Going on Solids!!!

Yolande - posted on 03/17/2009

Thank you to all the mommys for your help:) It has really given me a guideline, and i feel better bout starting solids now:)

Brittany - posted on 03/13/2009

how long is your LO nursing for? I am a stay at home mom so i never pump so im not really sure how much she is actually getting, but she usually nurses for about 10 mins. And takes about 2 or 3 naps throughout the day lasting from about 30 mins to an hour. and still eats once during the night, but wakes up sometimes more. maybe i should try giving her water to see if thats what she is wanting.

Rebekah - posted on 03/12/2009

If you are just starting out trying solids, the best thing to do is start out on rice cereal or oatmeal.  Try that for a week and gradually increase the amount of serving.  If no reactions to the cereal, then add a veggie or a fruit, only one thing at a time, after 3-4 days on that veggie or fruit, you can try another one.  Once they've mastered all of stage 1 fruits/veggies, then you can move onto combining stuff.  My son has been on solids since 3 months.  He can't do fruits they constipate him and make his belly hurt, so my doctor recommended now that he has conquered all the veggies and is on stage 2 veggies, to give him meats and we can grind up our table food to give him as long as he's been introduced to it first.

Best way to start out is just a couple teaspoons, working your way up to a tablespoon.  Once they've conquered a tablespoon of food, then you can start introducing some other foods.  Just watch out for reactions like, upset tummy (squirming, pulling knees in, high pitch crying), vomiting (especially projectile - sign of allergic reaction), rash on face or butt.

Now that your babies are 6 months old, it's very important to get them used to solids, so at 6 months you should be introducing if you haven't started already.  By the time they are 9 months old, your baby should be decreasing their BM/formula and increasing their solids.

Alicia - posted on 03/12/2009

I too am a first time Mom, and the internet has been such a great resource. I've found lots of info etc on different schedules, but ultimately you have to find the one that works the best for you. I have basically used the Heinz Baby schedule for beginner solids. I am probably going to move up to the Stage 1 schedule soon, as Lucas has been on solids since about 4 months.

The most important piece of advice that I got from my doctor, is to wait 3-5 days before introducing a new food into the babies diet after you have introduced a new one. That way, you can look for signs of an allergic reaction, and can pin point exactly what it is if they do have one.

At first, we started on just rice cereal. Started really thin, and not very much, and just worked our way up from there. Your baby will let you know if they are done or if they want more. Then slowly introduce veggies, and then fruit.

My son's schedule is something like this:

7:30AM Wake  - Nurse both sides, approx 1-2tbsp rice cereal
9:30AM - 11:30AM - Nap
11:30AM - Nurse both sides, approx 1-2tbsp veggies
1:00PM-2:30PM - Nap
2:30PM - Nurse both sides
4:00PM-5PM - Nap
5PM - Nurse both sides, 1-2tbsp fruit
7/7:30PM - Nurse both sides, 1/4 cup rice cereal

I always nurse first, and then feed my baby solids, that way he nurses good and doesn't get distracted because his tummy is already full. I'd rather he turned away solids, then turned away breast milk since I want to keep up my supply and continue nursing for a while yet.

Lucas sometimes drinks a bit of water while practicing with a sippy cup, but my doctor said that the extra fluids aren't necessary until later.

Sarah - posted on 03/11/2009

i'm also a first time confused mom.  i'm going to start my littleone (6mo old) this week.  i think i'll start with some rice cereal for a week.  then add some veggies once or twice a day.  I don't know.  I'll wing it and see what works, since lots of people say lots of different things.  I wish these wonderful babies came with personal instruction manuals!  :-)

Courtney - posted on 03/11/2009

 I also am a first time mom and all of their routines sound a little complicated. My daughter is breastfeed so I don't always know how much milk she is getting, but I know that she is getting enough. She started on baby food when she was 4 months old. We started with one veggie per week, then we went to fruit. She didn't really care for fruit so I mixed it in with her oatmeal cereal in the morning and night. She is now 6months and 1 week and is on stage 2 baby food. She has cereal in the morning then nurse, then veggie and fruit for lunch, then sometimes nurse before or after nap, then veggie with meat and fruit for supper, then cereal and nurse before bed. I know that as a first time mom, I just have to listen to everyones advice then do what I think is the best for my daughter. Hope this helped.

