1st day on cereal

At our 6 month checkup today, the doc allowed us to start rice cereal. We're doing lunch and dinner. I know its going to take a few tries to get them adjusted to the texture, but I'm confused about when to feed them. When they're hungry, do you do cereal followed immediately by bottle? Or wait to give bottle (even if they didn't eat any cereal)? I don't want to overfeed them, but I'm not sure if this is even that important. Is this making any sense? It's been a long day!

TIA!

 

I would start with one meal a day. Only expect them to eat a teaspoon or so at first. At this point you don't want to cut out a milk feeding. What I did was nurse then and then an hour later give as much cereal as they would take. Also a not about feeding. Make it pretty runny and then put the tip in their mouth and let them suck it off. Hold the spoon in their mouth until they do, like 5-10 sec. They will catch on, give it a few days. Also cereal is pretty blah, so I only gave cereal for a week or so and then went to veggies and oatmeal which they liked better so ate better. Good luck

 

hey Meg - the babies are looking super cute!!!

We started doing cereal once a day, in mid-afternoon, between 2 bottles. There was no rhyme of reason to that decision - it just worked for us. it took SO LONG for them to get used to eating it that, for weeks, not enough made it into their bellies to worry about it interfering with nutrition. But there is no right way or wrong way to do it. You can do it in conjunction with bottles, just a few spoons won't make a difference. Or you can try feeding in between bottles -- maybe do a small early lunch an hour or so before a bottle, and then an early dinner an hour before their last bottle? You won't overfeed them b/c you'll eventually get a feel for what they can handle. One day it's a teaspoon of rice cereal, then next it's a few teaspoons - before you know it they're downing 2 big jars of babyfood like it's nothing. You'll be able to sense the gradual increase in what they want to eat.

I will say that when we switched to "real" baby food, we went all out from the beginning (3 meals a day) at the advice of our pedi. They have never been allowed to eat enough to mess too much with their bottles but it has instilled in them the habit of eating regular meals. As we are starting to transition to table foods, it is WONDERFUL that they are already on that schedule. But honestly, you're going to hear all kinds of different advice on this one. You've got to do what YOU feel comfortable with and what you think is best for your babies - and do so with the understanding that, if you ever feel like, hey this isn't working as well as I'd like, you can change it and try something new!

good luck!

- Mory.

 

We started with one meal a day between their 4 pm and 8 pm bottles so they weren't super hungry. Its only for practice and to get them used to the spoon so don't expect them to actually eat much. GL and have fun with it!

 

QUOTE(LV twinmama @ Mar 17 2008, 05:32 PM) [snapback]673502[/snapback]
I would start with one meal a day. Only expect them to eat a teaspoon or so at first. At this point you don't want to cut out a milk feeding. What I did was nurse then and then an hour later give as much cereal as they would take. Also a not about feeding. Make it pretty runny and then put the tip in their mouth and let them suck it off. Hold the spoon in their mouth until they do, like 5-10 sec. They will catch on, give it a few days. Also cereal is pretty blah, so I only gave cereal for a week or so and then went to veggies and oatmeal which they liked better so ate better. Good luck


So happy I saw this before starting Jakes 2nd feeding! He did great when I made it runny!


Mory-We're going to do 3 meals a day after the make the move to veggies. I'm glad to hear there is a positive effect as they get older. I can't believe your boys are almost 1!

Keep the advice coming!

 

QUOTE
I'm confused about when to feed them. When they're hungry, do you do cereal followed immediately by bottle? Or wait to give bottle (even if they didn't eat any cereal)? I don't want to overfeed them, but I'm not sure if this is even that important.


I'd do the cereal no more than 1 hr after a bottle. As pps said, it's just for practice now - their nutrition is still coming from the bottles, so you don't want the cereal to cut into their next bottle. They'll probably also be more willing to experiment if they're not super-hungry. If they're too hungry, they'll probably just be frustrated that they can't fill up fast enough.

At this point, I'd only worry if they're not taking bottles, or taking substantially less. It doesn't matter at all whether they eat any of their cereal. It's just for fun!

Enjoy, and make sure you get pictures!

 

We did one meal a day of solids (evening) and maybe by about 7 months we started two. When they were first starting out I fed them each individually and then when they got more proficient I started doing them both at the same time alternating spoonfuls. Start slow and make it nice and runny and then gradually make it more consistent. Have fun!!

 

Our Pedi gave great advice ... she said to do the solids whenever they were happiest. When they first get up I nurse them ... then 30-45 minutes later we do breakfast. They are happiest in the morning ... if I had tried in the evenings, it may not have been as successful ... and mine did BETTER when I made it a little thicker. When I first started and it was so runny ... it would just run right out of their mouths ... but as early as the next day, I tried it thicker and they did better?! Go figure?! Good luck and have fun with it!

 

Megan you know I am still learning this too but I have to say that for us, I do it inbetween bottles because they seem less frustrated because they aren't hungry and they aren't getting it fast enough type of thing...KWIM? Like Mory said, try it and then change if you have to.

 

Here are some pics of our experience!

Ryan
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh175/m...an/IMG_3650.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh175/m...an/IMG_3657.jpg

Jake
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh175/m...an/IMG_3655.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh175/m...an/IMG_3656.jpg

 

QUOTE(mommymeg @ Mar 18 2008, 08:48 AM) [snapback]674295[/snapback]
Here are some pics of our experience!

Ryan
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh175/m...an/IMG_3650.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh175/m...an/IMG_3657.jpg

Jake
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh175/m...an/IMG_3655.jpg
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh175/m...an/IMG_3656.jpg


So cute!!!! Looks like they get the whole spoon concept

 

Oh, how adorable!

 

Love the pics! How fun!

 

Megan, those pictures are SO cute!! Your boys are adorable and I loved their bibs too. We're starting cereal this week as well so your post and everyone's responses were so helpful to me.

 

I gave mine rice cereal then the bottle since she has been having reflux -- instead of reflux formula. The next day I added Pears ( there is no allergies in my family) The pears work like prunes only better to prevent constipation. There is actually a cereal here with Pears & banana. It worked like a charm !!