How Much Should Baby Eat?

It sounds like your baby is doing just fine! I wouldn't think of her like a 6 month old due to her size/weight. She'll need to eat more often more like you have been doing.

I wouldn't worry about asking the ped about how much she should be eating. She'll eat until she doesn't want anymore. For a baby just starting out, just give her a few spoonfuls, if the baby seems unsure.

I don't start a baby out with processed carbs anymore (cereals). The best first food (imho) is avacado. It's a good fat and good for their brain and body. I'm always a veggie person first too, but I wouldn't worry about that right now either.

Usually when a baby starts eating, they eat a few spoonfuls or 1/2 jar and you just give it to them a couple of times a day for starters. Eventually, you get to 3 times a day, but your baby just began, so it's more of a 'let's see if this sits with her well' kind of thing right now. You are basically making sure she can handle each food well.

You are doing great. Good luck!

I think you are doing fine. Just be sure to introduce one new food at a time so you know what caused an allergic reaction if one happens. I heard someone say once that they had a baby premature and they got tired of everyone commenting that their baby was small for it's age, from birth. Think of it developmentally. Your baby, in a sense, is only 5 months old. As far as the feedings go, I think you should give her what she will eat. If she is not throwing it back up or having completetly irregular bowels (even for a baby) than her body is handling it well and you should continue. Just like all babies don't walk at the same age, they don't transition to more solid foods the same either. Another example: my daughter is still learning how to use a spoon and fork. A friend of mine has a dughter the same age and she has been successfully using them for about 6 months.

As far as starting veggies before fruit, my opinion is that it doesn't matter. Both my boys (now 7 and 6) started fruits first. I had no problem getting them to eat veggies after. For an eating schedule, I was always told that the child will let you know. A ped will tell you that when they are 2 and going through "food phases" (only eating one certain food), their bodies will know what they need and when they need it. Let the baby guide you. She will let you know if she is not getting enough food. Pediatricians are great to help guide you with your child and to let you know if they are healthy. But the doc doesn't live with you and know your child. All of them are different.

Since she was premature you shouldnt think of her like a 6 month old. And she should be getting most of her daily food from BFing, Make sure she empties all of one breast before you switch her to the other side. That way she gets the good hind milk instead of just the thin foremilk. Burping between breasts so you get any air out and she's got room for more milk. a whole jar might be too much, and I've never been a believer in the veggies only first theory, My now 7 yr old will eat ANYTHING even sushi,broccoli, asparigus , you name is she will eat it. and we started with fruits first. She's always been that way. well except for when she was about 18 where all she would eat was cheese and gold fish.

Good for you, breastfeeding! That's so important to any baby, but especially a preemie.

Cereal has zero nutritional value. It's a starter food for practice more than anything, since it doesn't have many calories or nutrients or anything. I'd skip the cereal entirely and try out sweet potato and avocado, both packed full of good stuff. As long as she's still nursing a lot, she's okay. At this age eating is mostly practice, and most of her nutrition still comes from you. If she cuts back, take out some of the solids.

Hi there, As long as you have a good diet, she'll be getting the nutrients she needs. Sounds to me like you know what your doing on the solids.
As far as her weight, as long as she's developing normal I wouldn't worry to much, she'll probably always be smaller. I have a friend whose baby was born 13oz at 26weeks. He is very smart but still very small. You are still nurseing and that is the best. Just relax and enjoy your little one!!

If she has been cleared as healthy by your pediatrician then she is getting all she needs with the breastfeeding. She will eat when she's hungry and until she's full. As far as the solids, the breastfeeding is primary to the solids for the first year. Solids are just practice and exposure for this time also. Offer her the solids within a half hour or an hour after she breastfeeds and she will eat what she needs when she needs it. There is a great website called wholesomebabyfood.com that lists all the foods and when they should be offered. It is a site for making the food at home but it also gives great advice on when to offer and how much.

Personally I wouldnt be feeding her food yet much less grains. Babies that were preemies even if back on track developmentally are at a much higher risk for food allergies and leaky guts. First there is no rule that says you MUST feed them food and really prepackaged babyfood is not all that nutritionally dense. If you wanted to start with a first food pears are the least allergenic food there is. I really like avocado as a first food (a NO NO if you have a latex allergy though same as bananas as they are relative plants) but avocados are great just mash them up and add some breastmilk or water to them to thin them out some they have so many great fats and vitamins in them. Baby cereals are terrible they are so far removed from the original food (thus all the vitamins and minerals having to be readded back in). Honestly though having had a preemie and then dealing with the subsequent gut issues from feeding her to early I'd really hold off. your breast milk changes as your baby does and babies get more from nursing then you do pumping so don't stress aboutt the 2.5 oz. Her frequent eating to ME says she isn't as ready to eat as you may think she is. also being only 11 lbs she will get more calories from an oz of breastmilk compared to an oz of food.

