Am I feeding my 5 month old enough and properly?

Julianne - posted on 10/18/2011

Yes it is normal for stool to change when food is introduced. You will even notice a day to day change if you give her a wide variety of different foods on a regular basis.

Yelena - posted on 10/18/2011

We skipped the cereal completely. My 5 and 1/2 month old likes his veggies very much. So far I have introduced:

sweet potato, green peas, green beans, carrots, prunes, pears, winter squash and on occasionally he gets oatmeal in breast milk all spoon-fed and so far with success. The reason we avoided rice cereal is because of constipation problems, not choking. As far as breast milk - he takes 5 oz every 3 hours for about 7 feedings. We still eat twice per night. For 4-8 month old my ped recommends 28-36 oz in 24h period. I have a healthy baby boy who is now 28 in and 20.4 lbs. Needless to say, but just watch you girl, she will let you know if she needs more food.

PS. Yes the poop does change - get ready for the smell:-))

Carla - posted on 10/18/2011

I feel like this has turned into "Battle of the Mom's". Yes we all know our babies. Yes they are all different. Yes you should ask your dr and yes fact of the matter is at the end of the day we ALL do our own thing. I appreciate everyones info and input. So far, my daughter has been a very happy healthy go lucky baby and since ive started giving her the cereal and fruit from a spoon she has seems perfectly fine. Her poops are getting a little greener....im guessing maybe because she is actually getting real food now? DONT ALL YOU MOMS jump and yell at me if there's another reason lol but maybe just let me know if thats normal for their poops to change once being given thicker foods. Thanks ladies ;)

Julianne - posted on 10/18/2011

I bet the people who lost their children because of it said that too.

Rebecca - posted on 10/18/2011

there's not enough in the bottle to make it thick enough for them to choke on it. and Jeana yes but i was lucky and both my kids slept through the night by 2 1/2 months.

Good Day! - posted on 10/18/2011

@Jeanna, no not really! I started giving my girl food at 6 months and she started waking up more often.

Julianne - posted on 10/18/2011

Yes, all children are different, but that doesn't mean their esophagus and trachea are magically in a different place so their risk of choking on the bottle is reduced. It doesn't change the fact that cereal is a high carb with no nutritional value and all it does is bloat the stomach so they drink less formula because they are "full" but don't actually get anything out of it. They may sleep better, but that's because they are missing a milk meal. Some doctors are not up to date on safety information when it comes to feeding a child. Facts are its linked to SIDS. Children die from it all the time. Its linked to food allergies, obesity, diabetes, pulmonary problems. It may not have any adverse effect NOW but one child does not set the rule, besides, they are not adults yet, sometimes it takes a long time before the side effects arise. The obesity rates in America are astounding and cereal in bottles is common there.

Jeana - posted on 10/18/2011

All you who fed your child fruits or veggies plus formula or breastmilk at four or five months....did this help with them sleeping through the night?

Rebecca - posted on 10/18/2011

each child is different. i put rice cereal in my daughter bottle when she was little too. and she will be 2 in January and she is fine and healthy. and same with my son he is healthy and his doctor hasn't said anything to me about stopping him with a little oatmeal in his bottle.

Michelle - posted on 10/18/2011

That is way to much and the cereal should never be put in her bottle. She can live on formula alone until 6 months. My 5 month old boy get 1 tblsp of cereal 3 times a day and then 4 oz of formula/breast milk 4 to 5 times a day

Julianne - posted on 10/18/2011

I completely disagree with "mother knows best." Some people still put cereal in their infants bottles even though it can kill them.

Rebecca - posted on 10/18/2011

some say to wait til 6 months for baby food but a mom knows when her kid is ready. My son will be 4 months on the 23rd. he eats 6 oz bottles as well but we put oatmeal in his because the rice wasn't thick enough for him but he still eats every 2 to 3 hours. I have recently started him on some baby food and he's eating it fine and it seems to help him not go thru as much formula as if i just had him on the bottle. at night we put a little more oatmeal then we do during the day and he sleeps all night from like 10 til at least 10 or 11 in the morning

Elke - posted on 10/18/2011

I thought that until 6 months nothing but breast milk or formula? this is in Canada anyways.

