Solids or Bottle First?

Hi L. -

IMO, bottle first, then solids. Formula or breastmilk is babies main source of nutrition for the first 12 months. If they never had solids until 12 mos. they would grow and thrive perfectly fine. I think solids are important, but at this point it is a distant 2nd to formula. They need to experience them and get used to them, but that is their main purpose!

This comes from a Mom who had/has a heck of a time getting my little guy to take a bottle, but he was eating the solids. He was termed "borderline failure to thrive" for lack of weight gain.

Good luck!

I have a 7 month old. I go back and forth from bottle to food throughout the day. A fruit for breakfast, then a bottle next time, then a veggie, then bottles the rest of the day. My pediatrician said it doesn't matter which you give first as long as she gets the right amount of formula each day. There is a certain number of ounces of formula they need each day to get the nutrients they need so as long as she's getting enough formula it doesn't matter which you give first. hope this helps.

**Hey L., I would maybe take a poll of pediatricians and nurses. I only say that b/c I've NEVER heard of solids before bottle. I would hate for you to get wrong advice from somebody who doesn't know any better. Sadly, some pediatric nurses dont! Ask around and if you get the same answer, I guess we all stand corrected! lol
L. **

Hi again L.~
That's the way I do it, too. The formula/milk is the source of nutrition, the food is just practice...lol!! Once we started solids, my son just fell right in to three meals a day (with bottles first) and one additional bottle in the evening. Once they get older (into toddlerhood) and are no longer taking formula, you do have to be careful that the food goes in before they fill up on milk/juice/water etc, b/c in that case the food is the main source of nutrition. But for baby, you are correct about the order!
~L.

I feed my daughter solids first. Usually in the morning I give her rice cereal, at lunch she gets a veggie and a fruit, mid afternoon she gets a bottle, dinner she gets another veggie and fruit, and then another bottle shortly before she goes to bed. My peditrican said that was fine.

I always gave my daughter food than waited a little and gave bottle. If you give bottle she will not learn that she has to eat the food.

I would stick with the bottle--formula or breast milk first until she reaches 12 months old. The food can be used just for practice. My pediatrician told me that I could strictly feed my son formula until he turned a year old without him even trying solids before a year old. That includes not even trying baby cereals or baby foods. The formula or breast milk provides all the nutrition a baby needs before her first birthday.