Feeding Schedule for a 4 1/2 Month Old?

You can look at the gerber.com website.. but that website will suggest feeding he baby lots of baby cereal and lots of jar food. Ther is no way that my kids could have eaten the amount of gerber food recommended by gerber.

All of the baby's nutrition for the first year comes from breast milk.. food is just practice for eating.

So it really doesnt matter when you feed him solids.

Cereal once aday is probably too much cereal at this age..

I wouldnt add a second solid meal until about 6 months..

Babies replace nursing with solid meals- so you dont want him to eat all solids and not want to nurse.

keep nursing it is the best thing you can do..

MY son is almost 1 (6/11/07 and still breast fed. he has never been sick except for colds.. - which his sister brought home form school..

Solids (cereal and baby foods) aren't recommended to be introduced until after 6 months. Google "baby led weaning" to find out more about introducing baby foods. (The term weaning here just means introducing new foods, not completely weaning from the breast.)

Hi G.,

I'm curious as to why you started him on cereal before 6 months. There is increasing evidence that a baby's digestive system just can't handle solids before 6 months of age. Many feel this is why there are an increasing number of people with things like irritable bowel syndrom and such later in life.

Anyway, breastmilk or forumla needs to be the PRIMARY source of calories for at least the first year of life. Solids should compliment the milk, not supplement.

I do not feed on a schedule, I nurse my daughter on demand. Somedays she eats every 3 hours, other days she goes several hours in between feedings. (she's currently 9 months)

If you are offering cereal to your son, give the milk first. Then about an hour after milk, offer the cereal. Idealy other solids should not be started until at least 6 months of age. Also, it really is not necessary to give purees to a 6 month old. Most babies that age can handle soft cooked veggies cut into 'stick' shape. (it's easier for them to handle) The advantage of this is to introduce vegetables and eventually fruits and other foods, that the family eats. Your child is introduced to the taste and texture of the ACTUAL food instead of a watered down mushed up version of the food.

If you google 'Baby Led Weaning' you will get some good info. Also, www.kellymom.com is a GREAT resource for all mommy questions, including when and how to start solids. The main point is, milk is the primary source of calories for the first year. Solids compliment milk... not supplement.

BTW... we have done baby led weaning with our daughter. To date, she has had parsnip, celery, broccolli, zuchinni, carrot, apple, pear, cantalope, honeydew melon, watermelon, brown bread crust, white raddish, and white asparagus. She has not rejected anything. In the beginning of course not much gets 'eaten' ... but it's the experience of learning the taste and texture and allowing her to feed herself. Now, she eats most of the pieces I give her.

Good luck!

Hi, If you do a search on the internet there are many Dr. sites that give you a general idea but definately talk to your own pediatrician if you are confused or still have questions, but remember every baby is different.

What I do know is that breast milk is their main source of nurtrition until they are a year old. Their body's can't get everything out of solids until that age so breast milk or formula is a must and they need a lot. I always offer breast milk after a solid feeding just to make sure my baby's full. We start solids at 6 months but our schedule looks like this...

Wake-7am-Breast
9am- solids than offer breast again
Our only long nap :)
Wake-1pm-Breast
3pm-Breast
7pm-solids again and offer breast
9pm-breast
Now she cluster feeds (Eats every hour or half hour) until she falls asleep at 12.

My doc says on average babies should be nursing around 8 times in 24 hours but depending on intake at each meal could be as many as 12 times in 24 hours but your baby is unique, if he is thriving than he is getting enough if he is fussy or under weight than he needs more to eat.

Again I'd talk to your ped and get a definate answer for your child.

Good Luck and God Bless
feel free to message me if you'd like to talk more,
K. SAHM of 3

When my daughter was 4.5 months old I gave her cereal in the bottle (first and last feeding) and through out the day she would eat just formula every 3 hours. When she was 5 months old I started teaching her how to eat cereal from the spoon. I would mix 4 teaspoons of cereal with formula (texture of honey)it's very important to mix with formula not water because formula is veeeery good for babies and right after cereal she would get her bottle. I would do this also for first and last feeding. When she was 5.5 months I notice that she is always hungry during the day so I would start giving her vegetables for lunch (1.5 jar + bottle) and dinner (1.5 jar + bottle). That's when I started her schedule- eating every 4 hours. They always need to have fromula with other food you will give him!! Now she eats at 7, 11, 3 and 7. If she is hungry in between feedings I would give her water - it will fill him up. It works out great. Even if she would wake up at 6:30am I still would feed her at 7am. I stick to my schedule. Babies love schedule!!

Hello,

I am a mother of two. I started my children on cereal around 3 months. I used about a tablespoon first and then when that wasn't enough I would add another tablespoon. My pediatrician told me that I could give my children cereal twice a day. Just to get them started on eating. If you feel your son is drinking too much, then maybe try increasing his cereal or maybe give it to him twice a day. As far as regualr jar food. I was told by my children's pediatrician to start with cereal, then around 4 months give the orange vegetables first then all the green. You are supposed to give them the same ones for a few days just in case of allergies. Then around 5 months is meat and at 9 months is fruit and juice. Talking with other moms, all pediatricians are different. I hope this helps.
T.

