Really dumb Questions about solids...

Alright I have not been nervous about anything....but solids is freaking me out!!! I just do not know what to do. Today was the second day and it went really well. When the boys wake up from their naps, they are ready to eat....NOW!!! So, I feed them half the bottle and then feed rice cereal until they show me they are done.

David ate the whole bowl (1 tbsp plus formula to mix), but did not finish his bottle. He got 32oz today (usually get 36oz)...I feel good about that. Jonathan ate 2/3 of the bowl and finished his bottle. I think they are doing very well. They do not push their food forward and are truely getting some cereal!

So, back on topic, my concerns are:
Do I have to go through rice, oatmeal and barely cereals before going to pureed food?
They are getting the cereal during the mid-morning feed. Do I have to feed cereal three times a day before adding in pureed foods?
When do they just get three feedings a day?

Where can I find some info to these dumb questions? I have been looking on wholesomebabyfood.com and I have not found much!

Thanks,
Jenn

 

They aren't dumb questions. I tried rice, oatmeal, and barley cereals.. in that order -- with my twins and neither of them ate it. They both hated it. I tried mixing in juice, nope. Fruit? Nope. Nada. They just won't eat it. So we went to veggies and fruits. And they LOVE them. We never went through steps like that.

We are just now trying to incorporate a 2nd veggie/fruit feeding per day, because they're giving me cues that they're hungrier than I gave them credit for. I have no idea when they just get 3 feedings a day because were not to that point yet. We're going to be going down to 4 bottles a day (8/6/6/8) and 3 purees a day starting at 8 months old and see how they do.

 

We did not. We made sure to try all the different cereals and do the 4 day wait rule with them but also introducing purees as well. So for example, I would do rice cereal for 4 days, then I would do rice cereal with squash for 4 days, then I might do rice cereal with another veggie or fruit for a bit. Then I would introduce oatmeal with squash for 4 days, that way if there is some sort of reaction, you would know its the oatmeal since they have already done fine with the squash. KWIM?

No, see above.

If you are talking about 3 solids meals per day along with bottles, we were at 2 solids per day at 7 months and then I added in lunch at 9 months. They were still getting at least 4 bottles and 3 solids meals per day at 9 months. Remember, formula is the most important source of nutrition for the first year. Really not until towards the end of the year to solids play more of a nutritional role.

 

No, not necessarily although that is what is usually recommended. I did rice, oatmeal, barley, then started on carrots, sweet potatoes, etc.

No. You just need to give them each new food for a few days before going on to the next one to make sure they don't have any reactions to it.

Mine stayed on formula until they were 1. I started table foods between 10 & 11 months, but by 12 months they were on full table foods & milk in sippies with no formula.

 

I tried the rice cereal and after the second day the babies hated it still. I skipped the other cereals and went straight to the puree's. I started solids at 4 months, so at nearly 7 months we're already doing 2 full feedings of stage 2 solids a day (2 4oz containers for each feeding/they share them), and 4 8oz bottles a day. I don't think they are ready to get a third solid yet because it will take away too much of their bottles then. Probably 9-10 months we'll try adding a third solid in and see how they do.

I didn't wait the 4 days only because we have no family history of food allergies and neither of my older kids had problems with any foods. I did do one puree per day, say 2 feedings of squash or 2 feedings of beans...etc for the first month or so. Once we went to stage 2 foods there are a lot of combo meals so we started mixing and matching then.

There's no real "guide" only recommendations. You just have to follow the babies cues to see how they are doing and whether they need to increase the solids or not!

 

There are no stupid questions - solids freaked me out as well! I went from rice cereal (two days only, they hated it!) to oatmeal. After 3 days of oatmeal mixed with BM or formula, I started on single ingreadient purees. I started with veggies, and the orange ones first. I went carrots (3 days), then sweet potato, then peas, then apples. After that I introduced a new food every 3 days. So far, the only food my kids really dislike is green beans. Once I had introduced a few veggies, I would do combo's e.g. when I started broccoli, I gave then plain broccoli on the first day the mixed it with carrot and sweet potato in later days. I added avocado and bananas fairly early on, too.

I started solid foods at 6 months, just one mael a day. For me, it worked out to be best around 4pm after their afternoon feed. My girls are now 10 months old and still take 4 BF's/bottles a day, usually about 6 oz but not always this much. It is hard to tell when you are nursing! I moved up to 2 meals a day (breakfast and 4pm/4:30pm) at 7 months, & then, because they loved their solids, started 3 meals a day at 8 months. At 7 months I introduced yoghurt (plain, mixed with my own fruit purees). At 7 and a half months I started to introduce proteins, including fish.

I found a baby cook book to be really useful (I am the sort of person who needs a lot of direction!) I used Annabel Karmel's "First Meals". I still cook from it a lot, & my girls love it. I've never fed them jarred food, but mainly because I love to cook, not from any philosophical aversion to jarred food!

I started wheat products at 8 months, but we have no history of allergies. I started finger foods at 9 months, but my girls are still kinda funny about what they will eat as a finger food. I try to keep mealtimes pretty low stress - goodness knows, there will be plenty of time for stress later when they are toddlers!!


Hope this helps! Enjoy!

