Conference moira::parenting_v3

    I have two children, neither are preemies but I *never* woke either of
    them to eat.  I nursed both children and they let me know when and how
    much they wanted to eat.  I do have a friend who has a daughter born 2
    months premature and she was never told to wake the baby to fed her. 
    You will probably find many different opinions of what to do from both
    Dr.'s and friends.  It's very frustrating to have so many different
    opinions but the best opinion you can trust is your own.  Do what you
    *feel* is right.  "A mother knows best".
    
    Good Luck, get some sleep!
    
    

    Your son is progressing very well, based on the weight he has put on. 
    Follow your instincts and don't worry about your son sleeping for long
    periods of time. SLEEP is one of the best things a baby needs to
    GROW and not just milk feed alone.  Babies will tell u when and how
    much they need to drink.  However, should a baby sleeps for an extended
    long period of time, consult your pedi.
    
    Now that your son is taking feeds every four hourly, this is fine.
    
    My pedi once told me that babies that does not know when they had
    enough to drink can most likely end up being an obese child as they
    keep eating and eating and can't stop.
    
    A baby will let u know when he is hungry by crying when feed time is
    due or have pass the feed time.
    
    There is no need for u to handle your son with extra care; they will
    catch up with the rest of the normal baby (in terms of growth).
    
    Should u experience 'refusing milk feed', don't fret; the baby just
    isn't hungry.  My 6 mths old daughter refused her milk feed on several
    occasion during a one month period (she didn't take her milk feed once
    for 18 hours and was just as delightful, cheerful and happy) and it was
    torture for me as I keep thinking that there is something wrong with
    her but my pedi told me that some babies knows when they have taken too
    much milk feed earlier in the months and since my baby is behaving very
    normal like all babies, his advise to me is Don't worry. I visited at
    least 4 pedi and they tell me the same time.
    
    One piece of advise - when your son is much older, say 5-6 months and
    it's feed time, it's best not to wake him up or he will growl at u for
    disturbing his feed - unless your son loves his feed more than his
    milk.
    
    Enjoy parenthood! 

    I agree, let 'em sleep!  
    
    Winchester (MA) Hospital got richard on a very good schedule of every
    4 hours while he was still well under 4 lbs.  The night nurses would 
    not wake him though in the middle of the night..  If he woke up, they
    would feed him.
    
    By the time he came home, he was sleeping the entire night!  (That was
    one big plus, if you ask me!)
    
    cheers,
    jeff
    

         Aha!!  Someone who had a preemie.  Jeff, tell me a few things.
    How much did the little guy weigh when he was born and how long did he
    have to stay in the hospital?  How much did he weigh when they let him
    come home?  How many oz. did he usually eat at one time and how old is
    he now?  When did they recommend that you start on cereal or anything
    of that nature?  And, one more thing.  When he came home, did they
    encourage you to treat him in any special way or just like any other
    newborn?  Everyone I've come in contact with so far has been giving me
    the impression that I should be handling him with kid gloves and I
    don't really see any need to but, then again, this is my first and what
    do I really know.  I am also from a sort of technologically backward
    state.  There is a bit of difference between Mass. and Maine as far as
    medical technology goes.  Any info you can surrender would be most
    helpful and reassuring.  It's just nice to get to talk to someone who
    has had some experience with it.  
    
         And thanks to all of you other folks who have replied and told me
    what I sort of thought was right to begin with.  I appreciate it and
    keep the replies coming!!
    
    
    
                                 Sue.

    
    
    	I didn't have a preemie either but my daughter is about
    	the same age as your child and FWIW, she's gained about
    	the same amount of weight.
    
    	Luckily for me, Cassidy started sleeping through the
    	night at three weeks so the waking up to bed fed phase
    	didn't last long at all.
    