I nursed exclusively until my daughter was 6 months old. When the doctor said we could start on solids I read the ingredients of the cereal and started eating organic.

Cereal is just to get your little guy used to eating. Don't stress about how often he gets it.

We gradually started with pureed veggies when she was 6 months old, one at a time (only one for per week to see if there was a reaction with it) and she did wonderfully.

Breastmilk has so many nutrients in it you are giving him the best start! For the first year this is really his meals.

Here is what Similac sent me in the mail
5-6months-
Breakfast:
2-3tablespoons baby cereal
6-8oz breastmilk/formula
Mid morning:
2-4 tablespoons strained or pureed fruit
Lunch:
2-4tablespoons strained vegetables
1-2tablespoons baby cereal
6-8oz breastmilk/formula
Mid afternoon:
6-8oz breastmilk/formula
Dinner:
2-4 tablespoons strained vegetables
1-2 tablespoons baby formula
6-8oz breastmilk/formula
I hope this helps

We didn't start cereal until 6 months and even then she literally only ate cereal for that whole month to get used to pushing the food to the back of her mouth and swallowing. I followed the advice in a wonderful breastfeeding book called The Nursing Mother's Companion by Kathleen Huggins, R.N, M.S. It helped direct our next steps tremendously!

Wow, there are a lot of moms really stuck on this "absolutely no solids before six months" thing. I think you need to watch your own children and not listen so closely to these so called "experts". I started my son at three months, he's in the 95th percentile and hungry. I also wondered how to progress, I still only give him cereal and fruit in the morning when he gets up and then the breast the rest of the day. Also, a lot of moms say to not give fruit until later but I've looked at so many opposing views on the solids argument and have come to the conclusion that it doesn't really matter what order you give food as long as you introduce it slowly and watch for bad reactions to certain foods. For example, I've read that in Africa they start with meat and in India they start with spicy foods(Oh no!, spices!):)So G., God Bless and have fun!

All your child needs nutritionally at this age is breast milk. Many doctors recommend waiting until at least 6 months to introduce solid (pureed) foods.

Hi G.
There are a few schools of thought, some don't give solids till about 6 months. Thats what I did, and just nursed on demand. But I'd say if your going to do cereal make it w/ breast milk.
:) A. H

I wouldn't worry too much about adding more cereal. I nursed both my sons (they were bottle fed with breastmilk while I was at work). Neither one was too keen on cereal and breastmilk is best. When I fed cereal, I would nurse a bit first, give a small amount and then breastfeed afterward, since most of the nutrition comes from the breastmilk, plus I made the cereal with breastmilk. Every baby is different of course. They both nursed morning, before morning nap (after first cereal), after nap, again at lunch time (I added in cereal one meal at a time over the course of several weeks), before afternoon nap, at dinner and before bed. So I started out with about one cereal feeding and 6 bottles/nursing sessions. My boys weren't fully on baby food until well after 6 months, and even then, we didn't use a lot of baby food. I made purees or mashes of what we were eating or made up a bunch of veggies ahead of time (at 60 cents or more a jar, it's expensive--a lot cheaper to whiz up canned veggies--with no salt added--of course). This made them better eaters since there wasn't something "special" for them. They ate what we ate.

Just one Mom's opinion. God bless you and your family.

Hi G.,
I read some of the other responses. Starting solids is not based on age, it's based on development. If your son can sit up with support, his digestive system is ready for solids. However, don't worry about increasing your cereal right now. Your baby is just learning how to eat. Your breast milk will be his main source of nutrition. If anything, perhaps change the consistency of the cereal (make it thicker) to see how he likes it. I fed my first daughter cereal for a month before starting veggies (start with veggies instead of fruit. You don't want them to reject the veggies after tasting the sweet fruit). I know I waited longer than necessary, but she was getting plenty of breast milk. The solids will not be the main source of nutrition until they are eating a wide variety of foods, and since you should only introduce one new food per week (to regulate possible allergies), it will be a while before solids will be the main source and breast milk will be the supplement. Have fun. Watching babies' expressions when they try new foods is priceless.

G.,

I have two suggestions as a mother of 2, either ask your child's doctor or you can look on the internet (all the baby food company's have suggestions on when to start on more solid foods and at what age).

Hi G.

I was a somewhat relaxed mom of my two oldest...7 and 8 years ago...and this time around, I am completely relaxed. My daughter is almost 6 months, and we tried the rice cereal at 4 months (just a tablespoon mixed with formula at her last bottle of the night---no, I did not breastfeed, couldn't with my other two either). I was actually not in a huge hurry to introduce solids, because I find them to be more of a hassle and the baby certainly doesn't get any real nutrition from it. My husband, however, was insistent on trying it to fill up her tummy a bit so that she would sleep longer at night (though he has never had to wake up with her anyhow???). So, we gave it a try. She actually began having a tough time pooping. She didn't take it real great off the spoon either. And finally, she did not sleep longer, she actually woke earlier from wiggling all night from a constipated tummy. So after a good week or two, we stopped. I decided I would try it again in a month or so. And the only reason I thought we would try it again was because she was salivating over every single thing we were all putting in our mouths (one of the signs she is getting ready for solids). I also look forward to giving her table food when she is ready, and I am not going to do that until I have tested her tummy with the different cereals...to check for allergies, though so far my other two have none.

