Opinon of Other Moms

my boy is 11 months old. at nine months this was his routine:
7 am bottle (8oz)
9 am breakfast (rice cereal with fruit)
10 am nap
11 am bottle (8 oz)
12 noon Lunch (meats and veggies)
2 pm nap
4 pm bottle (8 oz)
5 pm dinner (meats and veggies)
6:30 pm bath
7 pm bottle with rice cereal in it (8 oz) book and sleep by 7:30
Hope this helps!!!!!

L.,

Each child is different my younger one started eating baby food at 2months, I couldn't bottle feed or breast feed her enough. There shouldn't be a problem with adding baby food or some real food to their diet. I would start with mushed things until they use to chewing their food. Also try one new food a week so you can keep an eye out for allergies.

Hope this helps.

K.

Mothers in law always have their own opinion! LOL

Check with the pediatrition and be comfortable in that. If not, get a second opinion with another dr.

Unless your mother in law is a doctor, take her opinion with a grain of salt. Just because you're a "first time mom" doesnt mean you're clueless!

My mother in law has 9 kids... so imagine all the "opinions" *I* get.

Hang in there!!

(previous post about gerber.com is excellent... also check babycenter.com)

My daughter is almost 9mos old now, and she doesn't have any teeth yet, so we have to stick to soft foods. In addition to the schedule below, I let her taste anything I'm eating if it's soft enough, and I sometimes give her frozen fruit slices in her mesh bag feeder, to help her gums (they seem to get sore sometimes). She likes cooked rice. Here's her feeding schedule:

Wake up: 6oz formula

8:30-9a: 2oz formula mixed with cereal to thicken, then I dump in a stage 2 fruit jar and give to her, followed by 2oz formula to wash it down

12p: 1 meat+veggie (either the pre-mixed ones or I mix about 1/3 of a meat with a stage 2 jar of veggies), plus 1 jar stage 2 fruit. After eating, she gets to play with self-feeding, and starting on the solid, non-pureed foods - cut up fruit, very small (yesterday she had watermelon and steamed pears). Also some of the Gerber cereal puffs, and sometimes a teething biscuit. She doesn't get a whole lot of this down, but it's good for her to practice with non-pureed food :), followed by 2oz formula to wash it down. Of course, you have to watch very carefully while they're eating this stuff.

3:00p: 4oz formula

5-6p: 1 meat+veggie (either the pre-mixed ones or I mix about 1/3 of a meat jar with a stage 2 jar of veggies), plus 1 jar stage 2 fruit. Because she gets a bath after dinner, she gets to play with using her Lil' Dipper by Gerber. After eating, she gets to play with self-feeding and starting on the solid, non-pureed foods - cut up fruit, very small (yesterday she had watermelon and steamed pears). Also some of the Gerber cereal puffs, and sometimes a teething biscuit. Of course, you have to watch very carefully while they're eating this stuff.

Bedtime (usually 6:30to7:30p): 4oz formula

Hope this helps.

Hi L.

My dughter just turned 9 months yesterday. This is her daily feeding schedule:

7:30am - Fruit with Oatmeal
9:30/10am - 8oz of Formula
12:30/1pm - Veggie and Fruit (size 2 Gerber container)
3:30/4pm - 8oz Formula
6:30/7pm - Veggie and Fruit (size 2 Gerber container)
8:30/9pm - 8oz Formula before bed

Hope this helps a little. My daughter is right on target with weight etc. She also loves to eat, so it make it a lot easier. Best of luck!

My son is 10 months old I have been feeding him the stage 1 veggies like carrots, sqaush, peas, sweet potatoes and fruits like bananas, applesauce, pears, peaches, and prunes. I have just recently started him on the stage two fruits and veggies. Also I am trying to get him to eat the stage 1 meats like chicken and gravy, turkey and gravey, and beef and gravy. The only way he will eat those is if I take half a spoonful of fruit and the meat on the spoon together. I also know that my pediatrician said babies should still get their formula due to the fact that it has the extra nutriens and vitamins that they need and can't get from baby food alone. She said too many people are in a rush to get their kids only eating and drinking milk instead of formula and that all babies need formula at least until they are 12 months.

L., I am a twin and I know my Mom had a time with us. Don't let your Mother-in-law get you down. She is probably only trying to help. However if your girls are on formula they are fine. If they are eating the first bits of babyfood they are fine as well. If you are truly concerned ask yourself this. Are they full when fed? Is the Dr. concerened with their weight? Do they look healthy? If you have concerns talk to your pediatrician and he will tell you exactly what you need to know.

Hi L.,
My name is B. and I have a 38 week old she is almost 9 months and although people in our lives what to be helpful in their suggestions, ultimately you know what is best for your child. Noelani is my first and only child that I will have. I feed her according to her doctor and the Gerber suggestions. She is right on target with weight and nutrition. I would suggest look at gerber.com and see if what you are feeding both of them is according or similar to their program. Hope this helps.

