Pedi says we can start solids

Yesterday we took our boys for their four month check up. Both are doing very well. Samuel weighs 17 pounds and Nicholas is 15 pounds. The pedi talked with us about starting rice cereal and then slowly introducing vegetables and then fruits. Very exciting! She talked with us about how to start these new foods but it seemed like so much information and now I can't quite remember what all she said! I know she said to start with 1-2 tablespoons of rice cereal a day for about two weeks. Then we could start with going through each Stage 1 vegetable (a new one every four days) and then go through the fruits.
Now that I am home I have so many other questions and I thought who better to ask than the experts here! So, here are my questions:

1) What time of day did you give your first cereal? Any tips for the first time?

2) When I do start introducing the vegetables and fruits am I also giving the rice cereal?

3) When do they start feeding them twice a day? Three times a day?

4) How do you fit in their bottle? Do they start drinking less once they start solids?

5) Did you buy Organic? Is there much benefit?

6) Any other tips - specifically for a feeding schedule? I am a working Mom so I also have to coordinate their feedings with their childcare on the three days that I work outside the home?

Thanks so much for your help!
Carrie

 

I'll try to answer your questions... below in bold.

QUOTE(happyfor2 @ Dec 27 2007, 11:27 AM) [snapback]547507[/snapback]
Now that I am home I have so many other questions and I thought who better to ask than the experts here! So, here are my questions:

1) What time of day did you give your first cereal? Any tips for the first time? We started out with an evening meal in between their 4pm and 8 pm bottles... around 5:30 so they weren't too hungry, but not so close to 8 that it would compromise that bottle. Tips? Maybe it pretty thin by mixing a lot of bm/formula into it... I made it just slightly thicker than their bottles the first couple of times. Also, expect that they will spit it out so just be relaxed, have fun and have the camera ready!!!

2) When I do start introducing the vegetables and fruits am I also giving the rice cereal? At first I just gave them the veggies alone and then I started mixing it with rice or oatmeal to increase the texture of it.

3) When do they start feeding them twice a day? Three times a day? We went to two meals at 7 months and are just about to add the third meal at over 9 months, but I'm taking it so slow.

4) How do you fit in their bottle? Do they start drinking less once they start solids? In the beginning they probably won't drink much less because they aren't getting much nutrition from the food- its more just to practice using a spoons. But eventually my girls went from 5 bottles to 4... around 7 1/2 or 8 months. I can't remember, but in the first year sticky they have recommended daily formula/bm amounts by age.

5) Did you buy Organic? Is there much benefit? I sometimes buy organic, other times not. I mostly buy Gerber and its what is on sale...

6) Any other tips - specifically for a feeding schedule? I am a working Mom so I also have to coordinate their feedings with their childcare on the three days that I work outside the home? I started with the evening meal so that way I could be the one to do it and not our childcare providers.

Thanks so much for your help!
Carrie

 

1) What time of day did you give your first cereal? I started with dinner, which was in between those last 2 bottles. Any tips for the first time? Be prepared to wear the cereal yourself, and don't forget your camera!

2) When I do start introducing the vegetables and fruits am I also giving the rice cereal? I moved fairly quickly to veggies and fruits because they didn't care for plain cereal. I mixed it together.

3) When do they start feeding them twice a day? Three times a day? We started solids at 4 months, and by 6-7 months were on 3 meals. Follow their lead, and if you feel like one meal isn't enough, I would add another in, and see how they do. You don't want their formula/bm intake to drop though, as it is still the most important part of their diet.

4) How do you fit in their bottle? Do they start drinking less once they start solids? I did meals in between bottle feedings. They should not decrease their bottle intake, but you might be able to stretch them a bit longer in between bottles. Going from 3-4 hours if you haven't already.

5) Did you buy Organic? Is there much benefit? I did not. I did make my own food though. It was actually fun! wholesomebabyfood.com is a good site for getting started if you are interested.

6) Any other tips - specifically for a feeding schedule? I am a working Mom so I also have to coordinate their feedings with their childcare on the three days that I work outside the home?
This Wiki entry might help you with a schedule....
[Wiki]Sleep_Schedules[/Wiki]

 

First of all, since you are a working mom and have to coordinate with daycare, you may want to ask them what their schedule is because theirs is probably pretty inflexible but yours isn't. That will give you a better idea of what to expect when the daycare starts feeding them.

Second, if the boys don't take to the food, don't worry about it. They don't need it and you can introduce it on your own schedule. If you just want to do one feeding every few days for a couple of months, no problem. With the girls, I was under the impression that I HAD to start solids at 6 months old and get them up to three meals a day when, in reality, it didn't really matter what I fed them as long as they were getting their breastmilk/formula. With Dax, we started rice cereal at 3 months but our schedule was very loose and it's actually just been in the last month that I have begun feeding him with any regularity. He's 21.5 lbs so he's not exactly lacking in the nutrition department.

1) What time of day did you give your first cereal? Any tips for the first time?

I fed them at the best time for me. In our case, that was morning for the girls and afternoon for Dax. The first few times they may spit it out and eat very little as they get used to the feeling of it in their mouths. It should be quite watery at first and you can use either water, formula, or breastmilk to make it.

2) When I do start introducing the vegetables and fruits am I also giving the rice cereal?

Your choice. I always mixed some cereal into the fruits because I liked having the extra nutrition. If you are making your own baby food, cereal is also good for thickening things up. Personally, I found it easier to just feed one thing at a time.

3) When do they start feeding them twice a day? Three times a day?

When you want to and you think they are ready. With the girls, I put two meals into the schedule at about 7.5 months and three meals at about 9 months. Dax went straight from one meal to three about 2 weeks ago.