Anna - posted on 10/18/2011

I agree with the ladies that say that "mother knows best," however, only when a mother educates herself on the most up-to-date pediatric research. One can't simply rely on what she thinks all the time. Mothers years ago knew it was best to give a teaspoon of alcohol to their children to calm them down from crying but now we know best that giving alcohol to babies leads to alcoholism. A smart mother is one who educates herself, listens to various expert advice, and then uses her own good judgment and motherly instinct to apply what is appropriate to her child. Here's a link to my favorite pediatrician's advice, Dr. Sears http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/parenti...

Stephanie - posted on 10/18/2011

I give my son 1 tbsp of cereal in his bottle for 6 oz of formula, per my doctor. I know that some people say not to do it, but my doctor has me doing it due to reflux and I know alot of others who do it also for the same reason. My son is just under 4 months and he's been on it for about a month now with no issues. He's a good weight and the doc is not concerned.

Terra - posted on 10/18/2011

There is a HUGE difference between a doctor prescribing a child with reflux cereal in the bottle and a parent giving it to them just for the heck of it. A child with reflux can aspirate their own stomach contents due to the reflux so the benefit can out weigh the risk if the child is to young to take the cereal off a spoon. The fact is, that it is a chocking hazard and is completely, 100% unnecessary for a healthy child that has not been diagnosed with reflux. Babies spit up, that is normal and is not always reflux and should not be treated like reflux.



I am honestly so sick and tired of hear "Well my child/My parents/Me is/are fine so it must be okay". It's a load of crap that completely ignores new research that comes out everyday as well as belittling the very real problems that the children that didn't "turn out just fine" are going through. I would much rather be safe then sorry when it comes to my child then do something just because that's what they did 20 or what every years ago when they didn't know any better.

Kate CP - posted on 10/18/2011

"I started feeding her 2tbls of bananas. She loves it!! Then she washes it down with a 5oz bottle. She pushes away when she is full. And seems to be pooping just fine. So I think I'm good?! :) "

Good for you, Momma. :)

Nova - posted on 10/18/2011

Congratulations on your bundle of joy! As you get to know eachother, you'll appropriate feedings according to your daughter's energy level. You'll know the difference between her cries that distinguish hunger from a need for stimulation. Often we assume that our children risk malnutrition if they are not fed consistently at set times. Between your pediatric visits and your instincts, I'm sure your daughter will not starve because you are looking at cues such as body fat (needed for the development of major organs) and contentment ( her behaviour immediately after being fed). If your daughter spits up, she is full or overfed. If she cries within two hours of being fed, it may be that she needs stimulation. Try reading a book with simple hand gestures and animated voice or perhaps some songs that encourage her visual and manual participation. Trust your instincts, you'll be a great mom.

Mary Kay - posted on 10/18/2011

I think you are good! A very good mommy!

Carla - posted on 10/18/2011

I started feeding her 2tbls of bananas. She loves it!! Then she washes it down with a 5oz bottle. She pushes away when she is full. And seems to be pooping just fine. So I think I'm good?! :)

Natasha - posted on 10/18/2011

My son is only going to be 3 months old on the 10th of November and I am also giving him cereals in his bottles. I know he is very young but he was drinking more than double the amount he is supposed to have in a day and was still always hungry. I think all babies are different and although I have read some of the replies about this when I duiscussed it with my GP he said it is better to give him some cereal from a young age than to let him go hungry or overeat. As long as the consistency of the bottle is still liquid I personally think it is ok. So basically my opinion is that if they are hungry... FEED THEM! :-)

Sharon - posted on 10/17/2011

Actually, I had allergies with the baby who started at 4 months. With my two daughters, I started solids at 7 1/2 months (recommended!) and they not only didn't get allergies but are really unfussy eaters with no weight issues. Wish I had known that with my son! He did "outgrow" his allergies luckily but if I had only put off solids with him, maybe I would have cleaned up less vomit and treated fewer rashes.

My ped was anti-rice cereal because it's an allergen and "displaces" formula or breastmilk with empty calories. It's also constipating. We started with easy-to-digest veggies like zucchini and carrots. Don't use baby jars but make your own. We had to avoid exotic fruit, beans, peas (which are actually a type of bean, not a veg), chocolate and strawberries. There were also hard-to-digest foods to avoid like avocados, broccoli and cauliflower that wasn't recommended.

