4 Month Old First Time foods...how Much How Often?

If you are breastfeeding, then you should wait until 6 months to introduce solids.... She will get everything she needs and it will decrease the likelyhood of food allergies.

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/index.html

She is only 4 months old - I would go with what the doctor says - at least until she is 6 months old. My first child didn't eat any baby food until he was 6 months old and my second didn't start until he was 5 months old. I wouldn't worry about trying to get that much baby food in her yet. Also, she will probably let you know how much she wants or doesn't want. My first one basically refused to eat baby food until he was 6 almost 7 months old.

D.,

If you are nursing, you don't need to give your baby anything for many more months. I breast fed my girls exclusively until about 9 months and then only added real banana on occasion. I had friends who breastfed exclusively until their babies were 1 and their children were just fine.

When I did finally give them real food, I never gave them that jar baby food. That stuff is awful! What ever we ate, I would grind up (you can buy an inexpensive baby food grinder). Then when they were a little bigger, I bought a mini food processor and chopped up what we were eating as a family. It saves a lot of money that way also.

D. don't be afraid to be a mother. There are no rules that say it is right or wrong. Trust your instincts, follow your heart and your daughter will also tell you. I had twin boys at 39 first and only children. I was scared to death... I gave them bottled water versus flouride baby water.. One's teeth had to be pulled because they had rotted. I cried and could have died. Their dr. hugged me and said it's ok.. they get another set! I realized in that moment that I would do the very best and God would do the rest. Believe in yourself as a person and a mother. I never got that deep with the measurements of food or milk and they are 8 and doing great!

Hi D.,
If your baby is only four months old, I would slow down with the food. Definitely breastfeed her first, then offer a little cereal mixed very thin with breastmilk. At this point she is just needing to get used to the idea. All of her nutritional needs should be met by breastmilk. That is great that she is loving the food. Keep the experience as positive for her as possible. It doesn't really matter how much she eats right now, just that she likes it. Try to give her veggies like avocado and sweet potato. Yogurt is also excellent. Get whole milk plain yogurt. Babies need healthy fat for brain development. There is a wonderful book called Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. It is all about making your own babyfood. But even if you don't want to do that, it has tons of excellent nutritional info. Good luck. Enjoy this time, it goes so quickly. I have 3 boys, ages 11, 5 and 19 months.
D.

Hi D.,
I am first time mother as well. I have a 6 month old girl who is breastfed. I waited until 6 months to start food. Giving your baby food is only to teach them how to eat with a spoon and to take breaks between bites. I wouldn't stress out about how much to give your baby. Just give them cereal mixed with breastmilk in the morning, and introduce one veggie in the evening at dinner. She really only needs breastmilk for all of her nutrition until she is a year old.

Good luck

D.,

I agree with the women that told you if you are nursing, you don't need to give your baby anything at all right now and can actually wait until your baby is 12 months-old if you wanted to. The longer you wait, the less chance of your child having allergies.

I breastfed my kids exclusively until 7 months and then only added fresh home made veggies in which I steamed and then put in the food processor. I looked at the ingredients in the jar baby food and was so suprised how horrible it is and only used that on emergencies.

When to feed a baby is really never easy, not all babies are the same , when your little one starts to mimmick your mouth when you eat and reaches out for your spoon that may be a sign she is ready , starting out with small amounts per day at the same time each day and increasing it every 3 days is a wise thing to do , feeding a baby too much too soon starts all sorts of problems.. rashes, allergies ,constipation,etc, as for bottle-feeding, if you are breastfeeding your baby is getting all she needs from your breastmilk that she will need, if you are uncertain that she is not getting enough, you can check by the amount of wet diapers per day and how many times she does more than pee , if your baby sleeps well and is plump and content you have no worries, if you do not wish to continue breastfeeding then bottles are for you , but you miss out on so much skinship with your little one! cuddling together during nursing is rewarding for you as well as you can get some rest and talk softly to your baby which will comfort you as well. I have my 6th baby close to me most of the day and she is still breastfed,she started solids a month ago and is up to 3 meals a day,I always breastfeed her "before" I feed her any solids, that way she gets the good stuff first ! some doctors give mothers 'advice' without knowing the character of the baby or mother and whats best for you and your baby , its always wise to ask for help ...:) good luck and let us know how it goes ...

