age should have because I breastfed. My daughters breastfeeding would get less as she began to take in more solids and I was never sure how much she got but she fed about six times a day (around 4oz-6oz each time i'm assuming).

As a general rule, any babyfood or table food they may get before a year old is not really necessary but it's more practice than anything. All they really need at that age is baby cereal once or twice a day and their breastmilk or formula along with a multivitamin. After one year old then food really becomes a big part of their nutrition. It sounds like he's doing ok, if he's not acting hungry more often then he should in the morning then you shouldn't need to add a breakfast. Just be sure you are giving him baby cereal, that is VERY important. Your doctor will work with you to balance his milk/food intake so that he's not overeating or undereating. Good luck!

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V.O.

answers from Austin on

I'm a true believer that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Right now you are molding his eating habits for the future....I would definitely give him cereal. If he isn't as hungry at lunch, he'll let you know

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J.T.

answers from Victoria on

An exellent book would be Super Baby Food. While I do not home make my babys food I do use the guide lines on what your baby should be getting and eating at which stages. I feed our son cereral in the morning and evening. My son is a big boy 26 lbs at 9 1/2 months. I think it would be fine to start him on cereral. We give him a bottle in the morning first thing then mid morning he gets his cereral. Good luck.

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A.J.

answers from Killeen on

I think adding breakfast would be a good idea, since it is the first meal after sleeping all night. before you give him his morning bottle, give him a little oatmeal or rice cereal with some baby food fruit mixed in (mashed bananas, pears, etc.) i'd start with just a couple tablespoons of cereal. I always used to make it with a little formula from my kids' bottle that was already made. if he likes it and finishes all the cereal and still seems hungry, give him a little more! My first daughter was a big baby too, but never fat, just really big! she was 25 lbs by her 1st bday! as long as he is not overweight and eating balanced meals, and growing at a steady pace, I say go for it!
PS my daughter is now 4 1/2 and very healthy, very tall for her age (about 42"!) and only weighs 45lbs. so even if your son weighs a bit more than "normal" right now and even if he looks a little chubby (my daughter certainly did) he should grow into it and even out! the important part is teaching healthy eating habits (not forcing him to eat if he turns his head...not a lot of sweets...not a lot of sugary drinks...etc.) children up until 3 or 4 years of age WILL NOT overeat! unless you are putting food in their mouth that they aren't hungry for or giving them too many sweets, they will naturally stop when they are full! I wouldn't worry about your son's weight, I'm sure your doctor would have said something by now if he thought it was a problem!

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