What he should be eating...

Lorilynne - posted on 05/23/2009

I had a question about cottage cheese, yougurt and all other dairy, it seems like everyone has started this, but I thought you dont start till 1 year....I am kind of confused.....

These things (even cheese) are ok to start before a year and actually recommended.  You typically want to wait until 7 or 8 months but should hold off longer if you have a history of family allergies.  "One of the main reasons you should wait until after baby is 1 year old to introduce milk as a formula/breast milk replacement is that milk/dairy hinders the absorption of iron in the body. Milk is also much harder for baby to digest than breast milk or infant formula."   But yogurt, cottage cheese or cheese is not being used as a replacement to formula or breast milk and that is why it is ok.  It actually prepares your baby for the switch to milk.  Plus, yogurt is a great way for your baby to get calcium. 

*I pulled the quote from this link, its actually very informative if you want to check it out*

http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/dairy.h...

Maria - posted on 05/22/2009

Here is how my baby's day looks like

7.30 breastfeeding

10.00 oatmeal cereal/ ricecereal plus one fruit grated mixed together

1.00 lunch meat/pulses/ together with some vegetable/potato etc steam cooked together

3.00 breastfeeding

5.00 fruit grated/ cooked/ or mixed together with yogurt

7.30-8.00 dinner vegetables (I cook them in steam)

8.40 breastfeeding



I also give him water but I try to give it after the main meals (so that the water doesnt fill up his little stomach before eating)



I think you should try and reduce the milk to 3 time a days. I would suggest to try and remove the milk that comes with the main meals. As you said the baby doest drink so much at main meals. For sure you keep the morning milk feed. If the baby needs more food when you stop the milk he will ask for more solid food during his solids feeds!

Good luck!

Shawna - posted on 05/22/2009

My son still breastfeeds 4-5 times a day (including 1 middle of the night feeding)...but during meals he drinks his milk or water from a sippy cup and can do it all on his own. He usually has 2 solid food meals a day, which is morning and mid afternoon. Morning he gets cheerios, with bananas and/or grapes. He feeds them to himself. He has been having rice cereal since 4 months, since then he gets 3-4 tbsp before bed to fill him up to sleep longer. Then for dinner he has a little of whatever we are having, since you cannot eat in front of him....examples include shredded beef rump roast with broccoli, spagetti with meat balls, or turkey with gravy and mashed potatoes with sliced carrots. This may seem like alot, but he gets about half his hand size of each item so it is more like a real meal....especially since I have heard childrens stomaches are only as big as their fist....it helps to gauge portion sizes.



I had a question about cottage cheese, yougurt and all other dairy, it seems like everyone has started this, but I thought you dont start till 1 year....I am kind of confused.....

Katherine - posted on 05/22/2009

A typical day for my 9 month old...
6:45am 8oz formula (bottle)
8:00am oatmeal, barley, mixed grain (one kind) with yogurt (yo baby) or fruit.
11am 6oz formula (from a sippy cup)
12:30 lunch meat (small bites) watermelon, banana, cottage cheese, shredded cheese, cheerios, puffs, mac and cheese, ( he will eat anything we have)
3:30 6oz formula (from a sippy cup)
6:00 dinner, usually whatever we have, he has and often a jar or two of baby food usually stage 3 now, but I still use stage 2.
7:45 8oz formula (bottle)
My son is really enjoying feeding himself and discovering new tastes and textures. If you're nervous then start out with things that have more texture that the pureed jar food, but are still very tender. Any frozen veggie, just steam and dice smaller, noddles are great because them mush easily in the mouth. I was nervous at first, but now he loves eating and tasting new things I'm excited to share new things with him. I know if you wait to long to introduce lumpier, more textured foods they can have problems with gag-reflex. Good luck and happy eating!

Lauren - posted on 05/22/2009

I am also nervous about trying "people foods" because of choking. I really want to though. Yesterday I grated an apple but it was so mesy. I think the dog ate more of it off the floor than she did. Here is our typical day.

5:00am nurse - back to sleep

6:30am nurse - up for the day

7:00am breakfast - 4 tbsp oatmeal and 1 jar stage 2 fruit

8:30am nurse

11:30am lunch - 1 jar stage 2 veggie and 1 package (2 crackers) Baby Mum Mums and water - sometimes if she still seems hungry a few cheerios or cookie

12:00pm - nurse

3:00 pm - snack 4 oz diluted juice and food

So far I have tried - a whole banana cut in small pieces, cheerios, puffs, yogurt bites

5:30pm - dinner 4tbsp oatmeal and 1 jar stage 2 fruit

7:30pm - nurse



If we are having something I think she can eat at dinner I will give her a little of that. We have tried: french fries, biscuits, waffle

After reading the posts I think I am going to get some stage 3 foods with chunks and maybe try toast and shredded cheese.

