First 2 weeks on solids - how many times a day?

[OliviaM]

I'm just about to start my LO on solids (he is turning 6 months next week). I was wondering, in the first few weeks, while he is still on rice cereal, how many times a day should I feed him solids? A nurse told me to only give 1 teaspoon once a day, but some of the feeding schedules on this site suggest 3 times a day (an hour after each BF except for the evening BF).

Also, in the Secrets of the BW, it is mentioned that each time you give solids, you are meant to "finish off" with the bottle or breast. But how would this coincide with EASY? Wouldn't LO be then having too many feeds during the day??

[Little E]

Hi Olivia, for what its worth here is my LO's eating current schedule, he's 5 months old:
7:00 breastfeed
9:00 sleep
11:00 rice cereal (5-6 tsp of cereal mixed with about an ounce of breast milk) followed immediately by breastfeeding (I don't wait at all)
1:00 sleep
3:00 breastfeed
4:30 catnap
5:30 5-6 tsp of pureed pears followed immediately by breastfeeding
7:00 breastfeed
7:30 to bed
10:30 dreamfeed. 

My LO seemed to have a little constipation problem when I first started on cereal, which is why I added the pears.  He drinks about 2 oz less from a bottle after eating solids. 

Hope this helps...Good luck!

[arial]

When I started my LO with solids (he started at 4 months), I would offer the bottle first and then give him solids.  When I first started solids I was not concerned about how much or how often I was giving him solids.  In my mind, I was just training him to eat in a different way than what he was used to. When I first started, I was giving him one teaspoon of cereal mixed with breastmilk once a day.  As I saw that he was eating the solids well, I increased the amount given for that same meal.  After 3 weeks or so, I started to give him solids twice a day.  I hope this helps.

[OliviaM]

Thanks for your replies everyone. I think we will try once a day an hour after the morning feed and eventually increase to 2 times a day.

[Lana]

Once my boys were taking 2 tablespoons of cereal at a feed then I would add another solid meal.