Breast milk is specially formulated for your baby and changes as her needs change, and is the perfect food for the first year. You do have to remember that because she was born early she is developmentally a 5 month old. I wouldn't worry about feeding her solids just yet, take it very slowly. If she is content, having enough wet diapers and continuing to gain weight I wouldn't slow down the breast feeding at all. Looks to me that she is doing great She's doubled her birth-weight by 6 months and is on her way to tripling it by 1 year.
If you want to try to get her to nurse longer, especially on one side so that you can spread out the times inbetween feedings that would be ideal, rather than pushing solids so soon.

Hi K.,

I agree 100% with Donna H!

M.
www.squidoo.com/ifyourbabycouldtalk

my dd is 6 mo, full term baby and still eats every 2-3 hrs. some need more than others. but maybe if you can get her to eat longer on a side she can get more of the fatty hind milk? as for bottle, i dont know that that is indicative at all, she may just take enough to queemch her hunger as it isnt the same. i know my 2nd was still only taking 2 oz from a bottle at 9-10 mo so i have to imagine she got more when she bf as she was 19 lbs by then. the rule of thumb is their stomach is about the size of their fist so if your dd is still small her stomach is still small and of course you digest small amounts faster so would require more frequent feedings.

as for baby food I would watch and make sure she doesnt nurse less as that does seem like a lot of baby food at that age. maybe nurse her 1st and then do the baby food. breastmilk is nutrient rich as well but it is also much higher in fat (not only for growth but essential for good brain development). it makes sense when you think you are giving them fruits and veggies, fat free, low calorie foods. so bm should be their main food for at least the 1st year. if she fills up on baby food she isnt take that bm. the baby food is more for practice than for the nutrients.

As for your first question, I would agree that 9 times/day sounds like way too many feedings for a 6 mo old but then when I think that my son was 11 lbs at just 2 months and was still doing 6-8 feedings a day it doesn't sound like as many. As your pediatrician if you should be going by her age or weight guidelines for feedings. Find out how many oz per days she should be getting. If she'll drink more in a bottle, perhaps go back to bottles or supplement with formula. I find my son drinks more out of certain bottle than others. If it's a Dr. Brown's which regulates the milk flow he often won't drink as much b/c he gets bored from the sucking but if it's a medela, he sucks it down fast (although this can cause more burping). When you start food, just make sure she is still getting as many oz of milk and/or formula the she needs. Solid food should NOT replace milk and it's really more developmental at her age. They get all the nutrition they need from breast-milk and/or formula the first year so if you think eating solids is making her take less milk, ask your pediatrician if you should delay solids longer. Really make the doctor talk to you and listen and don't be afraid to call and talk to one of the nurses. Sometimes they are more helpful in my opinion. Good luck!

Sounds to me like you and baby girl are doing great. As for how much and how often she bfds, you're probably right about her stomach not being able to handle much more volume than she's currently getting. When my little guy was 11 lbs, he was feeding on a similar schedule (though he was 4 weeks at the time). That's a little tummy. Those that referred to being sure she's getting hindmilk make a good point (since that's the most nutrient rich portion), but I imagine if you are wishing she'd feed longer (and therefore less frequently) then you're not cutting her off -- you're letting her indicate when she is finished. There are plenty of strong philosophies out there about the balance between solids and breastfeeding, but I think what's most important is if your baby is thriving and secondly has a positive attitude towards mealtime.

Hello K., I won't worry about solids at this point. Breast milk is just fine. Remember, baby’s milk is still the main source of nutrients at this stage. If you really want to introduce solid then make sure you are using it for training purpose only. Don’t use up valuable tummy space for carrots and banana when your baby can be getting breast milk with all it’s multitude of natures own goodness.

Solid at this age is all about introducing your baby to a completely new concept of feeding (eating from a spoon) and not the quantity consumed. Until this point, food to your baby had always been a continuous flow. Your baby also starts experiencing
new tastes and textures of foods other than milk. But again Remember, baby’s milk is still the main source of nutrients at this stage.

We have a sample feeding chart on our website that will help answer some of your questions. http://www.yummyspoonfuls.com/images/Feeding%20chart.pdf
You can also contact our pediatric dietitian with questions. Hope this helps.
Thanks kindly

Cheers

Sounds about right to me. My 9lbs 5oz baby is now 7 months old and is eating about the same amount as your baby. When I pump I only get about 2-4 oz so I assume that's probably about what she drinks when she nurses. My baby still nurses eight to ten times a day too.