    	If you're feeling nervous about things, perhaps you could
    	try to give him a bit more at feedings so the interval between
    	them would be more like 4-5 hours?  And again, I'm by no means
    	a pro at this (yet!) but I would let him sleep... he'll let
    	you know when he's hungry. 
    
    	good luck!
    	/Kim

    Both of my sister-in-law's children were premature. 
    
    One of the things her pediatrician (in Michigan) emphasized was
    that it was very important that she NOT treat the babies
    differently than full-term babies -- not coddle them, not force
    feedings just to try to make them gain weight, not to worry (yeah,
    sure, right) and let them find their own pace -- that they would
    catch up.
    
    --bonnie

Melissa was 5 weeks premature.  She weighed 5 lbs. 0 oz. at birth and 4 lbs. 8 oz.
when she left the hospital.  The hospital kept her a week (until they were sure
that she was solidly gaining weight).  We never had to wake her for feedings,
she knew when she was hungry   8^{).  When Melissa came home the pediatrician
recommened that as long as she was gaining weight, there was no reason to wake
her up or really push feeding in any way.

About the time that she got over 8-9 lbs. was when she started sleeping through
the night (10pm - 6am).  The biggest problem we experienced as far as feeding was
that the bottle feeding in the special care nursery made Melissa impatient.  She
preferred the bottle to nursing and my wife's milk never came in very well.  It
didn't help that my wife found the pump to be a complete failure.  I think that
if we were to go through this again, we would insist that all of the bottle time
be gavage (sp?).  That would keep the baby from being so enamoured of the bottle
8^{).

Dick

    I'll answer what I remember and I'll get the virtual me (my wife) to
    give me the other answers later..
    
    How much?   -   1lb 9oz (dropping back to 1lb7oz if I remember), 10+
    			weeks early.  Eye development indicated 12+ weeks
    			early.  12" long.  My wife put this in perspective 
    			when they were estimating the size...  She told
    			me to take 6 sticks of butter out of the fridge...
    
    Hospital stay - 3 months (6+ weeks at Brigham and Womens, 6+ weeks at
    			Winchester, 2 weeks at Memorial (Nashua))
    
    Weight home - 4.5lb
    
    How much/feeding - At first, 1 oz...  By the time he came home, it was
    			about 3 oz.
    
    Recommendation for solids - ???  
    
    Special Handling -  None.  No special monitors, no special schedule.
    
    		We did, however, get involved with the Early Intervention
    		Program (EIP).  This program helps young children that are
    		mentally and physically challenged...  For Richard, it 
    		involved mostly physical therapy...  Premies often have
    		tight muscles, so they worked to give him full range of 
    		motion.  I strongly encourage you to touch base with your
    		local EIP and let them do an evaluation.
    
    BTW - he turned 2 on Wed.  He weighs about 25lb and is almost on the
    growth charts!  No known problems, but he is still slightly behind his
    actual age (but slightly ahead of his adjusted age).
    
    I am sure my wife would be happy to talk to you about it..  Let me know
    if you want her number and I will send it to you..
    
    cheers,
    jeff
    
    

         This notes file has made me soooo happy!!  This information has
    been just what I needed.  
    
      ___Regarding Kim in .5 who said try to get him to eat more.  Well,
    let me just say that it is easier said than done.  I do TRY.  He has
    never been the easiest baby to feed or to burp.  I think that comes
    with the preemie territory a bit.  Most of the time you can get 3-4oz
    down his little gullett but you usually have to fight for half of that.
    I have really been trying for four but hate to force it yet don't want
    to let him just eat two and then be hungry again 2 hours later.  All I
    can do is keep trying.
    
