When do I start stage 2 foods?

I started feeding them cereal at 5 1/2 months. They are almost 7 months and we have tried all of the 1st stage fruits and veggies and all of the cereals. For breakfast we have some cereal with a little fruit mixed in. For dinner we have 1 container of veggie and 1 container of fruit shared between the 2 of them. How do I know when they are ready for the next stage of foods? Also, when should I start feeding them lunch and snacks? They have 5 - 6 bottles of breast milk a day (6 oz).
I'm also wondering how you train your babies on sippy cups. Do you take the spill proof valve out in the begining? My babies just chew on the spout.
It has been a long time since I have done this! I feel like a first time mom again!! Please help!! Lisa

 

If I'm not mistaken (someone correct me if I am), the only difference between stage 1 and stage 2 are the size of the containers. Once the girls started eating more at a sitting we went to stage 2. We didn't start doing 3 meals a day until they were about 7 1/2 months. As far as sippy cups go ours still use them as chew toys.

 

I agree - the only difference between stage 1 and 2 are the size of the containers - and more of a variety. now that they are a little older they can handle more "mixes" ie. carrots / peas combined. Or the cereal w/ apple etc. I've just started snacks and it's mainly some cheerios or puffs - which i JUST started this weekend (I was chicken of choking) At 7.5 mos my girls were splitting tubs of stage 2 stuff. Usually oatmeal and 1 tub of fruit - breakfast
1 tub veggie 1 tub fruit for lunch
barley cereal - 1 tub veggie 1 tub fruit for dinner
6oz bottle after every meal and one 6 oz at 3:30 pm.
You could probably start with lunch now. try it - see how receptive they are.
At 8 mos they were EACH eating 1 tub veggie and then splitting a fruit for lunch.
As far as sippy cups - mine treat them as chew toys too. I still leave valve in as they still haven't gotten the total hang of it and they end up on the floor etc. everywhere! the valve helps with stickys - especially if I mix water with juice

 

Stage 2 foods are almost identical as far as consistency, to the Stage 1's. The only thing you have to look out for is making sure that you are still only giving 1 new food at a time, as more of the 2's are combo foods.

We were on 3 meals by about 7 months.

I started giving sippies at 6 months, and they chewed on them until about 9 months!

 

QUOTE(lisa4 @ Oct 29 2007, 08:18 PM) [snapback]472348[/snapback]
I started feeding them cereal at 5 1/2 months. They are almost 7 months and we have tried all of the 1st stage fruits and veggies and all of the cereals. For breakfast we have some cereal with a little fruit mixed in. For dinner we have 1 container of veggie and 1 container of fruit shared between the 2 of them. How do I know when they are ready for the next stage of foods? Also, when should I start feeding them lunch and snacks? They have 5 - 6 bottles of breast milk a day (6 oz).
I'm also wondering how you train your babies on sippy cups. Do you take the spill proof valve out in the begining? My babies just chew on the spout.


At 7 months they are probably ready to move up to a bigger size I would imagine. Just like all the pp's the size is different from stage 1 to 2 and they start combining foods too. I did not start lunch until my boys were about 8.5 months old just out of sanity and snacks of puffs right around there too. They were gaggers on puffs and cheerios for awhile. I have taken out the spout before of the Avent because I think they are really hard to suck on when they are first learning but it does make a mess when they shake it. I do like the 6 oz. Take and Toss training cups personally all mine have done well with them.

 

The stage 2's have meat in some of them two, which is another difference. Mine never did like anything when it had meat in it.

We also had great success with the take and toss cups, too.

 

QUOTE(EmilyM @ Oct 29 2007, 07:47 PM) [snapback]472602[/snapback]
We also had great success with the take and toss cups, too.


These were the ones we had the most success with and are still using to this day. They don't have a valve in them and are light.

As for the stage 2's, the pp already said everything. I started mine on the mixed stage 2's around 7 months. We didn't add snacks in until they were down to two bottles, at around 13 months. Before that there was never time between bottles and meals. Good luck!

 

Thanks ladies!! I will start on the next stage as soon as I use up the stage 1. I am also going to try the take and toss cups. I will let you know how it goes. Lisa

 

My boys are 7.5 months old and we started doing stage 2 foods a few weeks ago, as well as incorporating lunch and dinner into the day.

 

I never bought the stage 1 foods, we went directly to stage 2. We only did single foods in the beginning, but the tubs were bigger so they could share. Supposedly stage 2 foods were thicker, but I think the veggies are really really runny. I did try some Beechnut stage 2 veggies this week and they are thicker consistency (not chunky) than Gerber which I really like.

 

I don't use jarred food but I have been offering some more "exotic" foods lately, like tropical fruits and grated cheese and rice puffs (and Mum Mums). James is doing great with everything and even feeding himself. Evan, true to his passive nature, would rather be fed spoonfuls by me.

I started with sippy cups around 5 or 6 months, when we started cereal. I offer a sippy of water with every meal. James can hold his own cup now (with some assistance) and Evan drinks well if you hold it for him. I didn't remove the valve.

 

Ditto all the pps on the stage 1/stage 2 difference. Mine started stage 2s at 6 months and at 7 1/2 months we moved to stage 3s (started cereal at 4 months and veggies/fruit at 5 months). At 8 months I started adding in lunch (did breakfast and supper only before that).

Sippies...I take the valve out and let them have at it during meal times. Makes a mess but I only use water and they are starting to drink a little bit from it. They still don't have it down pat but we're working on it. Mine are not fond of the nuby sippy cups (with the valveless soft silicone spout) but I've heard others have had great success with those.