Milk is the main source of nutrition for the first year as your child slowly learns to adjust and eat "table food". I found it best to give my children the baby food first followed by nursing. They are used to the milk they got before and would fill up on it if given first. Obviously, there is no meter on the breast, so the child adjusted intake when they were full. I have no idea how many ounces they decreased the milk consumption, but never had a problem. My doctor had me start w/breakfast then add meals until we got to three meals a day. All of my kids were different. One didn't like cereal, one would only eat cereal - so I had to mix it w/everything to get her to eat other stuff. One only liked bananas so I had to mix bananas w/ everything for a long time. Fortunately, that did not determine how they eat today. My pickiest baby is the most adventurous eater now. Relax, pay attention to how your baby responds and you will figure it out together. As long as your child is drinking milk, they will get plenty of nutrition as they are expirimenting with new things. Enjoy this stage. They grow up so fast.

With my first one I followed Gerber's feeding schedule to the letter. This was confusing since I was also trying to follow the schedule in a baby scheduling book (the name escapes me right now) plus listen to La Leche League and Mothering magazine who all say feed on demand and don't worry about giving them table food. What I settled on was, nurse him first 'til he was full then offer food. With the 2nd and 3rd children I didn't even offer food 'til they were at least 6 months old and then didn't stress over whether they ate it or not. I knew they eventually would.

K.

For her first few tries, you probably won't get more than a few tiny spoonfuls in her. She'll let you know when she's done trying to eat, and gradually she'll take more at each feading - especially when she tries something she likes! Once a day for the first few weeks to month is plenty - its just to get her 'used to the idea' and will be more mess than anything else. Breastmilk or formula should still be her main source of nutrition until 6 months, and you'll gradually increase the amount of food she eats and decrease her milk, the ped will continue to give you guidelines. Pick whatever time of day she is in a good mood for those first meals - you'll have plenty of time to work her into real meal schedule. That took us about 9 months to get our son up to 3 meals and 2 snacks/day, we started solids at 5 1/2 mo.
It is recommended that you try to feed a baby before nursing or giving a bottle so that she is hungry and willing to try something, but that didn't work with my son - when he was hungry, he wanted milk, not to bother with strange textures and flavors! We just tried spoonfeeding between lunch and late afternoon feeding - after his pm nap.

Babies are very good at regulating how much they eat - they eat when they're hungry, and stop when they aren't. As long as you don't try to force her to finish a bottle or make her eat when she's turning away, you won't overfeed her, and she'll let you know when she's hungry.

Just make sure you only try one new food at a time, and wait 3-5 days minimum between introducing new foods to watch for any allergies.

Have fun! Get the camera ready! Prepare for changes in the diaper!

Since your daughter is only 4 months, you should follow the doctors guidelines and work up to 1 jar a day. Until your daughter is 6 months old solid food is "just for fun." She should still be getting the vast majority of her nutrition from milk or formula for the next couple of months.
Once she turns 6 months you can start replacing some of her milk with solid feedings. She really doesn't need to be consuming 3 solid meals a day until she is 8-9 months old. Even when she does start eating more solid food she should still have between 24-30 oz of milk/formula a day until she is 1 year old and can start drinking whole milk.

Each child is different. Listen to her needs she will let you know when she is full. If you feed her the whole jar then you feed her the whole jar. If she only eats a few bites and is done then allow her to be done. All the information you are given are just guidelines to follow but not necessarally at 100%. Let her drink as much milk as she needs to after you give her some food. She will push the bottle or spoon away when she doesn't want anymore.

We replaced breast/bottle feeding with feeding out of the jar 3 times a day BUT still used the bottle and brestfeeding during the in between times. What everyone else said is true. Your little one will let you know when they've had enough.

Three meals a day is something we invented as adults. At first infants might eat cereal just once or twice a day and the rest bottles/nursing. Toddlers often do better with 5 or 6 snack size meals (small tummies, too busy to sit for long). When an infant is learning to eat, I always picked a time when they were alert (after nap), also before evening bath is a good time ;-) You don't have to "finish" the meal with a bottle, but you can if she still seems hungry. You'll get a routine figured out that works for both of you.

The most important to remember is breastmilk is best until 12 months. It is good to start introducing foods so that as she gets older o sshe will be accustomed to them. But, it is not uncommon to wait until 6 months to introduce solids. Don't use babyfood to substitute breastmilk but as a compliment to it.

How exciting for you!

A little about me...mother of 6 (yes, six), ages ranging from 11 years to 15 months.

1. Breastmilk or formula will continue to be her primary nutrition for several more months. Do not decrease the amount when adding "food".

2. How/when to do the feeding depends on how often she does bottles or nurses. I'm guessing she has liquid feedings 5x/day or so, hopefully about 3 1/2 to 4 hrs apart, and sleeping through the night.