      ____Jeff.  1lb 9oz is definately small.  I remember all too well how
    small that is too.  My son at 3lbs 2oz and 16" long was a monster
    compared to most of the rest of babies in the intensive care unit.  He
    ended up dropping to 2lbs 15oz before he started gavage feeds.  Took
    him 2 weeks before he would even take a bottle at all and then he had
    all he could do to take 5cc.  That's less than a half ounce.  He was in
    the hospital for a month and  I have noticed that the things he does so
    far seem to be pretty on the money for his normal age range but then
    again, we're not really talking about too much at this point.  He
    smiles and will giggle and "talk" a lot.  He also has very good control
    of his head.  It doesn't flop around at all.  He responds to sounds and
    can lift his head enough to switch it to the other side when laying on
    it.  He can lift it all the way off my shoulder and look around.  He
    also pushes himself a bit around his crib.  Does this sound pretty much
    normal to all of you for a 10 week old or does it sound behind?  Oh
    yeah, he'll follow an object of face with his eyes too.
    
         Ooops.  Sure Jeff.  Send me the phone number.  I can't guarantee
    that I will call right off.  The finances ain't that great these days
    but I will try.
    
                               Sue

    Sue,
    
    Our daughter was born 10 weeks early and started out at 2.5 lbs.  She
    was hospitalized for 7 weeks, and when she came home she weighed 4.5
    lbs.  
    
    When we brought her home, we kept her on the 4 hour eating schedule 
    that she'd be on in the hospital.  At night, she would be fed at 
    about 10 pm, 2 am, and 6 am, which wasn't too bad.
    
    After a just a few weeks, we went to a demand feeding schedule, and
    found that the time between her feedings increased;  it wasn't too
    long before she was sleeping through the night.
    
    The most important guideline for you should be your child's weight
    gain.  Premies, or so our Pedi told us, tend to gain weight more
    rapidly initially than do full term kids.  Our daughter was putting 
    on a lb a week for her first 3/4 months home. 
    
    BTW, Emily is now 11 months old, weighs 18+ lbs, and is on the growth
    chart for her chronological age.
    
    Gene
                      
    

    My sister-in-law's two were both in the 4-pound range and only spent
    a few days in the hospital.  
    
    --bonnie

BTW, a little off the subject, but I read in the Boston Globe yesterday about
a 2 year who was 10 *ounces* when born.  Yes, ounces.  I was amazed.  I think
it said she was 3 months early.

At 2 years, she now weighs 12 pounds, which it said is half the weight of an 
average 2 year old.  It also said she was much shorter than average
but I don't remember how much.  Apparently she is developing normally, but
isn't expected to ever catch up on the height and weight.


My hairdresser's son was born at 28 weeks gestation.  He spent 2 months in the
hospital.  I've seen pictures of him now - 6 months later - and he's a chubby
little guy.  She said the pediatrician told her to count his development from
his due date, not his birth date, for the first year.  FWIW.

    
    
    	RE: trying to get four ounces down his throat
    
    	I hear ya... when I tried to go from 3 to 3.5, I tried
    	too early and more often than not it came back up in
    	my lap. (8  
    
    	But like I said, he'll let you know when he's hungry
    	and like others have said, if he's gaining the weight
    	I wouldn't worry too much.
    
    	/Kim

    I guess I should clarify..  The feed @ 1oz was about the starting point
    for bottle feedings.  Initial feedings were measured in "cc"s as well.
    
    Also, to the wife that didn't like pumping...  Next time, go out and
    rent on of the units like they have in the hospital.  Made all the
    difference in the world for my wife...
    
    cheers,
    jeff
    

    ANY tiny baby will drink less than an average-size baby. Less than 4
    ounces sounds fine for a baby under 8 pounds.
    
    I know about the physics of calories in, calories burned.  But I still
    believe that babies grow on love, sleep, and sunlight as well as food.
    
    I gave up forcing formula or food on my petite little lady.  My aunt
    correctly pointed out that this would give her bad eating habits. 
    She'll grow according to her genetic pattern and nurturance.  That
    little bit extra of food isn't going to help, and may hurt in the long
    run.
    