Be sure to do a FULL WEEK with each food before introducing a new one. Once I had a rash show up after 5 days!

Usually 6 months is the recommended age. They have to show ALL the signs of readiness. I found that the last one to show up was the ability to sit up *without* support. If she could do that at 4 months, she's really ahead of the game.

Brandy - posted on 10/17/2011

Hi Carla! So many people have so many different ways to do things. Don't worry you will not mess anything up! Even a first time mommy knows their baby best! You can and have gotten so many different answers and ways to do things. You are so lucky to have a good sleeper you must be doing something right!! If she is not having any issues with the cereal keep it going!! But the one thing I really do not agree with that iv been reading here is that foods before one is just for fun, that is really not true. Babies need the food to learn, they need to learn to chew and swallow, to tolerate different textures, if you wait to long to introduce foods they may be more picky on what they will eat. I have heard that now some dr's are saying the sooner you introduce foods the less likely they are to have allergies to them. I think your doing a great job! Cereal at 4 months is right on schedule I believe! I would suggest doing some with a spoon though it's good practice for her! I recommend starting veggies first, the greens then oranges. the reasoning is that if you start out with the sweeter foods they get used to only having them and like them better. So giving the not so sweet foods first helps them eat their veggies too! after doing veggies move on to fruits! And with having a kiddo with allergies I recommend and was always told to try one new food at a time. start with one food for a few days to make sure they have no reaction to it them move to another food for a few days just so you know what it is if you see some kind of reaction. But all babies are different so fallow her lead, if she seems to need more give her more if it's not setting well with her back off a little. Im sure you are doing a great job and have a beautiful daughter!!

Andi - posted on 10/17/2011

Yep have a little 5 month old girl too and started rice cereal about a month ago. I have never put cereal in a bottle cause my peds doc always said no food that way. Plus, we are a mostly boob kinda family. I mix cereal and fruit, veggies and sweet potatoes and yams. When i had number 1(daughter) my doc said one food for a week now they say introduce alot of variety. My little one is really great with most foods so far. Best of luck and feeding should be fun no keep it light! :)

Suzanne - posted on 10/17/2011

no stage one is puree for i thnk till about 9 months stage 2 is a little chunkier so if only 5 months definatly just puree things

Suzanne - posted on 10/17/2011

They say you shouldn't put cereal in there milk but do it as it says on the box, mix it in a bowl. give her as much as you think she needs, but remember to give her water to stop constipation. good luck

Suzanne - posted on 10/17/2011

they say these days you shouldn't mix cereal in there milk, but give it to them as per the box instructions. i would give her more cereal, rice cereal so it doesn't mess with her tummy, but make sure she's getting lots of water as well or she might get constipated.

Kim - posted on 10/17/2011

Carla, the baby food stages are the amount they are actually pureed. Stage 1 claims to be the most, however I have a hard time telling the difference between stage 1 & stage 2 consistency. Stage 3 has chunks in it and is to be used for the child that is experienced in eating solids. I own a daycare & I give my babies that are eating baby food cereal in the morning & fruits & veggies for lunch. Sometimes, some of the baby food is too thin to spoon feed them so you can add some cereal to it to thicken it up. Apricots are extremely runny & hard to keep on the spoon so this is a good trick to make it easier to feed them. Hope this helps & good luck!

Carla - posted on 10/17/2011

What does it mean on the baby food when it says stage 2? Does that mean like after cereal? Or after formula (being stage 1)? Just curious.

Archana - posted on 10/17/2011

Does you child have reflux? That's when docs will ask you to make this type of bottle feed. About 24 oz of liquid formula/breast milk and 6 oz of solid purees are average--but every kid is different and has different demands. My kid had severe reflux and all we could get in was 17 oz of fluids a 2 to 4 oz solids through out the day.

Carla - posted on 10/17/2011

Agreed. Melinda. Thank you

Melinda - posted on 10/17/2011

My last bit of advice is 1) ask your Ped. and 2) there is great information on The Academy of Pediatrics website. I'm tired of hearing cereal in a bottle is bad since all our Dr's recommend it for my one twin who has major reflux and weight issues even his specialist. And it's helped him so much. Also, the new Enfamil Acid refulx has rice already added. I highly doubt they would add it if it were dangerous. Again... Too many opinions on here.