3. Based on those assumptions, start "food" at the "breakfast" meal. Nurse or give bottle first, then as much solid food as she wants. (you can also do the same at lunch and dinner, but I like to wait until the "what do I do with this solid stuff?" is over)

4. When she's gotten the "hang" of solids, start adding some for "lunch" and "dinner", again, as much as she will take...after her liquids (main nutrition).

5. After appropriate "testing" of new foods for allergies(usually 4 days), you can add another new food to test. I'd also recommend vegetables before fruit. It's harder to get them to "buy in" to vegies if they're used to sweet stuff.

6. Sometime during this process, she'll start becoming less interested in "extra" feedings, if she's feeding more than 4x/day. Drop them as she needs to reach 4 feedings(breakfast, lunch, dinner, & bedtime liquid). Starting anywhere from 5-6 months up to a year you'll keep her at 4 feedings a day.

7. As she approaches 1 year old, she'll start making the shift from liquids to solids as her main source of nutrition, simply by beginning to consumer larger and larger amounts of solids while keeping her liquids the same. She may even drop the bedtime feeding.

8. Finally, I'd begin switching her from bottle to cup around 9-10 months of age. Several newer types have soft tops that are great to transition! (Nuby makes a great one)

Hope that helps. If you have specific questions, feel free to email me!

Those guidelines aren't rules. I started my babies on morning cereal at 3 or 3 1/2 mos. old. @ about 4 mos. I incorporated a fruit with the cereal(it doesn't take them long to move up from 1 tbsp.) You'll know when to add a jar at mealtime b/c your baby won't fill up on the bottles anymore, or they won't hold her up as long. I used one jar for "lunch" (sometimes in the afternoon) until she had tried every veggie. She may not take a whole jar at first...and then she might. Just follow her cues, and you'll do fine. My baby is 6 mos. old now & she is at cereal/fruit for breakfast, 2 jars for lunch, and 2 jars for supper. Not all babies eat that much at this age. So don't worry if yours doesn't eat a lot for a while. The key is introducing her to the taste varieties & textures....and consistency. If she doesn't like peas today....keep offering them. My daughter liked them just fine. I gave them to her several times over a couple weeks...then refused to eat them. Now she eats them again. If she's hungry, let her eat. It's not as overwhelming as it seems.
All four of my babies ate baby food out of jars. Their eating habits are fine. They don't overly crave sugar and they eat normal food all the time. I also feed my baby off of my plate, but those few bites don't give them all of the vitamins & nutrients they need to grow, so they also need the baby food - whether it's "nasty stuff" in the jars or home-made. Not everyone has time to steam veggies & puree all that stuff. So no one feel guilty about popping the top on a jar.
Good luck

I don't know what sites you looked at but Gerber should have good advice. I have a 2 1/2 year old and he loved food, still does. I started a little at a time. I think one jar a day throughout the day to start out. This will help find out how it affects their system slowly. You can't over feed them. They will stop when they are full. I started mine at six months and by 8 months he was eating 2 jars a meal. I think offering food and milk at the same meal is fine. That way they can choose what they want and you won't get as frustrated having the food out and maybe they don't want it. Depening on how long you plan to breastfeed, it is the best milk. When you do plan to stop I'd give it 2 months to wean them off by mixing whatever your going with next and your milk. Adding more each week. For the system again. Also for your body, it changes too. I hope this helps, I tend to ramble, sorry.

Hey D.,
More wisdom will come with the 2nd child:-). I just kind of let my little ones lead the way on this one. I started with giving them cereal (mixed w/milk) on a spoon for breakfast. I gave them bottles too and let them decide when they had enough. For lunch and dinner they would have the jars of food along with bottles as well (or sometimes just bottles). Again, you kind of let her decide. As far as in between meals, that would depend on how much is consumed at mealtime. In the hospital I fed my last baby (will be 2 soon) every 3 hours and we just kind of maintained the scheduled once he got home. Of course, if he got hungry in between, I'd give him a 4 oz. bottle.

For me I just started doing one meal a day, when it was convenient for me. Then I added in a second meal once she got the hang of eating food and seemed to digest it well. That took about 2 months. During the meals I offer water of juice, if she seems thirsty and will take it. I still breastfeed on demand throughout the day. Sometimes after dinner she will eat a jar and a half of food (she is 7 months) and want to be breastfeed 30 minutes later. She will let you know if she is hungry. The gerber fruit puffs are great snacks, especially when you are out and the little one gets fussy.

