My son is 4 1/2 months old and our pediatrician indicated he is ready to start taking solids. I have done a lot of reading and talked to a lot of mommy's about starting solids. We are on track to start feeding rice cereal 1-2 times per day for 4-5 days and then we'll start the process of pureed veggies and fruits with a new one every 4 days or so. I have been told it is best to offer the cereal (and later the veggies & fruit) as snacks in between bottle feedings because at his age the 'solids' are really only for practice and not for nutritional purposes. My question is what is the best way to offer when you work? There is not enough time in the morning or evening to do an 'in between' feeding. So is it better to offer the rice cereal before or after his bottle and in the morning or evening? I fear mornings are going to be rushed as it is so it seems evenings would be better. I have debated having our nanny feed my son, but I really want to be able to see how he does for myself rather than relying on someone else. Any help from working moms and what you did in starting solids would be very much appreciated!
I started all new foods on a Saturday that way we were both around to watch his reaction for two days before he went to daycare. That meant starting a new food every 7 days instead of every 4-5, but that's not a big deal. It was worth it since we were always the one to introduce a new food.
The Saturday idea is a great one! I don't remember if we did that or not, but I remember that we first added cereal in the evening. It was just easiest since I worked full time and mornings (as you said) were so hectic. We gave ours cereal right after the "dinner" bottle. The cereal experience can be a good half hour once you count clean-up, so you might start re-working your morning routine to allow for time. Once ours were eating fruits and veggies (around 6 months) they basically ate 3 meals a day plus bottles. Bottle at wake-up, cereal/fruit with us for breakfast, a mid-morning bottle (after morning nap), baby food for lunch, an afternoon bottle (after nap), then dinner and a bottle.
N.,
I don't want to step on your toes or offend you, but I feel that if you are so desperately wanting to be the one who introduces solids to your baby, and you want to be there to see how he reacts...Then you should be there. I mean if he is so important to you, which he should be, then why not stay at home with him? When my children were infants, I was home with them. My son and my daughter are so close to me and I know that it was from the extra special times we got to have while I was at home being their mommy. I do work part-time now, but they are in school and I am off work every day in time to pick them up from school. Just a thought for you. Enjoy your baby and remember to put his needs above your wants. Have a great day.
J.
N.,
What a fun time for you! I am a working Mom too, and I stared our daughter's solids (she's 20 months now) around the same time. I started by giving her cereal at dinnertime. Then once I was comfortable with that, I asked the daycare to give her a bit for lunch. Once we were comfortable with the cereal, then we added a veggie or fruit each week at the lunch or dinnertime hour. This is of course in addition to all of her regularly scheduled bottles. I don't remember when we added breakfast in, but I fed her at home. When she was old enough to hold her bottle and feed herself ( I think around 8 or 9 months), I would fix her bottle in the morning and let her drink it on the way to daycare. Once we got there, I would have them feed her a solid breakfast about an hour later. Then eventually we were feeding her 3 solid meals a day plus all the bottles. Then at 1 year, the bottle went away and we were left with the solids and adding in real milk.
Hope that helps. I remember being so confused and concerned about how the whole "eating" schedule was supossed to work out.
Good luck!
Do it as a snack right before his bedtime! It won't take more than 15 min. Make sure the formula or breastmilk is nice and warm before you mix in the cereal and give him a couple spoonfuls. His tummy will feel nice and full and he'll probably even sleep better. :)
As a childcare provider and mom of a 5 month old, I can say that it would be great if he could practice at home with you for alittle while, and then the nanny should be able to do that for you. I like having my baby eat when everyone eats, it works for us, so maybe after you know that you guys are comfortable with the solids, add a luch time feeding that the nanny could do, and go from there. It will be a good combination of both of you working for your sons best interest. I will say that my son just now got the hang of it, but I didnt really push it because my oldest 2 didnt eat solids until closer to 6 months. It was more time consuming and messy than I felt it was worth a month ago, but now he is great! Happy feeding!
I found that if I gave my daughter ceral/food before her bottle she would get very aggitated cause she was hungry, but if I gave it to her after she was too full. So I made a small bottle, mixed half of it with the cereal and then gave her 1-2 oz first and then fed her and it went much more smoothly. It was hard at first to find time in the mornings but once I got a schedule down it got better. I just had to get up a little earlier for my own preperation so I could spend more time with her. Even though I had a sitter come to my house it was still something we wanted to do on our own. I didn't do it just as snacks, I gave her her food at meal time. She just ate what she could and then had a bottle too. I didn't ever have to add any "extra" time to it. Good luck and keep the camera handy!! Trying new foods always produce great pics! ;o)
In our home we have stared all well 2 of them so far (7 weeks is a little young to start solids) in the evening before their bottle. If you feed them their bottle fist they may not make a very good attempt with the food, simply because it is a new thing and why would they want that when they just had their bottle. Evening is a good time generally because you have more time. If your son is not sleeping through the night yet you will find that feeding him in the evening is even better because it should cure that. Note of caution with fruits and veggies. Establish good eating with the vegetable before you offer fruit or you may find that he will refuse the vegetables.
Good Luck!
Everything I have read (and I did) has said to offer the bottle/nurse first, and then offer the solids right after wards. I don't think time of day should matter, but mornimg time seems like it would make more since because in the evenings would be "winding down" time. Maybe you can start this routine in the mornings on the weekend so you can see for yourself how he does, and then your nanny can can feed him too starting the following week. Because sooner or later, she is going to have to be the one to feed him during the day. Oh, start him on veggies only a good month or two before you introduce the fruits, because then he will only want the sweeter, more flavorful fruit, and if he already has a taste for the veggie, then he won't turn them down once you start the fruit.
