Feeding menu for 6 month old

tezrick · May 2012

My daughter is nearly 6 months old and I am thininkg about starting her on solids. I went to Gerber.com and this is what it says to feed a supported sitter:

Morning feeding: 4oz. formula/breast milk
Breakfast: 4 tbps oatmeal + 2 tbps. fruit
Mid Morning feeding:4 oz. formula
Lunch: 4 oz. formula + 2 tbsp. veggies
Afternoon snack: 4 oz. formula + 2 tbsp. veggies
Dinner: 4 oz. formula + 4 tbsp. oatmeal + 2 tbsp. fruit
Evening feeding: 4 oz. formula

This seems like an awful lot to start with. Does anyone feed their baby a menu similar to this? I don't stuff my little one. : )

KBBH · May 2012

I would consult your Pedi, but we started our LO on solids around 4 months and we were told to do 2-3 TBSP of cereal and some veggie for dinner-ish only. Once you get through all the introductions (allergy tests, etc) then you add breakfast. My LO is now 5 months and 2 weeks and we are still just giving her dinner. She gets 2-3 TBSP of cereal and then 1/2 a container of whatever veggie we decide. She still drinks breast milk/formula. She gets about 6-7 oz every 4 hours.

That seems like a LOT of food...

savvyash · May 2012

I saw that menu on gerber too. Way to scary for me. We started giving solids 3-4 times a week at first. Then i worked up to 5-6 times a week. This is mainly due to us learning how to work it into our evening routine (he is fussy as soon as we get home from daycare). Also I felt like I wanted to give each new fruit / vegetable myself to see his reaction (excitement, dislike, allergic reaction.) We are still working our way through the list of what's available. I think I will start giving a whole container (stage 1) at dinner and send one to DC for lunch in the next week or so.

bmcapra · May 2012

We just started DS on solids a week ago Sunday. He still has a little oatmeal for breakfast, then a solid for lunch and dinner. I am only doing one solid at a time (every 3 days) since food allergies run very high in my family.

The menu you posted makes me nervous. I have always read that formula/BM should be their main food source and solids should not replace them this early on. DS eats 7 oz 5 times a day.

authorofdreamz · May 2012

I saw that the other day too and it is similar to what WIC told me (only they said less formula) but it seems like way too much and I have no idea how to work that many feedings into our day. What we do is this:

8am- 6oz bottle
11am- 1 1/2 TBSP oatmeal with 1/3 a container of fruit
12pm- 4-5oz bottle
4pm- 6oz bottle
6:30pm- 1/2 container veggie
8pm- 6oz bottle

I tried giving DD a little bit more food because she definitely wants it but the she started not drinking as much formula so I cut back. If I fed DD according to that menu there's no way I could get her to take enough formula.

Lara0802 · May 2012

DD is 6 months old today, and we've been feeding solids since 4 months. We originally started with 1x per day with just oatmeal, then 2x, then introduced fruits and veggies one at a time. But, I think it's different when you start at 4 months vs. 6 months. The pedi told me that at 4 months I could introduce foods, but to do it slowly. If I were to have waited until 6 months, they are more comfortable with a quicker introduction, meaning multiple times per day.

Our schedule now is roughly:

7 am - 6 oz. formula and 1-2 Tbsp oatmeal and 1-2 Tbsp fruit

11 am - 6 oz. formula and possibly a Mum Mum cracker

1 pm - pouch of fruit/veggie combo (they have the squeezable pouches and they have carrot and pear or sweet potato and apple or banana and pumpkin, etc.), plus I sometimes give her 1-2 Tbsp of oatmeal or some puffs

3 pm - 6 oz. formula

6 pm - 2 Tbsp veggie, 2 Tbsp fruit, plus maybe some puffs or cracker to play with while we're eating....

7:30 pm - 8 oz. formula and she STTN.

We are now starting to introduce BLW with solids, so instead of pureed veggie, I'll just give her chunks of veggies and fruit, and we'll gradually introduce other foods. Mostly, this is at dinner, since we don't have time in the morning, but if we do, I'll give her some chunks of banana with her oatmeal. Once we're comfortable with some solids, I'll let daycare feed her those as well.

JMC11511 · May 2012

Our pediatrician gave us the green light for solids yesterday. So we will be starting it "for real" tonight. We tried at 4 months and his eczema flared up so we decided to wait a little longer. Anyhow, she suggested that we do rice cereal for 3-4 weeks, starting with one feeding a day and working up to three feedings a day. Once he's at 3 feedings of rice cereal (in addition to a liquid feeding of breastmilk), then introduce baby food one thing at a time. She also said to do one thing for 5-7 days, watch for a reaction, then move on to the next. And she said to start with green, then yellow, then orange. So that's what we plan on doing. Good luck!

adri77 · May 2012

I believe they are pushing that amount of food bc they want you to buy buy buy their food! That does not sound like nearly enough milk for a baby, who, I believe, should be still getting most of their nutritional needs met through bm or formula.

anamandelli · May 2012

I started with solids 2 weeks ago. I do a new one every saturday (I would like to be the one who gives it to her for the first time)...we are not in a rush since she is not even 6 months old yet. We have had bananas and sweet potatos. Next will be a green one (I guess sweet peas). She did not like the cereal...so we skipped that.

