Food, Should Y Five Month Be Feed Formula After Eating Solids and If So How Much

Hey A... Just my personal opinion.. I started my kids on jar food early too. Only b/c I didnt do the cereal in a bottle. With my son I fed him until he was not interested in it anymore. For example when he got full he would not open his mouth as wide or he would play with the food. Thats when I stopped. I would only offer him a bottle if he did not take a lot of jar food. It is tricky at first b/c it was new for him. But after a week of being consistent with it he was ok. I tried to get him on a schedule.. bottle in early am then cereal with fruit or just the fruit between next feeding then maybe in evening I wld offer the food again (around his 6pm feeding). I think every child is diff. You have to kinda try diff things with him and see what he likes. He will develop his own routine. My son suffered with reflux as well. The jar food was better for him he didnt spit that up as much... Good luck with it.

We have 3 children and 1 on the way-w/all of our babies:At 5 mts-
Breakfast:breastmilk and/or formula (I supplemented)
and then they got more "milk" if they got fussy and needed a snack
Lunch:I would feed them about 1/2 a jar and then "milk"
and they could snack on me or the bottle throughout the day if they wanted it
Dinner:the rest of the jar that they didn't finish earlier and I would generally add some cereal/rice to that food so that they would stay full long enough through the night and then afterwards they would have me or the bottle...
Bed Time:me or the bottle and then they fall asleep

Our pediatrician says it's fine to feed them as much as they want to eat.......FACT about babies that age:they are not running on what we know to be GLUTTON-they're going on HUNGER SATISFACTION ;)...like another comment said: when they don't want any more, they'll turn their head away, they'll do the same w/ u or the bottle; turn head and let dribble from mouth.

BTW-NONE of my mine woke up in the middle of the night to feed;if they did, It was becaus ehtye were sick or wanted to be cuddled.....they just weren't hungry 'cause I "allowed" them to eat until they were content.....the only feedings that I ever put on a "schedule" were breakfast and dinner-and even those weren't exact times; just a generalization of the same time frame....my children have always been at a healthy weight and have never been hungry,unhappy or unhealthy.
MORAL- Let your baby "take the reigns"-they'll "tell" u when they're hungry or full

I also put cereal or rice in the bottle at night to help keep them fuller,longer.........my dr actually suggested that I do it,and they would fuss and want more if I missed a bedtime bottle w/out any "thickness"....we call it their milkshakes..lol

About the reflux-Ask ur doc about "Dewee's Carminative"...It's an antacid ecspecially for infants and u purchase it from the pharmacist...u don't need a prescription for it and it works WONDERS!!!!...If you can't find it at your local pharmacy, try online-humco.com- they r the manufacturers..........I live in a fairly big city(pharmacy practically on every corner)and they are always sold out!! I have to put my name on a list for it, so, whenever I see it behind the counter-I BUY IT!

I was told by my pediatrician to give formula first because it is the most important thing for them right now. Then offer the solids and let him eat what he wants. He will turn his head away if he doesn't want it.

I'm just starting my 6-month old on solids and am figuring all this out too. But so far in my experience, I think it is better to give her the formula first and then the baby food, because she doesn't seem to want her formula after eating the food. And as some others have said, formula or breast milk needs to still be the primary source of nutrients. From what I've researched, feeding them food just gets them used to eating so they learn how during this important learning age, but they get all the nutrients they need from formula. Lately my baby has been refusing the bottle even during meals with no baby food, so to make sure she gets all the nutrients she needs to grow, now I only give her the food after she has finished or almost finished her bottle of formula, and she still eagerly eats up all the food, which she really likes. Also there were some great tips from Amy, with the sample menus, which was something I've been looking for too!! Oh yeah, and my baby had reflux too, and she hasn't been spitting up at all after I give her a whole bottle of formula and then rice cereal or baby food, so she must not be getting too full. I haven't waited in between and it seems fine, she's not getting too full.

At this time in your baby's life solids are only a taste of what is to come. A trial rn of sorts, learning about new flavors and textures. His nutrition still has to come from formula. You have to ensure he drinks about 32 oz of formula per day, but no less than 24oz if you desire a healthy baby.
Give him his formula first and then wait between 1/2 hour to 1 hour and then hive him cereal (they need iron). I use the Earth Best brand. You can mash 1/2 a banana to go with it and you have the best food available for him. You don't really need to spend a lot of $$$$ on comercial baby food.

they actually recommend giving them their formula or breastmilk before the solids. And feeding them until they are content. If he has reflux, the solids should help keep it down since they are thicker.

Hello A.,

I know you have already been given great advise, but I thought I would tell you what has worked for me.

I have a son that is now 23 years old, daughter 20 years old and a daughter 9 years old.

My son was an early eater. He started eating rice cearl and formula when he was only two weeks old. The doctor was actuly the one who told me to start him. By the time he was a month old he was eating two jars of food and formula. He was not satisfied with just formula) He was alway right on the 50 % line with his weight and height.

