Started Solids-how Much Food Does My Six Month Old Need?

www.wholesomebabyfood.com is the BEST site for when/how much/whats safe at what age etc...I love it!
S.
www.shannonstair.myarbonne.com

Sounds like you are doing great! I have two daughters and they were both breast fed. One was always at 95% for height & weight and the other was always around 25%. They were and are completely different eaters and sleepers. My older daughter loved food and trying new things. She would have a little oatmeal and a jar of something for about every meal. She also loved whatever we were eating, so if she liked it, I let her eat it (i.e. green beans, cucumbers). I just let her tell me when she was done- and kids make it pretty clear! My other daughter was not as interested in eating solids as early. So, I tried different things and again let her tell me. Also, don't get to wrapped up in numbers. They might eat a bunch for a day or two and then eat almost nothing, and then have a growth spurt. Everyone might do things differently, but you sound like you figured a way for you and your baby that works.
Just a funny side note, my daughter that ate anything is now 6 and is picky as can be! My other daughter, 3, will try anything- go figure!

I second the advice from Julia K. My son is taking more some days and less others, the past week or so he's been eating about half as much as usual, but he's fighting a cold so I know there's a lot of mucus in his belly too. The baby will give you cues for wanting more (chewing on hand is one of ours), being finished (closed mouth, turning away), or needing a break (my son looks down). I was worried about quantity too at first, but I've found that the less I stress, the more we enjoy mealtime. When your son is ready for a third meal, you might see him not need a bottle. At 7 mos., we have three meals a day and four 5 oz. bottles/nursing sessions (depending on whether he's at daycare). If your son starts losing weight, then you'll want to be more diligent about keeping track of his intake. If he's healthy and happy, don't sweat it. If you want a reference guide, your doctor's office should be able to provide you with a feeding schedule of some kind. We go to Mesa Pediatrics and the one they gave us is very thorough.

I also second Julia's comments about his sleeping being fine. My son sleeps 10 hours at night plus 3 one hour naps during the day. (used to be 2 two hour naps, but what can you do?)

Keep up the good work, Mommy. :)
Sarah

Neither of mine had any food until they were about 8-10 months old and they both thrived. I waited until they basically couldn't stay full on milk alone, both were breastfed.

I don't want to freak you out but that's a lot of sleep. I know formula fed babies sleep more but it's possible he's having trouble digesting everything and needing more sleep to do it.

If it were me, I would increase the formula at each feeding and keep the solid food pretty sparse, mostly cereal, for a couple months. This is the time he'll acquire a taste for veggies & the fruits are a little more likely to go right through him so you may want to stress veggies. Both of my daughters ate 'til they were full and then had zero interest but I've been told that's a breastfed baby thing, I really don't know if that's true though.

He will let you know when he's had enough. If he's turning his head away or batting at the spoon, he's done. :) He will still be getting his nutritional needs from his formula for the first year. Think of solid foods during the first year as an introduction to food - letting him try new things. Enjoy that baby! :)

My belief is that you feed your child til he/she is full. They know how much they want and when they are full. If he is an active child then he will naturally eat more. The doctors alway tell you that you should feed a certain amount and to me that was never enough. My children have always been above the 50th percentile but that was in both height and weight so they were never 'overwieght' they were just bigger than most kids their age. As long as his weight and height are in sinc then he should be okay.

Your baby will let you know if he's full. I never measured my daughter's babyfood(my son didn't really take babyfood). I just remember that her bottles started decreasing and she would usually have 3 jars a day from 4-5mos until about 10mos, after that she would rather have regular food. I would usually give my daughter a fruit in the am, fruit or veggie at lunch and a dinner at dinner time. If he starts pushing the spoon away that is when you can tell he has had enough.

Also, the other response said that your baby is sleeping too much, my almost 2yr old sleeps around that much. She goes to bed at 7:30pm and sleeps until 8:30am(when I don't have to wake her early) and also takes a 3hr nap(if we are at home).

Hey there!

I have a 7 month old little girl who sleeps just as much as your little one, maybe even more. She sleeps 11-12 hours straight through the night & then has 2-3 1 hour naps during the day. To my understanding that's great for their age. They need to average about 15 hours of sleep total. Plus, I always say, "sleep time is healing time". Also, my child is solely breast fed. So we no worries about comparing, "fuller tummies" as far as formula goes.

I introduced solids to our daughter I month ago, but she's always slept that much. As far as the amount of food. I was always wondering that myself. However, we've been doing solely fruits & veggies about 2-3 oz 2-3 x per day. I tend to breast feed her a little prior to feeding and then after if I feel she's still hungry. At this age, the formula/milk is still a priority over food because that's where they're getting the majority of their nutrition & the food should be the "supplement". So, really it sounds like you're doing just fine. Just make sure he's getting in his milk.