Conference moira::parenting_v3

    Sheryl,
    
    Steven (16 mos) has ALWAYS had a big appetite.  He's been off
    the "charts" until last month.  He's almost 27 lbs and 
    34 inches long  I too was concerned at the amount of food 
    he was eating and asked my doctor about it.
    
    Since Steven's weight and height were appropriate, the doctor
    said to feed him as much as he wants to eat.  He'll stop when
    he is full.  More importantly, if he doesn't want any more
    of what is on his plate, don't force him.  Show him that it's
    okay to have food left on his plate.
    
    I'm sorry that I can't help you on exact amounts for a 7 month
    old, it seems like years ago when Steven was that little.
    
    Linda
    
    

    My son, Sam, is 8 months old.  He has passed muster on all the cereals
    (rice, barley, oatmeal - no wheat until yr. old per doctor), and loves
    yams, sweet potatoes, carrots and squash.  He's still making up his
    mind on bananas.  Peas and green beans didn't go over at all at 7 1/2
    months, so I'm going to try introducing them again this next week. 
    After he gets the hang of bananas...applesauce.  Quantities?  I'm
    learning to give him as much as he wants - he's big on cereal, usually
    a cup or so.  The other solids - 1/4 - 1/2 cup is usually what he
    wants. I usually warm up a certain quantity and then dish out of that
    to another container to feed him out of.  If he wants more, then I
    scoop out more for the 1st container (this way I don't put unwanted
    food that has been in contact with his saliva back in the fridge - per
    pediatricians).  Like note 1.1 said, let your child be your guide.
    
    A new mom - and LOVING IT!!!

    
    Sheryl,
    
    Tanner is now 7 months also.  I can give you an average day of foods,
    but it changes all the time, especially when he is going through a
    grwoth spurt.  I can just tell he is going through one now, in the past 
    day or two that he has eaten
    twice the amount at dinner than he usually does.  I let him guide me on
    the amounts.  He very willingly takes food when he is hungry, but when
    he starts slowing down, or not readily opening his mouth for the spoon,
    I can kinda tell he's all done.
    
    Bottle when he wakes up - 2-6 oz depending on mood
    breakfast - Baby cereal mixed with approx 2oz formula, and 1 4oz jar of
    fruit.
    mid morning snack (after nap) - this could be maybe 4 oz of a bottle, or
    a couple of grahm crackers, peices of banana, etc.
    lunch -  1/2 container of yogurt and 1 4oz jar of veggies, milk from
    sippie cup
    early afternoon - whatever he will drink from a bottle before nap (this
    ranges from nothing to 6 oz!)
    mid afternoon snack (after nap) - same as mid morning snack
    Dinner - Baby cereal mixed with formula, 1/2 jar of veggies, 1/2 jar of
    fruit, bites of what we are having, milk from cup.
    
    Now, this is very general.  The other night for supper he finished
    BOTH jars of baby food, it changes every day!!!!
    
    If you are really concerned, check with your pedi and she what he/she
    thinks and where your baby is on the scale.  Each child is so
    different, I know that Spencer ate much more at that age than Tanner
    does..(if I remember correctly!)  But Tanner is fine on the growth
    charts according to our pedi.
    
    elizabeth
     
    
    

    P.S.  As far as when to feed - my doctor advised starting off with
    meals twice a day and gradually work up to three times - this is
    outside of his nursing from me/taking the bottle - so total, he eats
    about six times a day.  My doctor said about 10-12 months, depending
    upon teeth and when a child is less likely to choke, he can start
    snack foods like cheerios, crackers, biscuits, chunky fruits, etc.
    
    Regards,
    
    Minden

    Hi -
    
    This too has confused me for a couple of months.  Stuart is 9 months
    and if I remember at 7 months he started becoming very interested in
    what we had on the table.  He hated Applesauce, bananas, mostly
    everything, I was at a loss.  Finally he started eating cereal for my
    daycare and he *liked* it.  I don't think he really loves anything yet,
    except those chereos which I hated giving to him because I felt he was
    just swallowing them whole.  Now his favorite is baby oatmeal, squash,
    and  sweet potatoe (which from all the notes is a lot of infants
    favorites).
    
