When starting a 4 month old on cereal should you only feed him cereal once a day at first? Should I feed it to him at a certain time of day such as if he normally eat's more in the morning should I give it to him in the morning? Thanks in advance for all who answer.
2006-08-04 03:44:26 · 13 answers · asked by babe112083 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
You really shouldn't feed a 4 month old anything but formula or breast milk. Starting solids too early can cause food allergies. Have you talked to your pediatrician about this?
2006-08-04 03:51:51 · answer #1 · answered by TheGuru 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Start by feeding cereal once per day; do that for about a week, then add another feeding. You should add a cereal feeding whenever your baby still seems hungry after nursing or a bottle. If that's first thing in the morning, then that's the best time!
By the way, when you begin feeding your baby foods other than cereal (between 5-6 months), start with vegetables, not fruits. Vegetables have more of the minerals that growing babies need and help children develop a taste for eating vegetables their whole lives. Fruits are a given, because they're sweet.
Best wishes to you and your family!
2006-08-04 03:52:34 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
If you can hold out a few more weeks before giving your baby cereal, he will probably eat it better. Babies under 6 months may still have a rather strong tongue-thrust reflex that interferes with eating from a spoon. In addition, a baby should have very strong head control before eating from a spoon. Breast milk and/or formula is quite sufficient nutritionally for babies under 6 months. If you think you may want to start cereal before 6 months because he seems hungry all the time, increase his milk intake to 8 ounces at a time. 8 ounces 5 times in a 24 hour period is perfectly fine. When you do begin rice cereal, once a day is recommended at first. Time of day really doesn't matter. At this age, you are only supplementing milk feedings and not replacing them yet. If you want to start him on cereal but he continually pushes the spoon with his tongue, then wait a couple weeks and try again. There is no need to rush into solids.
2006-08-04 04:11:03 · answer #3 · answered by sevenofus 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, at first you should feed him just once a day, and only a couple of tablespoons of cereal at most. You want to get him used to eating off a spoon, gumming the food, and swallowing. After a couple of weeks you can introduce a fruit or vegetable, following the three day rule. Feed each new food for three days and if you don't see any kind of reaction then it's safe to assume he isn't allergic.
Once your baby is pretty good at eating solid food and has tried a variety of things you can increase the frequency. Maybe around 6 months try giving him cereal and fruit in the morning and then vegetables and cereal at lunchtime.
My son is 9 months old and I only started feeding him three meals a day about a month ago. And remember, a baby's primary nutrition should come from breastmilk or formula until the first birthday. So don't feed him solids and then skip a nursing or bottle. Good luck!
2006-08-04 03:50:08 · answer #4 · answered by brainchild 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, start slowly. I started (at six months) at breakfast. Milk first, then rice cereal (one or two teaspoons, whatever it said on the packet). I slowly (over the course of a couple of weeks) uped the amount at breakfast time and added in a little at dinner. Then I swapped the milk and solid feeds around.
It's really up to you and your baby though, there is no real right or wrong way to do it, just introduce it slowly so if there is a reaction, it's kept to a minimum.
Talk to your local Child Health Nurse for more information.
Good Luck, it is an exciting time.
2006-08-04 03:53:36 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should feed him probably once a day when he's not that hungry. Chances are its going to be tough because when they're 4 months they have that tongue reflex that pushes it out of their mouth. Have patience and don't overfeed. My almost 6-month old is eating babyfood once a day and rice cereal once a day and that's enough until she starts actual solid food.
2006-08-04 03:49:50 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
just started by baby less than a month ago. the advise of the pediatrician was 1 in the am and 1 in the pm but small quantities since this is not to replace a milk feeding.
2006-08-04 04:40:00 · answer #7 · answered by Nikki 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
just once a day, I would say not only for now, but for long. If you wanna add more solid meals, try something different, like friut, simple veg. soups with no salt, ... And yes, feed him at the time he would normaly eat, I don't think the first meal is good, but how about for lunch, he'll have his tummy full for nice long nap! I was feeding my daughter oatmeal cereal for night ( and she slept whole nights!!)
2006-08-04 03:53:04 · answer #8 · answered by aaja 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I did it once a day at first... dinnertime. Then i increased it to 2 times a day, breakfast and dinner. I tried to feed her around the times that i would sit down for dinner to get her in the habit of eating at those times.
It will make it easier for you in the long run.
2006-08-04 03:52:56 · answer #9 · answered by camoprincess32 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Four months is fine to start with cereal. I don't buy all of that allergy crap. My baby started cereal at three months. I gave her a little bit, only at night, so she'd sleep.
2006-08-04 04:02:23 · answer #10 · answered by memichelle 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