My oldest daughter was born early and had a few medical problems the first month. She only took formula till she was six months (she was very satisfied with it) and then the doctor had me start putting rice ceral in her bottle thre times a day. She too was always on the 50% line with her weight and height.

My youngest daughter was adopted. But we had her from the time she was born. She was born premiture and had a lot of medical problems. She had reflux to the point she had to have surgery at 6 months old. When she was only 7 days old they had us putting rice ceral in her bottle to help her keep the food down.

What I did with all of my kids was. Morning I would fix a six once bottle of formula and use two onces to fix rice ceral and fruit. Then I would given them the rest of the bottle of formula. For lunch I would feed then 1/2 jar of vegie and 1/2 jar of fruit and four once of formula. Between lunch and dinner I would give them juice. I would feed the same for dinner as I did for lunch . Just before bed I would feed the same as I did for breakfast except no fruit.

I hope this helps

The doc also told me to let my son have a cup of formula first then offer him foods. Nutrients are coming from the milk primarily still.

My little boy had reflux as well. He is now two and doing fine. Once he started on table food, and once he hit a year old the reflux went away, which is normally what happens.

Okay, sorry back to the question. When you start out on baby food you should start by introducing each for a couple of day. Ex. green beans for two to three days (serving: 1/2 of the container each time) The reason you feed them for several days is to make sure they don't have an allergy to the vegeatable/fruit. Your baby should drink 2-3 ounces of formula after you have fed him/her the babyfood. Once they start eating babyfood they don't need as much milk but they do need it. The pediatrician said they should get in 16-21 ounces a day of formula.
This is how our schedule went
*Breakfast--- 3ounces milk and rice cereal with formula milk mixed in from the milk bottle. (feed with a spoon)
*Snack-----1 ounce pear juice and 1 ounce water
Dinner----- 3ounces milk and half of container vegetable
Snack-----1ounce pear juice and 1ounce water
Supper---- 3ounces milk and half of container vegetable
Snack before bedtime ----- 6 ounces formula
Once you see he/she is ready for more you increase the serving to a whole container (it shouldn't take very long)
Once you go through all the vegetables, then start with the fruits make sure you are doing stage one of all of these(what stage one means is its pureed enough)The baby has to get used to texture.
Once you have went through all fruits and vegetables then what you do is at meal times you give 1/2 a container of fruit and 1/2 a container of vegetables. And for snacks give a fruit with the juice or they have snack baby food (his favorite was hawaiian delight). Once you see he/she is ready increase serving size of fruits/vegetables to 1 container of fruit and one container of vegetables at mealtime.

Good luck. Hope this helps.

Sincerely,
A.
Mother of three

P.s. I adopted all of my children and had three hours to get ready for each of them. So when I went to the pediatrician I had a notebook and pen jotting down everything because I was new to all of this and didn't have nine months to prepare like everyone else. I HAD THREE HOURS!!! I learned a lot and all of our children are very healthy and happy. And I'm so proud to be a mom.

A., I wonder who told you it was OK to feed such a young baby solid foods? He is much too young. And the reflux is a BIG sign that he is not ready for foods! The formula is harsh enough. The baby should be taking in only your breast milk, but if you are not able to give him the breast then feed him goat's milk. You can find it in the stores on the formula aisle. IT is much more easily digested and recommended for babies with reflux, however mild is the case. This in turn cuts back on the possibilities of milk/lactose allergies later down the road. Feeding babies foods so early is asking for problems later, such as allergies. And no it doesn't matter how slowly you incorporate one food after the other.

STick with the breast milk, goat milk, or formula until nearly a yr old. In the very most, you could give (after 9mths of age) some baby rice cereal mixed with formula. Give the baby lots of water also. Babies need water, plain water no sugars or syrup added! You will save yourself alot of problems with digestion and save your babies alot of suffering. Trust me, I've raised 3 children to adulthood with no health insurance and nearly no doctor visits!

Good luck...

d.maria

Hi, my mom, a nutritionist for WIC, is visiting our new baby, so I'm taking advantage of her expertise on this :)

She says that at 5 months, formula or breastmilk should be the primary food and solids just introductory. Solids don't provide the protein needed for the fast growth that a 5-month old is experiencing, and should only be used to get your baby *used* to the *idea* of eating solids.

As a rule of thumb, Mom says, a 5-month old should be taking a minimum of 40 oz of formula a day (if it's breast milk, of course, the amount can't be measured but nursing babies at 5 months should nurse every 3-4 hours to contentment). So, as long as you're feeding your baby solids only in addition to that 40 oz per day of formula, you're doing okay. Just remember that it's a *minimum* of 40 oz. per day. It depends on the size of each individual baby and his or her individual needs.

Have fun with your little one!

L.

You should be giving him formula or breast milk before they eat solids. Formula and breast milk is their primary source of nutrition until they are a year old.

well, I have not had this problem but I would just give him like 2 ounces and see if that helped. If he still seemed hungry then give him 2 more. That way you are not over feeding just giving a little drink.