Hi, My daughter is 5 months old and 95% percentile in hight and 50% percentile in weight. I was happy when the doctor decided we should introduce food as I thought she was a bit too skinny. The problem is that I do not know when to feed her and how much. The solids seem to be intefering with her no so big appetite. She wakes up at 8:30 and eats at that time, at 12:30, 4:30, 8:30 and in the middle of the night around 3 or 4 am. I have been reading menus from other moms but their children eat 7 or 8 oz bottles when my baby eats from 6.5oz to3 oz, depending on the day and time. Do any of you have a baby that is not such a big eater as mine? what do you feed and when and in which order? milk first or solids first?
thanks
Dear all, thank you so much for your advice. I really appreciate it!
In response to some of your questions, she eats all solids with no complaints: grains, veggies, fruits the problem is that she looses appetite. I have a log of milk intake and it went from 28-30oz to 22-26 when I introduced grains and veggies to now 16-20 with the addition of fruits. So I think that the best course of action is to feed all solids at once at lunch time: Oatmeal, veggie and fruit and do formula the rest of the day. Do you guys think this is a good course of action?
I used to do solids kind of in between the bottles. O. thing I wanted to mention is have you ever tried writing down her total ounces every day? I thought my son was wildly fluctuating in the # of ounces he drank, but once I started jotting it all down and totaling them up for the day..it was almost exactly the same every day!
Milk first.
Milk should always be first and I'd wait till at least 6 months to do solids.
My daughter was in the same situation. At two months she was off the charts tall and 50% weight then she came down on both to where she was 50% height and off the charts low for weight at about 10 months. Her doctor always said as long as she's hitting her developmental milestones (which she was) there's nothing to worry about. When we introduced solids at 6 months, I continued to nurse her on demand and fed her solids just before I fed myself meals. This way the solids were truly supplementary to the milk and not in place of.
My daughter is now two and still 50% height and only 5% weight but advanced in motor skills, language and cognitive skills. The charts really don't mean much, follow your babies hunger cues and she'll be fine.
If she is underweight, continue nursing and perhps supplement with a forumla. If you must introduce solids per dr.s recomendation, then keep it rice cereal only with breastmilk or formula added. Babies digestive systems aren't developed enough to handle much more than that until afer 6 months.
This is a great guide on how to know your baby is ready for solids, and how/what you should intorduce:
http://www.babycenter.com/0_introducing-solid-foods_113.bc
Introduce vegetables and meats first so that the sweet fruits won't throw off her taste pallate.
"Your 5 month old baby's probably showing more signs that she's ready for solids — from a weaker tongue-thrust reflex (when your baby pushes out her tongue when something is placed on it) to a keener interest in the foods you and others are eating. But don't be in a rush to give your baby solid food. Discuss when to introduce solid food with your baby's healthcare provider.
Your baby's digestive system may not be ready for solids, and she might not be able control her chewing and swallowing muscles. (Don't worry: That will all come in a few weeks.) Giving your baby solid foods too early can raise her risk of developing food allergies, too. Common allergies include citrus, egg whites, peanut butter, wheat, shellfish, and cow's milk."
from here:
http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-5-month-olds-development...
Is she hungry? Kids are all different and her weight and height may be completely fine for her body and metabolism. If she is not hungry, but growing fine, then it may or may not be the time for solids. Funny how kids decide when the right time is regardless of what the doc says :)
I'd not start on solids until she can sit up well on her own, reaches for what you are eating, shows interest in food, and handles food well in her mouth. Most advice now says to wait longer for solids in general. Grains can be very hard to digest, so contrary to most popular advice, I'll advocate for starting veggies first, if you do solids at all. Just follow her lead.
start off with the cereal first make it on the thinner side and maybe a veggie of sweet potatoe. she may only have a few bites just follow her lead. my dd was started at 4 months with food she was not a fan of the cereal so i tried oatmeal and she killed it. her little eyes lit up it was funny. it took about two days for her to finish a container of food I went slow and by 6 months she was doing bfast and dinner then by 7 months she was feeding herself the puffs and sippy cup. she is almost 1 and she tries all the food i make and loves beef its her fav. just take it slow and you will find her groove.
