I have been giving my 4 month old daughter cereal for about a month. I just started her on other baby foods this week. I dont want to make her so full she doesnt want a bottle so I have been only giving her baby food in the morning.
2006-09-02 03:47:08 · 20 answers · asked by ArmyWife 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
Her bottles are only 4 ounces sometimes she wont even finish that much. She was a little over 5 pounds when she was born so she is only like 12 pounds now.
2006-09-02 03:56:39 · update #1
The doctor told me as long as she can hold her head up and she is showing sign of swollowing (without eating) then I can start her on cereal, one thing I do know is you arent supposed to give cereal in a bottle it promotes obesity. Not only that but on the beech nut website it has a menu for 4-6 month olds that shows 3 meals a day. My question wasnt if I feed her too early it was how often do you give baby food.
2006-09-02 07:13:12 · update #2
I started both my sons on solids at 2 months old. I found that they dictate the amount that they want. My eldest was happy with one small meal a day until 5-6 months but my youngest (now 9 months old) absolutely loves his food. He has never been a big drinker, the most he ever had in a bottle until 6 months is 4oz. He still only has 6 oz bottles now. At 4 months he was having 3 'meals' a day and six small bottles.
2006-09-04 03:47:52 · answer #1 · answered by acorn2oak47 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not sure that you need to give a baby that small baby food at all. Why did you even start? I gave my daughters a little cereal in their bottle at three months to help them sleep, but the nursed the rest of the day. (Doctors hate the cereal in the bottle thing because they say a baby can choke, but I never put enough cereal in the bottle to make it solid in anyway.)
If she's not crying and acting like she's got a tummy ache, then I wouldn't worry about giving her a little baby food, but I wouldn't give it to her more than just in the morning and maybe a little before bedtime to help her sleep longer. She really doesn't need it yet. I always just gave mine a little before bedtime to help them sleep longer. They didn't get solids two or three times a day until they were six months or more. (most doctors will tell you to wait until they are nine months...I find most doctors didn't raise their own kids and have no idea what they are talking about and what they are asking moms to endure trying to keep a six month old child full with formula or nursing. :)
Anyway, don't do to much of the solids yet. It can cause them to get excessive gas, therefore crying. When you do go to solids regularly, try getting fresh fruit and veggies if possible to steam and then mash. Mine liked them better and it's easier to transition to table food. Both mine really didn't care for jar foods unless it was fruit of some kind.
Good luck!!!
2006-09-02 12:54:05 · answer #2 · answered by Bubbles 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Our son was 4 pounds when he was born, and we've been feeding him every 3 hours since he was born (thanks to the NICU schedule). Even with cereal, we would just replace one bottle with cereal. Nothing else changed.
Don't start her on baby food until 6 months, unless by baby food you mean cereal. She'll tell you when she's finished. Listen to your baby and watch her needs.
If you ever have any questions, go to the doctor. The fact that she only weighs 12 pounds surprises me, but if your doctor isn't worried, you shouldn't be. Of course, we have a 21# 11-month old so it's hard to remember back to 4 months!
2006-09-02 12:32:35 · answer #3 · answered by FaZizzle 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
None. Neither of mine got anything other than a bottle until they hit six months. My son is now almost nine months and he gets solids (well, semi-solids) twice a day. Half a jar of baby food and 180ml of formula for lunch and about the same amount of cereal and formula for dinner. The little booger still wakes up at 6am to eat, he gets a full bottle then and also a full bottle at bedtime.
2006-09-02 13:12:00 · answer #4 · answered by jeffypuff 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Only start her on one food at a time. Give a week between introductions so you can detect any allergies. I would give her a few teaspoons of cereal or baby food before her regular bottle. That way she gets practice eating solids and the nutrition from her bottle, all at once. Every 4-6 hours should be good.
2006-09-02 10:53:45 · answer #5 · answered by rachely1 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Give your daughter a little food at teatime too. Gradually wean her so that she has 3 meals a day.
Try a bottle (or breast) when she wakes up, a little cereal for breakfast, a lunchtime bottle (breast), a small tin/jar/or home made blended meal once she has had her afternoon nap, then bottles up to bedtime.
If you gradually increase the amount of food you give her and decrease the amount of milk, she will then get used to 3 meals a day.
My granddaughter is 18 months and still has a bottle in the morning and evening, but has food during the day.
Your Health Visitor or clinic will also advise when you take her to be weighed.
www.katie-rich.com
2006-09-02 10:58:13 · answer #6 · answered by Katie R 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
3 months seems very early to start solids - the FSA recommends exclusive breast feeding until 6months - with 17 weeks the absolute earliest for solids unless on the advise of a doctor (some babies who suffer from reflux for example might start earlier). Too early and the gut can't digest foods, it can also increase the likelihood of alergies. At 4 months she should still be getting ALL her nutrtients from milk - foods should initially be there to introduce tastes and little else. 1 'meal' a day should suffice at lunchtime - I would expect her to be drinking 25-35ozs of milk a day.
2006-09-02 12:39:49 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
At four months I fed her baby cereal for breakfast, carrots for lunch and sweet potatoes for supper... in between it all I gave her a bottle. The whole point of putting your child on solids is so that they wean off the bottles. Eventually you wont need to give her as many bottles.
2006-09-02 12:43:43 · answer #8 · answered by Mariah&Lydias_Mom 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Baby's have very high metabolism, so they need lots of food, whether bottle, baby cereal, breast fed, etc. Talk to your pediatrician or stop at the library for a newborn baby book. You don't want to skimp on baby food, this is their fastest growing time of their life. They need lots of nutrition. Good luck.
2006-09-02 10:54:26 · answer #9 · answered by nicksriders 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
okay well...start her on a schedule for meal times. give her a stage 1 fruit and about 3tbsp's of ceral in the morning followed by a bottle. then at lunch time and through out the day give them a bottle about every 3-4 hours. Then for dinner just make another 3tbsp bowl of cereal plus a vegi (if you started them on it) plus a bottle. Then right before bed make an 8oz bottle and add 4 teaspoons of cereal.
2006-09-02 10:52:41 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