Feeding My 4 1/2 Month Old Solids and Formula

My son's pediatrician told me to not start baby food until 6 months so that his stomach had all the enzymes needed for proper digestion (or could create stomach problems later in life). Also, one thing I have done with my son when he only drinks 4 oz from his bottle (I know he is hungrier but is often distracted) is offer it again in about 5 minutes. He often will drink more. Then a little later, we eat solid food, so that he gets all the formula he needed first and then the rest is from solid.

I started my daughter on rice cereal and moved to baby food at three months. Let your baby decide how much to eat. look for the tell tale signs of being full like turning away, clamping mouth shut, and fussiness. I had no clue what was appropriate for my daughter until I found this great meal planner at www.gerber.com. It's there nutrition guide. you can adjust the guide to fit the corresponding stage for your baby. Like supported sitter, sitter, crawler, or walker. It's a great guide to follow and I found it easy to adjust the guide to fit my daughter. Hope this helps!

I am not saying you are doing anything wrong at all. Every child is different and needs and or likes different things. Plus you are his mom, so you of all people, know what is best for him. But, everything that I have read and been told by my doctor says that they should still be drinking mostly formula due to all the vitamins and minerals they still very much need from it and that baby food is just suppose to be an "extra" at this early stage in their life. That is just what I have been told. My son just turned 6 months old and weighs 16 pounds and he drinks about 4, 5 ounce bottles and than he also eats about a jar and a half of baby food. It all depends on how hungry he is that day though. I hope that helps you some. Your son sounds like he is getting enough and is very healthy though.

Your pediatrician should be able to tell you what to feed your baby, how much he needs, and when you should feed him. My babies eat every 2-3hrs, so you might try to do smaller bottles more frequently.

Hi A.,
First of all you should really be talking to your pediatrician about the best nutrition for your baby. He really should be getting more formula than that during the day. Baby food will fill him up but really offers very little nutritional value. At this age, the majority of babies vitamins and minerals is coming from their milk (whether it be breast milk or formula). If you read the baby food jars, even they tell you they only hold like 5% daily value of its ingredients. I think you might start seeing a decline in weight gain or delay in development if you don't boost that milk back up. It sounds like you're doing a great job with your baby and it was a good question to ask. Hope you get a good feeding schedule figured out.

God Bless
A. K

Well, babies shouldn't be on solids til 5 or 6 months; the formula is enough for their tiny bellies. When you give them solids too early, they cannot digest it well. Their digestive tracts are too immature to digest it. So I'd just do formula.

I agree with the previous poster. Baby needs more formula and less solids at this age. My 6 month old just started solids, but it is only a learning item--not a bottle replacement. Baby should eat a bottle then be offered solids when finished so they can be sure to receive all nutrients needed.

I agree, it sounds like too much solid food. www.babycenter.com has a great feeding chart which will tell you how much of each thing to feed your baby at different ages. My 6 month old is eating just 1 jar a day, in addition to a little cereal and lots of nursing. Hope this helps.

Baby needs more formula at this age! Recommended by our pediatrician is 6 4 oz bottles a day...total of about 24 oz. Baby food is normally not introduced at all until 6 months, though cereal our pediatrician recommends introducing at 4 months. Cereal once a day. They get their nutrition from the formula, and their tummy isn't ready for all that solid food yet!
If your pediatrician hasn't talked to you about feeding, you should definitely bring it up and/or find a new one. I love ours because they discuss every step/stage along the way with you so you aren't just out there guessing when to do what. Good luck!!

Have you checked with your pediatrician? Infants that age should be drinking at least 24 oz. milk each day. If he is eating solids, he will not take as much formula. You should barely be on cereal much less solid foods. Back off a little or you may end up with a child that has alot of food allergies or GI problems. If you are on WIC, they can give you more information.

Honestly, I would find a different pediatrician or ask him to clarify 'solids,' does he mean cereal? General recommendations for feeding are to start cereal at 4 months and baby food at 6 months, but they don't need anything but breast milk or formula for a year. The food id to teach them to eat, not get their nourishment.