Stop worrying. The charts the doctors go by are not actually what they have to weigh. It is just a basic line they go by. My youngest was always at the 50% or less. She is 22 and is in great shape. At one point the doctor wanted me to give her shots to make her grow. Thank God I followed my instints and did not listen to the doctor. Doctors don't always know everything. As long as she is eating and not getting sick I woudln't worry. Just feed her when she is hungry. I would only give her cereal in the morning and maybe at bed time. She should have started on cereal and stayed on that for at least a month and then be introduced to a vegetable. But only one at at time. For example: Give her green beans for at least a week before introducing a new veggie. That way if she has an allergy to a food you will be able to know what is causing it right away. Fruits should wait until she is willing to eat all of her veggies. It's hard to get them to eat veggies if they start with fruit.
Dont worry about it. Your baby will tell you when she is full. I have a 10month that still eats 4oz bottle. Solid food was introduced at 5months and she ate alittle bit of it. Later on she would eat half a jar. Put a little bit in a small dish to feed her from. They say not to feed from the jar as bacteria from the babies mouth can contaminate the food. Also, keep the leftovers refrigrated no more than 2-3 days. I started with stage 1 fruit and veggies. She had to learn to swallow solids first. By 6months she was eating solids regularly. It all depends on the baby. Look on the baby food and it will tell you the age or the stage ( sitter, crawler). I learned from my 1st child that the meat and gravies looked and smelled NASTY. Also, green beans are strong smelling too. My babies favorite was smashed up real bananas and then cheerios. NO MILK TIL AFTER BABY IS ONE!!! But they do make a baby yougurt that is not refrigated along with the baby food. The girls in my family are very petite.
Personally I see the effects of allergies in kids all the time and I think 5 months is too young to give food. Waiting longer does not guarantee no allergies but it certainly is a better choice to wait. Allergies are blockages in the immune system and can be there for life. Wait. Drs are so wrapped up in charts that they can't see the forest through the trees. Your child is fine. When you do start give proteins first. They are the most important for brain and muscle development. Meats have iron and a baby's iron stores start to run out about 6-7 months old so proteins are more important than carrots, applesauce, etc. Wait till about 7 months to start solids is my advice.
For the 1st year of life... a baby's PRIMARY source of nutrition is from breastmilk or Formula... NOT solids and NOT other liquids.
This is per our Pediatrician as well. And they NEED to be fed (breastmilk or Formula) on-demand.
IF you are giving her solids... BEFORE nursing/Formula.. then this will cause a baby to WEAN from breast/bottle. You do not want that to happen. Always nurse/give the bottle, BEFORE solids... otherwise the baby will be too full, to nurse.
Next, my kids were all tall/big babies... 95-97th percentile for height and 50% for weight. My kids, as babies, were NOT "skinny"... but lean. THAT is what our Doctor said, and was very positive about it. They are also very healthy and nursed well.
I did not start solids with them, until 6 months old. And even once they began solids, I ALWAYS nursed them PRIMARILY, on-demand, and 24/7. At that age, 5 months, my kids were still nursing every 3 hours. Or less... if on a growth-spurt. They were healthy, and grew like weeds.
My advice would be is, I do not agree with your Ped.
Solids should not be her "main" intake source. At this age, "solids" are only an 'introduction' to foods.... pretty much for the 1st year. It is NOT their main food. Breastmilk or Formula should be.
Yes, solids is interfering with her bottle intake. To me.
Feed her her bottle or nursing, ON-demand.
How often are you giving her solids?
At this age, it is not 3 times per day. Just 1 time. 3 times a day "meals" are something gradually built up to... over the course of the year.
Do you feed her her bottle according to a schedule, or on-demand? Perhaps, feed her on-demand.... because this is more reflective of a baby's needs for intake, than on a 'schedule.' And when she has a growth-spurt, it is even more important to feed a baby on-demand... otherwise their intake will not keep pace with their growth.
ALWAYS nurse/give bottle, BEFORE solids.
all the best,
Susan
Hi L.
Try Stage One jar food like BeechNut or Gerber. I stared with apple sauce and bananas. Feed your baby the jarred food first. Small spoonfuls. Try not to laugh at the funny face that will be made with the first taste. If she takes a bite or two and then is done, so be it. You've just made your big first step. Then follow with the normal amount of milk. I kept milk only for breakfast and snacks thus introduced jar food for lunch and dinner.
Special Note - Introduce only one new food at a time for three days. This helps to identify allergies or diaper rash reactions.
Good luck! I know you will be successful. Plus I think there is a growth spurt coming at 6 months.
