We just started giving Joshua his rice cereal yesterday and he seemed to like it. Today he was not so in to it.

My question is...how to blend this with his other feedings, which are still formula bottles. Right now, he normally eats 5 times a day, about 3-4 hours a part, and he will drink 4-5 oz of formula, with 6 tsp of rice cereal to thicken it.

Thanks!!

It has been awhile for us as the last kid we actually had who ate is now 4 years old...LOL Iain never ate cereal, actually, he never really ate at all so I am trying to think of what we did with Curran....

Curran had a voracious appetite and we just gave him cereal with breakfast, lunch and dinner until it was time to move onto purees then we offerd both cereal and purees. I know we have a food guidline here somewhere so I will go and hunt it up on this site.

Here is one link to take a peek at, but I think you want to know more than this, right? Let me know and I shall hunt again, ok?:-D


http://www.infantrefluxdisease.com/feedingtips.htm

Actually, if Joshua's feedings are thickened with rice cereal, then there really is no need to give them by spoon, per our GI. We just gave baby food when her formula was thickened. You might want to start with some mild veggies or fruits, instead of adding more cereal to his diet. Check with your ped. if you are unsure of this.

I was wondering this myself as we started rice from a spoon yesterday - 5 months + 1 day old. He liked it! He also has rice in his bottle so we know he tolerates it but I consider it practice/fun time so as to not get too stressed. I am trying my VERY hardest not to get stressed over this.

I have officially decided to start with just one meal a day - it will be at his second feeding. So today he had probably 1/2 tbsp before he got cranky and I gave him is bottle to follow up. He took 4 more ounces when he would normally take anywhere from 5-7. So I don't really know how to gage. I was thinking about giving him some more at dinner because we had fun, but decided to just let him sit in his highchair instead with a toy.

See how hard I am trying to make sure he has fun with meals??? I am NOT going to stress about this. I swear I am not.

But I consider this mostly practice for a few weeks. I think I won't start other things until 6 months - but we will see. If he really starts going for it I might change my mind. He really chewed on the spoon and did grab it and pull it into his mouth so I do think he is ready.

After 1 week to 10 days I will start a second meal, then same time frame a thrid....then we will be at 3 meals a day and approx 3-4 weeks from now. The plan is to also make it thicker and thicker as time goes on to the point where the rice is almost lumpy. Then we could start the veggies. If he can sort of mash/chew and swallow the lumpy rice instead of just shooting it straight down his throat then he should be able to try veggies that aren't perfectly pureed. Something from the dinner table for example mashed well with a fork. I am going to make all my own because he has food allergies.

I have a lot riding on starting solids. I am praying he will stop vomiting as much. I know - NO PRESSURE!! NO STRESS!! But he didn't spit up the solids he ate today..................

This may be more than what you wanted but so far this is my plan......from a first time mom.

Good luck

I was wondering this myself as we started rice from a spoon yesterday - 5 months + 1 day old. He liked it! He also has rice in his bottle so we know he tolerates it but I consider it practice/fun time so as to not get too stressed. I am trying my VERY hardest not to get stressed over this.

I have officially decided to start with just one meal a day - it will be at his second feeding. So today he had probably 1/2 tbsp before he got cranky and I gave him is bottle to follow up. He took 4 more ounces when he would normally take anywhere from 5-7.

Thanks, Meg! I decided to try the cereal when he seems to be the most hungry, and that is normally his 2nd feed of the day. So, today I did rice cereal, then followed it up with a 3 oz bottle. (He normally has a 4-5 oz bottle.) That seemed to go well.

Right now, I'm just trying to get him used to eating with the spoon and get him in the habit of having it each day. Joshua is almost 5 months old - on the 1st, that is.

Let me know how he takes to it. I think PJ could give or take it. He dives for the spoon but looks away most of the time. Today I had his bottle ready and sitting in eyesight. I swear he started crying when he saw it. Like why are you making me work this hard?? It also seems like what I thought was a mashing on the spoon may have been a sucking on the spoon?? So I am definetly going to stick to one meal a day until I can tell he likes it. He seems to end his feeding session by crying out, no tears just a yell. I think just out of frustration?

I wonder if I should skip a few days....and try again later?

Good luck!!