    Laura

    Since your baby was born prematurely, don't expect your little one to
    gulp his milk feed like any normal newborn. His stomach have not fully
    matured yet so it might take a while to catch up.
    Never force feed your baby when feeding time is up. Babies will TELL u
    when they want their feed and they won't hesitate to scream the whole
    house when if you don't get their feed ready in time. Don't get too
    uptight and anxious about feeding time. If baby doesn't want any feed
    when it's feeding time, that's fine because simply because he's NOT
    hungry. My daughter, born at 7.3 lbs has a feeding problem since birth
    until NOW.  She is capable of refusing any feed for 18 hours straight
    and she is just as happy and healthy. (6 mths old now)
    An indication of when to increase your milk feed volume is when your
    baby demands for his feed before it's feeding time. Should yr baby be
    crying for no reason, you can try 1-2 oz of milk; he decided he wanted
    some milk after all but it doesn't happen very often. My daughter
    occasionally would cry for no apparent reason 2 hours after she had her
    feed and out of desperation, I gave her 2 oz more of milk and after
    that, she was so contented!
    Try not to force feed a baby when they are not hungry; they may end up
    hating food in generally. 
    Regarding your son's physical progress, he's doing very well. My
    daughter was able to lift her head at around 8 weeks, so that's not too
    far of from your son.
    My colleague's sis gave birth 3 mths prematurely and right now, the
    little girl is a normal healthy baby (she's 8 months old)
    First time parents is difficult; more worries, more anxiety, more
    different opinions, more headaches BUT your baby will always give you a
    brilliant smile the moment they see u and it warms your heart!
      

    My daughter Christin was born at about 26 weeks. She weighed
    1.12 lbs at birth, and was in the hospital (Columbia Medical Center
    in New York City) for 14 weeks.
    
    During her stay, I learned a couple of feeding tricks from the
    nurses in the NICU, and used them with much success while feeding
    Christin. One is to massage the roof of the babies mouth with the
    nipple of the bottle (while feeding) to encourage the baby to eat.
    The other is to simply turn the bottle while baby is feeding, to
    get the same result.
    
    One thing I remember is that Christin often continued to eat even
    after falling asleep with the bottle in her mouth. She is now
    22 months old, weighs 25lbs. and is doing wonderfully. My wife and
    I would be happy to speak to you about our experience. Take care.
    
    Joe

    It sounds like the amount of extra attention you have to pay to
    feeding a preemie varies a lot depending on how premature the baby
    is.
    
    --bonnie

         Well, as far as feeding my son goes, I know that it takes A LOT of
    attention when feeding him.  It has gotten so much better than it used
    to be.  I learned about the bottle rolling and rubbing it on top of the
    mouth when he was in the NICU too and I am glad I did because we
    would've gotten absolutely nowhere feeding him when he came home.  He
    usually has to be continuously "reminded" that there is a bottle in his
    mouth and that he should be doing something with it.  There are times
    that I get so frustrated with him that I wish I could just somehow get
    a funnel and pour it down his throat.  Then I see my friend's babies
    sucking down an 8oz. bottle in 15 min. and I just can't wait till he
    can eat that good.  It's sooooo exhausting sometimes.  I'm sure that
    before I know it he'll be doing the same thing and I will forget all
    about this.  After all, eating 4oz. a feeding at 10 1/2 weeks is a LONG
    way from 5cc's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I just wanted to make a comment to the basenoter about the "shots"
    you're anticipating.  Put them off until the child is at his "adjusted"
    correct age.  For us AJ was about 7 weeks early, so all his shots for
    his first two years were approximately 2 months LATER than average.  My
    pedi decided this would be best in case there was any reaction.
    
    AJ was born by emergency Csection somewhere between 7 and 9 weeks
    early, (I've explained this in a couple other notes)  He too only took a
    couple ounces at each feeding.  I think I pumped one day and realized
    he was taking somewhere between 8 and 10 oz in a 24 hour period, he was
    at that point about 18 days.  He spent his first 10 days in NICU at
    Memorial Hospital In Worcester, wonderful care!
    
    The only caution I would add is if you think your baby is more sluggish
    than you feel is normal, contact your pedi.  We did this and were
    thankful we did, he was "septic" with a urinary infection at 18 days,
    and ended up being hospitalized for two more weeks on strong
    antibiotics through an IV.
    
