Feeding my baby meat??

Question

My daughter is 6 and a half months old. She eats 1/2 cup of cereal, 1 stage 2 jar of fruit & 1 stage 2 jar of veggies every day spaced out in 3 solid feedings (plus she nurses 6 times daily)...I have a few questions

1. When should I introduce meat into her diet?

2. When I do introduce it, should I just add a jar to one of her feedings or what? what works best?

Thanks!!

Answer 1

I started my daughter at 6 months.
You can opt to buy the jarred meats (which smell like cat food) or easily make your own.
Boil chicken (thighs work well) for about 25 minutes. Let it cool. Remove the meat from the bones, discarding the fat. Put it in the food processor with some of the broth, and voila. Chicken puree. My daughter loves it, and hates jarred meats. To be honest, on the rare occasion that she eats any jarred food, she's usually not very thrilled.
I have to say, it doesn't sound like she eats that much? I would up her food just a little bit. At 6 months, my daughter was eating
Breakfast: 1/4 c. whole plain yogurt, 1 stage 2 size serving of fruit, 1/4 c cereal

Lunch: 1 Fruit, 1 Veg (stage 2 sized)

Dinner: 2 tbs. chicken (mixed with veg or alone), 1/4c cereal, 1 stage 2 size veg

Nursing 4x a day (probably six ounces each-that's how much she'd take in a bottle of expressed milk or formula)

But, each child is different. Just start off slow, with 2 tb. or so, and then increase by about 1 tb. in a few weeks. Good luck!

Answer 2

I introduced meat to my sons' diet when they were 6 months old. This is what their pediatrican's office recommended for a six month old's feeding schedule:

Breakfast:
Few tablespoons/1/4 cup cereal mixed with formula/water/breastmilk
Stage 2 fruit
Formula in a sippy cup (They recommend starting to *try* to get your baby to drink from a cup at 6 months. Yeah right! If she won't do it, a bottle is fine.)

Lunch:
1/2 jar Stage 2 meat
1/2 jar Stage 2 vegetables
Formula in a sippy cup

Dinner:
Either cereal OR meat
1/2 jar Stage 2 vegetables

A few snacks in between meals (a handful of cheerios and a cup of formula or 1/2 a banana and formula, etc.)

The amounts will vary depending on your baby's appetite. If she doesn't want a whole 1/2 jar of meat, just give her a few spoonsful. If she wants more, give her more. Same goes for the cereal, veggies and fruit.)

Answer 3

Wow! That is a lot of food for a six month old. You do realize that if she is nursing she doesn't need all that other food. Plus, I thought stage 2 was for when they're older. ?? I dont' know...its been awhile since I had to buy that stuff.

I think you can wait awhile before adding meat. I'm thinking you don't need to introduce it until she is much older. You should contact your pediatrician. They usually hand out a schedule of when you should introduce foods.

If your daughter is six months old she really doesn't need all of that...if you're nursing.

Answer 4

many people have diff oppions ill tell you what my doctor said and what i did with all 3 of mine. start feeding meat at about nine months. meat is harder to dijest. you can take away one of the breastfeedings and add it in because she will be getting older and needing less milk, or if she acts like shes ready to eat more add to a feeding. tip... feed the same type of meat 3 days in a row jic she has a bad reastion 2 1 and if she doesnt like the taaste take turns one bit fruit one bite meat and so on. hope this helps and good luck

Answer 5

u can introduce it when she is eight months old and yes u should mix it w other jar food u dont have to but alot of babies wont eat it unless mixed. My son just turned 1 and i have a 4 year old

Answer 6

you can do it now but do one meat a week and start with chicken ,beef or turkey first if she can handle that then you can try the other meats if she don;t like a meat you give her dont get her another untill the next week keep trying the one you gave her first. With my kids i gave them a meat if they didnt like it then the next week i gave them the same meat but in the jar it wasmixed with something like sweet potato and chicken see if she will eat it that way

Answer 7

You really should discuss this with her PED. My personal opinion is that sometimes we rush our babies into some foods too quickly. Their digestive systems need time to adjust, build and grow. Are you monitoring what she's getting so you can determine what she might (if anything) be allergic to? Don't do the meat - ask the Dr. first.

Answer 8

really depends on your baby. you can try the stage 3 baby foods that has some ground meat in it. They have the veggie/meat blends. Also i'd recommend start with beef, just incase she is allergic to poultry.

Answer 9

I nursed all of mine for the first year without feeding solids... Just a tipee cup with water and fresh juices at times.
All of mine are grown and have always been very healthy....

Answer 10

I wouldnt do the meat thing until 12 mos old.
Hopefully you are giving her fruits in the morning and veggies in the afternoon and evenings which helps with digestion. Just give her some in the afternoon or evening.
BTW, thanks for being a breastfeeding Mom!!!