4 and a half month old baby and?

Question

my doc told me to start giving her cereal but i just dont know how many times a day to do it and when to do it???before i give her bottle or after or in between please help!!!

Answer 1

When introducing new foods you want it to be earlier in the day so that if they have a reaction to the food it doesn't mean they are up all night crying and fussy.

I personally pick the second feeding of the day to introduce a new food for her feeding, like after her first nap when she is rested but not yet starving like she is when she first wakes up in the morning.. some people have better luck earlier or later but try to not start at bedtime in case of a reaction.

Start with one feeding per day, a few spoonfuls to test the waters and go from there, increasing the amount based on when your baby seems like she doesn't want anymore, until you get to a full feeding of about 4-5 tablespoons, which is 2-2.5 ounces of food, or 1 Stage 1 size jar of baby food. That is considered one serving size. Again, some eat more or less depending on the baby. Once you have established one good full feeding a day and baby seems to do well with it you can increase to twice a day, and so on.

As for timing with bottles, a lot of ladies do it differently, but I usually give my daughter her solid foods about 30 minutes before it would be time for a bottle, and then when she is done with her food I clean her up and then top her off with her bottle of formula. She'll drink less at this feeding since she just had solid food but it keeps her on schedule for a good day.

So, our schedule looks something like this:

9:00am - wakes up
9:30am - bottle, then play until nap time
11:00-11:45am - nap
12 or 12:30pm - solids
12:30 or 1:00 - bottle, then play until next nap

Answer 2

Here's what I did and it seems to work well for our baby: I breastfeed (or bottle in your case) first thing in the morning. Then she is ok for about an hour or so. My doctor has said to always nurse first, so that's how I got into this routine. Then it's time for breakfast, which at 4 1/2 months I gave her a very thin mixture of rice cereal warmed about 10 secs. in the micro. set at med. heat. In the beginning I only fed her 2x at day (second time before bed) since she was nursing alot more and having two other children things get hectic and frankly I'd forget. Her primary nutrition should still be coming from the bottle so I wouldn't worry too much about 3 squares a day quite yet. Now that our daughter is 6 1/2 months she does eat 3x a day and I will give her some water in a cup as well. But it was a gradual thing and at the start it was more to get her used to the idea of spoon feeding, rather than to fill her up.

Answer 3

I'm assuming you mean that the baby's doc told you that you could start giving him cereal..
Ok.. Here's what you do. First you can try to offer rice cereal once every day. The time of the day is up to you. I offered my baby cereal in the late morning. The first time you do it, read the instructions first. It should say to add 4-5 tablespoons of breastmilk or formula to 1 tablespoon of rice cereal. You make it kinda runny the first time, so she can get used to it. Then you keep that up for a few days and you gradually thicken it by adding one or so tablespoons less formula so she can get used to it and more rice cereal. If she's really hungry, go ahead and offer her the formula first for a little bit so she's not too impatient, and she's still hungry. She may not eat a lot at all at first though. The first few times might be kind of messy, so have some towels ready!! I think my baby's doctor had me gradually do it twice/day as he got older.. Well, good luck!!!

Answer 4

We started our granddaughter with a soupy mix of rice cereal in her formula at each feeding.It was thin enough to go thru her nipple and we used rice because the Dr said rice was easier to digest. We gradually increased the amount we added for about 3 weeks,we would make the hole bigger so she could suck it out.Then we started giving her cereal from a spoon and started giving her a sippy cup with her fromula at meals. Gradually,we added some fruits and then veggies as she got older.We are lucky with her because she prefers a cup and abandoned the bottle by 12 months.She is 18 months now and eats a many diffrent foods. WOW seems like she was just 4 months old the other day!! good luck

Answer 5

I would give her some of her bottle to take the edge off hunger. It makes things a little less messy if they're not starving and or upset that it doesn't came as afst or easily as the bottle. Then I would follow the directions on the back of the cereal box they are actually pretty good on the gerber cereals. start with just once a day at a feeding that is conveient for you to sit down and be relaxed. Be patient and sometimes it helps to mix a teeny bit of fruit in for flavor. Finish with the rest of her bottle

Answer 6

Start with rice cereal once a day, for example the first feeding.. For the first week, make it very watery, and maybe mix it with formula or breastmilk so it tastes familiar. Let your baby drink a few ounces from the bottle so she is not super hungry, then try to feed her a few spoonfulls of cereal. Then offer her the rest of the bottle. It will take her a week or two to get the hang of it.

Once she is eating from a spoon, continue to give her a few ounces fromt he bottle, then as much cereal as she wants, then offer the bottle again and let her drink as much as she wants.

I am at the same point as you with my baby, and this is what my doctor told me. Once your baby is eating cereal nicely at one meal for a few weeks, I would call the doctor and ask how often you can giver her cereal, and when you can start with other foods.

Answer 7

Give it to her before the bottle, unless she's STARVING. That way, she'll be more open to eating the cereal. If she's so hungry she's crying for food, give her the bottle first, because it takes the cereal a little longer to satisfy her hunger.

Cereal once or twice a day should be ok. It's just to get her used to eating solids.

You'll be just fine. Just be patient and expect to get more on and around her mouth than in it!

Answer 8

Apparently, you are meant to start them off on one teaspoon at a very relaxing feed.... such as the 10am / 2pm and give it to them in the middle of a bottle so that they are still hungry but are not ravenous. As the milk then becomes not enough, you should up that to two teaspoons etc. You should still continue giving them all of their milk feeds. You will know yourself when she wants more and then gradually it will become a part of every feed! I have been advised though that babies should not be weened until 6 months but every baby is different. Hope this helps. Good Luck

Answer 9

Solid food shouldn't be started until 6 months, and even then you should start fruits and vegetables as they are nutritious and have you *read* what is in infant cereals *blech*

"Why Delay Solids?
Reasons for delaying solids
Additional information
References
Health experts and breastfeeding experts agree that it's best to wait until your baby is around six months old before offering solid foods. There has been a large amount of research on this in the recent past, and most health organizations have updated their recommendations to agree with current research. Unfortunately, many health care providers are not up to date in what they're telling parents, and many, many books are not up to date.

The following organizations recommend that all babies be exclusively breastfed (no cereal, juice or any other foods) for the first 6 months of life (not the first 4-6 months):

World Health Organization
UNICEF
US Department of Health & Human Services
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Dietetic Association
Australian National Health and Medical Research Council
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
Health Canada
Most babies will become developmentally and physiologically ready to eat solids by 6-9 months of age. For some babies, delaying solids longer than six months can be a good thing; for example, some doctors may recommend delaying solids for 12 months if there is a family history of allergies."
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html

"Cereal is not at all necessary, particularly the baby cereals. Regular (whole grain) oatmeal is more nutritious for your baby. Many doctors recommend iron-fortified rice cereal as baby's first food because it is less likely to cause an allergic reaction and because most babies sometime after the 6th month require an additional iron source other than mother's milk. If your baby starts solids around 6 months or later, there is much less chance of allergic reaction to foods. It's debatable whether healthy breastfed babies need the extra iron (you can get baby's iron levels checked if you're worried about this). In addition, infants need lots of protein and cereal has a low protein-calorie ratio (even lower when mixed with water or fruit). Many experts (including LLL) suggest giving meat or other foods naturally rich in iron instead of foods with added iron. For more information on iron, see Is Iron-Supplementation Necessary? "
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/first-foods.html

Answer 10

the best time is in the morning and start with once a day for a week. make sure she is not very hungry and give her a bit water or bottle ofter.she should get hungry again after about 2 hours.
ofter she is used to it then you can give some at night as well.