    Trust your instincts, if you think he's doing good, then he probably
    is.
    I too second the idea of having the premies followed by early
    intervention.  We found it a great way of verifying progress through
    his first two years.  If we took his birth date, and adjusted for his
    premature birth he was right on target.
    
    It's hard to look at this boy who is 4-1/2 is 40 pounds, is 41" tall
    and wearing size 5, and try to remember him at birth just under 5
    pounds! (we bought lots of "cabbage patch" clothes at Toys R Us!)
    
    Lyn

      re. .20 and delaying the shots.  Well, his pedi had planned on doing
    that only there has been whooping cough going around the area and he
    didn't want him to get that so he got his shots yesterday at 10 1/2
    weeks.  Adjusted age would be around 5 weeks.  He didn't do terribly
    but he was very fussy and wouldn't sleep or eat that day and night.
    The next day he was coughing and vomiting.  Today he seems ok.  So, I
    guess we made it.  He was only 1 1/2 oz shy of 7lbs. so I guess all the
    worrying about his feedings is not as necessary as I thought.  I am
    still having a hard time trying to regulate his feedings and have him
    go longer in between.  We tried cereal in his bottle (pedi said he
    didn't care if we tried) and I couldn't get the damned stuff thru the
    nipple and i even tried to punch some more holes in it!!!!  How and
    when did most of you try to set some sort of eating and sleeping
    pattern for your babies?  Am I just trying too soon?
    
    
                         ---Sue

eating pattern - we never did.  We still feed her on demand; she's 6 months
old.  We figure that some days *we're* hungrier than others, so most likely
she is too.  She started forming a pattern at about 6 weeks,
but I had to keep written records to see the pattern.  Once she started on
solids (about 3-1/2 months), the pattern became very clear with 3 meals a day 
(of solids and a bottle) plus mid-morning and mid-afternoon bottles.  
(She still had night feedings at that point - see below). She was
a smallish baby when born a week early (35%) and is now up to 50%.

sleeping pattern - we "Ferberized" her to put herself to sleep at about 3-1/2
months.  We "Ferberized" her to drop the 2 AM feeding at about 4-1/2 months;
at that point she was only taking 2-3 ounces when her daytime feedings were
about 7 ounces.  We figured she was ready and she was.

She's been more irratic on naps, but we haven't pushed it because her napping
needs keep changing.  We let her set the pace on naps, but I have been
known to "encourage" a nap when she's overtired and can't seem to settle down.


Whatever seems "right" for you and your baby is what you should do.
Knowing what others do is very helpful, but your instincts are the best guide
for you and your baby.

         I guess I must be stupid but what does Ferberized mean?  I don't 
    think I have ever heard this before or maybe I just forgot.
    
    
                      ---Sue.

    
    "Ferberized" refers to the methods described in "Solve Your Child's
    Sleep Problem" by Dr. ??  Ferber available in most bookstores in
    paperback.   Excellent reading for any parent.
    
    Carol

    I talked to my wife and got the following response...
    
    As each child is different, it is more so with a preemie.  Richard
    would take 4 - 5 oz per feeding every four hours.  It varied slightly
    as he got older.  Once Gramma was convinced Richard was hungry, but he
    was tired instead.  Richard slept 1 hour for every three awake.  Make
    sure you aren't confusing the two.  Nap times changed rapidly.  Don't
    worry about feeding (famous last words)... it was the most important
    thing in the hospital and people would call us daily for a weight
    update/progress report.  My wife has one side effect from the hospital,
    She refused to weigh our son except for doctors appointments, that way
    when someone asked she said "I don't know exactly" soon they stopped
    asking.  Feeding is stressed in the hospil, luckily Richard's primary
    nurse in Winchester is so laid back she transfered that attitude to us. 
    Just feed him what he usually takes, within an ounce or so.  My wife
    always mixed up an extra ounce than he usually took so if by some
    change he wanted it, it was ready.  If husually goes three hours, try
    to stick close to that so you can get a full feeding in.  She didn't
    attempt cereal until he was six months old.  She tried to put it in the
    bottle but it didn't work.  She waited until he could take it from a
    spoon.
    
