My son is 6 months old and has been doing great on solid foods for the past 2.5 weeks. He eats mainly rice cereal, fruits, and veggies. He eats an early lunch and dinner of 1/4 cup cereal mixed with 2 oz. milk and maybe 2 tbsp fruit or veggie. When he is done he either breastfeeds or has a 5 oz bottle on top of the baby food! Is this a lot or what?
I should add he is a big boy, he was 10 pounds and 23 inches at birth and is 20 pounds 28 inches now. He is exclusively breastfed about 6 times per day and sleeps from 7 pm until 5am. He just doesn't seem satisfied in the early morning anymore- should I add a 3rd meal to the day?
Thanks!
Follow baby's cues. If between the 1st and second nursings of the day he seems to want more you can offer a little solids. Remember though-always nurse before offering solids so nurse in the am and if he's hungry before his "normal" time for another nursing then offer solids. At "dinner" time, nurse first then offer solids and then nurse/bottle feed again before bedtime.
When we introduced solids we offered him solids (about a tbsp) then we would top off with a bottle/nursing (bottle if daddy feed) for breakfast/lunch/dinner snack time was just that snack time then as he got older (8mo) we started adding cheerios/puffs/fruit peices with a lesser bottle/nursing session and by 12mo he only nursed at night and first thing in the morning and by 13mo he weaned himself. So to answer your question yes, you should offer a solid with each daily "meal" and if you do this successfully you will have an easier time weaning when you are ready. For me the time was to start weaning at 12 mo and be done by 13mo and he figured it out on his own and it was a SMOOTH transition into being a toddler.
I don't think that's a lot at all. That's what my 6month old DD eats. She does 3 meals a day. Took about a week of her getting the hang of food, and now she has 3.
It's usually a Stage 2 Gerber, and then 6oz of formula. She's 19lbs, so she's right there with your little guy.
basically solids in an infant under a year is just for the experience not for the nutrition. the basic nutritional need for infants is breastmilk! (THANK YOU FOR BREASTFEEDING!!) so just kee nursing, the solids are just to introduce the different flavors and textures, not as much for nutrition. remember that your milk is and always will be the perfect food, it changes as he grows based on his specific growth and health needs. its amazing stuff. its like it just knows what to do.
remember too that being unsatisfied at this age can be a growth spurt (id bet that this is what it is - he has to nurse more often to get more milk to be produced, so keep nursing nursing nursing) or it could be teething or growth development. have patience, just keep nursing on demand this will keep your supply going. even if you think hes not getting anything, chances are he IS, and its still important to keep him nursing no matter how much you think hes getting; demand increases your supply.
contact a local or nearby la leche league. www.LLLI.org. they will be able to give you more information and a ton of support! !:)
id say yes! my 7 month old girl is sleeping a full 12 hours and has been since 10 weeks. I give her formula now. She eats 2-3 whole packets of the Plum foods. you should try them. they are the best. she eats 6 oz every 3 hours and I feed her 2 servings of cereal. oatmeal in the am and brown rice in the afternoon or nighttime. she is 17 pounds.