    His routine at 7 months was:
    
    	      About 6 ounces when he first got up - 6:00 am
    	      About 6 ounces after he got to daycare - 8:30 am
    	      About 2 ounces mixed with cereal and 
    		    4 ounces of formula before his nap - 11:30
    	      Two more bottles between then and bed with about 6 ounces 
    		    each
    	      Before bed we would give him a full bottle mixed with
    	            about 3-4 ounces of cereal and the rest with the 
    		    milk (some people say this is a no-no, but it 
    		    worked for us and he slept thru the night.)
    
    Now (9 months) it's about the same, but he is eating vegetables or 
    cereal for lunch and vegetables and table food for dinner with a
    little bit of bottle.  
    
    My husband did not want to start him with food until almost a year, but
    it was bad enough that we waited until 7 months.  He seems to like food
    less than I thought.  I think my husband was confusing me the most, he
    would say no I don't want to give him that and I would say but I think
    he should have it now
    
    I don't think we noticed he wasn't getting enough until about 7 months.
    He was drinking about 32 ounces a day in formula.  He is a big boy, I
    think they said he was 99% in his group (tall parents).  We never 
    deprived him of formula and he is a happy healthy kid.
    
    Anyway, I hope feeding baby gets a little bit easier.  Sorry to go on
    and on, thanks for listening.
    
    Tricia

    
    My daughter is 9 months old, 28 inches and 16.5 lbs.  She doesn't
    really care for baby food, has always refused formula and nurses 2 - 3
    times per day, usually 2.
    
    When I complained to our pedi about her not eating baby food, he said
    great! Its a gimmick anyway. (Obviously, he isn't a working mom!)
    
    We have no allergies on either side of the family, so I'm not really
    eliminating anything but citrus and honey.
    
    A typical day's meal (since she was 7 months)
    
    Breakfast - Share's an adult size bowl of oatmeal or Cream of Wheat
                with me, mixed with milk. Ripped-up-a-little toast, fruit
                and as much milk as I'll give her. [Our pedi says milk
                causes bleeding in the bowel??? But she loves it!]
    
    Lunch -     Yogurt or cottage cheese, soup, macaroni and cheese, grilled
                cheese,tuna or peanut butter sandwiches, applesauce or fruit and
                crackers.
    
    Dinner -    Almost anything we eat, smashed with a fork.  Chinese,
                Italian, Mexican food, you name it.  I don't give much
                of any meats like roast or chops yet, although she doesn't
                mind smashed chicken. Fish is great, easy to smash. She eats 
                all cooked vegetables and fruits....I wish brother hadn't 
                introduced french fries though!
    
    So no formula or baby food at our house, such a change from our #1 son!
    
    Like I said before, our pedi says eggs and cow's milk should wait until
    12 months.  She loves them both, and has had no reactions to either. In
    fact she ate 2 scrambled eggs for breakfast today! (1 was supposed to
    be mine!)
    
    When we are in a hurry or out of the house, I do give her baby food 
    though.  She'll eat it if there is no "people food" around. Usually
    cereal, fruits and veggies.  I still buy the real little jars because
    she usually doesn't eat too much of it.
    
    My husband feeds her dinner 2 nights per week when I work late. He 
    always tries to give her baby food, he claims its easier. [NOTHING is
    easier than grabbing a carton of yogurt from the fridge, but I can't
    convince him of that!]
    
    Now, if only her 6 year old brother would eat so well...........sigh
    
    
    Rochelle

    Hi, I have an 8 month old.  I give him baby food from the jar, fruit,
    vegetables and meat.  Also a variety of cereals.  For breakfast I will
    put some cereal in his bowl, about a cup full, add warm formula to make
    it smooth.  Then I heat up a large jar of fruit and put half of it in
    the bowl.  Put the rest of the fruit in the refrigerator for lunch. For
    lunch, I will give him either a small jar of meat (single meat like
    veal, beef, turkey, etc.) mixed with a large jar of vegetables, both 
    heated or I will take one of those large jars of mixed vegetables and
    meat and give him that.  If he still seems hungry, I will give him the
    rest of the jar of fruit he had for breakfast.  For a snack he gets
    juice (a 4oz bottle).  For supper usually the same as lunch and
    sometimes just cereal with fruit and his bottle.  I have started to
    put a small amount of formula (like 1oz) in his cup for lunch and 
    supper.  He doesn't always swallow it.  He usually spits it out.  But
    I can tell he is getting used to it.  He doesn't eat much table food
    yet because he will choke.  I am too paranoid about that yet.  Maybe
    when he gets more teeth (he only has 2 bottom ones).
    
