4 months, 17 lbs and over 8 ounces a feeding

[toriaum]

My lo will is 20 weeks and weighs over 17 lbs.  At my 4 month check-up the doctor suggested I start rice cereal as she's a big girl and will need more to sustain her.  She's currently drinking at least 8 ounces at each feed ( 4/4 EASY).  She's bf so I'm not exactly sure of the ounces but any time I give her a bottle instead she downs 8 ounces.  IN the last week she's increased the time she bf by 3-4 minutes as well and I feel like I'm having  trouble keeping enough milk for her in the evening hours.  She feeds at 7,11,3,7 ( sometimes clusters at 5 and 7 but no dream feed)

I introduced cereal for the first time last week at 5pm and she was up every hour at night.  So then I read the part in Tracy's book and introduced it in the morning an hour after her bf.  We didn't have gas issue that effected her sleep, but she doesn't seem to want to take any.  She's very uninterested in the rice cereal.  I know it's more about practice than sustinence but I don't think anything is going down.  Today, after 5 days, I introduced rice cereal with bananas (pre mixed)thinking the taste might interest her but she was not interested at all.  I don't want to force this on her if she's not ready, but she's growing so big that I feel she needs more nurishment.
Should I put some rice cereal in a bottle so that some cereal gets past her lips and just keep practicing with the spoon?  If so, when should I give her the bottle?
Do I just need to be more patient in my current practice? 

[tylersmommy]

Unless she's waking from hunger during the night, losing weight, getting hungry before feeding time, or acting unsatisified when she's done eating, she really doesn't need anything additional to sustain her at this point. If you want to continue trying, she may get used to it and start eating, but this might be a sign that it's still too early. There are many developmental signs that help tell you when a baby is ready to start solids...weight is really not a big part of the equation. Here's some info that might help:
https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=36922.0
I don't recommend putting rice cereal in a bottle unless your doctor has specifically recommended it. As you said, it's more about practice than sustenance at this point, and rice in a bottle defeats that purpose. It sounds like she's thriving and happy, so try not to worry!

[aisling]

Hi there, my DS was 18lbs at his 4 month appointment.  I BF as well, still do.  If anything, I didn't think he needed solid food, because obviously he was doing well in the nutrition and weight department! (If it ain't broke don't fix it!)  I thought I would wait until 6 months to give solids and I also did not want to start him with rice cereal from a box. Then, it seemed DS was developmentally ready at 5 months and he even got 2 bottom teeth, (seemed like a sign that teeth need food-YKWIM?) so I decided to slowly introduce solids for a month and followed Tracy's gradual weaning process from her first book.  I started with pureed pears and then moved to sweet potatoes.  I felt that fruit and veg that digests easily would be better for my DS along with my BM.  It seems to have worked and now at almost 9 months, DS is 21 lbs (has 7 teeth!  )  We have never had any food reactions.  I found Tracy's plan in the books were excellent and I bought The Superbaby Food Diet book by Ruth Yaron also reccomended by Tracy and I religiously follow it, it has been so helpful.  HTH. 

Aisling