4/15/11

What and how much do I feed my baby? Let's Chat...

So... there comes a time in everyone's life when they have to make decisions for their children (I mean, really that list is SERIOUSLY LONG).  Anyhow one of the decisions and things that you we have to choose and decide is how you're going to feed your baby.  I mean, even from the very start, choosing to breastfeed your baby or give them formula is a decision (and NOT ALWAYS AN EASY ONE).  Once your baby is old enough to start solids... a whole new world of questions pop up. 


Make it?  Buy it?  (standby for a 'let's chat' about MAKING baby food)  What do I feed him/her?  How much?  Do they still get milk/formula?  How much?  I mean... the list is CRAZY!!  Bottom line is, THIS is another one of those personal decisions tha tyou have to figure out which works best for YOU and YOUR FAMILY.  There is no right or wrong answers (as long as your baby is getting the nutrients that they need).  Soooo... I did some research... and here's what I found...

(For the MOST part)Here's what was said about milk/formula/food per day:
*THANKS TO BABYCENTER.COM FOR MOST OF THE INFO (great site if you're preggers or no someone who is ;-)*

*rule of thumb* offer your baby 2.5oz/pound of body weight... sooooo, if your baby weighs 6lbs, offer 15oz in a 24hr period.

Birth-4months: 
Breastmilk or formula ONLY (digestive track is still developing)

4-6months:
Breastmilk or formula
Cereal (rice should be the first one you try... then you can try barley or oat)- you use the formula or breastmilk in the cereal

6-8months:
Breastmilk or formula
Cereal (3-9 tablespoons in 2 to 3 feedings)
Fruits (pureed or  strained) (1 teaspoon fruit and gradually increase to 1/4-1/2 cup in 2-3 feedings)
Vegetables (pureed or strained) (1 teaspoon vegetable and gradually increase to 1/4-1/2 cup in 2-3 feedings)
*Remember that when you're introducing new foods, it is a good idea to offer them the same new food 3 days in a row to check for allergies.*

8-10months:
Breastmilk or formula
Small amounts of pasteurized cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese (but no cows' milk until age1) (1/4-1/3 cup)
Cereal (1/4-1/2 cup/day)
Fruits (mashed/chopped)  (1/4-1/2 cup/day)
Vegetables (mashed/chopped)  (1/4-1/2 cup/day)
Finger Foods
Small amounts of protein  (1/8-1/4 cup/day)
Non-citrus juice (apple/pear) (3-4 oz)

10-12months:
Breastmilk or formula
Cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese (1/3 cup)
Cereal  (1/4-1/2 cup/day)
Fruit  (1/4-1/2 cup/day)
Vegetables  (1/4-1/2 cup/day)
Combo Foods (mac n cheese)  (1/8-1/4 cup/day)
Protein  (1/8-1/4 cup/day)
Finger Foods
Non citrus juice  (3-4oz)

So... does this look like what you did?  Well, I can HONESTLY say not me :-(... don't get me wrong, it was close buuuuuut, I'm not sure my kids were getting THAT balanced of a meal/sitting.  Well, they've turned out alright so far...

Just thought this info could be helpful to new mommies.  Anyone out there have anything else to add?  Any other good feeding tips/advice?  Please share!!
Let's Chat...

1 comment:

  1. So, this is something that totally hits home for me right now. My little guy turns 6 months next week and we are having LOTS of fun experimenting with baby foods. :-)

    I have to admit that I did a lot of research on this topic before starting a meal regime with him. At our 4 month check up, my pediatrician said he looked ready to start with baby foods. I asked for advice on transitioning form nursing every 3-4 hours to 3 meals a day. He suggested that I introduce one meal at a time. I started with dinner. He then suggested nursing after each meal to ensure that he is eating enough. Well, playing with the schedule and figuring out what works, we now successfully have three meals a day. I still nurse 4 times a day. Once after breakfast, once mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and at night before bed. The after lunch nursing was quickly stopped by my son. He just wasn't interested at all.

    Now as far as foods go, that was a struggle for me also. I'm a nurse and can be a skeptical of research depending on who does it. So, I decided to follow the guidelines by the American Academy of Pediatrics in their book The Complete and Authoritative Guide: Caring for Your Baby and Young Child- Birth to Age 5. They suggested introducing cereal first, but then meats. Meat tends to be high in protein and iron which are very important for brain development. So, I give a meat (Beech and Nut makes a good beginner one) mixed with a vegetable at both lunch and dinner. We do cereal in the morning mixed with fruit.

    It's been working well, but my little guy has had problems with constipation since we really got going with the feeding schedule (about four weeks ago). My opinion is that he's getting too much iron. I think I might cut out the cereal in the morning and alternate the meat at lunch. I would rather the iron come from the meat. In my opinion, it's a better source than the cereal due to the other nutrients in it. However, I still think cereal is a good thing for babies. Maybe one day do fruit and veggie and the next do meat and a veggie. It's like handy house mom said, I've got to figure out what works for me.

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