Transitioning from Formula to Solid Food

Honestly, I would hold off. If she's able to sleep that long of a clip at night then solids aren't needed yet. How's she growing? Is the doctor concerned about reflux? If she's keeping the formula down pretty good though and has a decent weight gain and a schedule you are happy with then there's no need to introduce solids just yet. Maybe if she starts to wake up earlier for her morning feeding you might want to start by giving her a little cereal at her evening before bed bottle. That's how I did it with all of my kids. Kept their bellies nice and full so they'd sleep better at night. No need to mess with what isn't broke right now and if she's growing and developing normally with no health concerns like reflux then hold off about a month and a half with the cereal.

I planned on waiting till 6 months but started my son on cerals at 5.5 months only because he was watching my husband and I eat like crazy. Which they say is a sign that the baby is ready. From day one he has eating like a champ - opens his mouth and gobbles it all up. I started with rice ceral mixed with formula or breast milk, 3 days later oatmeal. He stayed on that for 1.5 weeks 2x's a day alternating cerals. Next I introduced solids each one for 3 days in a row and everything that was tolerated goes into the mix as I'm still introducing so 1st was sweet potatos, than squash, carrots, apples, pears, bananas, green beans, peas and this weeks new foods are yogurt and mid week will be avacado. He is now 7.5 months old and eats 3 meals a day, breast feeds at least twice and bottles before each meal. For breakfast he gets oatmeal and a fruit, lunch is now yogurt or veggie and ceral, and dinner is always rice and veggie. The one thing I recommend is a bottle before the meal. Most of their nutrion will still come from formula in your case. Also, I make all my own baby food - all you need is a multi tiered steamer, food mill and/or food processor and containers to freeze the extras. I know exactly what he's getting everytime and no extra sugars or preservatives. It's a little time consuming but well worth the extra work for me. I do it two times a week and make enough of each thing to last 1 - 2 weeks.

Honestly I think she is too yong for solids, unless the formula is not enough? I do nto htink babies shoudl have soilds until after 6 moths as their systems ar enot ready for it, my son did not even ge this 1st cookie until 8 months (he gets cookies all the time, I just wanted him not on soilds)

Try not to beat yourself up about not being able to breast feed, you gave birth, you are working hard and she is growing and fine..look to the now. My son was a preemie..so I know the guilt..hang in there

Hi S.. Baby food isn't meant to replace a bottle its supposed to be to try out different flavors and textures w/ your baby so have fun w/ it and make sure you wait at least 3 days before introducing a new food. I would say rice or oatmeal cereal for awhile then around 6 months start introducing food slowly a few bites here a few bites there. Have fun.

Im sorry your doctor told you to introduce rice cereal now, because its much too early. A babies digestive system is not mature enough to handle solid food until at least 6 months of age. Introducing solid foods too early has been known to lead to food allergies, digestive problems and obesity.
So when your baby is 6 months old and ready for solids, add a meal of cereal into the rotation, dont replace a bottle feeding with a cereal feeding. Solids foods are a supplement to accommodate your childs growing appetite, not a replacement.

I agree with others that she is too young for solids yet - I don't know why peds. continue to tell people this is okay when even the AAP has said waiting till 6 months is best.

I would get the book "Super Baby Food" - it's like the bible of baby feeding and I have learned so much from it.

Hello S.. I haven't ever heard of starting a baby that early on rice cereal. I wouldn't do it if I were you. All the books say 6 months to start solids. Is there a reason why they said to start them on rice cereal? Also there have been studies that say that if you start you babies to early on solids that they might develop allergies. I guess what is the harm on waiting another month and a half. Also you need to remember that all the doctors give you is their professional opionion. You don't have to by any means follow their suggestions you need to do what is right for you and your infant. God has given us this great gift of intuition you should use it. I guess if you are really concerned about it and you really want a professional opinion go see a different peds. I know that when I get together with my group of friends of 9 they all have different doctors for their children and they all have different messages from their doctors. I think you have a great thing going with you infant. Know that they are only little once and that you will soon enough be feeding them solids I would just wait until they were 6 months before starting anything. Than when you do. What we did was started with the morning feeding. It was nice. She probably won't know what to think of it at first. but than she will get the hang of it. whatever you decide is the right way to go for you all. There is no right or wrong answers to raising a child we just really try to do the very best that we can as mothers. Let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

S.

Do not plan on the cereal taking over a meal anytime soon. It will be some time before most of it actually makes it in her mouth. And they say to give a child several tries on a certain food before giving up. But I tried rice cereal for five days and my son just did not like it. As soon as I switched to oat cereal he ate much better. But still time consuming. Start with the cereal very watery/milky and gradually add more cereal. You'll be fine. Don't be so h*** o* yourself. You are starting at a good time for practice. Let her try food first than still give a bottle.

I have heard that you can start them on cereal that early, but I don't think it's necessary or even the healthiest option. I breastfed our first daughter and was so excited to try solids that somewhere around 4 1/2 months we tried a bit of cereal- she wasn't that crazy about it and I decided I didn't feel like introducing something else into our lives yet! So I just kept breastfeeding until 6 mo. and then we started solids. I think at first I did some during the dinnertime feeding (first give the bottle, then try some cereal), then the breaksfast and dinner feeding...it's a gradual process. What I remember most is that as stressed as I was about trying to figure out the schedule it eventually just sort of happened and fell into place- my advice is to not overthink it!

Hi
At 4 and 1/2 months you don't need to worry about food. The rice cereal will stick to her ribs and if you give it to her in her bed time feeding that will help her sleep thru the night more. Some people don't even introduce that until 6 months! At 4.5 months a baby is not really ready to handle anything more than that anyway. When baby is about 7 month you could try feeding her rice cereal (they have a nice oatmeal banana flavor) and just gradually increase the thickness as she get the hang of food. The other good thing to introduce when baby is ready is dry cheerios and canned mandarin oranges (break them up a little) - But honestly you don't need to worry about this right now. More importantly NO WOMAN IS A FAILURE FOR NOT BREASTFEEDING!

Has your pedi said WHY he thinks it is time for solids? babies digestives systems are not yet fully developed at that age. Delaying solids until after six months allows them time to develop the correct digestive enzymes for more complex foods. There is also zero evidence that rice cereal will help a baby stay full loner or sleep longer. Introducing rice cereal atsix months, on a spoon not in a bottle gives them practice with spoons and with the motion or grinding their gums to chew and swallow-so different from the suck and swallow of a breast or bottle.
I would look at www.kellymom.com they have great advice for solids.Best of luck :)