    Try, try, try not to compare your son with any other child.  He is your
    son, and only your son and will never be like anyone else.  You could
    drive yourself insane comparing him.  You know him, if you think about
    it I bet you knew him in the hospital as no one else.  You know how to
    console him, rock him, play with him and feed him.  Trust yourself. 
    Everyone will give you advice, including us, but your son will tell you
    what he wants.  Trust him to let you know.  
    
    As for special treatment.... Richard could not tolerate loud people,
    such as a party situation, for a long long time.  Richard was/is very
    prone to pneumonia/bronchitis so we were very cautious of sick people. 
    Other than that he went everywhere with us.  
    
    My wifes summary was"Do what you think is right, aand he will eat what
    he wants no matter what you want.  Actually he will do what he wants
    for the rest of his life, no matter what you want.  Just look how he
    controlled coming into the world."
    
    Good luck, give her a call if you want.
    
    cheers
    jeff 
    

    PS..
    
    I forgot to add that it would take 45 minutes for Richard tdrink that 
    4 - 5 ozs.  And burping him also took a while.
    

RE: .23  "Ferberizing"

No, you're not stupid.  I used a buzzword and you didn't know it.  I shouldn't
have done that. Sorry...

    I know this is somewhat latein reply, but we've been busy with our 3.5
    week old!
    
    Our first was considered a preemie, being 4 wks. early, although he was
    a respectable size. He had an awful time breastfeeding...just couldn't
    ge tthe hang of it, plus they gave him numerous bottles in the hospital
    (had to, after my wife went home). He never did nurse succesfully and
    went to bottle feeding for good. We never woke him to feed him, unless
    it was for our convenience (as in: we are planning on leaving on a 2
    hr. trip, it's been 3 hours since he ate. We'd wake him and feed him
    before we left, so that we werent' stopping somewhere 1/2 hr. into the
    trip). We'd also wake before we went to bed, for one last pre-sleep
    feeding. But we *never* woke during the nite. Now, Joshua weighed less
    at one montht than when he was born, so he didn't exactly do
    spectacularly in the growth dept., but no one ever recommended waking
    him at nite...and I'm not sure we would have if they had!
    
    Our latest additon was delivered 2 2/7 weeks early, by C-section, due
    to Wendy's gest. diabetes. He, too, wouldn't nurse well. He also got
    *extremely* jaundiced, most likely (according to dr.) from the
    breastfeeding. He lost great gobs of weight (dropped 1 lb., 2 oz. from
    birth weight), got dehydrated, etc.  Him, we were told to wake up, but
    only during the day, not at nite. Waking him was necessary because
    severely jaundiced babies are very lethargic, and can't rouse enough to
    eat, even when hungry. When we stopped nursing, put him on formula, he
    recovered very rapidly from the jaundice, was no longer dehydrated, and
    gained 1.5 pounds and grew 1.25 inches in 10 days. He started on 2 oz.
    at a feeding, often not finishing that, at 2 weeks, and now takes 4 oz,
    usually finishing, at 3.5 weeks. We never woke him at nite, and he has
    slept through several times already (once from 9:30 pm to 7:15 am!). He
    lets us know loud and long when hungry. Right now he's in that 3 wk
    frowth spurt, eating every 1.5 to 2 hours all day long, then sleeping
    almost the whole next day (eating only once every 4-5 hrs), then
    repeating the whole thing again...that's how they grow.
    
