How to Tell When Formula Is Not Enough

I started giving my baby food in a feeder at about 5 months. He was ready because as you said, he was sitting up and he was showing interest in what we were eating. I started with rice cereal. The doctor's now recommend you DO NOT give it to them in a bottle, feed it to them with a spoon, so they get use to solids on a spoon. After a month or so, try to add fresh mashed up fruit in a feeder or baby food. The feeder looks like this:

http://www.babysafefeeder.com/press10.htm

By the way, look into the foods you should NOT give a baby until after their 1st birthday. Egg whites, strawberries, honey, etc.

Dear J.,

Probably the doctor's advice is the right thing to relax with and enjoy your baby. He will be all grown up soon, and the magic time will be gone forever. Of course, the new magic will come too, but this is so special you need to breathe in every moment.

I lost my son about 3 1/2 years ago, and am often comforted by his baby pictures, and remembering those times, and his vocabulary - sometimes I get my daughter's and his baby sayings mixed up, and they still stir up those old happy moments.

I used to work in a day care center for infants and at that time, pediatricians were saying no solid food, except the rice cereal for one year !
That seemed spooky to me, but I just did what they told me to do. Go on About.com/pediatrician and see what they say. Also, I keep on saying www.drgreene.com is good .

Happy times, C. N.

When they go through growth spurts... they feed more. It's normal. In conjunction with teething... I"ve found that cold things was what my baby liked... sucking on a cold towel (which I put in the freezer then soften it up before giving it to him under tap water) or other teething rings that can be chilled. there are also homeopathic teething gels which help too. I don't prefer the teething gels that "numb" the gums...as my Doctor said it can also numb the throat and interfere with swallowing etc. Another thing my baby liked when teething, is things he could gnaw on, like his pacifier or other biting ring toys. Sounds like your boy is probably on the brink of eating solids... cereal is the usual "first" food. Just rice cereal. Per your Pediatrician... this is the usual recommendation. You can always ask your doctor again and tell him/her about your concerns, and re-evaluate the situation. Main thing, the baby's tongue reflex to push out food is diminishing or they may not be ready for actual swallowing of solids. There is a good site called Baby Center at www.babycenter.com Good information here. And the book "What to Expect The First Year" by Arlene Eisenberg is also great for any first time Parent. I recommend it. Oh, another thing... when they are teething, yes, they get fussier sometimes and may actually reject the bottle or just gnaw on it. If he is drinking more, sometimes gas can make them fussy too? Bubbles accumulate in the bottle when they drink... and can add gas. Phases always occur and then other phases come up and come and go. It's normal. He's only 5 months old. Cherish every moment, they grow so quickly! Good luck!
~Susan
www.cafepress.com/littlegogoo

Hello J.,

I have a 7 1/2 month old daughter, so you and I are kind of in the same situation. I started my daughter on cereal at 4 months, and at 5 months I started introducing solid foods. She really took to the vegetables and fruits. My daughter is needing a lot more food now, so we have started giving her 3 solid meals a day and around 3-4 ounce bottles. It's amazing how much she eats because she isn't heavy and is not big. She only weighs 17 lbs.

I would definitely say to go with your gut feeling though. All babies are different, and it's not going to hurt your baby if you give him solids. Just make sure he doesn't have any allergic reactions to anything. Just monitor him closely!

That's great that your ped is holding off until six months. That's really the current rec and a lot of peds are still saying four months is okay. If your baby is drinking more formula I'd chalk it up to a growth spurt and wait until the baby is ready at six months. They may look ready on the outside but think of their organs and digestive system and give them the time they need. My son didn't start until six months and I'm so glad we waited.
Also when you do start solids... think about making your own! Check out cook books geared towards babies and toddlers. I found it a lot of fun and way more economical. One piece of fruit or veggie goes a lot farther than those jars!

Hey J., at six weeks my kids were on cereal, before5 months my kids were are baby food, trust me there is nothing solid about5 strained baby food, in my opinion as a mom of 24 years, i think your baby needs some food. J.

Well your best bet is to try cereals first. My 2 older girls didn't like it at all and we moved on to their stage 1 veggies. They loved some of them and did really well with the transition. My 3 month old eats like your son does 6oz every 3 hours so she will be starting cereal soon too. To be honest your Dr's advice is just that...advice. Good Luck!

He's probably going thru a growth spurt. Try giving him more formula in his bottle or you could bump up hte maount of cereal he's getting, as well. It might help keep his little bely full for longer periods of time. Hope this helps & good luck!

Sounds like your little munchkin wants a bit more to eat..lol. Just stat with the recommended first feeding located on the side of the gerber box. Start with rice first and just give him a little before his bottle and see if that holds him over. I do believe it was 1 tbsp of cereal mixed with formula till a loose texture. Because he is already 5 months, If he does well with the cereal.. after a couple weeks try giving him apples as well. I started feeding my baby cereal at 4 months and homemade apples at 4.5 months, she's been a great eater since. Have fun with it, and get that camera out..it is always the cutest and messiest thing with that first feeding.

I started feeding both my children at 4 months old. My daughter LOVED food and took to eating right away. My son, not so much. He LOVES his bottle and didn't take to eating until about 8 months. I think it depends on the child. Start giving him "stage 1" baby foods and see how he likes them. Mix in cereal with them too if you like.

How many times do you give him the rice cereal each day? I'd increase the cereral first.
My kids always started cereal early so they were eating by the time they were four months old. Mine would do the same thing drink 8 ounces of formula then want it again in 2-3 hours. My doctor told me to feed them. I dunno. I'd call your doctor and ask.

Hi, I have 2 kids one is almost 3 and the other is going to be 6 month of the 15. I started both my daughters on ceral bottles when they were 1 1/2 month, baby jar food when they were 3 1/2 months. Listen to your son not the doctor. If he wants the bottle more then he is ready for food. My daughters were never over weight. My youngest is on stage 2 foods and meats. best thing is to listen to your son and start off slow.

Jenn B