I have a 16 week old baby, I was wondering if any one could tell how many times she should eat baby food?

Question

She eats 6-6oz bottles with 3 tablespoons of rice in each bottle every day. I don't know if she should eat rice/oatmeal/babyfood twice or three times a day. Do I just offer it , and see if she wants it?

I truly have never heard of NOT putting a baby on rice at a month, unless it was breastfed. We have had lots of babies in our famly-and friends, they all were on rice at a month. My Doctor said that formula is not really enough to fill them up. Yes, she also does have GERD!!! She has been eating babyfood and oatmeal for 2months. I wasn't asking if I SHOULD GIVE HER BABY FOOD! Thanks for the input though, I was asking how many times a day youfed your babies baby food. I don't think she is fat, she was 8 lbs. 4 oz, and 20 inches long when she was born. She is know 4 months and is 28inches long and weighs 17lbs. I think that was a great idea to feed fruit in the morning and veggies at night. I will try that, as she has mastered all the fruits. Thanks for the responds.





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Answer 1

the American Academy of Pediatrics doesn't recommend putting rice cereal in the bottle because it causes rapid and unhealthy weight gain. Liquids in a bottle, solids in a bowl

Answer 2

She's a bit young to start eating those rice cereals. Generally around 5 months they can handle it.
Start with one or two teaspoons once a day. Preferably in the morning incase it gives the baby cramps (I gave it to my son around dinner and he screamed allllllll through the night).

Putting cereal in the bottle isn't really a good idea for two reasons: one, they'll get 'fuller' off the bottle and won't be as motivated to try the spoon. And two, because it doesn't teach them to use their mouths in that 'open close chew swallow' way that is basically the main point of those beginning feedings.

Jar baby food could be introduced at around 6-7 months. Once the cereal is handled well about three times a day.

Answer 3

No baby food until 6 months. Only breastmilk and/or formula until then. Rice cereal in a bottle is not recommended unless the baby has acid reflux. Talk to the pediatrician about all this.

Answer 4

Unless your doctor told you to put some rice in her bottles, you shouldn't be doing it.

Both my children started cereal at 5m. old and that was for only one meal, at night. They were able to sit up very well and were able to swallow very well for the most part... ha ha messy babies. We moved up to cereal in the morning and at night at 5 1/2m and started the first veggie at 6m. Started to cut out the night time cereal at that point so the boys were getting cereal in the morning, veggie(s) (and fruits when we got to them) and bottles the rest of the time!

Answer 5

First of all, I would think that much rice cereal in the bottles has given you a very chunky baby!! I did the rice cereal in his bottles but only 2x a day. The rest of the bottles were straight formula.

Start with 2x a day for cereal by spoon and stop with the cereal in the bottle (unless you're doing this for acid reflux, then only in the bottles she gets when not having solids). I do breakfast and dinner with my guy. Once baby gets the hang of swallowing runny cereal from a spoon you can start to introduce new foods, one at a time mixed in with the cereal. Then sometime around 6 months or so, you can introduce lunch (once you have tested enough foods for allergies so you can start giving a variety of foods, that way they aren't eating mushy peas for breakfast, lunch and dinner LOL). Then between 6-8 months you can slowly reduce the cereal in the foods to get them used to eating it full strength. Then they can move on to the stage 2 foods.

Right now my guy is 4 1/2 months old and gets fruits for breakfast and veggies at dinner. Each food gets eaten for about 6 days in a row however I have it so halfway through either breakfast or dinner changes. I started with banana mixed in with cereal (since I knew baby isn't allergic to rice cereal I started putting banana's in it, I didn't want it to taste the same as his bottles so there would be no confusion about drinking or eating), then I introduced mushy peas for dinner about 3 days later, then after banana for breakfast we started with peaches mixed in. Tomorrow we move on to I think Sweet potato (but it could be squash, I forget what I bought LOL) for dinner and then later this week we have pears to try with breakfast. After that we will hit the grocery store and see what else they have to offer!

I always offer the solids first so that he is hungry enough to eat them. I only give him a couple tablespoons ( I started at one tablespoon at a time until he got the hang of things) and fill him up on formula afterwards. Don't forget to introduce the concept of brushing the teeth after eating, Walmart has a finger brush with a soft rubber bristle pad and flavored, non fluoride toothpaste. I think that's my son's favorite part of the meal! Now when it's time to eat he opens his mouth wide and grabs my hand in an attempt to get his food there faster. With his help though it usually just winds up on his face faster!

Answer 6

AAP does not recommend baby food until 6 mos of age. Breastmilk or formula until then.