Tammy - posted on 05/22/2009

My daughter is 9 months and 1 week. She eats whatever we eat at every meal. She eats a good sized portion about 1/2 cup of food I would say. She has a snack 3 times a day usually about 1/4 cup of whatever yogurt, banana, apple sauce, mini rice cakes, toast, 1/2 sandwich whatever I have on hand. She has juice 2 times a day about 1/4 cup then a boob whenever she wants usually 5-6 times a day.

Lorilynne - posted on 05/22/2009

My son is off baby food completely at this point. He nurses when he wakes up and then an hour or so later he a small container of yogurt. If he still seems hungry I'll give him some cheerios. After his nap he may nurse or have a small snack like graham crackers, saltines or cheerios. Lunch is usually some type of soft fruit like banana or peaches (I'm going to try cantalope and mandarin oranges this week) or a veggie. He likes frozen ones best probably because they have more flavor. I like the ones that come in the microwavable bags. Dinner is usually a gerber graduate meal. We use the ones that come in the bowls, not the ones that are whole dinners. The big meals are just too much food and he's just not ready for the bigger pieces of meat. Sometimes I give him rice or really well done pasta, he likes toast and pretty much any kind of cracker. He also nurses about 3 or 4 more times randomly through the day. If you are nervous about table food, try the third foods jars. They have chunks of real food in them so your son can practice chewing but the bits are small and really soft. If your son can pick up the puffs or cheerios using his thumb and forefinger, he's probably ready for more solid type foods but talk to your ped about what is best.

Sonya - posted on 05/22/2009

6 am 4 oz bottle
8:30 am 4 T Oatmeal or rice cereal and Cheerios
9:15 4 oz bottle
9:30 Toast (she has had all kinds including raisin and blueberry) and half a banana
11:15 4 oz bottle
12:30 She is offered graham crackers, baby food veggie and baby food fruit and other finger foods. She decides what she eats
3:30 crackers (sometimes fruit or yogurt too)
5 pm 4 oz bottle
7 pm Baby food dinner w/ meat, veggie and fruit, variety of finger foods and whatever we are having for dinner.
8:15 4 oz bottle

She generally gets all 20 oz, sometimes a little more. She is still on Stage 2 foods, because she doesn't like the consistency of the stage 3. I offer her a bit of whatever we have for dinner, she has had pot pie, cooked cabbage... basically anything. On her own she eats Gerber raviolis, puffs, any kind of cracker (including wheat thins), she has also had a popsicle (they have mini ones that are like an inch long at Target). She loves canned veggies if she is in the mood! Also shredded cheese and yogurt.

Honestly give him whatever you feel comfortable with, if you are worried about him choking, just wait on the item. As long as he can eat things like Cheerios, you are find to go with about anything as long as you don't do stuff like nuts, popcorn, whole grapes etc. Good Luck!

Amanda - posted on 05/21/2009

i too am nervous about giving my daughter some "big people foods" when she wakes she has 3-4 tablespoons of cereal and usually half a mashed banana and then 4oz bottle... for lunch she has half a jar of baby food with either cracker or toast, again a 4 oz bottle, her afternoon snack is some kind of fruit and a 4 oz bottle, followed by dinner (2nd half of jar food) with mashed potatos, shredded cheese ( try to give her a variety) and then a 7 oz bottle before bed... wanna try some new things too but some foods that people are giving there babies just sounds absurd to me - grilled cheese, icecream??? i am sticking to the basics and trying to introduce a new food every other day or so... hope this helps... as u explore new foods let me know how they turned out as i too could use some help in this area

Terri - posted on 05/21/2009

I would suggest talking with your pediatrician first, but my daughter turned 9 months on the 17th and she eats a variety of "big people" food everyday. I do not give her a bottle at every meal, but she does have at least three bottles per day. She has a 4 oz. bottle for breakfast and I give her a peice of dry toast. She LOVES it. She can eat it by herself and it becomes mushy in her mouth. She also has some fresh banana with that. She eats green beans in small pea sizes, pretzels (without salt), she like the rods, which I break in half and she holds it and gnaws on it. It helps with teething...She has yogurt with her lunch (another 4 ounce) and maybe some fruit. Some days she will have a 6 or 4 ounce bottle a couple hours prior to dinner, but not everyday. It mostly depends on if she seems hungry. Dinner she still eats baby food, but I have upgraded her to size 3 jars. She likes mashing some of the food up. She has a 6 ounce bottle before bed. She eats anywhere between 20-24 ounces of formula per day.



I would definitely encourage more solid foods because that is how they learn to chew. Plus, it is fun for them to feel different textures and taste them. Your son will let you know if he doesn't like something! Try cheese, yogurt, green beans (canned), toast, Gerber Graduate Puffs, (those are a big hit and melt in their mouths), small diced apples, banana, cheerios...I think you are on the right track. Trust yourself!