4 month old feeding - Infant Care (up to 18 months old) Message Board

Celestine · 01-30-2006, 04:32 PM

I think there was another thread like this but I can't seem to find it. Just wondering what the feeding habits of other 4-5 month olds are. DS is almost 5 months. At his last appointment they said he was just about 14 lbs. That's a good weight for him since he's also short. Lately he's eating only 5 bottles a day. He has one 7 oz at 8 a.m., a 7 oz at 12 p.m. a 7 oz at 4 p.m., a 4 oz. at 6 p.m. and a 7 oz at 8:30 p.m. He also gets almost 4 oz mixed in with two tablespoons of cereal. One tablespoon at 10 a.m. and one at 7 p.m. He's a little better with the barley cereal but he's still not very interested. Since he can go till at least 6 months on just formula, we aren't pushing too hard on the cereal. He can eat it just fine, but he seems to be more interested in talking and grinning than eating. Is there any ways to get him more interested? Like I said, we aren't worried about his lack of interest yet but if anyone has any tricks that would be great. We aren't giving him any more veggies until he gets more interested in his cereal. How are others his age eating?

Gayle0000 · 01-30-2006, 05:03 PM

My daughter is the same age...she will be 5 months in a week. She probably weighs about 13 lbs by now.

Here's what we are doing right now:
I breastfeed every 2 hours from the time she wakes up until she goes to bed. Not sure how many oz, but when we do give her a bottle it's usually about 5 oz of EBM.

As for solids, I have been doing the rice and oatmeal cereal since she turned 4 months. I have been feeding her twice a day (lunch and dinner) with 1½ oz EBM and 2 tablespoons of cereal. I top her off with breastfeeding, but she doesn't breastfeed a whole lot when she's just had her cereal.

Just yesterday I started carrots, so I'm now giving her cereal/EBM but I bumped it down to 1 oz EBM, and give her ½ jar of carrots.

I could probably do it 3 times a day...not sure why I'm only doing it twice.

I've noticed that if I interract with her too much during the feedings, she's more interested in me than eating. So, I don't say a whole lot. I just make faces and keep the food coming.

I've also noticed that once I start feeding her, I have to keep it coming fast or she gets cranky. I'm guessing it has something to do with being used to milk flowing at her constantly at the breast or bottle, and she's not used to taking her time with a spoon and swallowing a little at a time yet.

She has liked everything we've tried so far, so I don't have suggestions. However, my best friend told me that if she didn't like a vegetable, try mixing it with cereal to mask the flavor a bit. I haven't tried mixing anything together at this point.

I read the nutrition info on the cereal and the vegetables, and the cereal is superior to the vegetables. So, I have decided for us that the primary solid will be cereal. I'm doing vegetables to let her try new things and get a taste for things...and to see what her diapers do with other foods. I'm not going to worry too much if she doesn't like something just yet.

That's what's going on here. I seem to be making all this up as I go along.

Added later...you know...I noticed that your cereal mix is a lot runnier than what I make. When I started, I found she ate her cereal much better if I made it thicker...like applesauce or just a little bit stiffer than that. You might try that.

Celestine · 01-30-2006, 05:31 PM

Actually Gayle I think you are right about the thickness. The 1 tbsp to 2 tbsp liquid is what the box gives but I did notice when I was mixing it my own way, thicker, that it seems to go down easier and with less spit out. I think alot of the problem with his eating is that I become the distraction. I'll try it next time with less talking on my part and see if he focuses a bit more on the eating. We did give him some of the vegetables but we decided it was better to just go with the cereal until he's eating it well. Some days he does great and then others he can't be bothered with it. I never caught the obvious that maybe if I stop talking to him, he'll quit talking to me. lol

roxyfoxy · 02-01-2006, 11:11 AM

DS is just under 3mos and is starting to talk up a storm! I can't feed him without him stopping and talking. He jsut stares at me waiting for me to talk to him. If I as much make a peep, or look a certain way (any way really) he stops and grins and starts babbling. He used to eat like crazy now he just wants to talk. Its so funny but frustrating when he wants to eat every 15mins because he can't stop talking during!

Celestine · 02-03-2006, 09:42 AM

Gayle, did you notice any drops in the amount of any drops in the amount of breastmilk she's drinking? DS isn't eating as much formula as he was but I'm not sure if it's the food or the fact that he's not been growing as fast at the moment. We did try the cereal thicker and it went way better. You were also right about keeping it coming. He didn't get so distracted that way. Since the cereal thing improved I've been giving him some vegetables as well. He has a couple of tablespoons of cereal and a little fruit in the morning, 2 tablespoons of veggies at lunch and a tablespoon of cereal + 1 of carrots at night. Most of the time he's eating it. Have you given any fruit yet? We were told to wait until he was eating the veggies well. We're trying them but if he stops eating the veggies there won't be any fruit for a while. So far, he just makes sour faces at the fruit. Lastly, are you giving a half jar of carrots at once or is that throughout the day?

Sorry for all the questions. lol Who knew eating was so confusing, I think about his meals more than ours.