Donna - posted on 03/11/2009

Hi.  I too am a first time mum...  My daugher is 5months 2 weeks old and has been on solids for about 5/6 weeks.  I was very confused about what I should/should not feed my daughter and how much she should be having.  To be honest, my daughters rountine is fairly similar to everyone elses but I will tell you all anyway :-)

7:30-8am:  Wake

8-8:30am:  Breakfast (4 dessert spoons porridge) & 6oz Milk

9:30-10am: Nap

11:30-12noon:  Wake

12:30-1pm: Lunch (banana/pear/apple - I tried soup for the first time today and she loved it!) & 4-6oz Milk

2:30ish:  Nap

3:30-4pm:  Wake

4:30ish: Dinner (Homemade Veg & dessert  -  a great book for homemade purees is 'Annabel Karmel Top 100 baby purees') & 4-6oz Milk

6ish: Bath

6:30ish: 6oz Milk

7ish: Bed

I also give my daughter juice/water throughout the day.  She has between 18-24oz Milk a day, everyday is different lol  but she's a very happy and contented baby, I had her weighed last week and is slightly below the middle line on graph!

Every baby is different, as long as your baby is sleeping well and is happy then be reassured you are doing something right :-)  Good Luck x x

Rebekah - posted on 03/10/2009

When starting solids, you might want to slowly increase up to a 3-course meal.

My son has been on solids for almost 3 months now, here's his schedule:

7am Wake Up

7:30am Bottle 6oz

8:30am Breakfast (2 tbsp. Oatmeal)

10:30am Bottle 6oz

11:00am Nap

1:00pm Bottle 4oz and Solids (1 tbsp. Mixed Grains and 1/4 jar Veggies)

3:30pm Bottle 6oz

4:00pm Nap

6:00pm Bottle 6oz

7:00pm Dinner (2tbsp. rice cereal, 3/4 jar veggies)

8:00pm Bath

8:30pm Final Bottle 4oz, Bedtime

My doctor said that once on solids as long as they get 24oz of milk in a 24-hour period, they are fine.  So we just make sure that as we increased solids that he still gets 24oz of formula in a day, especially before bed, otherwise he'll wake up in the night because he's hungry.  Solids doesn't actually hold him over yet.

Tammy - posted on 03/10/2009

Oh my goodness i am hearing myself again, that is so what i was saying, i was really confused but i now have it.

To be honest he has the same as what Emma does, give or take an hour here and there. What i do is when he wakes from a sleep i normally give him some water/juice, as i think we are always thirsty when we wake up and he seems to appriciate it. One thing i will say is dont do what i did and freak out when he your little one doesnt want all its bottle once the feeding is all sorted, as from speaking to a number of people and health proffesionals, its common sense (not to us new mums lol) that babies that are on solids do not normally take all their milk as they are full up with food, some do of course but dont worry if yours doesnt, i know my little boy never has a whole 7oz only the early morning one.

This is what we do just to give you another idea.

730am wake 7oz milk

8-8.30am porridge made with his milk

12pm ish veggies and a fromage frias or yogurt/ water to drink

3pm 5oz milk (i know he wont drink 7oz)

5pm main meal and fruit for dessert and juice or water to drink (we love him sitting with us at the table lol)

6.30pm Bath

7.30pmish 7oz bottle (doesnt always drink it) story and bed

really hopes this helps you...i know how much i worried. My little one is 6 months and 2 days old but has been on solids since he was 4 months and he LOVES it bless him. xx

Emma - posted on 03/09/2009

7am wake

7:30am 7oz milk

8am solids

11:15am 7oz milk (((has not had this in a week as she does not want it...but your baby will still need it untill solids are established)))

12pm solids

3:15pm 7oz milk

4pm solids

7pm milk and bed shortly after



when starting a small taste is all they need.. just a few teaspoons. any questions just ask xx