need help with schedule!!

[SabrinaD]

Hi everyone!! I understand there are posts out there that answer these questions but i've looked and i just keep getting more and more confused. i'm a rookie mom =) i have no idea what foods are best to try first and what colors are best

DD will be 6 months next week and she is 17lbs. She eats just about 24 ounces a day.

our easy schedule is like this:
E:8 (between 4-6ounces)
S:10-11:30
E:between 11:45 and12:00 (between 4-6ounces)
S:1:30-3:30
E:between 3:45 and4:00 (between 4-6ounces)
S:5:30-6:15
E:7:45 (usually about 6 ounces)
S:in bed about 8, usually falls asleep between 8 and 8:30


I used to dream feed her but lately she will sleep all the way through...i had to stop the dream feed because she wasnt hungry when she woke up and then she went on an eating strike and lost over a pound. now she eats when she wakes up and has been doing really well =)


so last week i started to give her rice cereal. just a small amount every night before bed to see what she would do. she has done pretty well, sometimes she chows down and sometimes she spits out most of it. I was thinking about starting oatmeal tomorrow morning and continue the rice cereal at night. what times should i do the cereal? when should i introduce actual foods? what kind should i start with? someone told me if i do too much orange she will actually look orange, is this true?

Please help me with my schedule =)
Thank you soooooo much!!

[ZacsMumme]

Sounds like you are doing well! I would offer some fruit or vege next personally rather than oatmeal, you can even mix a fruit or vege puree with the rice cerial. Some bland options are pear, apple, pumpkin, sweet potato, avocado. pear and pumpkin go well together too as do apple and sweet potato. You may find if you are offering cereals only that your lo gets constipated...this certainly doesn't happen to all, but it does for some.

At this young age it is really about tastes rather than how much they eat. Just make sure to leave 2-4 days between new foods so you can determine if there are any reactions to a food.

I would offer solids 45-60 mins after her morning feed and afternoon feed at this stage, or just stick with the one solid meal a day. You don't want her tothe tired or hungry. Have fun!

[SabrinaD]

Thank you!!!

[sdaeffler]

Also, this is an amazing website - great resource for feeding solids, recipes, what to feed when, etc.  I reference it daily.

http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/

[SabrinaD]

Thank you!!!

[sarahb1983]

sophia is almost 6 mths here is our usual easy if it helps, i'll give u todays food 2 if it helps
07.30 bf
9.00 baby rice mixed with mased banana and breast milk
10-11.30 nap
11.30 bf
12.00 brocholi and cauliflour blended
14.00-16.00 nap
16.00 bf
17.00 brocholi and cauliflour and fresh blueberries blended afterwards
18-18.20 cat nap
19.00 bf
19.30 bed

i'm making a list of all foods she's tried, i first tried some fruit and baby rice, she was a bit constipated so stopped but i've restarted it now think it just takes time for them to adjust, bw suggests trying a new food always in the morning so they don't get belly ache at night i introduce a new food every couple of days but at mo just fruit and veg puree's and baby rice, hope this helps

[ZacsMumme]

I think your EASY looks wonderful...better than mine when Z was that age! Your plan for solids looks great too...give yourself a pat on the back hun, you know more than you think!

[sdaeffler]

That EASY schedule looks great.... Have you had any issues with the introduction of Blueberries?  My LO is 7mos old and I was thinking about trying them but I wasn't sure if it's too soon?

After doing a bunch of googling, I came up with a 7 day food schedule that has variety, but also ensures a well-balanced and nutritious diet.   It's a good intro schedule and includes pretty much all of the "first foods".   I have the calendar hanging on the fridge and it looks like this:

Monday: 
(B) Apples / Oatmeal (w BM) / Flaxseed
(L) Peaches / Green Beans
(D) Carrots / Sweet Potato / Rice Cereal (w BM)

Tuesday: 
(B) Pear / Avocado / Oatmeal (w BM) / Flaxseed
(L) Bananas / Peas
(D) Squash / Rice Cereal (w BM)

Wednesday: 
(B) Peaches / Oatmeal (w BM) / Flaxseed
(L) Apples / Carrots
(D) Green Bean / Sweet Potato / Rice Cereal (w BM)

Thursday: 
(B) Bananas / Oatmeal (w BM) / Flaxseed
(L) Pear / Avocado / Peas
(D) Squash / Rice Cereal (w BM)

Friday: 
(B) Apples / Oatmeal (w BM) / Flaxseed
(L) Peaches / Sweet Potato
(D) Green Beans / Carrots / Rice Cereal (w BM)

Saturday: 
(B) Pear / Avocado / Oatmeal (w BM) / Flaxseed
(L) Bananas / Squash
(D) Peas / Rice Cereal (w BM)

Sunday:  (B) Peaches / Oatmeal (w BM) / Flaxseed
(L) Pear / Avocado / Green Beans
(D) Carrots /  Rice Cereal (w BM)

[SabrinaD]

Wow thank you sooo much. I haven't given her any fruits yet. So far we've done rice cereal, squash and sweet potato. Were on the sweet potato today, couple of more days and we will try something else. I was told wait 2-4 days between trying new foods.
How many tablespoons of each food are you doing? Ive been doing one tablespoon rice in one bowl and one tablespoon of a veggie.

[momma.bear]

sdaeffler- Thanks for posting, I will definitely try some of those combos. Has anyone else tried pear/avocado/green beans or pear/avocado/peas?

[sdaeffler]

I usually do 1 tbs of the cereal with 1 - 2 oz of food (I make purees then freeze into 1oz ice cube trays).
I add BM to get it to the right consistency, my son prefers a thicker consistency so I don't usually need to add too much.  I think 1tbs of each is a great start!  How is she liking the squash?  My LO didn't like it so much at first but now he seems to like it.  I think pears are his favorite so he seems to enjoy anything I mix them with.  He doesn't particularly care for avocado so I have to "hide" it with something he does like. 

What does DD stand for, by the way?  I've been wondering....

[SabrinaD]

DD stands for dear daughter.
Kyla loves squash! And sweet potato. I'm not sure if I'm introducing foods correctly I'm just trying one thing new every few days. First is was rice cereal, then squash, now sweet potato. Tomorrow I will probably try pears. Is that an ok way to do it?

[sdaeffler]

It sounds like you are introducing foods correctly, perfect actually.  I should have done the same thing but I jumped right in and introduced them all within the first few weeks.  Luckily we didn't have any issues but what you're doing is smart, and you're doing a great job!  

Just an fyi, when you get to bananas and apples, they can be constipating (which is why I never give both on the same day).  But pears, peas, peaches, plums, and spinach help to get things moving so I usually give him one or two of those things each day to balance out his bowel movements and he hasn't gotten backed up yet... fingers crossed.

[SabrinaD]

oh great! thanks for the advice =)