Formula and solids

Goldsgirl9 · August 2013

I think I may be over thinking the whole food thing. Mr. C is 7 months and gets formula before solids. 4 bottles a day 8 oz in each (not that he always drinks it all). I give him a fruit or vegetable puree after 3 of his bottles. He may eat a few small bites or he may eat a decent amount but never 3-4oz in one sitting and sometimes refuses all together. Should I reduce the amount of formula in his bottles? When do you move to stage 2 foods?
Not sure why this whole solids thing is baffling to me.

WriterMama924 · August 2013

He's at the point where he doesn't have to have solids because he's getting everything he needs from the formula still. I would just keep offering it and let him eat however much he wants. Sometimes I'll use it to stretch out his time between bottles. Have you tried oatmeal or rice cereal instead of the fruit?

The fruit purees usually have an age guide. Gerber has supported sitter/sitter/crawler/toddler, but that doesn't always work because babies don't always do things in the same order. Other foods with stages 1-2-3-4 etc should say what ages the stages are for.

WriterMama924 · August 2013

When my LO was 5-6 months, he would eat a whole little jar of sweet potatoes, and now he's back to wanting only a few bites of stuff. Just let them dictate what they want as long as the formula is still coming.

You may want to try using his leftover formula from his bottle to mix into rice or oatmeal cereal. That's what I would do when DS wouldn't finish his bottle.

ASmallWonder · August 2013

Don't reduce the formula. Food before one is for fun and exposure to flavors and textures. It's not nutritionally necessary. Stage 2 foods are typically exactly like stage 1s except that they begin offering combos. As long as you don't have allergy concerns, you can move on to them.

Goldsgirl9 · August 2013

Very helpful ladies! Thank you.

ebp913 · August 2013

I just always tell everyone that motto of "food before 1 is just for fun"!

fusionbride · August 2013

have you tried spacing out the timing? I try to give solids about an hour after a bottle so baby isn't too hungry or too full.

otherwise, I agree with PPs-- don't reduce formula, and don't worry about not eating the solids. My LO didn't get very interested in solids until about 8 and a half months-- and now she's a good little eater.

At 7.5 months, if he is tolerating stage 1 foods, it is fine to try stage 2 and see if he likes the new texture.

aariana2000 · August 2013

So glad you posted this. I was wondering too.

BBhopes15 · August 2013

fusionbride said:

have you tried spacing out the timing? I try to give solids about an hour after a bottle so baby isn't too hungry or too full.
otherwise, I agree with PPs-- don't reduce formula, and don't worry about not eating the solids. My LO didn't get very interested in solids until about 8 and a half months-- and now she's a good little eater.
At 7.5 months, if he is tolerating stage 1 foods, it is fine to try stage 2 and see if he likes the new texture.

This! Today at my LO 9 mo appointment the ped said I can offer him solids before his bottle but to continue offering a bottle before naps and bedtime. Don't worry too much. I did and its not worth it. These LO do know what they are doing. Like some pp said, in the beginning he was having more solids now that he is 9 mo I'm lucky some times if he eats 2 oz. they change so much

hmontty · August 2013

This is coming from a puree mama (I know other moms like to depend more on table foods), from two kids:

I started stage 1 (Earth's Best, because it is delicious!) at about 5.5 months, one jar a day, moving up to two jars by 6 months.

I started stage 2 at 7 months of age and added breakfast. Currently my DS has 8 ounces of formula followed by a stage 2 jar (which he usually eats most of -- sometimes all, very rarely only a little) for breakfast...a stage 2 jar and an 8-ounce bottle at lunch...an 8-ounce bottle for afternoon snack....a stage 2 jar for dinner....and an 8-ounce bottle before bed. He always finishes his bottles and almost always the jars. Remember -- at this age, it is still more important that LO gets the bottle over the solids. This will start to shift around 10 or 11 months, as you start to think about weaning off formula and as LO gets more into table foods.

Also, you should think about introducing some crackers or puffs or Cheerios in small amounts at this stage, so your LO can start to practice self-feeding...after DS has eaten dinner, while the rest of the family is around the table eating, I will throw some puffs on his tray for him to play with while we eat.

I start stage 3 at 9 months...but only exclusively for a couple weeks, as I also start to really throw in table foods. With DD, by about 10.5 months, she was almost all table foods (although I liked the Earth's Best stage 3 jar of apples/oatmeal/cinnamon for breakfast, which I kept doing until she was over a year old).

That's my method. It worked well for DD and seems to be working for DS too.

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