Feeding - Splendora, TX

Well everyone has their own opinion as to what works best with them. I have a 7 year old, a 3 yr old, and an 11 month old. I started to introduce the stage 1 baby foods to each of them by 4 months. On my side, they let me know real quick whether or not they were ready. On the baby, she wasn't quite ready until about 4 1/2 months. She would throw a fit every time I tried to feed her. I waited a couple of weeks and tried again and this time she ate it up and she hasn't stopped eating everything in sight ever since!! My opinion is if you feel she is ready then try. Also I didn't put cereal in a bottle. I mixed a little with formula and spoon fed her. Believe it or not, they learn very quickly on how to eat!!!!

GOOD LUCK!

S.
The American Acad of Ped and the WHO both say NO solids until 6mos. Other organizations say 'middle of the first year'.
At 3.5mos your little girl is not yet ready for anything more than formula/breastmilk! She needs to be *at least* 6mos old and able to sit on her own (unassisted) before having solids. Feeding her solids too early can cause allergies later. She will let you know when she's ready. At around 5mos mine started grabbing at my spoons, cups, etc. So I put them in a highchair with a plastic bowl, spoon or cup. This kept them more than happy and entertained for a while. My first child did not show unwavering interest in food until 8.5mos, and my second at 7.5mos. They would not be distracted. This is how I knew that they were ready for food, not just the utensils.

As for cradle cap: it is caused by overactive oil glands in the scalp. I found with my 2 that mineral oil worked best. I used Johnson's Baby Oil and then combed with a tiny little comb until most or all of the skin flakes were gone. I left the mineral oil on there over night and washed hair in the morning. It took 2 treatments for #1, but only 1 treatment for #2.

HTH
K. H,
mama to Catherine, 4yrs and
Samuel, 1yr

I feel like the moms in the USA are pressured to supplement their babies at earlier ages than any other country in the world. Most countries will breastfeed exclusively for at least a year. Sometimes exclusively for two years. Speaking from experience (I have 3 children) the longer you wait the better. Their little digestive tracts were not meant for anything but breastmilk. And if you think about it, what in the world did moms do before they invented fortified infant cereal and formula. They HAD to do things as nature intended. My advice would be to nurse as long as possible.

Hi S.-
I was given a feeding schedule by my son's pediatrician. He suggested that I start him on stage 1 baby foods at 5 months. He said to introduce veggies first. (feed the same one for 3-4 days, to make sure it doesn't cause diarreha or vomitting, before starting a new one). My son is 6 months old now and has just started on his first meat.

All the advice written out there say to wait till they are 4 to 6 months to introduce food. So I waited till he was a little over 5 months cause I got tired of nursing all the time. She really doesn't 'need' food until 6 months.

I would checl with your ped before starting solids. I know everyone screams up and down to wait until 6 months, but my baby girl was eating 8-9 oz of formula every 5-6 hours (and still hungry sometimes!) so my pediatrician gave the green light on solids (altho out first ped was adament about nothing until 6 mon - including rice cereal). Our pediatrician insists that you go by instinct and nature. You'll know when your baby is ready by her cues. My baby is almost 6 months old and has enjoyed solids for the last 4 weeks!
As far as cradle cap is concerned, I used a gentle shampoo (Aveeno) and then while her head was wet, massaged baby oil into her scalp and patted dry. It worked for me. Sometimes these things are also a matter of trial and error. Good luck with everything!

I agree with S.'s advice on solids and cradle cap. Although with my son, I did end up using a very small amt of dandruff shampoo (neutrogena t-gel) and that cleared it up quickly.

Solids are usually best fed when they are at least 6 mos or older.

Tearless shampoos can make cradle cap and dandruff worse. You might want to watch what shampoo you use once it clears up so that it doesn't return.

Good luck!

i'd wait at least 6 months. the earlier you introduce foods/juices, the more likely they will develop allergies to those foods as well as allergies in general.
cradle cap will go away on its own usually by 8-12 months of age. you can put olive oil on it and let it sit for about half an hour then lightly scrape off the scales with a soft brush or comb, then wash it. don't scrape off when it's dry and flaky as it can cause an infection.
"the baby book" by dr. sears addresses both of those issues.
good luck.

She should not be eating anything but formula or breast milk until she is six months old. Do you have the book What to expect the first year or Your babies first year - week by week? They are great references for time-line for the developmental stages. It really is not appropriate for her to be eating anything right now.

I've heard that adult dandruff shampoo works for craddle cap.
Usually about 4 months for more solids. Try stage one foods first. Introduce them a couple days apart to check for food allergies.
Example:
Bananas for three days, a little a day. On day four, try something new and repeat the proccess.

S.,

It's been a while since I had to introduce my little ones to solids...they are 9 & 6 now but I do remember my oldest having cradle cap. I put a little Vaseline on it to soften the junk and then used a baby brush during a bath to get it off. Then shampoo, it seemed to work. Good luck :)