What Time of Day Do You Feed The First Solids Meal?

We are getting ready to start solids, and to me it makes logical sense to give it to them in the morning (don't ask me why... I think maybe it's because they are prone to gas and it gets worse in the evenings/night). They also go to bed at 6pm and our evenings are really busy. I think I hear a lot of people saying they feed an evening meal only... is that what I am supposed to do? Or is a morning meal okay to start out? Any resources would be great... I have found a lot of great ones (wholesomebabyfood.com, for instance) but nothing that says what time to give it.

I'm probably overthinking this.

Thanks

 

There is no right or wrong on this. We do one meal per day in the late afternoon, because that's when my babies are hungriest & most in need of diversion. I think breakfast will probably be our last meal to add in, because they're least hungry in the morning, and I have the most milk then.

But that's totally personal! If you want to do breakfast, by all means go for it! You're the mom, you make the rules.

 

Hi Erin!

I always started with dinner, which was about 1/2 way in between those last 2 bottles of the day. There is no right or wrong though! Do what works for you and your babies! Good luck!

 

Like pps said...whatever works for you.

I did the evening meal first just because that was when I was home. Breakfast would have been crazy (trying to learn to eat off the spoon, messy, trying to get ready for work and daycare, etc). Lunch didn't work because they were in daycare and I wanted them to start solids with me. So we did evening meal first, then added breakfast when they had the hang of things, and then added in lunch. But there is no particular way to do it...what you are the most comfortable with is what works.

 

The book Super Baby Food mentions doing it early in the day, because if they're going to have an allergic reaction, you don't want it to happen overnight. This made some sense to me....

We are getting ready to start, too, and plan to do the meal after their noon feeding, for lunch. I am home with them, so this isn't a problem. The evenings are crazy for us, with getting dinner ready for everyone else, stories and bath for my older one, etc. -- so it's too much to try to squeeze in a meal for the babies then. We probably won't add that one until they're eating mostly what everyone else in the family is eating, actually.

But, there is no right or wrong -- do whatever is easiest!

 

I don't think there's a wrong way to do this! at 4 months, we started w/rice cereal 1x/day in the middle of the day. At 5 months, we added a 2nd rice cereal feeding at night, only 1/2 hr before their last bottle but it TOTALLY did NOT interfere w/that bottle. At 6 months, we added real baby food. We do a whole jar (shared by the two boys) about 1/2 hr before their last bottle. In the morning, around 9, they share 1/2 jar of food mixed w/rice. They do the same for lunch - anytime between 12:30-2, depending on how naps are going. The schedule works for us and is working for them too - in just a week they went from screaming when we put them in their chairs to sitting there, happy, mouths open and waiting.

We're not giving them enough right now to mess with bottles. We're just getting them used to eating 3x/day. We'll probably start increasing amounts right around 7 months.

 

We do 5:30pm solid with oatmeal cereal & baby food. I would say it is whenever you feel comfortable. I do it at this time because this is when I am home, and right now I am not comfortable with anyone else feeding them. We probably won't add a second meal in till about 7 or 8 months. Good luck and hope you have some happy eaters.

Missy

 

I always did it after their first nap. This was their most cheerful time of day, they weren't starving (since they'd had a morning bottle already), and if something happened to upset their tummies it was a long time until bedtime (anything to protect sleep!).

 

we started with dinner, added breakfast and then lunch.

We have our breakfast at 9:00.

There is no "right" way to do this. Whatever works best for you!

 

You really have to do what works for you. I started with an 11am feeding because it seemed like everything made them gassy at first. This way it never really disrupted naps or bedtime. After a couple weeks I added another feeding of cereal at around 5:30 in the evening about an hour and a half before their last feeding.

 

We just started rice cereal a week ago. Our doctor suggested evening because it may help them sleep longer, but my boys are crabby in the evening and after 2 tries, we gave that up. I do mid afternoon or so and it is working well. In fact, they have slept the last 3 nights from about 10 to 5 or 6! I'd do it when your babies are happy enough to enjoy it and be cooperative. Our doctor also said that with cereal and "first foods" baby food you shouldn't have to worry with alergic reactions. Just don't give anything with added proteins like cow's milk, broth, butter, cheese, meat, etc.

 

We did evening first, then to breakfast, and then to lunch.