So today, she is one week shy of 6 months and I have been giving her the rice cereal ( combined with oatmeal so she won't get constipated) for about 7 days. She is taking it like a champ. She takes it perfectly off the spoon without spitting it back out (sign she is completely ready), her poopy diapers are normal, and she is typically sleeping through until about 6:30 (last feeding/with cereal at 8 pm). I am giving her 1 T of cereal at her noon feeding and then at her last feeding at 8pm.

Remember that introducing solids is for the primary purpose of preparing babies for our table food. They don't need it for it's nutitional value for the first 12 months (and it is actually quite a hassle taking it with you every time you eat away from home...and even a hassle at home). Their little systems can only benefit from waiting until they are ready. That being said, every little system is different...and so some babies may be "ready" sooner than others! So take the cues from your little boy, and do not fret about others telling you you're doing something wrong. Some people don't realize they are passing judgement on you...and others can't help themselves.

By the way, one of the best things I ever read was an article about being a first-time mom (when I was pregnant 9 years ago). It instucted that the very best thing you can do for your baby is to pretend he/she is your third or fourth baby. In other words, force yourself to not get too uptight, but instead relax and trust yourself like you've done this before. Absolutely seek advice when you don't know the answer, but trust your mommy instincts too. So relax and enjoy this fleeting time. It will make for a happy baby and happy you!

Good luck and enjoy that little guy.

Hi,

My baby girl is the same age as yours and last week when we were at her check up they told me to start ceral in the morning before her bottle. 2 tablespoons mixed with formula or breast milk or water. Make sure it is warm they seem to like it a lot better. Then after that give her regular size bottle. Mine is 6 oz. Usually she eats everything. Then they told me in a week or two start giving her ceral at dinner time same thing with her bottle. My little girl only eats about 5 times a day. breakfast at 7, then mid morning bottle, lunch bottle, mid afternoon bottle, dinner bottle, then sometimes depending on her feeding schedule i might have time for a bedtime bottle but usually not. Then around five months or so you can start veggies the orange yellow ones first they told me. Make sure your baby is ready for it and it doing well with the ceral. I hope this helps you out. I know every baby is different. But this is what my doctor told me to do and gave me a sheet about the stages of eating new things and when to start thing and juices. You should ask your doctor if you have any questions

Hi G., My son is 5 months old and this is how we did it. My son is in the 75th percentile for weight, so he's big and eats a lot. Remember there's no right or wrong answer. At 4 months we started adding rice cereal twice a day. So he would get 5 bottles a day and then cereal at breakfast and bedtime. Cereal started with 3 tbsp dry mixed with water. Now it's 4 tbsp dry & 1 scoop formula mixed with water. After a week on cereal he got carrots once a day, after a few days we added green beans at lunch, and carrots at dinner. Slowly but surely we tried other vegetables and fruit comes soon. Our pediatrician suggested offering one new food at a time to check for allergies. Now our son gets 4 bottles a day, cereal twice a day, and vegetables twice a day. If Isaac doesn't take the cereal or veggies, it's okay because the most nutrients are in the formula. Hope this helps.

My 7 mos old would not eat cereal and then take a bottle. So we did pretty much what you are doing, bottle then cereal about an 1 hour or so later and then we added a little cereal around dinner time and a bottle before bed.

Good luck,

Don't rush the solid food. It leaves more room for allergies to start. It really is OK to just be on breastmilk for a year. I did it with 2 of my 3...the first one I had no clue either. Le Leche League has a wonderful book "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" that addresses all eating issues from birth to past toddler-hood. Good Luck!

One of the things that I am/have learned is that every baby and every family feeds/starts solids differently. Personally I don't bother with the cereal or jar foods and go straight to table foods. I start that at about 6 months. If I can mash it with a fork she can eat it. but my sister-in-law has done cereal, 1st foods, 2nd foods... My sister is doing only organics and my nephew is a year and still primarily nurses. There are so many different opinions on how to feed an infant. Go with your gut and read your babies cues!
Have Fun!
K.

I'd recommend that you look on LaLeche League's website www.llli.org for info on starting solids and/or buy THE WOMANLY ART OF BREASTFEEDING at most bookstores. I personally didn't bother with cereal or baby food once I realized they weren't really needed, but I didn't start solids till 7 months and was nursing on demand. It is a lot easier this way. Just avoid foods that are common allergens. If you throw out he schedule and just respond to your son's needs and feed him as naturally as you can, you'll be fine. The breastmilk is marveous for him. Good luck, Pastor Mom!