Kare - posted on 10/17/2011

I stated giving my girls food at 6mo starting with the oatmeal (I did rice with my first but she had an allergy outgrew it at about 2yr so I waited with my second daughter) but the did veg greens, orange and then fruits no real method on them. I did not do any meat till they we over a year. i breast fed when ever they wanted

Marta - posted on 10/17/2011

I know that most people are shocked at the idea of solid foods at 4 or 5 months, but every baby is different-my cousin was put on cereal before she left the hospital because she was hungry all the time and as the doctor said she was running 3 nurses ragged to keep her happy & what would my aunt do by herself to keep her satisfied! Before you ask-the pacifier didn't do it either-she was just hungry all the time. As for my grand kids one of them was on solids at 5 months (cereal and fruit mostly), but her younger sister couldn't get the whole swallowing thing down until almost 12 mos & was perfectly content with breast milk and formula. Their younger brother was also ready for solids at about 6 months and was a much bigger eater than either of the girls. My boys all ate solids at different ages-the oldest was sick most of his first year and I only gave him soy formula and cereal, the other 3 had breast milk or formula and solids from about 5 mos on. All babies are different and you are not a bad mother if you don't follow the popular (this decade) game plan. Bottom line is you and your doctor will decide how well the baby is doing and as his mother you will know when he is ready for changes in his diet. Marta

Debra - posted on 10/17/2011

Talk to your Doctor!

Lynne - posted on 10/17/2011

Carla, it sounds like you're doing a great job, keep it up. Try putting the rice cereal in a small bowl with some formula to mix it up and give it to her with a spoon. Personally my kids hated rice cereal, so I used to mix it with pureed apples or pears.
Every child is different so don't let anyone tell you that 5 months is too young or that "before one solids are fun". Your child will tell you when they are hungry and if you find that a bottle is not enough to fill them up any more then add to that with some spoonfuls of the cereal or some pureed fresh fruit or veg. As she gets older you'll start swapping that round and giving the fruit and veg first, then the milk to wash it all down.
Good luck and don't be afraid to experiment with different veggies and fruits. She may like things that you don't. Giving her these things early in life (especially fresh stuff) will mean she will probably like them as she gets older which makes life so much easier when you're preparing dinner :)

Andrea - posted on 10/17/2011

If you worried talk to the doctor. Like people have said everyone has their options. If she is healthy and happy then don't worry about it. I don't start my kids on solids till they are 9ish months. but that just me. Sound like she is getting enough. (I to have a 5month old.. boy)

Kathleen - posted on 10/17/2011

I started feeding my son at 5 months and I too strted giving cereal in bottle. But it isn't a good idea. ONE reason is because at a yound age, the digestive trackisn't fully developed yet and feeding foods could result in allergies. Also my son had issues with constipation. He was soooo hungry, but you just have to give more formula. Sartwith some soft bland foods like mashed potatoes and simple baby foods.:)

Alexandra - posted on 10/17/2011

yes, putting rice or anything else in the bottle is not good. every pediatrician says it too, truth or not! I think it is too much rice cereal you are giving. The meals should be two or three if you want of some cereal, veggie, fruit (if she has tried 4 veggies and 3 cereal) and some bottle. The rest of the day it should be bottle only.

Janet - posted on 10/17/2011

For Donna - empty calories means calories without nutritional benefit. If you look on a box of baby cereal you will see very little in the way of nutrients. The only reason "adult" cereal looks like it has nutrition is because it is added after the fact. A whole food (aka something that has not been processed) is always going to have more nutritional value than something that has been processed. So many posters on here are referencing what our parents did, but you should go back even further in time to see how it was done correctly. Our parents (and theirs) started an unhealthy trend. I also second all of the posters who say to start with fruit rather than veggies. It makes the transition easier since they are used to eating sweet food. You can thin it with breast milk or formula if texture is a problem. Bananas are my favorite first food because you can just take it and mash it. No muss, no fuss. Both of my kids love their fruits and veggies both. Besides, as my pediatrician told me, fruits are just as good for you as veggies. They carry the same benefit. As adults we like to eat more veggies than fruit because veggies have fewer calories. So, it's good to get your kids to learn to like veggies eventually, but if it takes awhile, don't worry. They'll pick it up eventually as long as you continue to serve it. Good luck to the OP. It sounds like you are going to try the right things. Enjoy the journey!

