Feeding routine for 6-9months

[Zoey]

Cassie, how bout any of these:

    * apple moons (thinly sliced)
    * avocado boats (a quarter of an avocado)
    * banana wheels
    * broccoli trees (steamed broccoli florets)
    * carrot swords (cooked and thinly sliced)
    * cheese building blocks
    * egg canoes (hard- boiled egg wedges)
    * little O's (o-shaped cereal)

Zoey

[BabyBsMommy]

On wholesomebabyfood.com I found a really good idea where you crush some cheerios (bet you could use gerber puffs, as well) into dust and then shake pieces of ripe fruit and soft cooked veggies in the dust a la shake n' bake.  This makes it easier for your los to pick up the pieces, making it less frustrating for them and so they are more excited about eating them.  I did this with my lo for the first week or so of offering these foods and it really helped.  Now he doesn't need it at all.  I suggested this to a few friends and it worked for their babies as well.  Bigger chunks of cottage cheese works well as well as bits of very well cooked pasta (I do whole wheat rotini cut into about 3 pieces) and grilled cheese sandwiches (I give a quarter of a sandwich with the crusts cut off and cut into thing strips or small squares - if he is being a bum about eating meat, I will sprinkle some minced chicken into the sandwich before grilling or spread the inside of both slices of bread with chicken or turkey baby food from the jar. 

[Cassie]

I have tried rolling the fruit/veggie in baby rice cereal which didnt go over well, but I will try the crushed cereal.

He loves eating Oatios (I haven't given him wheat yet due to some other intolerances), so maybe this will help.  Thanks!!

[A_C]

 I have JUST started to increase Sophia-Isabella's solid intake per her pediatrician's recommendation after her 9 month check this past weekend.  Since she is my first we have no point of reference and don't quite know if this is adequate, too much food or too little at this stage.  I appreciate any input. 

Anyway...here goes:

7:30 am - BF
8:30      - 2 oz. baby food (chicken stew); 1 whole banana; 4 tsp. of plain whole milk yogurt with apple sauce mixed to sweeten

11:45    - BF
12:30    - 6 ounces of baby food (usually 2 different kinds)

3:30pm  - BF

6:30 pm - BF
7:00      - 5 tbs. oatmeal cereal with 3 tbs. EBM
            - 3 dinner tbs. plain whole milk yogurt with pear sauce mixed to sweeten

7:30      - bed


When she drops the 3:30 BF I plan start to introduce an afternoon snack then. 

[a_camps]

my daughter is 4 mths and has been drinking rice cereal with her formula (she has reflux). The problem is that she's been drinking less milk ( 2 oz, some times on a good day 4 oz every 4 hrs) I've tried giving her cereal with a spoon and she swallows fine. Of course the advise I am given by other moms are that she's bored with the formula and that I should start her on solids or add a little bit of solids (fruit from a jar ) in the formula. I'm worried that she's not taking in enough milk, but her dr says that he's not worried. (She was born 8 lbs 2 oz and now weighs 16 1/2 lbs)

Anyone having similar issues or concerns? Reflux is so fustrating...2 mths to go HOPEFULLY!

[Mom2one]

My LO is 7.5 months old but I find that she's pretty uninterested in breakfast.  Somedays she'll eat it, somedays not.  I'm wondering if I should cut back her morning bottle a few oz to see if I can get her interested to have breakfast.  Here is our routine.  Any suggestions?

7:15 bottle 8 oz
8:45 breakfast 2tbsp cereal 2 tbsp fruit (this is what I offer, she usually only eats a few spoons)
11:15 bottle 7 oz
12:30 lunch (1.5 tbsp meat, 1.5 tbsp fruit, 1.5 tbsp veggie)
3:30 bottle 7 oz
5 dinner (1.5 tbsp meat, 1.5 tbsp veggie, 2 tbsp cereal)
7:15 bottle 8 oz
BED til am

[Nee]

Hello I am looking for some advice  my Lo is 7.5 months

7am bottle 8oz
8am 1 cube of fruit or veggie+ 1 tbsp. infant cereal mixed together whatever new food I am introducing (usually eats 2tbsp.)
11am bottle 7oz
12pm 1/2 cube of fruit or veggie mixed with infant cereal
3pm bottle 7oz
4:30 same as breakfast without the infant cereal
7:30pm bottle 8oz

is the amounts ok or should she be eating more??  Should I give her solids first to encourage her to eat more? 

[suagr_britches]

My LO is going on 6 months old. He started solids at 4 months, with cereal and then we quickly started veggies.  He loves pretty much everything, and now we're on dinners soon to start meats.  He's a second shift baby for sure so my times are VERY different than anyone elses.  Sometimes on here I feel a bit out of the loop due to his different wakes, and eats.  He's always choosen to be a late shift baby, and I tried a schedule with him to start with..........that was a NIGHTMARE!!!!  So here's how it goes for us....