    I would seriously question waking a baby at nite, who sounds as if it's
    doing as well as the basenoter's little one. We have been told by more
    than one dr. that's it's rarely necessary to wake an infant to feed it,
    except in the case of illness (like Jacob's jaundice) or for the
    parent's convenience (as I described in the beginning of the note). I'd
    let that baby sleep at nite, at the least. Mom and Dad need some sleep
    to be at their bes tfor that precious little one, too!
    
    --dave--

    Well, just an update on the feeding problem.  He seems to be doing a
    bit better these days.  He recently started to take 4oz. a feeding and
    SOMETIMES a little more than that.  Usually in the evening.  He loves
    to eat from a spoon.  Honest folks.  I can't believe it either but he
    does.  But, I don't do that very often because he is still kind of
    small.  He is taking the bottle a lot better these days.  We hardly
    have to coax him anymore and that is a major accomplishment in itself.
    
         We went for a check-up yesterday.  He is 3 months old now and I
    asked the pedi about sleeping thru the night.  He said that he would
    really prefer that we not let him go any more than 6 hours without
    eating.  (This past week he was sleeping the entire night without
    waking.  From 7pm-7am)  I told him that I had tried waking him but he
    didn't want to eat.  Would only eat 1 1/2 oz and then be FAST asleep.
    He really wants us to wake him after 6 a little while longer and get
    him to eat as much as he can.  So, I guess that we will.  He said that
    he is gaining just fine.  He is up to 8 lbs now.  That's 1lb 2oz. in 3
    weeks.  But, he still felt that he was a bit too small still to let go
    too long.  Sigh....
    
         One other thing that I would like to ask you folks about is this.
    I have noticed that one side of his body is growing more (is bigger
    than) the other side.  I asked the pedi about this and he said that is
    was some syndrome that I can't remember and he isn't sure that he has
    it or not but if he does there isn't anything that they can do about it
    anyway other than get lifts and weights for his shoes when he gets
    older.  Does anyone have any idea what this is all about?
    
    
    
    
                                 ___Sue

    As far as the spoon goes .... both my boys were very small, so we
    always used the rubber-coated baby spoons.  The First Years makes them
    for a little over $1.00/ea
    
    They're very soft on baby gums too, so you don't need to worry about
    hurting/scratching him with a regular spoon ...

         Yes, we use the rubber coated baby spoons with our son.  Even
    doing that everyone looks at me like I am a mean mommy for "forcing"
    him to eat from a spoon when he is so small.  They look at his size
    (8lbs.) and not his age I guess.  But, I try to tell them that he likes
    it.  At least I think he does.  He does plenty of smiling and laughing
    when he is eating and HE'S the one who opens his mouth when the spoon
    is there.  And, he knows the difference between the spoon and the
    bottle because he opens his mouth a different way and doesn't try
    sucking on the spoon.  Anyway, we're just playing.  I don't dare to
    actually feed him too much anyway because of his size although I
    honestly feel that he would eat it.
    
    
                        ---Sue
    

    Sue,
    
    I don't remember how big my boys were at 3 mos, but Jason was only
    barely over 4 lbs when we brought him home, and he was eating cereal by
    2 mos ... the formula just didn't "Stick to his ribs" - he was eating
    CONSTANTLY ...
    
    and for what it's worth, he's not allergic to anything.
    
    As for "How people look at you" .... I wouldn't validate ANY of those
    looks until THEY'VE had to be "Mom" with your son for a few days ...
    they'd be doing just the same - they just don't understand!
    
    I think the important thing is to try to 'listen' to what your son
    wants, and not do anything completely opposite what the Dr. says, and
    listen to your heart.  You know what's best for your son ... his Dr
    only sees him once in a great while!
    
    Good Luck!
    Patty

    Kat was certainly eating cereal by this age and she loved it, too.
    She started around 10 weeks.  
    
    As long as you're open to signals that he doesn't want to eat, I
    don't think you're in any danger of force feeding.  I know it's
    hard to put up with "looks" from strangers -- lately it seems like
    one of the national pastimes is "keep an eye on mothers to make
    sure they're up to my standards."
    
    --bonnie