I'm a big believer of demand feeding. Worked with my daughter. I could tell if it was a hungry cry, a change me cry or something else. She's never been on a schedule, and it's worked... Everyone kept asking me what time she eats- and were shocked that I couldn't tell them.

And before any mom out there says that it only works for SAHMs, I work 40 hours a week outside the home.

When it comes to the foods they eat, try not to compare them to others to much. Kids develop eating habits as they go and as their body is ready. At nine months the majority of their vitimans are still coming from formula. In our household we tried one new veggie and one new fruit a week. We started them at the start of the week (monday) so that if he had any allergies we could go to the doctor. Just introduce a little bit at a time. By nine months my son was eating 2 jars of food for lunch and 2 for dinner (but he was a very big baby). But dont stress, they are getting enough food. They will let you know if they are hungry.

L., you can introduce her to table food slowly. If you have a blender or food processor, you can use one of those to prepare food for her needs. Most older infants will gladly eat what the rest of the family is eating. This will save you a lot of money as baby food is NOT cheap! One thing I can tell you that didn't work too well for us is giving them french fries before they're able to chew really good and have teeth. We had to do the heimlich a couple of times with two of our kids. Whoops!

Also, just like a couple of people have suggested, check with your pediatrician. There's a good article at this site on this topic.

http://www.mothering.com/articles/growing_child/food/kitc...

As far as MIL, let her know you appreciate her advice and tell her you'll take it into consideration, but that you may decide to do something different.

L.,
By nine mos. I cut up grapes and little pieces of cheese for my daughter (took the skin off the grapes). I also gave her YO Baby yogurt, she loved it. We made our own baby food like boiled cinnamon apples and pears I would mix with baby cereal. You can also microwave a sweet potato and let them at it. Making your own food really is not that hard, its better for them and cheaper. We also gave her pasta noodles by now, fish, anything she could pick up and easily chew. Hope this helps.
V., Mother of one crazy 2 year old!

Hi L.,
I have a 9 month old son, almost 10. I am a little confused with what to do with his schedule and foods to feed him but all I can say is that he doesn't drink as much milk as he used to. He seems to want to eat everything else people are eating. I feed him stage 3 baby food and table food. When it comes to the table food I don't feed him much, just off my plate and the parts that are not to spicy. I want him to drink his milk so what I have been doing lately is using 4 oz of formula with a full jar of vegetable stage 3 baby food. He loves it and it definitely fills him up. I feed him formula with cereal in the morning and a snack before lunch meals, about 1pm or so I try to give him his baby food then another snack by afternoon. Honestly, don't listen to anyone but your babies. They know when they are hungry and what is satisfying them. Everyone has their own way. The Doctor told me I can give him table food except spicy, eggs, and ketchup...he says it may bother his stomach and acids. Hope this helps.

I agree with the Mom that suggested the gerber website -- beechnut is another choice. (They break it down by fruits, veggies, protein, dairy, etc... so you don't necessarily have to use their food.)
My daughter (10 mos on Monday!) drinks between 20-24 oz of formula a day. She has 4-6 oz bottle feedings a day, but doesn't always finish those.
I usually wait an hour before putting her in her chair to feed her food. Lately she's decided not to eat her 1/4 C. rice cereal and 1/2 container of Stage 2 fruits (usually prunes for regularity!) I fed her a piece of toast, buttered, cut into strips with the crusts removed. She loved it! (She does have 6 teeth.)
Lunch is now 1/2 string cheese stick (this fills the 1/2 oz dairy recommendation from the above website charts), shredded meat pieces or low sodium lunch meat (depending on what I have on hand, ie chicken, turkey, or beef), and half of a Mott's no sugar added applesauce cup. I also give her some stage 2 veggies (1/2 jar +?).
Snack is some juice in a sippy cup and an arrowroot cookie.
Dinner is now a Stage 3 mixed dinner, leftover veggie from lunch and a fruit.
My little one loves Cheerios any time. They are wonderful for keeping her occupied so that my husband and I can eat, too.
My MIL don't interfere, in fact, it was my Mom that I had to tell that I'm just following current research and the pediatrician's advice. As long as they're healthy and on track for growth... THAT's what matters!
Good luck!

There is this really great book called Blender Baby Food, you can get it a Books a Million. It gives you all kinds of recipes for each month starting at 6 months and going up to 12 months. The other great thing about it is that everything can be made in the blender and you can experiment with textures and flavors to accomidate you daugters tastes. As far as your mother in law, just be frank with her. Tell her you appreciate her advise but these are your daugters and you are doing what you think is best for them.

Follow the advice of your pediatrician. The other moms here have also given great advice. And I have the MIL from Hell, so I totally know what you're going through with that. Hang in there and don't think you have to listen to her just because she has raised kids before. She had her way of doing things and you have yours. And things have changed over the years, so things she may have done back then might not necessarily be good to do now. If in doubt, always ask your pediatrician!