Baby Cereal question

2 questions...

For those who are giving baby cereal, how are you giving it? Alone, mixed with formula then give baby food? Mixed with fruit/veg babyfood? If so, what do you do to thin it out? I've been trying to give it mixed with fruit baby food, but the oatmeal and rice aborbe so much of it, it's like paste....so I add some water or apple juice with it, but it really doesn't thin out alot. I don't like the idea of mixing formula with the cereal and then mixing in fruit...seems like a combination that isn't appealing...like curdled milk or something.

How much cereal are you giving at each feeding? How much baby food are your babies eating.

I just don't feel comfortable with my amounts and can't seem to make them happy either way...if I increase the baby food, they are whining like they don't want anymore but still open mouths....if I cut back and give more formula, they don't seem satisifed, but don't want to eat more. When I make it thicker, they gag, when I increase the liquid (either with formula or juice), they don't like it either.

Sometimes I feel like I'm a chemist trying to find the right mixure.

Right now, I'm giving for breakfast, lunch and dinner:
5 oz bottle with an extra 2 oz of formula mixed with the cereal. I feed the bottle, then 2 to 3 tablespoons of either oatmeal or rice. Then when they are half way through with that, I start mixing the cereal with either fruit or veg on spoon. They are eating about 2 oz of fruit or veg.

 

This is our feeding schedule:

6.30am 7 oz bottle each

8.50am 1 container gerber/earth's best (3.5oz or 4 oz)
fruit with either oat or mixed grains, each

nap time

10.30am 6oz bottle each

11.50am 2oz turkey/chicken each
2oz veggie each
2oz fruit or gerber yoghurt each
juice

long nap

2.30pm 6oz bottle each

4.50pm cereal (I warm up 3.5oz water and mix in the rice/oatmeal cereal.
I usually make it thinner, like the consistency of baby food)
1 jar of veggie or fruit (4oz) - they share this
juice, some gerber puffs or teething cookie

6.30pm 6-7oz bottle

I try to give them different things throughout the day, as I would like to have different things to eat at each meal.

I buy a bunch of different baby food (and I also cook some things) so I can come up with a menu for them.

I hope this is helpful.

 

We mix the rice or oats with the fruit or veggie. I add a little formula to thin it, then feed as a mixture. Bottle after they finish their stuff. I dont give rice or oats on their own, they get fussy and not happy w/ it.

We are only on 2 solid meals a day, 7 months old tomorrow.

 

I make 2 bowls of this every morning for the boys: I mix 2 tablespoons of dry cereal with some formula , enough to where its not too pasty and thick, but not too runny either. Then I mix 2 oz of Yo Baby yogurt into that (I split a 4 oz container between the two bowls), and then I add a few teaspoons of some jarred baby fruit to each bowl. That makes a good half cup (4 oz) or a little more. And the boys LOVE it.

 

I ditched cereal pretty early on with my first two - pretty much as soon as they moved onto fruits, veggies and yogurt, so within the first month of solids. I'm still giving the twins some cereal - I mix it in with the runnier level 2 fruits (peaches, apples, pears) so it doesn't slide off the spoon. I don't add a specific amount - just kind of shake it in and stir until it isn't sliding off the spoon.

 

That a good point/question...when are you suppose to stop giving baby cereal?

 

The reason to give cereal is that it's iron fortified--so if they're getting other sources of iron (i.e. pureed meats, formula, or bread fortified with iron), you can cut back on the cereal.