New mom here with a couple of questions?

Question

I'm a new mom and my son is 5 1/2 months old. He's a big boy weighing 18 lbs and 28 inches long. Here are my questions:

1. My doctor gave us the go ahead to start solids about 3 weeks ago. I fed him rice cereal with his 2nd bottle each day for a week. Then we started veggies. He seems to love solids so now he eats 1 tbsp of rice cereal in the morning and 1/2 jar of veggies at night. He has 5 bottles about 6 ozs each a day. Am I on the right track? How do I know when to start giving him more?

2. My son is also teething. There are some days when he doesn't want to drink as much formula as normal. Is this normal for a teething infant?

3. He was sleeping through the night fine but now is waking at about 2 or 3 am. I can get him back to sleep only i I put him in bed with my husband and I. Then he'll sleep til 8 or 9 am. Am I creating a bad habit or should I do what needs to be done to get him to sleep?

I think that's it for now...lol. Thanks for the help.

Answer 1

question 1 give him more rice in the morning. he will let you know when he has had enough.

question 2 yes, its normal for a baby not to eat as good when their teething. just give him a teether to chew on. that helps.

question 3 it is not a good idea to bring your baby to bed with you. the older he gets the harder it will be for him to break the habit. when he gets up at 2, make sure hes dry, and feed him some milk. i bet he will go right back down.

Answer 2

All of this sounds normal - I would try doing simple fruits before veggies though. Applesauce, Bananas, Plums, Peaches. Rice cereal and Oatmeal is fine - avoid mixed cereal or wheat for a while (no wheat until 12 mos +). No eggs until age 2-3 (allergen potential).
Teething causes loss of appetite sometimes - it will come back. It's like a cold almost for us. Babies don't feel that great, noses can run and they drool.
If he's waking at night - it could be teething, it could be something else. Do whatever he needs to be comfortable and don't worry. He'll be sleeping through the night again at some point. Keep putting him to bed in his crib and if he wakes up - do whatever to get him back to sleep, if he sleeps all the way through - consider it a bonus.
Hope I could help.

Answer 3

1. Sounds fine to me.
Each new solid item of vege should be tried for 15-20 days. Or more before trying another.
That way you can rule out which one suits him.
His stomach has to get used to one food before you introduce a 2nd.

This is the growing period. Child will demand more. But teething will deter it.

2. There is a Homeopathy/ Biochemic Medication which is basically calcium and such. A combination. It is fantastic for teething. Do consult your Pediatrician about it.
While teething, child goes through pain and all. So may be off food. Massage his gums.
i used to avoid any painkillers. That Homeo gave my baby a trouble free teething period.

3. Try giving the veges in the morning hours. Lunch. He will have the whole day to digest it. They MIGHT act on stomach.Watch the child for a while more before making changes.
Babies keep changing routines. So that way it should not worry you.
But they do settle down with more sleep after 3 or 4 months.
He may be getting hungry.So getting up. In that case may need a cereal around 6PM. But remember , no changes for 15 days at least.
Do check with the Doc too.

Hope these help. Best wishes.

Answer 4

Hi-
1. My son was about the same size & the doctor told me to give mix 4oz of formula with cereal to a good consitency rather than measuring the cereal out first & to give him a whole jar of fruit with it. It was a lot of food, but my son ate it all!!
2. My son drank formula as usual during teething, but I've heard appetite decreasing is normal.
3. I'm currently struggling to get my 8mo son out of our bed & back into his crib. You are definetly starting a bad habit (GUILTY) and I unfortunetly don't have any other advice other than letting him cry a bit before getting him. I'm a sucker and couldn't let my son do it. Hindsight, I really should have!


EDIT- Sorry Ethel, but the *norm* is both 20lbs and 1 year old for foward facing carseats. There is no length limit. I've been told to have my son cross his legs to be more comfy.

Answer 5

First off hes probably waking up because he is teething, and teething babies get thrown off so much!! that will stop once his teeth pops through. They say it usually takes about 15 tries of one food before they decide if they actually like it or not LOL so maybe try each food for a week or two and then try a different kind :) Its normal for babies not to drink much while they are teething, thats not unusual. And when they are hungry they will let you know, nothing wrong with that!! You will be just fine :) and are doing great

Mom of 5 boys

Answer 6

1. Sounds like you are on the right track with feeding. He will let you know when he wants more. If he's eating everything you are giving him, and still seems hungry, give him more.
2. Teething can really take a toll on some babies. He may not want to drink as much...That's totally normal.
3. We did the same thing with one of our twins. What we do is, take them in bed with us, she goes back to sleep. Once she is asleep, we take her and put her back in her crib. At first, she would just start crying again, but she eventually got the idea and will lay back down in her crib.

***Jennield - It appears that Ethel is talking about getting a bigger rear facing seat. They make convertible seats for bigger children that can be placed both rear facing and forward facing. You are supposed to switch to the convertible seat when the childs feet are touching the back of the seat. This is to prevent injury if involved in an accident.

