My son how is almost 5 months old was eating baby food 3 times aday and doing great. He would eat about 2oz of food at each feeding and eat his normal formula feedings as well. About a week ago he just stopped wanting to eat his food. I have not given him any food that he had not already eaten. He doesnt seem intersted anymore. He would rather just eat his bottle. HELP! He is not sleeping at night like he use to...I think he is hungry.
Thanks for all the advice. He is doing better, eating a little food at each feeding. He is eating his bottle better too. I think he had a little stomach bug because he is much happier now also.
Just and FYI - I dont force him to eat his food. I would feed him until he stopped eating, but would not offer him more than 2 oz. He is very interested in eating food...tries to grab what I am eating, opens him mouth and leans toward any type of food. I started my other two children on food at the same time as this one and they do not have any type of eating problem.
Again thanks for all the advice
You say he still takes a bottle. for the nightime bottle only cut a crosscut (+) small, in the nipple and mix in some cereal, or if you had started him on meat, use meat. Make it just thick enough to go thru the cross cut. This will give him a bottle to drink but it will also fill him up so that he sleeps all night. As for daytime, just keep offering him food.
5 months old is really early for food, he may just not be ready or all that interested in it yet, which is completely fine. :-) Breastmilk or formula should be his main source of nutrition for the first year anyway.
Maybe you could look into the "baby led weaning" method of introducing foods?
http://www.borstvoeding.com/voedselintroductie/blw/engels...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby-led_weaning
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/babyledweaning.htm
Since your little one is only 5 months old, I don't think you have to worry much. From what I understand, at this age solid food is about learning and experiencing new tastes and textures not about calories. Their main source of nutrition should be breast milk or formula. If he ate it so well in the beginning, I am sure he will eat it again. I would just wait and give it time. If you think he is still hungry then give him more formula, but their may be other reasons he is not sleeping well, like teething. Good luck with everything!!
Your baby's digestive system probably isn't ready for baby food, especially 3 times a day and it's most likely making his tummy hurt. Here's a good article on when to introduce baby food:
If he is hungry and not interested in the food, give him more formula. Just back off the food for a while. Maybe he's telling you he's really not ready.
Is he teething? Eating might be bothering his gums. If not, it's probably just a phase. Just keep offering him food at his normal feeling times and eventually he will begin to accept it again.
My son did not show any interest in solid foods until he was 8 mos old. I did try to introduce it every now and then. My pediatrician said it was nothing to worry about as long as he was getting plenty of breastmilk/formula. I would caution against putting cereal in a regular bottle. Instead buy a bottle that is specially made for feeding cereal, this will lessen the chances of choking. You may want to try feeding the cereal bottle at night.
Although sleeping through the night often has nothing to do with how much you are feeding him. Babies go through growth spurts about every 7 weeks. During a growth spurt you may notice him eating and sleeping more (but not through the night.) Teething can also cause changes in babies behavior.
I'm glad to hear that he is doing better, hang in there I'm sure it's a phase!
Before anything, please do not force food on your child. This could lead to eating problems.
I followed my dr's plan and did not start feeding my daughter until 6 months old. She wanted nothing to do with food. She only wanted the bottle. This went on until her 9 months appointment. Finally, I told him this was not working and he had to give me something to make her eat.
He suggested to lessen the amount of milk I was giving her. At the time, she was getting 4 bottles at 8 oz. a day. He told me I could go all the way down to 16 oz. a day if needed.
I did just that. She now gets 3 bottles at 6 oz. a day after she eats her food. At first, it was a struggle b/c she still just wanted her bottle but she eventually gave up that fight after she realized I would win. Now, after 3 months, she finally is eating very well at lunch and dinner. Morningtime, I let her have her bottle first. I replaced the 4th bottle with a snack (gerber stars and fruit) and a sippy cup of water or water down apple juice.
Basically, I think she was full after the milk and never wanted to eat. Now, she is hungry and knows that food is not her enemy.
Another idea is that he may be teething.. my son stopped eating for a day or two each time a tooth came in.. just an idea, but I do agree with the other posts that he doesn't really need the solids at this point, so I wouldn't worry too much. Good Luck
Hi A.!!
Don't worry my little boy did the same thing. At that age the most important thing is making sure he's getting enough of a bottle. My doctor told me as long as he was drinking 28oz to 32oz a day he is just fine. They go through stages of wanting to eat baby food one day and not the next. If your worried he is going to be hungry during the night just try and give him a little rice cereal or oatmeal. I would pour what ever he didn't finish of his bottle into the cereal, that way you know he's getting all of it. This is totally normal, so keep up the good work!