 

I hear ya! We have been doing solids for probably 5 weeks now...eek...it is a whole new world. We did rice cereal for 1 week, then did oatmeal for 1 week because they seemed a little constipated. I have done some research and talked to pedi. I am not convinced that all three grains need to ever be introduced. Anyway, since then we have introduced (4-6 days apart) avocado, banana, and this week pear (although we are laying off of banana due to constipation.) Avocado and pears are very easily digested. We did those fruits individually first, then mixed with cereal or oatmeal for the iron. Next week I am going to start introducing a veggie - I think sweet potato or green beans, but I am still deciding. We feed twice a day (and expect to go months before introducing a 3rd meal) between 15-30 mins after a breastfeed. I guess my main objective is to keep introducing veggies/fruits until we have a great variety. Right now we do oatmeal/pear for the morning meal and avocado/rice for the evening meal.

I think the reason to use the grains is because of iron but I definitely don't think you need to introduce these before fruits/veggie purees. I think you should go for it. I do really like wholesomebabyfood.com but I admit it seems that you can't find set schedules anywhere - on any site. There are example schedules but I guess you really have to feel your own way. Makes it kinda fun but a little scary. Good luck!

 

My public health nurse said that they are recommending now that you can skip the cereal and go straight to meat and veggies. I still started with rice cereal and then went to a multi grain then to puree. my boys are nine months old and they still only eat two meals a day. I give them their food first then offer them formula but they usually don't take it right after. I don't think there is a magic answer to this question. Try different things and go with what works for you. My only suggestion would be to give them any new foods in the morning so that if they are going to get gasy or cranky from them that they do so during the day and not at night. Best of luck

 

First off there is no "right" way to do solids. I talked to the boys ped about what she recommended and followed that. My boys were preemies and we did things REALLY slowly. Only one new food every week. They had rice in bottles so we did rice on a spoon for a few days then they were on oatmeal for two weeks then tried the others and they didn't like them. They started with veggies then meats then fruits.

Do I have to go through rice, oatmeal and barely cereals before going to pureed food?
No, but I did.

They are getting the cereal during the mid-morning feed. Do I have to feed cereal three times a day before adding in pureed foods?
No. We did cereal at breakfast for a week then the next week did cereal at breakfast and lunch. The Pedi said that introducing a new food at dinner can lead to sleep trouble if the food doesn't adjust well to them so we didn't introduce dinner until about 8 months.

When do they just get three feedings a day?
For us, 8 months. Cereal and fruit at breakfast, veggie and fruit at lunch, meat and veggie at dinner (maybe a fruit too if they would eat it). We ALWAYS did bottle first then let them eat as much solid as they wanted. Formula is still most important.

 

I have a couple of questions myself about solids, hope I don't bother by posting it here.
1.Are you cooking the fruits or giving them raw? I gave them only raw apple, but I cook the pear and I only gave them jarred peaches, but I would like to give them fresh ones, just don't know if I can give it raw. Also I have the same question for other fruits, like pears.
2.Also, when do you feed your babies? Between bottles or before a bottle. Like I would like to feed them breakfast between the morning bottle and the 11am one, but they are awake about two hours and I don't know if they are already hungry an hour later. Otherwise I have to feed them before the next bottle, and they won't drink it all this way. How do you do it?
This solids thing it's getting me confused and I feel that all I do is feeding babies. And it's only the beginning.

Thanks

 

I am making my own BB food. I do not cook any of the fruits and I do not peel it either. I do not plan on giving them to them until 6 months old. I know that most of the vitamins are in the peel. I wash them really good and put them in the food processor, add a little water and then everything goes into ice cube trays to be frozen. Then into gallon freezer bags all labeled and ready to go!

Right now, I am feeding my boys their cereal at their second bottle of the day. They eat half their bottle, have cereal and then finish their bottle if they want it. I do this because we do the eat, play, sleep routine and they want their food NOW when they wake up. It just calms them down and are more receptive to the change.

Granted this was day 3 and it is going pretty well so far!

Jenn

 

Not dumb questions!

You can give what you want in any order, just make sure they get something 3-4 days before switching to something else. I would wait to give three feedings though! If you see that they start drinking less formula, cut back on solids. Mine didn't have three meals until 9 months, and we spaced bottle and solid by one hour or more. Until 12 months they need the nutrients from formula more than anything else.

 

1.Except for avocado and banana, I steam the fruits (apple too) and then puree - I have this tiny food processor that is easy and a breeze to clean. I do peel the skins off also. I have read several places to cook these items which is why I do it, well, besides it is easier to puree. But I am not an expert - just finding my way like everyone else. I have this microwave steamer dish that steams in 3-5 mins. Doesn't work well with veggies.

2. I feed them and then offer solids after. I used to space it an hour but they were disinterested then. So basically, here is the schedule below around the two solid meals a day. It does feel like feeding all the time but it is nice to see all the eating going on!

7:00 am wake - play for 1 hour
8-8:30 am breastfeed and down for nap
10:00 am wake and play
10:30 am breastfeed
11:00 am first solid meal (cereal and fruit)
12:30 pm breastfeed
1:00 pm down for nap
skip ahead to end of day

4:30 pm breastfeed
5:00 pm second solid meal (oatmeal and fruit/now a veggie instead sometimes)
5:45 pm bath
6:15 pm bottle before bed, asleep between 6:30 - 7 pm

You might try feeding them directly after the bottle because usually they are in great moods and this is something new and interesting - works for us. Then by the time the next bottle comes they are really interested in eating it! Anyway, good luck whatever you do. Many forum members suggested www.wholesomebabyfood.com and I have to say I love that site. There is a lot of information - although sometimes you have to search for it. It addresses some of your questions. Good luck.