    Anyway, I hope this helped.
    

    One more thing I didn't mention.  He gets his full 8oz bottle for each
    feeding.  When I give him cereal for breakfast, I pour some of his
    formula from the bottle in the bowl and whatever is left in the bottle
    he drinks.  He is satisfied so far.
    
    

    My son Matthew is 7 months old and he started eating food at 6 months.
    I started with rice cereal, then after he got use to that, I put fruit in
    with his cereal.  I have started him on vegtables.  I make my own.  I
    whip up a batch and freeze it in ice cube trays to make individual 
    servings.  He's eaten carrots, sweet potatoe and potatoe so far.  I'm 
    going to try squash next and do up some turkey cubes this weekend.
    It really doesn't take that long if you set your mind to doing it
    and it works out great.  
    
    By the way, my doctor said the same thing, that baby food from the
    store is a gimmick and is expensive and that he is old enough now
    (6 months) to eat what ever we had for supper.  (Blended to a mush,
    of course) 
    
    I have been having fun making his food.  I guess its because I know
    what is and is not in it.
    
    Have fun
    Julie

    
    re: .9  "I guess its because I know what is and is not in it".
    
    You can probably determine this from reading the labels on baby
    food as well.   I think that you'll find that almost all the 
    first foods have no added fillers or other ingredients (except
    water).   Some of the "stage 2" fruits and vegetables are also
    100% fruit or vegetable; but, yes, some have fillers, sugar,
    citric acid, etc.   
    
    Prepared baby foods seem to be taking somewhat of a "bum wrap"
    here.   If you have the time and energy to make your own foods,
    fantastic!   However, I don't think there's anything wrong with
    carefully selected jarred baby food!
    
    Carol

Up until about a week ago (my baby Michelle is 9 months old today), her diet was
almost exactly the same as .7 & .8 (except I had cut her down to 3 6-oz bottles
of formula per day because I thought she was drinking too much -- she would spit
up a lot on 8-oz bottles added together with all that food).  But then I noticed
that she seemed to be eating less of her baby foods.  So I looked at the finger
foods note (272) and book called "Feed Me, I'm Yours" and started Michelle on
adult food (mashed or small pieces).  She loves it!  I might have waited too long.
I mean she was eating Cheerios and arrowroot cookies, crackers or other foods for
snacks or until I got her baby food ready but this is different now.  I can't get
her to eat the baby food now!  I can't figure out if she is enthusiastic because
she's eating new foods or because she's doing it herself.  Also, sometimes she
eats so much she doesn't want much milk, if any.  So now her day's menu might be:

	breakfast about 6:30, 6:45 am - an adult serving of instant cinnamon
            oatmeal and about 1/4 or 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce, 6-oz formula
            1 arrowroot cookie

        1/2 strength apple juice after morning nap 2-5 ounces (and possibly also
            after afternoon nap), sometimes along with some cheerios or other 
            non-messy snack

        lunch about 11:30 - about 1/2 of a scrambled egg yolk, 1/2 to 1 apple scraped
             and cut up into very small slivers, a couple of tablespoons of cream
             cheese, up to 6 oz formula, maybe a vegetable

        dinner about 4:30 - cooked ground turkey about 1/6 lb, 1/3 cup peas, up to
              6 oz formula, maybe another vegetable or fruit

        no bedtime bottle or food - she gave that up about 3 months ago

Kyra

    Sometimes I wonder if my 5 month old is eating too much.  At his 4
    month checkup he was pushing 17+ pounds but his pedi said not be
    worried as he was a good sized baby to begin with and my husband
    is a pretty big guy and all kids go thru spurts at different ages.
    
