Starting Solids. What is okay for him to eat?

Kimmy - posted on 08/17/2009

My son was 3 1/2months when I started him on solids. I was worried that he wasn't eating enough cause he would ony eat 4 oz or less formula so I started him with pureed veggie and the doc said he is still slim and he still doesn't eat much formula but the doc said he is doin good. He usually only gets pureed foods once a day.

Victoria - posted on 08/16/2009

Rice cereal is best to start out with simply because it is least likely to cause an allergy. We put a little in our daughter's bottle when she would go to sleep, but she never had a big appetite. Also, try mixing cereal with diluted juice if your baby thinks the cereal is too bland. (our daughter did not like it at all until we did this). At 4mo. we started peas. Don't start jarred baby foods until they sit up. And give them veggies first. If you start a child on fruits first, they will never like to eat veggies.

Jessica - posted on 08/16/2009

my twins are 8 months old and I was told by many that at this age they need to have 24 ounces a day of formula besides what ever food I may feed him. What ever you do I think you should feed him single foods in other words don't give him mixed vegetables until he has had them all single. That way if he has allergies to any of the food you will know to what.

Mikkii - posted on 08/16/2009

I started my son on rice cereal mixed in with his bottle at around 4 weeks. But, he was drinking 10 to 12 eight ounce bottles a day. Around 6 weeks I started spoon feeding him rice cereal and by 8 weeks he was having baby food mixed in with his cereal. I'd say by 10 weeks we'd moved to just jars of baby food (fruits and veggies) he much prefers the fruits, but it's because they're much sweeter. I always make sure to mix his milk in with his cereal to be certain that he's getting what he needs from that since he just about won't take a plain bottle any more.

Sarah - posted on 08/15/2009

He should continue to eat about 6-8 oz of formula about every 3-4 hours still. First start with feeding him rice cereal. Don't get the cereal mixed with fruit. You need to rule out allergies first. Do rice cereal for about 1 wk before changing to any other kinds of cereal (ie. oatmeal baby cereal). You can start with just one feeding of the cereal at first and then increase so he is getting three feedings (breakfest, lunch, dinner). Around 5-6 months you can introduce baby foods. Some say to start with veggies first because fruits are sweeter and sometimes they won't like the veggies as well after the sweeter taste. Same thing as you did with the cereal.....feed for 1 wk before introducing a new food. This rules out any allergies. It can take awhile for an allergic reaction to show up and if you are changing foods you may not know which food caused the reaction.

Kylie - posted on 08/15/2009

Its very normal for a breast fed baby to want to feed every hour or so, it's natures way of building up your milk supply and establishing that bond and security for your baby. The World Health Organisation, the American Academy of Pediatrics, Health Canada, Health Insite - Australia and the Department of Public Health (U.K.) all recommend that babies receive nothing but breast milk and/or formula for the first 6 months of life.

That being said, if you are sill going to introduce rice cereal do not put in in his bottle, it is a chocking hazard. i recommend oatmeal baby cereal over the rice as rice cereal usually makes LO's constipated. Spoon feed him the cereal mixed with breast milk after his milk feed. This is a great site that answers all baby nutrition questions. http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/

Victoria - posted on 08/15/2009

You know your son more then anyone just use your judgement. I started my son on cearl at 12 weeks because he was eating about 9 ounces every hour and a half and it was just to much.At 4 months I started him on stage one baby food and he loves it. Try him on it if he dosen't want it he will tell you. Good luck

Mel - posted on 08/13/2009

ok the hospital started my daughter on solids at 3 months, the speechys at the childrens hospital, because she was FTT and needed to gain weight. she couldnt sit up by herself or even hold her head up well, so yes those things are preffered but not always compleyely necessary. the things they started her on were pureed fruits and vegies plus rusks with fattening spreads eg peanut butter, butter, cream cheese. They good starter good are apple, banana (mashed), pear, berries, sweet potato, pumpkin and carot. Brocolli, corn things like that can be pureed but are a little harder to digest so they recommend not starting those til 5-6 months. add some cream, cheese or unsalted butter for taste or weight gain if baby needs it, but in most cases the baby does not need added calories. rice cereal causes constipation, tastes horrible and does not need to be a first first.



by 6 months they can have soft biscuits and crackers with spreads, toast with spreads, slices of cheese, things like that. my daughter did not get teeth til 7 months so she had been on solids for quite a while before this.



with an underweight kid like mine i was made to feed solids before every single bottle but with a normal child they recommend between feeds or after whatever works best for you so that the baby does not fill up too much on solids and doesnt drink the milk. between 9-12 months solids should start becoming primary nutrition rather then formula, at 9 months the baby needs 750 mills per day, at 12 months they need 500 mills (2-3 cups/bottles a day).



After 6 months its important that solids are playing a fairly big part in thier diet as they need it for growth and development and to get used to different tastes and textures. however formula/breast milk is still the main source of nutrition at this stage

Amber - posted on 08/12/2009

We started our son on rice cereal at 10 weeks...he was eating all the time. We put rice cereal in the bottle first for a week, then started him on eating rice cereal mixed with formula from a bowl and spoon to get him use to eating from a spoon. At 3 months, he started on stage one baby food. He started with peaches, then peas, bananas, carrots, applesauce, green beans, pears, sweet potatoes, and finally squash. He ate each for 3 days before starting the next food to check for allergies. At first he started with about 1/3 of a jar three times a day with his 6oz btl and now at 5 months gets a whole jar of baby food mixed in with a bowl of rice cereal and a 6ox bottle. We are going to be starting him on stage 2 baby food once we run out of stage 1. Best advice I can give you...be patient with them when they are learning to eat from a spoon it takes a lot of practice for them. Also, around 4 months feedings double in the amount of time it takes bc they are constantly looking around and other things are getting their attention. Unlike a btl, you cant just follow as their head turns, you hvae to get them to look at you and open their mouth. It is very funny, as long as you patient with them. Good luck!