10am 6 oz bottle and 2 tbsp. of cereal w/fruit
2pm 6oz bottle 2 tbsp. veggie, 2 tbsp dessert
6pm 6oz bottle 2 tbsp. veggie/dinner, 2 tbsp dessert
10pm 8oz bottle and off to sleep for the night

(right before his last veggies and dinner we throw in 4oz of juice normally, but not everyday)

I know it's alot different then most of you, but it works for us, and it FOR SURE works for the LO. And he's the Boss.....for now

[laina]

H is 6 1/2 mo. Here is his schedule. It is totally different from everyone which concerns me. In the book it talks about getting your child on a four hour routine for formula, so here it is:
             7: 8oz
              9: nap 2hr
             11:1-2 T cereal  7-8oz
             1pm: nap 2hrs
              3pm: 1-2 cubes(2-4T),7-8 oz
              5pm:cat nap 30-45min
              7pm:1-2 cubes & 7-8oz
               7:30-8pm: bath and bed
               11pm: dream feed 6-8oz
 So that is his deal. He's 6 1/2 mon and about 20lbs

[mchoong]

Looking through the history of the board, it looks like the solids are added meals instead of replacement meals alot of the time. My LO is 6 months old

5:30 AM BF plays for half an hour and back to sleep
8:15 wake
10 AM Cereal and remaining 2 oz  BM
11-12 sleep
2 PM 5.5 oz bottle (increasing to 6 oz today)
6 pm dinner - cereal and vegetable
8 PM bF and sleep
10 PM dreamfeed

She had been doing well with solids but since we started giving her new stuff, she doesn't seem to trust us anymore, I guess she was only expecting cereal and doesn't like the new solids. She leaves more adn more on her 'plate' and the last few nights has woken up very hungry around 11:30. She was 18 lbs at her 5 month visit and 29 inches long and I'm concerned that she's growing so fast and I can't give her all the nutrition she needs so I am eager to supplement her diet with solids. It looks like we should start giving some solids between the bottle feedings, yes (she has a nanny while I"m at work so I miss the feedings between 8 and 5:30)

[Whitleyd]

Your babies all eat so much. My daughter now 9 months has no interest in food and if I did not force it I think woud never eat!! She also is a bad sleeper - I think because she must be hungry?

Feeding routine:
She wakes at about 4am sometimes 5am Feed 80mls
6.30 100mls
7am 2 tsp cereal and 2 tsp fruit (apple) with reflux medication
10am 180ml bottle
12 lunch offer 1/2 jar vege (s/pot or squash); 2tsp fruit (will not eat has about 1 spoon only)
2pm 180ml bottle
5pm 1/2 jar vege; 2tsp fruit(apple) with reflux medication (usually refuses point blank!!)
6pm 180ml bottle
10/11pm 100-120mls

She also has about125-150mls juice throughout day (dilute to 1/4strength) and have introduced water in a sippy cup, more endsup on her than in her. She just chews the spout!!

One average we get in 700-800mls bottle and a very small amout of food. Tried finger foods but she jsut plays and does not eat. Also not feeding in a chair as she just cries.

She is not gaining weight and as of yet has not even doubed her birth weight - but how do I get her more interested in food??? I cannot forrce it because then it is just a fight. Paed says she has a food aversion??

HELP!!!

[*Kimberly*]

Whitleyd- One suggestion I have is to ditch the juice alltogether and offer less water throughout the day.  It is possible that your lo is filling up on that.  Also have you tried offering her finger foods.  I know at about 9 months my lo started wanting to feed himself.

Kimberly

[Lianne72]

Hello All,

I am new to this website. My son is now 5 months old and we are just introducing him to solids, which led me to this topic. We are giving him 1 tbsp rice cereal mixed with 3 tbsp formula twice a day, after his second bottle of the day and at suppertime (around 4-6 pm). I am a little unsure of what to feed him and when which is why I came looking here, but discovered I am amazed by some of your posts, how in the world have you all gotten your LO' s on these schedules? My son wakes anywhere from 4:30-6:30 am everyday, sometimes he wants a bottle right away, sometimes not for an hour or so. He will eat 5-8 oz at a time every 3 to 4 to 5 hours during the day. He never naps at the same time, for the same amount of time. He will nap anywhere from 20 minutes to  2 1/2 hours. I have managed to keep his bedtime roughly the same nightly, he has a bath at 7 to 7:30, then we read and have a bottle (usually takes all 8 oz). He used to sleep through from 7-8 until 5 or 6 am but now, most nights he wakes at least once to eat. We have tried the waking him before we go to bed, but he still wakes up at least once.

So my question is how in the world have you all done the schedule thing??? 

I have more questions about how much food and when but more important right now is the setting the routine.

Input??Suggestions?

[Whitleyd]

Hi Tink

Cannot cut back on liquid as she gets very constipated, which then decreases app. altogether. The last 2 days have basically cut back 1 bottle, replaced with diluted juice and her solid appetite has increased!! Not hugely but much better than before. Have also tried finger foods: dried mango, biscuits and toast with butter - they seem to be helping at least keep her amused while feeding her. Next is to get her back into the high chair and not eating sitting on the floor... any suggestions? Have tried toys etc but she throws them overboard and then watches them so cannot get anywhere near her mouth!!

To Lianne 72
My little E was the same - no routine whatsoever, took each day as it came. I then became strict as to awake times (2-3hrs) and a routine fell in place give or take a few hrs each way but at least we had an idea of what was to follow. E has never slept through except for 3 nights but we are back to 2 feeds in the night and also tried sleepy feed before going to bed but this did not help either. I was told to just let them wake on their own and feed them then. This seems better as she then sleeps longer aftre her feed but getting her back to sleep at 12 or 1am is not easy!!!
I suggest persisting with awake times and fit feeding into that; I am also strict about 4hrs between bottles give as much as they will take and then wait 4 hours offering juice or water between feeds. Good luck hope this helps :-)

[*Kimberly*]

Whitleyd- I am glad that you found something that works.  My lo has constipation issues too.  We try to get him to eat a lot of fiber/whole wheat and that helps a lot.  Also if you are doing formula you can always substitute some of the water for juice (like prune juice) and that can help.

Kimberly