    Anways, Connor typically has a 6 ounce bottle upon wakening.  Sometimes
    he also has a little fruit or cereal but generally just the bottle.
    I'd say 5 out of 7 days he drains it and the other 2 he leaves a little
    bit.  This is generally around 7'ish in the morning.  Then at 10:30 or
    so he'll have about 5 1/2 or 6 ounces.  At 12:30 or so he'll have maybe
    two 1/2 jars (and lately full jars) of baby vegetables and fruit.
    Around 2:30 or 3:00 he has another 5-6 ounces and often times around
    4:45 or 5'ish he has juice.  Supper is generally around 5:30 and is
    either cereal with fruit or again a full (small) jar of fruit and
    full (small) jar of veggies.  He then has about 4-6 ounces again around
    7:45 or 8'ish and goes to bed at 8:15 or 8:30 for the nite although
    last night I swear he would have kept chugging along if there was
    anything left in the bottle.  He typically cries as each bottle comes
    to an end but after a minute or two is ok.
    
    My concern is that he's quite the little pudger and I just fear that
    I'm over feeding him.  But in the other vein, he certainly has learned
    how to close those little lips when he doesn't want the spoon passing
    thru and "plays" with the bottle when he wants no more (a rare
    occassion).  Some people seem to frown and think maybe I am giving him
    too much and others say its perfectly normal.  I'll be asking the pedi
    at our next visit in a few weeks.
    
    What do you folks think?  Too much?  Also, when is a good time to start
    introducing new foods?  He's had no reactions to the "first stage"
    foods and I would imagine they must be getting sort of blah at this
    point.  He has no teeth yet.  Thanks.
    

    
    Emily is 5 1/2 months old.  She was 9 lbs at birth.  She starts the
    day with 7 1/2 oz at 7:30 and at 11:00 she has cereal 1/2 jar of
    fruit and veggies and another 7 1/2 oz.  Then she will have another
    3 bottles of 7 1/2 oz by the time she is ready for bed at 9:30.  I'm
    not sure what her weight is now, I think she is up to at least 18
    pounds I will find out for sure at her next pedi visit the 18th of this
    month.  
    
    So to me it does not sound like Connor is eating alot, or that you are
    over feeding him.  My pedi says they will let you know when they have
    had enough to eat.
    
    Good luck
    Lisa

    It sounds that the normal schedule Chris was one at that age. I don't
    think you are overfeeding Connor. The doctor always told me that they
    would let you know when they didn't want anymore. Since he is eating
    it, and your doctor says he's fine, I wouldn't worry about it.
    
    But definitely ask your doctor about it, so that you can put your
    mind at ease.
    
    Sheila
    

Just out of curiosity, do you make 8 oz bottles and he only drinks 6 oz, or do
you make 6 oz bottles? My son is 5 mos. too and we always make 8 oz bottles
for him (which he drinks entirely virtually every time) on basically the
same schedule as you do.  

I agree that the child will give signals if he is getting enough/too little/too
much so you shouldn't worry if he seems content.  At the 5 month check-up, my
pediatrician said to work up to one jar of fruit and some cerial in the morning
and one jar of veggies and cereal at dinnertime, but it's all rough guidelines.

Don't know when to go to the next level of food...

Good luck,
-Cori
 

    
    Anna is 7 months old and she eats 3 times a day with one snack. Her
    intake is as follows:
    
    		Breakfast(7am):	8oz of formula
    		Lunch(noon):	4Tbsp of cereal w/2oz formula
    				1/2 a large or 1 small jar of fruit
    				6oz formula (sometimes she only drink 2-4
    					ounces of this, but its increasing)
    		Snack(~4pm):	4-6oz of formula or 8oz juice/water if its
    					late (i.e. 5pm or later).
    		Supper(6:30pm):	4Tbsp of cereal w/2oz formula
    				1/2 a large or 1 small jar of veggies
    				6oz formula
    
    If I use homemade babyfood that I've frozen in icecube trays she gets
    2-3 cubes of food depending on how big they are. 
    
    I started her on "second foods" about a week or so before she turned 6
    months. She's had Garden Veg., Chicken Noodle Dinner, Veg. with Ham and
    Veg. with Chicken Dinner. She wasn't too crazy about the Veg with
    <meat> dinners but did like the Chicken Noodle Dinner. 
    
    I don't think your son is eating too much, I think it may seem like a
    lot since he eats/drinks many times during the day. I would definitely
    keep track of what/when he is eating and bring this info to the
    pediatrician. For a while Anna was hardly touching her formula so I
    kept track of what she was taking in and she was only taking in 15oz
    in a day. The doctor said he would prefer her to be taking in closer
    to at least 20oz and to wait and see what happened. She had an ear 
    infection and then a fever and then a cold. She's all better now and
    sure enough she's starting to eat like a horse.
    
