Help..Opinion on feeding (sorry kinda long)

first-time-mama

Ok..My aunt was telling me tonight that I should be giving Noah some cereal before bed.  I didnt think he needed it.. (some nights I do but some nights I dont..Depends on how late his supper is..She was saying that her dr had told her when her son was a baby (like 10 yrs ago)  That if you dont feed your child enough that their stomach can shrink and cause problems when they are older.  I think he eats plenty.  WDYT... He is almost 8 months:

Morning (7-730)-  Cereal (3-4tbs depending on the morning)

then bottle (5oz)

3 hours later has another bottle (which is usually after his morning nap)

Lunch(between 1230-2) depends on our day.  (if its longer he will have a bottle before he eats..) (bottle of veggies (4.5oz) and half of bottle of fruit then usually a bottle

Then he has afternoon nap  He usually will eat the same amount for supper.  He usually has supper between 430-6 (again depends on the day)  if lunch is later supper is later.

But he always has 5 5oz bottles between feedings.  He sleeps all night (8pm - 7-730am)  Seems fine to me..But we were at her house tonight adn she was saying I should give him some cereal before bed.  But he just had his supper at like 530. 

Sorry so long..But she got me worried.  Thank ladies

 

Liss_37

Your aunt doesn't know what she's talking about. You don't need to give your baby cereal before bed.

dawneo

Sounds like very dated advice to me.

*chris-erin*

first-time-mama:

Ok..My aunt was telling me tonight that I should be giving Noah some cereal before bed.  I didnt think he needed it.. (some nights I do but some nights I dont..Depends on how late his supper is..She was saying that her dr had told her when her son was a baby (like 10 yrs ago)  That if you dont feed your child enough that their stomach can shrink and cause problems when they are older.  I think he eats plenty.  WDYT... He is almost 8 months:

Morning (7-730)-  Cereal (3-4tbs depending on the morning)

then bottle (5oz)

3 hours later has another bottle (which is usually after his morning nap)

Lunch(between 1230-2) depends on our day.  (if its longer he will have a bottle before he eats..) (bottle of veggies (4.5oz) and half of bottle of fruit then usually a bottle

Then he has afternoon nap  He usually will eat the same amount for supper.  He usually has supper between 430-6 (again depends on the day)  if lunch is later supper is later.

But he always has 5 5oz bottles between feedings.  He sleeps all night (8pm - 7-730am)  Seems fine to me..But we were at her house tonight adn she was saying I should give him some cereal before bed.  But he just had his supper at like 530. 

Sorry so long..But she got me worried.  Thank ladies

 

WTF, thats the weridest think i ever heard of.....you do what you feels best but i don't think your aunt is right

first-time-mama

Thank you..I needed to hear that..Because I honestly feel he is eating enough...I know he is in the low end of the scale ... But that is because he didnt gain weight for the first 2 months of his life..He had surgery at when he turned 7 weeks old..and has been gaining since..but he is still little..but the Dr seemed to be happy .. So I think I will just ignore her comments

Abinormal

My daughter is also little. She was only 6 lbs 4 oz and lost some weight and then had trouble gaining in the beginning, because of breastfeeding issues.

Now, she has 4, 6 oz bottles a day (24 oz total) and three solid meals, 4 oz of fruit w/oatmeal for breakfast, 2-4 oz of veggie at lunch and 4 oz of a mixed meat and veggie/fruit for dinner. She's gaining weight, is on track for her size (has stayed in the 25th percentile) and STTN without any issues.

If your son wasn't STTN, then I could see giving him something before he goes to bed. Since he is STTN, then I would assume that he's getting plenty of food during the day and is just fine.

ladyalmalthea

Just tell her you're following your doctor's advice if she brings it up again. She doesn't have to know you didn't talk to your doc about it

nadiarl

first-time-mama:

Thank you..I needed to hear that..Because I honestly feel he is eating enough...I know he is in the low end of the scale ... But that is because he didnt gain weight for the first 2 months of his life..He had surgery at when he turned 7 weeks old..and has been gaining since..but he is still little..but the Dr seemed to be happy .. So I think I will just ignore her comments

Don't worry about it. DD gets a little spoonful of food a day (if I get around to it, started at 6 mo.) at most. Otherwise it is just breastmilk and she's 20 lbs, so evening cereal has nothing to do with it. You're right to ignore her, that "stomach shrinking" think is laughably false.

Smileygirl75

Our nurse told us to think of it this way...

Would you want to eat a big steak dinner right before bed?  Or would you likely feel bloated and distended?.  Feed them well (as appropriate) during the day, but don't stuff them before bed.

So far it's worked for us.  DD gets a final 7 or 8 oz's before bed and consistently sleeps for 10-11 hours.

Good luck!

BrideBuddies

Gerber's website has a nice interactive menu planner.  Of course, it wants you to use Gerber brand foods, but it does help to get an idea if your kid is eating enough and getting enough variety, etc.