4) How do you fit in their bottle? Do they start drinking less once they start solids?

They may start drinking less but the bottle is more important than the solids so try to make sure they get their bottles before their feedings.

5) Did you buy Organic? Is there much benefit?

I made organic for the girls and Dax. The only time I use jarred food is when we are eating at a restaurant and I usually don't buy organic for that because they are so few and far between. There is ample argument that there is no difference between organic and non-organic for the baby but for me it is an issue of the environment, social responsibility, and piece of mind.

 

QUOTE(happyfor2 @ Dec 27 2007, 11:27 AM) [snapback]547507[/snapback]
Yesterday we took our boys for their four month check up. Both are doing very well. Samuel weighs 17 pounds and Nicholas is 15 pounds. The pedi talked with us about starting rice cereal and then slowly introducing vegetables and then fruits. Very exciting! She talked with us about how to start these new foods but it seemed like so much information and now I can't quite remember what all she said! I know she said to start with 1-2 tablespoons of rice cereal a day for about two weeks. Then we could start with going through each Stage 1 vegetable (a new one every four days) and then go through the fruits.
Now that I am home I have so many other questions and I thought who better to ask than the experts here! So, here are my questions:

1) What time of day did you give your first cereal? Any tips for the first time? we actually started later in the evening and then topped them off with a few ounces of formula (after their dinner bottle but before the bedtime one - it seemed to help with sleep but not all babies are that way

2) When I do start introducing the vegetables and fruits am I also giving the rice cereal? once I started veggies, I would give them that around lunchtime or for an afternoon snack - also the only veggies I mixed with the cereal was sweet potatoes - carrots and green beans with veggies was kind of gross

3) When do they start feeding them twice a day? Three times a day? twice a day arond 6 mos, 3 meals (including meat with meals) around 10 mos

4) How do you fit in their bottle? Do they start drinking less once they start solids? bottles didn't start really dropping off till about 9-10 mos

5) Did you buy Organic? Is there much benefit? never bought organic - too expensive...I used beech nut over gerber most of the time though because the jars are slightly bigger and they are cheaper

6) Any other tips - specifically for a feeding schedule? I am a working Mom so I also have to coordinate their feedings with their childcare on the three days that I work outside the home? I was lucky - my mom is my childcare and she kind of helped guide me as to when they were ready for another meal or snack

Thanks so much for your help!
Carrie

 

1) What time of day did you give your first cereal? Any tips for the first time?

The only tip I'd say is to not expect the babies to understand what they are supposed to do with it for awhile. When I started, I gave them cereal 1x/day around lunchtime.

2) When I do start introducing the vegetables and fruits am I also giving the rice cereal?

I started fruits and veggies at 6 months - 3x/day from the very start. I add rice cereal to one of the feedings (usually lunch) and they get rice in their last bottle of the day too, but that's a separate reflux issue.

3) When do they start feeding them twice a day? Three times a day?

We did 2x/day with rice only at 5 months, 3x/day at 6 months.

4) How do you fit in their bottle? Do they start drinking less once they start solids?

Not at first - but as we've increased the amount per feeding, we have noticed a drop-off in how much they drink. We JUST went to 4 (vs. 5) bottles a day.

5) Did you buy Organic? Is there much benefit?

There are certain "fragile" fruits and veggies that absorb pesticides more than do the hardier fruits and veggies. You avoid those issues by buying organic. I buy organic exclusively, but, at a minimum, would recommend organic for the "dirty dozen" - list available at foodnews.org.

6) Any other tips - specifically for a feeding schedule? I am a working Mom so I also have to coordinate their feedings with their childcare on the three days that I work outside the home?

We have been at this for 3 months and are just starting to get to some sort of a schedule - go with the flow, do the best you can, and if you miss a feeding in those early weeks, don't beat yourself up about it.

 

Just answering a few -

They shouldn't drink any less from their bottles, especially that young. Formula/breastmilk is by far the most important thing - any solids now are just for practice. (In fact, the AAP & WHO recommend waiting until 6 months, though many pedis still tell you 4 mo.) If solids start cutting into their bottles, decrease the solids.

As to when to add meals - just watch the babies and follow their lead. Mine have been pretty slow starters with solids - at 6 mo, I offered on some days, and they really weren't into it; by 7 mo or so, they were sort of picking at 1 "meal" per day, and gradually got more and more interested; in the last few weeks, I added a 2nd meal; and it's just in the last couple days that I've added a 3rd. But you can't go wrong following the babies' cues.

What time of day - totally up to you! Some like to do it early in the day, so that if there's a reaction to a new food, it won't happen overnight. I did the first meal in the late afternoon, since that's when my babies are hungriest and most in need of a diversion. Next we added "lunch," and then "brunch" (after 1st nap).

Any other stuff - you should wait about 4 days after offering a food to see if there's a reaction. If you give two new foods on the same day and they have a reaction, you won't know which food was the troublemaker.

Oh, and ditto the pp who said that they won't know what to do with it at first! It may take them quite a while to catch on. But that's ok, because they should be getting all their nutrition from formula/breastmilk.

Make sure those camera batteries are charged!

 

Beleive it or not, at our 2-month checkup last week my ped. said to start them on rice cereal! He said 2 tsp. at bedtime for a week, then a different cereal the following week, then yellow vegetables another week, then green the week after that. Warning: rice is really constipating! So the second day I mixed a little prune juice in it. Also, I've heard to not put in in the bottle as it can cause gagging. To ensure the babies get all the formula, I mix the rice cereal with some of the formula, because it's kind of hard to tell how much food they actually eat (as opposed to winding up in their hair, nose, etc.)