    Patty

    When John was about 6-7 months old he ate like crazy.  He would have
    about 10 oz of formula in the morning around 6:30-7:00 then get hungry
    at day care and have a bowl of rice cereal with fruit.  Then more
    formula around 10:00 then lunch of vegies, soup or babyfood, then
    forumla at 2:00 or after his nap then fruit snack.  When we brought him
    home he would have more formula then dinner.  We had to monitor the
    formula as the doctor said no more than 32 ounces and he often made the
    32 ounces so we would begin diluting half formula and half water.
    
    He is now 15 months and his appetite tapered off around 12 months.  He
    has never been in a high percentile but looks chunky.  Having been a
    pudgy kid myself, I was worried but the Pedi said to remember they
    know their limits.  It is the parents who force kids to eat that cause
    overeating and fat so just let him eat slowly and do not rush him, then
    stop when he stops.
    
    BTW, John is 24lbs and 33 inches.  Has only gained 2 lbs and 1 1/2
    inces since he was 12 months.  
    
    Michelle

    I'm not sure if I should be concerned about my 9 month old sons
    appetite.  At his 9 month checkup he weighed in at 22lbs and is
    27 inches, thus short and wide.  The pedi confirmed that he is
    indeed overweight but isn't too concerned because he thinks once
    he gets motoring he'll shed some of this.  Anyways, he is now off
    of formula and on whole milk.  His appetite seems to be increasing
    and I'm just wondering if this is a "normal" growth spurt he is
    now going thru.
    
    Typically he'll have 6-7 ounces of milk upon waking and perhaps a
    couple mini waffles or fruit of some sort.  Mid-morning he'll have
    another 5-6 ounces of milk.  At lunch he has a jar of fruit and a
    jar of veggies or sometimes leftovers like mashed potatoes, veggies
    and applesauce.  He'll also have 3 ounces or so of juice.  In mid-
    afternoon he'll have a snack, usually yogurt or something similar
    and another 5 ounces of milk.  At suppertime he's pretty much eating
    what we eat (I'll mash a meatball and he'll eat a 1/2 baked potatoe
    or some carrots or something and will top it off with maybe a fistful
    of cheerios or a little fruit).  Before bedtime he'll down another
    5 ounces or so.  
    
    Again, does Connor have an insatiable appetite or is it just my
    imagination that he eats a LOT?  (We DON'T feed him whenever he
    crys so its not anything like that but it sure feels like I'm
    feeding this boy - and increasing it - lately).  Comments??????

    Your note made me smile as I was reminded of my own boys' eating
    habits.  Both my sons ate more than I could imagine!  There were times
    that they ate more than either my husband or I!  They have always been
    "off the charts" as far as height and weight were concerned.  My 4 year
    old has slowed down his eating habits this year, and has stretched
    considerably - now he's long and lean.  My two year old will still chow
    down when he's hungry, and he's still a little chunk.
    
    I let them eat as much of the good food as they want, and *try* to
    stay away from sweets.  I don't believe that a small child will overeat
    any more than they will starve themselves.  IMO if you read his cues
    you'll have a happy, healthy baby that does not use food for
    manipulation!

    I wouldn't be concerned unless the *doctor* is concerned.
    
    Sometimes I think my boys have hollow legs!  When they're going through
    a growth spurt, I can't keep enough food in the house.  I shudder to 
    think what my grocery bill will be when they're teenagers!

    I had the same concern until my son turned two years old.
    He slowed down his intake and within months, he changed from
    a ball to tall and slim.  Now at 3.5, I sometimes have to
    make him eat.  Eating is now the last thing in his mind.
    I say, as long as he is eating healthy food, don't worry.
    
    Wendy

When Markus was 5 months old and had an insatiable appetite, the doctor put
him on a "diet".  He was a bit chunky but not at all fat and fit into the
normal clothes for his age.  He did quit gaining at such a fast rate but
it took until he was two before he became real slim (as are both of my boys
today).

Both gynecologists and pediatricians here tend to control weight very carefully.
If either mom or baby puts on weight too quickly, you are rapidly sent to the
dietician!  I believe this is to avoid weight problems when the child is 
older.

Cheryl