I feed my 6 month old son a cereal and fruit for breakfast and a vegetable and fruit for dinner along with approx. 30 ounces of formula throughout the day. At what age should he also have baby food for lunch?
He will probably let you know when he is ready for a mid-day meal...right now the formula is still his major form of nutrition...but when he starts crawling and getting more mobile he may need more calories. You will know...he will fill you in!! lol If you want to...start offering him a mid-day "snack" and see if he likes it or if it interferes with the formula that he takes in the afternoon.
Only 1 'meal' is sufficient at this age.
For the 1st year of life, breastmilk or Formula, is a baby's PRIMARY source of nutrition, NOT solids and not other liquids. And to nurse/give Formula, on-demand 2/47. day and night.
For the 1st year of life, solids is only an 'introduction' to foods. NOT a main course, nor 3 times a day.
It is gradually worked up to.
At 6 months your baby should really only be getting formula or breastmilk as the primary source of nutrition. Baby food isn't really that nutritious. Formula or breastmilk have everything they need. Feeding a baby this much food plus formula will often cause the baby to get overweight and then the doc will be concerned. Back off the baby food for now to one time per day and when the baby's older, like 9 months go to 2 meals then closer to a year go to 3 meals a day.
I think I started giving mine baby food at lunchtime at around 8-9 mos. At this stage, formula should be the main focus of his diet.
Hi. I know it is so confusing. Check out www.happyhealthymom.com Under feeding there is a schedule that really helps.
Good luck!
You can try to give him a little, he'll let you know if he is not hungry. Don't force it. I try to nurse first & then offer food. I let him eat until he is not interested.
There are lots of books & rules about this, but you should do what works best for you & your baby.
I would not worry about my baby being overweight.
it's not an "age" but more of how they are doing with food. Once they get to where they are eating the food (as opposed to it being spit back out at you or stopping the feeding before the serving is done) then you can add in more food or feedings.
By 9 mos most kids are having this schedule in my daycare
6 wake - 6 oz bottle
7:30 solids
8-10 nap
10 bottle
11:30 solids
noon - 2:30 nap
3 bottle
5 solids
6:30 bottle
7 bed for night
PS studies have shown that there is a window to introduce solids - four to six months old, if you wait till the 7th month of age to start solids the number of issues increases dramatically
Hi Boz I would say to feed him when every he his hungry. He too young to set a number of times a day to feed him. But the best advice should be from his peditrican.
