carlon923
07-23-2008, 11:30 AM
ok... I feel like such a fool. My oldest daughter is 6 and I totally forgot the process of starting solids. I started on Rice cereal the other day...how much should she eat ? do i offer her a bottle at the same time i give her cereal ? How much of a bottle should she take throughtout the day ? What have you other mothers done ? Then when do you introduce veg. and fruits ? ? I'm stressing myself over something that is so silly !
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LauraLu
07-23-2008, 05:32 PM
Hi there! I don't think you sound silly at all! I am a new mother, so I've got all kinds of questions!
Anyway, I started my daughter on oatmeal because rice cereal made her constipated and she's on a soy formula which adds to it. I also made sure she was really ready (she was about 7 or 8 months I think). I would mix formula into the oatmeal so it tasted familiar. I also waited until I knew she was really hungry before starting. We did a few ounces of formula first, then a few bites, then more formula, and kind of bounced back and forth for a week or so. Eventually she really started to get the hang of it. I would say that if your daughter is opening her mouth wide and anticipating the next bite, then she's definitely ready. I made the mistake of trying at 5 months and it went really wrong - and messy! My daughter just wasn't ready.
As far as fruits and veggies - it's totally your call. The "newest" rule of thumb now is to do veggies first, then fruits. If you offer fruits before veggies, some believe that babies prefer the sweeter food and don't want to go for the veggies later.
So, I would say to wait until your daughter has gotten the hang of cereal, then gradually add a new food to her diet for about 3-4 days (to watch for any kind of reaction to it). You might want to mix some into the cereal too because at that point it will be familiar to her. We started with mild veggies, like sweet potatoes, squash, and carrots, then went to fruits, then went to the more potent veggies like green beans and peas (these can be really tough on little tummies).
Go with your gut, and have fun! Good luck! :)
Anyway, I started my daughter on oatmeal because rice cereal made her constipated and she's on a soy formula which adds to it. I also made sure she was really ready (she was about 7 or 8 months I think). I would mix formula into the oatmeal so it tasted familiar. I also waited until I knew she was really hungry before starting. We did a few ounces of formula first, then a few bites, then more formula, and kind of bounced back and forth for a week or so. Eventually she really started to get the hang of it. I would say that if your daughter is opening her mouth wide and anticipating the next bite, then she's definitely ready. I made the mistake of trying at 5 months and it went really wrong - and messy! My daughter just wasn't ready.
As far as fruits and veggies - it's totally your call. The "newest" rule of thumb now is to do veggies first, then fruits. If you offer fruits before veggies, some believe that babies prefer the sweeter food and don't want to go for the veggies later.
So, I would say to wait until your daughter has gotten the hang of cereal, then gradually add a new food to her diet for about 3-4 days (to watch for any kind of reaction to it). You might want to mix some into the cereal too because at that point it will be familiar to her. We started with mild veggies, like sweet potatoes, squash, and carrots, then went to fruits, then went to the more potent veggies like green beans and peas (these can be really tough on little tummies).
Go with your gut, and have fun! Good luck! :)
BabyJulie
07-24-2008, 03:15 PM
You dont have to start with cereal ;)
I started on cereal but quickly eliminated it as it gives one of my twins seriously dry skin and allergies, while itgives my second twin horrible asma.
You can startwith the stage 1 or 2 simple foods, such as apples, pears, bannanas etc. (not more than one fruit or veggie in case of an allergy you know what caused it.
I'd give one food for about 2 days or so, then add a different one.
I started on cereal but quickly eliminated it as it gives one of my twins seriously dry skin and allergies, while itgives my second twin horrible asma.
You can startwith the stage 1 or 2 simple foods, such as apples, pears, bannanas etc. (not more than one fruit or veggie in case of an allergy you know what caused it.
I'd give one food for about 2 days or so, then add a different one.