My daughter is 7 months old now and she started jar food at 4 months old also. First we started her out with one jar of food a day then worked our way up to two and now she is at three. My duaghter weighed 18 lbs. at 4 months. We usually give her a 4 oz bottle with her jar food and in between give her, her usual amount of bottle that she would take. My daughter shows many signs of not wanting anymore food. So I'm sure you will catch on to your little ones ques when she is full, and will not over feed her. Just follow the signs of you baby and you will know. Hope this helps. It's different from one baby to the next, you will know your baby better than anybody just look at her signs. :-) Good luck.

Give your daughter the chance to let you know what she needs. I began with cereal first and let my son decide how much he wanted to eat at each meal. After we did cereal, rice of course, we went to baby food. We tried one new food each week. He let me know if he liked or disliked what was given. I introduced apple juice at 3 months for other reasons but only gave 4 onces a day and still do, my son is now 16 months. When she finishes her meal offer her at least 4 onces of brest milk or formula. Trust me she will let you know when she of full. My son set his own eating schedule from the get go and we still plan and eat our meals around his schedule.

I am 65 years old have 4 children 7 Grandchildren I started feeding my children ceral and fruit at about 2 1/2 months cause my kids were hungry can't go all day on milk alone my the time my kids were 4 months old they were eating a jar in a half twice a day and ceral and fruit in the morning plus milk but now days every thing is done different my kids slept on tummies now they don't I think you will learn when your babies are hungry don't over feed them too soon

I am a first time mother to a 21 month old. Like you I listened to what the doctor said and was always on the web looking for answers. My best advice is to scrap all the amounts and look for signs from your baby. All babies are different and they will tell you what they need. You should try 3 meals a day at the same times you eat so that she will be on a consistant schedule. When he/she is full they will turn their head, spit it out, or push it away. My doctor recommended breast feeding after the meal until he stopped and was completely full. They will continue to eat as often or a little less than they did before solids. There is no magic number or exact amount. Your baby will get what they need and if they are not they will let you know!! I love the website babycenter.com. It is really user friendly and you can sign up for weekly updates on your childs development. Go with your gut. God blessed mothers with great instincts. You'll be great!
Hope this helped,
S.

Feed her until she appears full by ignoring the spoon. They always have a way of letting you know.

I would like to give you a fair answer but I need to know if you are breasfeeding or bottlefeeding first. I would like to mention that the La Leche League Manual states that food should not be introduced until the first teeth come out because that stimulates the proper enzymes for the stomach to digest. Babies will always grab at your food because they've been watching you enjoy it so much.....explaining to them that they must have teeth before they can eat is an effective way of letting them know that you love them and care for them.
A little about me:
I've raised 5 children pretty much on my own and have known many, many babies.......
F. Souverville C.C.E./midwife

Are ya ready? Since I nursed, I waited until mine were 6 mths.What I did with both of my kids: 1st,3days cereal mixed with formula,(according to the box). Next 3days picked 1 fruit & mixed in w/ cereal. Each 4th day picked a new fruit. Once I was through all of those, I went through each veg (3days for each 1) After we went through each veg,I went through the meats
I tried each food for 3 consecutive days to be sure there weren't any food allergies. With each meal I offered milk in a cup. After I new there weren't any food allergies, I offered what we ate as long as they could gum it. Or I made my own baby food & froze ind. servings in ice cube trays. Seemed to work for me!

D.,
I have raised 4 children. I breast fed them all with no food for 10months to 1 year. Why would a doctor tell you to feed a 4month old food? All that baby needs is in your milk. That just doesn't sound like wise advice from a doctor. My son and his wife just had a baby 11 weeks ago. She is breastfeeding and the baby is sleeping all night and feeds every 3-4 hours in the day. Try to breast feed only. Their digestive systems are not ready for food at this young of an age.

your 4 month old doesn't really need to be eating yet. especially if she's getting breastmilk. so let her take it at her own pace and don't stress. trust me she will let ou know if she wants more. also, if you wait a while longer you can introduce more real foods (only mashed up) and save the cost of baby food. my little one loved mashed potatoes, mashed up spaghetti with sauce, ceral with cooked and mashed fruits (peaches, pears and apples work best), and mashed zucchini and squash. invest in a cheap food processor and just throw in whatever you and you husband are eating after you've cooked it a little longer than you would for the two of you. it will save you a ton. seriously though no need to pressure your girl she will give you cues to let you know when she wants (which at this age means needs) more. :)

Dear Deb, Are you breast feeding most of the time or giving bottles? If you are breast feeding then the baby only needs fed twice a day. Morning and evening. By that I mean his baby food. Give some cerele and jar food in am and then again before bedtime. breast feed in between. and always breast feed before he goes to bed. your milk is enough to supply all his needs right now---the food it just getting him ready to learn to eat. Hope this helps. Believe me he will let you know if he is still hungery. Good luck, S.