Charlotte - posted on 10/17/2011

yes give her babyfood. i gave my daughter pablum in her bottle at a young age because she would still be hungry and bringing up formula, it helped in the long run. she is 2 now and just fine now, no obesity or health problems. **every child is different.!! but yes give her food. you have lots of options and soon enough she'll be eating finger foods. learn from each other. mama (almost) always knows best.

Minnie - posted on 10/17/2011

Iron fortified cereal increases the risk of constipation, iron-deficient anemia and bacterial infections. Infants don't have amylase in their saliva. Grains have a high-glycemic index (someone mentioned that cereals are linked to diabetes- and she is correct) and are basically nutritionally void.



What's the reasoning behind offering them to a child? Why would you not give something that actually packs a large nutritional punch and won't cause digestive problems?

Jessie - posted on 10/17/2011

Don't sweat cereal in the bottle. You know your baby and what keeps them satisfied. I do oatmeal in the bottle (bc I heard babies tolerate oatmeal easier) but there are several formulas out now that have rice in them already to thicken to help spit up babies. I started my first son on bananas and he transitioned to veggies just fine. Just get a variety and see what your baby likes and can tolerate in her tummy. You'll see when you try something weather it works or not.

Liz - posted on 10/17/2011

Breastmilk and formula are sweet. They are ALREADY used to sweet.



You do not have to start with veggies first for fear of them preferring sweet fruit over veggies and not liking veggies.



In fact, the opposite is true. Research shows mixing veggies with fruit actually helps them start to like the veggies.

Naomi - posted on 10/17/2011

I don't like the rice cereal in the bottle ,just give it to her with a spoon .Just feed her formula in the bottle ,you can start giving her veggies with a spoon and then start her on fruits,give veggies first so she get used to the taste.Fruits are sweeter and she will like them more.Please don't do the rice cereal in the bottle anymore...She will get enough if you feed her the solids three times a day and continue the bottle every three to four hours,hope this is helpful....

Brittan - posted on 10/17/2011

I agree, no cereal in the bottle.... Both of mine were on spoon fed cereal around 4-5 months and once they mastered eating from the spoon i started adding veggies, then fruits, with bottles throughout the day as well of course. My son is a pig so he has always had a little more cereal per day than my daughter ever did. I also felt like adding a veggie or fruit to the cereal was much more filling than just plain cereal.

Marylee - posted on 10/17/2011

try the veggies first bc they get a taste of the sweetness of the fruits and then it makes the veggies taste not so good..dont worry about the cereal in the bottle issue, you're not a horrible parent or anything..good luck

Rebekah - posted on 10/17/2011

Yes, I've heard it is not good to put cereal in a bottle... ever. If you stop doing the cereal and just do everything else, it sounds perfect. You may be able to go longer between feedings though. I'm nursing every 3- 3 1/2 hours... and bottle fed babies usually can go longer than breastfed babies.

Rebekah - posted on 10/17/2011

Yes, I've heard it is not good to put cereal in a bottle... ever. If you stop doing the cereal and just do everything else, it sounds perfect. You may be able to go longer between feedings though. I'm nursing every 3- 3 1/2 hours... and bottle fed babies usually can go longer than breastfed babies.

Donna - posted on 10/17/2011

Since when is rice cereal "empty calories"? Many adults and children eat cereal every morning of every kind - rice, wheat, corn... Both of my girls ate completely different but they both did start solids (yes, I consider rice cereal a solid) at about 4 months. This was to introduce them to a spoon so that I could move on to the stage 1 foods. The whole process takes only about a weeks time because they adapt so quickly. My daughter is now 7 months and has been on stage 2 for about 2 months now and my goal is to get as little formula as possible. Why? By the time she is a year old - like my first child - no more formula. At a year old, making the transition to milk. I really have never heard some of the things I have been reading and it amazes me... our parents and their parents before them have been going off of instinct, giving us eggs, peanut butter - anything they thought we would eat. I think that's one of the reasons we have so many allergies today, people are a little too afraid to let their babies or kids try new foods or do not want to introduce them too early. I do agree with starting with just one at a time so that you don't know how the baby may react but - yes, go with your gutt and always follow your doctor's advice. A Mom knows...