Solid foods and Formula

Iysha - posted on 11/11/2010

My doctor tols me at the time i started feeding solids to my baby that there isn't a real set amt of baby food to give or how often....baby food is not the main source of nutrition, the formula is. At that age, baby food is just to get the baby used to different tastes and textures. I liked to mix some cereal with the baby food and gradually made the cereal less and less runny and more "sticky" (I guess that's how I'd describe the texture) and then add some of the jar of baby food to it. I mean, your baby can have as many solid feedings as you like as long as they are getting plenty of formula.



guide line for the amt of formula :

baby's weight (in pounds) x 2.5 = # of ounces in 24hr period

Sarh - posted on 11/11/2010

She will stop eating when she is full, however, make sure the solids are not replacing ANY formula!

Michelle - posted on 11/10/2010

Well she jsut had her 6 month apt and the doc told me to increase her meals to 3 times a day.. I tried just ceral without the bottle and she will not eat it even if i add things to it.. she will only eat ceral out of a bottle.. i only put 1tbs in her 7 oz bottle and i make sure she dont choke on it. But she does seem full with every feeding. Sometimes she will act like she wants more after that even. She has also been eating baby food now for 2 months so she loves her vegs and her fruits. anyways she is healthy and weights 15lbs. I was just wondering if i was givng her too much formula with the food. But if shes full then thats all that matters right?

Emily - posted on 11/10/2010

At this age they should be drinking 28-32oz a day of formula/breastmilk. Cereal should never go in the bottle. They need to learn to "eat" from a spoon, so solids should be spoon fed. When I started solids, I gave the first bottle in the morning (6oz), the next feeding was 4oz with 1tbs cereal, 2 more 6oz bottles in the day, another cereal feeding in the evening, and a final 6oz bottle @ night. Gradually increase the amount of cereal, and add veggies then fruits (one every 3-4 days). Baby center also gives an outline & serving sizes for each stage. Start with 1 tsp - 1tbs of solids at a time. My 7 month eats 2tbs oatmeal with 3tbs fruit in the morning, 1tbsp multigrain with 1tbs veggies & 1tbsp fruit for lunch & 2tbsp multigrain with 3tbsp veggies for dinner along with formula. She is a healthy 17 lbs.

Renae - posted on 11/10/2010

For the first 3-4 months on solids you do not usually decrease the formula. They continue to have the same amount of formula or breastmilk.

If you have a look at the calories in formula and then have a look at what they get out of a jar of baby food it is insignificant. Baby food is not designed to provide nutrition or calories, it is about learning to eat and sensory development. It is important to give the formula first then top up with a little food after about 20 minutes. Just once a day is enough at 6 months, you usually work up to 3 meals a day by 9 months. Then at 10 months you can start offering food first then topping up with formula. Most babies automatically start taking less formula as they are getting more of their nutritional requirement from food. Babies are very good at instinctively self regulating their food intake.

Staci - posted on 11/10/2010

You can go onto the Gerber website and make a weekly planner for you baby! Also that sounds good with her meals and bottles, does she seem full and happy? and also, i suggest not putting cereal in a bottle, due to choking hazzards. Some dr's say it is ok, but some dont? I never gave my daughter cereal in a bottle, i figure i eat cereal out of a bowl with a spoon, so should my child! but that is up to you. Try one food at a time for a few days to make sure there is no allergies and i introduced a veggie first and then a fruit and kept alternating and my daughter is going to be 1 on sunday and loves all her fruits and veggies and is eating all table food and breastmilk and some whole milk!

Jennifer - posted on 11/10/2010

Your baby will stop eating when she is full so I'd go by that.