Answer 7

I have a feeling you are very much on the right track and just want some confirmation. As far as feeding him solid foods goes, it's definitely important at his age to still keep his primary source of nutrition and calories coming from his formula. You just want to introduce other foods as a small supplement to his diet. I think babies his age should have around 32 ounces of formula each day so, what you're giving him is fine. If he is still hungry, I would increase the amount of cereal and fruits and vegies you are offering to him. He may be waking in the middle of the night because he's hungry. Just be sensitive to how much he wants and don't try to give him more than he wants but, let him have as much as he wants as long as the formula stays around the same amount. It will certainly vary somewhat day to day and that's fine but, jsut keep it around the same. As far as bringing him in to your bed goes, that's certainly your decision but I think you're absolutely right in knowing that you may be creating a bigger problem for the future. There's no questin that many parents do exactly that because it is so tempting and workd well. However, it does create the habit of him wanting to sleep in your bed and that tends to get more so not less. And it gets more diffiuclt the older he gets and the longer he does it. Teething can cause all kinds of changes and can be more difficult for some kids than others. However, it is also completely normal for kids to vary from day to day in how much they want to eat. Just like we vary how hungry we are each day! Also when babies are growing, they need to eat a lot more than when they are not. When they are going through a period of relatively little or no growth, it's amazing how little they need to eat just to fill up. Don't assume that he will eat the same amount each day or that he should eat the same amount each day. Let him eat more on the days when he wants more and don't coax him into eating more than he wants on the days when he's not particularly hungry. It all balances out that way. Good luck!!

Answer 8

The whole idea with introducing solids, is that you are going to accordingly start offering less formula so that by the time your baby is six or seven months old, you should be giving him three bottle feeds per day, with juice or plain cooled water in between.

Answer 9

I like Jace!! So lovely. I have a four month historical son. Before he used to be born I used to be observed to breast feed however I had the equal emotions as you-certainly on the grounds that he used to be a boy. I do not understand how to explain it I simply knew I'd suppose bizarre approximately it. After he used to be born that every one transformed however to reply your query-sure you'll be able to pump and placed it in a bottle. I nonetheless breastfeed him while I'm dwelling at night time and at the weekends however I pump in the course of the day and freeze it for him to consume while he isn't with me. I have a Medela Pump in Style double electrical, it really works particularly well. I believe it used to be approximately $275 Good good fortune and congrats!! Jace is SO lovely.

Answer 10

Sounds good , when he wants more he will let you know 1 tsp cereal well make it in a bowl and let him start to know the textures and practice feeding him self if he can . As he eats more solids it will decrease the bottles and start to let you know he wants food. the teething , well his gums are sensitive offer him cold popcicles and cold juice if he is on juices, yes it is normal for them to reject food durning this time keep his teethin ring on ice or in frig.the editors of Child magazine, Photography by Erin Patrice O'Brien
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The debut of your baby's first tooth will likely bring with it some discomfort. We offer tips on easing his teething pain.


On average, a baby's first tooth appears in the seventh month, but it can show up as early as 3 months or as late as 1 year of age. After the first breakthrough, another new tooth will appear about every six weeks. Usually, the two bottom front teeth are the first to emerge from the gums, followed by the two top front teeth. By the time that she's 2 years old, your little one will probably have cut all 20 of her baby teeth.

Unlike the actual pearly whites, the symptoms of teething will now appear overnight. Even if your baby has yet to flash a tooth, she's probably exhibiting the painful signs of its growth. Baby's annoyances with the growth of her teeth begin two or three months before their arrival. She may chew on her toys or fingers, act irritable, and develop redness and puffiness where the tooth is coming in. Keep in mind that your baby's desire to put everything in her mouth-paired with her improving mobility at this age-means that it's more important than ever to keep potentially hazardous items, such as electrical cords and house plants, out of her reach.



For years, grandmothers have blamed teething for sleeping difficulties, colds, diarrhea, diaper rash, even fever. But since babies are teething nearly one-third of their lives, doctors have had trouble determining whether these symptoms are related. They may, in fact, simply be conditions that the infant would have developed in any case. Recent studies provide some support for Grandma's point of view: Researchers pinpointed a gradual climb in average body temperature (from 98.6 to 99.7 degrees) that occurred three days before a new tooth erupted. However, a fever that is higher than 101degrees is more likely to be caused by an infection and requires the immediate attention of your pediatrician.

Though doctors don't agree on the level of pain that teething causes, or its related symptoms, it's quite clear that the pressure of a tooth pushing through the gums causes most babies some level of discomfort. Since teeth alternately grow and then rest, a teething baby may feel pain off and on for up to several weeks before a tooth actually emerges.

The best way to relieve teething pain is to give your baby something cold and firm to chew on-the hard surface provides relief through counterpressure; the coldness numbs the gums. Try offering refrigerated (but never frozen) water-filled teethers or a cold, wet washcloth. Acetaminophen will relieve persistent pain, but since teething discomfort often passes quickly, it may not always be effective. Over-the-counter teething ointments, which contain a local painkiller, may be more helpful than acetaminophen, but consult your doctor before using any of these medications on your baby's tender gums.



All content here, including advice from doctors and other health professionals, should be considered as opinion only. Always seek the direct advice of your own doctor in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others.