For the life of me, I can't remember what my first daughter was eating at 6 months. I do remember that she hardly ate enough to keep a bird alive and LOVED her bottle. My 2nd daughter is starting on baby food and I can't remember how much to feed her. She is the opposite of her sister in the sense that she LOVES food. I think she would eat all day and night if I'd let her! Should I be feeding her three meals a day? And how much at each sitting? She's eating Stage 2 foods and not having any problems with them. Right now she gets cereal in the morning, sometimes with fruit or a little juice; a vegetable at lunch, usually about 1/2 a jar; dinner is 1/2 jar of vegetable mixed with about 1/2 jar of meat and if she's still acting hungry a little fruit. She nurses after each meal and on demand throughout the rest of the day. She's just a teeny little thing, still wearing 0-3 mos clothes. Am I feeding her enough? Too much? Tanks in advance!
Here's a great book with lots of helpful information about feeding babies:
http://www.superbabyfood.com/
Good luck!
So - I was happy to see you ask this as I have wondered the same thing...... but I'm not getting much advice from the answers.... so here's my 2 cents =) My daughter is just over 7 months old and also tiny....she is wearing 6-9 month clothes but they are big on her, she weighed 13lb 12oz at her 6 month checkup and she is low in the percentile of babies her age, but my pediatrician assured me she is fine, she's always been in the low percentile, but consistent. So, when we went for our 6 month checkup, we were giving her 4 bottles of 6-7oz a day, plus one feeding of baby food and cereal. My ped told me to up the feeding to 2 and drop the bottles to 3. So, our schedule (varies of course) is:
wake up - 7AM 7-8oz bottle, 10:30 1 2nd foods (3.5 oz) and about the same amount cereal, 2PM 7-8oz bottle, 5:30 1 2nd foods and same amount cereal, 9PM 7-8oz bottle. Sometimes we mix juice with cereal, and I'm starting to give her a sippy cup with water after food meals. Her BM's are rather hard, which is normal when introducing food, but ped suggested giving water or juice to help loosen it up. My ped said between 9-12 months, she'll start getting 3 meals and 2 bottles.... So... that's what we do and Dr and baby are happy with it. I stopped breatfeeding at 5.5 months (pumping many hours to only get 1 bottle and working full time wasn't working anymore)so she gets formula only. She is lucky enough to have a SAHF, so she gets up when she wants... but it's usually around 7AM.... Anyway - I'm rambling, best of luck - feel free to send me a note if you want to chat more.......
My son was a HUGE eater as well when he was young...I think your doing a great Job...it is nice to have them eating at the same times you do these routines are going to set them up for a life long eating habits. As far as increasing or decreasing I think your discression, if your baby still seems hungry feed her a spoon or so more here and there just like us some meals they will be hungrier than at others. I'm sure after a couple of weeks pass you will see if it is no longer satisfying her. And 3 meals is fine a day I started with 1 then after a few weeks moved up to 2 and a month or so later up to 3 as they grow they will want more...but at the same time I do understand how your feeling about overfeeding because like yours mine too probably could have spent the day eating...LOL But I remember my ped told me that as long as he was not spitting up like as we would increase his formula he was fine. But again I think your doing a GREAT Job...and remember ever kid develops differently if your baby is tolerating it I say go for it!! My son was 2 months old when we started cereal because he would drink 4-6 oz and scream for more...we live and we learn!!! Keep up the GREAT work!!!
Wow, your little one is a tiny thing. Are you and your husband smaller in build? What was her birth weight? I don't believe there is anything stating how much they should be eating because each baby is different and provided they were getting enough milk when they nursed, that would be enough for their first year. My children all started out in the 9 and 10+ lb range, so they stayed pretty full that first year. Our youngest right now is just turning 5 months and she is 20 lbs, so I think it just depends on your family's history. I have tried to introduce cereal but she isn't really wanting it. I haven't thought about anything else yet though, but I am not one to push that any sooner than I have to. She nurses on demand also. Do you feel your milk supply is healthy and strong? Make sure you are taking in enough fluids and eating enough for the 2 of you too, but I am sure those are all things your already doing :) If you are truly concerned, I would check with your pediatrician.
Good luck and many blessings
A.
honestly, I think you could pull back on the solid food. Babies six months old are just barely starting to develop their stomachs enough to digest and process solid foods. Just because she loves it and seems to do ok with it, doesn't mean her body is able to process the nutrients out of it yet. Breast milk or formula should still be the MAIN source of her nutrition. I'm one of those that believes moms should actually wait a little longer to do solids. Many pediatricians agree and even say that starting too many foods too soon can lead to problems later on - like food allergies and obesity. I started my first child at six months with just cereal and that's all I did once a day for a couple months and added in jar food slowly. My second child actually didn't want solids at all - she hated them. So ALL she got was breastmilk til she was 10 months old when she would finally eat something. And she is perfectly healthy - and not underweight at all! If you are worried about your baby being tiny or underweight than I would increase your nursing - not food. :)
Hi there,
I have a 6 month old and I don't have her on any sort of eating schedule at all. She gets breastmilk on-demand, and that's what her diet mostly consists of. However, in the morning when I sit down to breakfast, I give her some Stonyfield Farm Yo-Baby yogurt, which she seems to love! In the evening when we all sit down to dinner, I offer her a few spoonfulls of veggies, and a little bit more yogurt. Between morning and evening, I don't generally give her any solids at all. As a side, she did not like rice cereal at all so I stopped. My doctor said as long as whatever I'm feeding her is fortified with iron (the yogurt is), then that's all that matters. Some mornings I mash up a chunk of banana and mix it with a little Earth's Best oatmeal, which she seems to enjoy. Overall, she probably takes in about 5 or 6 tablespoons of solids a day. I'm not pushing it...I just assume she regulates her own hunger. I probably don't need to give her any solids at all, but because she refuses a bottle, I was eager to have her get her nutrition from something other than my breast so that I could get out a little bit!
Hope that helps!
A 6-month old should just be STARTING solids, not already be on a schedule. Don't worry about how much or variety and just let her try some different things. Always nurse or bottle her within an hour before offering solids because she will get little or no nutrition from the solids until after 12-months old. Until then, everything they need comes from breastmilk/formula and solids are just about exploring tastes and textures.
If she nurses on demand, she really doesn't need any solids, and giving them to her can actually fill her stomach and make her nurse less. I suggest backing off, not worrying about 3 meals a day and just have a snack or two. Here are great first foods for low-weight nursers (cereal is really only for formula feds who start solids early and need iron).
mashed sweet potatoes (bake or pressure cook them in skins, then take off the skin and puree in the blender or food processor or food mill)
mashed avacado (lots of good fats and tons of other really good vitamins)
mashed bananas
apple sauce (cook them in the skin the either take off the skins and blend them or leave the skins on and put through a food mill)
Good Luck:) Don't worry so much about what you "should" be doing. Exclusive breastfeeding is enough, the solids are just for fun!
I think that you are doing fine...but i didnt start my kids on any solids fill 9mo. Just the breast only. That is what their peditrition suggested and they were all in the 95%range with their weight and height. I think it depends on the child. Also they ate on demand and there was no set schedule till about a year old. Good luck and whatever you choose to do will be fine.
