I have a 5 month baby and I want to start her on solids and also give her rice cereal. A nurse told me that since she is slightly overweight the cereal will fatten her up so i should give her only vegetables, but other people tell me that the cereal will not cause her to put on weight. Kindly advise.
2006-11-27 09:44:28 · 12 answers · asked by Fanny M 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
At five months you don't need to worry about her being overweight. Nurses have little to no nutrition training (and doctors aren't much better). Go ahead and feed her the cereal. She could use the iron anyway. You certainly don't have to use baby cereal. I never did- I just started with regular oatmeal when my daughter was seven months and only did fruits and veggies until then. But don't let her weight be a deterrent for the cereal.
2006-11-27 11:13:48 · answer #1 · answered by AerynneC 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You have to remember, at 5 months old, they aren't that active. Feeding you little one rice cereal will not cause you to have an overweight child. Heck, if you have a blender, you can give that baby anything. Once your baby starts crawling, walking and running (which by the way comes way sooner than you think) that "baby fat" will melt away. Nutrition is the key to a healthy baby, not what some nurse "thinks" is a standard weight for a 5 month old. If you are that worried, consult with the physician.
2006-11-27 10:23:15 · answer #2 · answered by ssgsblond69 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Im sure your baby is not overweight. She is a baby for crying out loud! All 3 of my babies were 20 lbs or more at 4 and 5 months , and now at ages 3, 7 and 9 they are all tall and skinny. Babies will lose their baby fat as they grow, and rice cereal is good for her. Some doctors and nurses just are over crazed about perfect weight. Thank God my childrens doctor is not like that.
2006-11-27 10:20:23 · answer #3 · answered by Blondi 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The only person who will know what your baby can tolerate nutritionally is a nutritionist for pediatrics. So disregard what the nurse said and seek one if you are worried about your baby's weight.
The last guide lines I got for infant feeding were to feed your infant his/her bottle first. Then offer cereal and other foods when the time comes, after the bottle. The bottle is the babys main part of the meal and what she needs most.
It seems about the right time to start offering cereal... but only that to start. Then in a few weeks you can try jars. Start veggies before fruits or your baby may not take veggies. Sweet potatoes is a good jar to start with.Talk with her doctor first.
Babys need a little fat for growth reasons.
Good luck
2006-11-27 10:10:21 · answer #4 · answered by erinjl123456 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you feel your baby is hungry and doesn't fill up with milk only maybe try giving the baby some cereal but start in small amount and let the baby regulate how much to each do not force baby to eat it all at once, because forcing child to eat everything of the plate can jeopardize her into becoming obese. Try to give cereal in the morning, later in the day give vegetable, so the child gets variety of food. At the beginning it might seem she doesn't like certain foods, but it is normal because it is new to the child. Keep exposing the child to the foods that are healthy eventually she will be comfortable with eating it. Good luck, and enjoy the feeding time, because eating should be pleasant and fun for child to encourage healthy eating.
2006-11-27 09:56:04 · answer #5 · answered by leoncito123451 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Overweight the younger you are seems to build up your metabolism when your older.
But the most important thing is the Brain is mostly built on Fat.
So if you take away all their fat completely,.. they will be leaking some essential building materials,.. not just for their mind but for the energy their body needs to generate things like,... oh say,.. BONES,.. tissue,.. Muscles.
Lately it's been frightening this obsession and worry parents have been getting,.. they end up going nuts with weight control on children and then the children end up open to viruses and the posiblity of diseases being triggered in their system.
So I suggest to you, unless a doctor says " Your child is becomeing Morbidly Obess",.. you let your kid have as wide a range of food as posible and whatever will get them fed,.. ESPECIALLY in the range of Pregnancy to five years of age.
P.S. I read some articles that explained that before age one babies eat way too much because their bodies are processing so much so quickly. Then at around one years old this slows down and they need small portions,.. their taste buds also kick in so they suddenly don't like things that taste bad. Just for future thought.
2006-11-27 10:20:29 · answer #6 · answered by sailortinkitty 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I honestly wouldn't start on rice cereal regardless of your child's weight. Grains can cause gas and are not as easily digested as fruits and vegetables or even pureed meat. I'd start on mashed bananas mixed with breastmilk or whatever you use or some other mashed fruit or vegetable. Grains only came into humans' diets 10,000 years ago and our bodies still aren't quite set up for digesting grains as well as we are for fruits, nuts, vegetables, and meat.
If you have your heart set on rice cereal, I very strongly recommend brown rice cereal over white rice cereal. It's much easier to digest than white rice and also has more protein.
2006-11-27 09:57:13 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Whoever told you that is wrong. You start with rice cereal and then go to oat and then wheat...to see if there are going to be any allergies. You then start off with one vegetable at a time. then introduce the fruits last. Stay away from green veggies at first as they cause gas. Once she starts moving around she will thin out...don't starve her.
2006-11-27 10:48:13 · answer #8 · answered by mommy_2_liam 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The moron who told you your child is fat is an idiot. And a moron.
Do what you think is right. If your child is hungry, feed her. Eatting rice cereal will not make your child fat. Of cause she will put on weight, or does the nurse expect her to stay 6kg's for the rest of her life???
2006-11-27 09:53:31 · answer #9 · answered by Moz 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
It isn't the kind of food, granted the doctor will tell you to feed you baby "x" amount of food. But when the baby cries you feel "oops time to feed her again" which may or may not be true. Basically keep this in mind. Feed her what she needs just smaller portions. I have learn, american eating habits are out of control. We gorge ourself to death.
"Eat to live, not live to eat" This sentence will help you baby stay on the path to fitness.
2006-11-27 10:00:26 · answer #10 · answered by Not Applicable 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