I always give it to her in the evening when we get home (in between feedings). She eats just a little bit and she keeps getting 5 or 6 6oz bottles a day (She STTN)

KBBH · May 2012

adri77:
I believe they are pushing that amount of food bc they want you to buy buy buy their food! That does not sound like nearly enough milk for a baby, who, I believe, should be still getting most of their nutritional needs met through bm or formula.

I agree. Especially since we are following what the Pedi said, this seems like Gerber whoring out their product.

abheino · May 2012

authorofdreamz:

I saw that the other day too and it is similar to what WIC told me (only they said less formula) but it seems like way too much and I have no idea how to work that many feedings into our day. What we do is this:

8am- 6oz bottle
11am- 1 1/2 TBSP oatmeal with 1/3 a container of fruit
12pm- 4-5oz bottle
4pm- 6oz bottle
6:30pm- 1/2 container veggie
8pm- 6oz bottle

I tried giving DD a little bit more food because she definitely wants it but the she started not drinking as much formula so I cut back. If I fed DD according to that menu there's no way I could get her to take enough formula.

Maybe this is a dumb question, but do you mix the oatmeal and fruit together or do you feed them separately (i.e. oatmeal first and then fruit)? We're just doing oatmeal right now and haven't tried purees yet so that's why I ask...

KBBH · May 2012

abheino:
authorofdreamz:

I saw that the other day too and it is similar to what WIC told me (only they said less formula) but it seems like way too much and I have no idea how to work that many feedings into our day. What we do is this:

8am- 6oz bottle
11am- 1 1/2 TBSP oatmeal with 1/3 a container of fruit
12pm- 4-5oz bottle
4pm- 6oz bottle
6:30pm- 1/2 container veggie
8pm- 6oz bottle

I tried giving DD a little bit more food because she definitely wants it but the she started not drinking as much formula so I cut back. If I fed DD according to that menu there's no way I could get her to take enough formula.

Maybe this is a dumb question, but do you mix the oatmeal and fruit together or do you feed them separately (i.e. oatmeal first and then fruit)? We're just doing oatmeal right now and haven't tried purees yet so that's why I ask...

You can do either. You usually make the oatmeal or cereal with either breast milk or formula. Some people then mix in some of the fruit or veggie and feed it together. I personally don't. I give a little bit of this, a little bit of that, etc. I may put some on the spoon and then dip into the veggie or whatever. I think it really depends on what your LO prefers.

alyss0nl · May 2012

tezrick:
My daughter is nearly 6 months old and I am thininkg about starting her on solids. I went to Gerber.com and this is what it says to feed a supported sitter:

Morning feeding: 4oz. formula/breast milk
Breakfast: 4 tbps oatmeal + 2 tbps. fruit
Mid Morning feeding:4 oz. formula
Lunch: 4 oz. formula + 2 tbsp. veggies
Afternoon snack: 4 oz. formula + 2 tbsp. veggies
Dinner: 4 oz. formula + 4 tbsp. oatmeal + 2 tbsp. fruit
Evening feeding: 4 oz. formula

This seems like an awful lot to start with. Does anyone feed their baby a menu similar to this? I don't stuff my little one. : )

This is similar to my LO's schedule.

5:45am- 6oz bottle

8:30am- 2.5oz of fruit or veggies, whatever DCP gives him

9:30am- 6oz bottle

Somewhere between 11am- 12:15- 3oz bottle and 2.5oz of fruit or veggies

2:30pm- 6oz bottle

5:00pm- 6oz bottle and 2.5oz of fruit

8:00pm- 6oz bottle

ArcadianDreams · May 2012

My pedi suggested starting with just two meals a day and adding in the third when he is ready to start finger foods.

Remember Gerber's menu is designed to help sell Gerber products. They should not be considered the authority here.

mben1119 · May 2012

Food (solids) before one are for fun! Once or twice a day is plenty at this point...they're just trying to get moms to buy more so they can make more money.

smilelari · May 2012

LO's approx schedule is (varies significantly because she's fed on demand):

4:00 a.m. - nurse

6:30 a.m. - nurse

3-4 5 oz bottles at daycare

5:30 (or whenever we get home) - nurse

6:00 - solids (whatever I grab to hand her from our dinner)

7:00 - nurse to sleep

So breastmilk 7-8 times per day (sometimes more if she wakes more at night) and solids once (no specific amount)

authorofdreamz · May 2012

abheino:
Maybe this is a dumb question, but do you mix the oatmeal and fruit together or do you feed them separately (i.e. oatmeal first and then fruit)? We're just doing oatmeal right now and haven't tried purees yet so that's why I ask...

I mix the fruit with the oatmeal. I didn't want to give her just fruit by itself because I am worried that once she has it she wont want to eat veggies anymore, that is what my nephew did. You definitely don't have to that is just what I choose to do.

abheino · May 2012

authorofdreamz:
abheino:

Maybe this is a dumb question, but do you mix the oatmeal and fruit together or do you feed them separately (i.e. oatmeal first and then fruit)? We're just doing oatmeal right now and haven't tried purees yet so that's why I ask...

I mix the fruit with the oatmeal. I didn't want to give her just fruit by itself because I am worried that once she has it she wont want to eat veggies anymore, that is what my nephew did. You definitely don't have to that is just what I choose to do.

Thanks!

sunshine825 · May 2012

mabenner1:
Food (solids) before one are for fun! Once or twice a day is plenty at this point...they're just trying to get moms to buy more so they can make more money.

exactly!

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