How Much Should My 6 Month Old Eat??

I would say what you are feeding her is plenty, beings they only need breastmilk or formula for their first year of life. My son is almost 5 months and i feed him cereal with a fruit or veggie in the evening to help him sleep better. The rest of the day it's formula, I wasn't able to continue breastfeeding because of a blood transfusion.

I see that you a HUGE breastfeeding advocate. I think that is so great, so many mothers are relying on the formula now not knowing the true benefits of breastfeeding. I really could have used someone like you around when I had my last child.

She is defenately not eating too much. I have a 3 month old and I had no choice but to put him on ceriel already. I feed that to him 2 to 3 times a day plus with those feedings he eats 3 to 4 oz of formula. Then in between those feedings he eats 2 to 3 times between 4 and 6oz at a time. This is only a 3 month old, so I wouldn't worry as long as she is content. My son is growing and he is huge, thanks to his tall daddy. I would even suggest feeding a little more of the baby food or ceriel so that you are not having to feed so much milk. The Dr.'s say that they are ready to have that at 6 months old but the milk is still the best, so whatever you feel is good for her will work just fine.

You have to remember you can add breastmilk to the cereal you make her - so you could give her rice or oatmeal in the morning to start the day off with a full tummy. at 6mos old she should be eating 2 of the small jars of baby food - I usually give 1 veggie & 1 fruit as dessert. If she is over eating, unlike a puppy, she will vomit. As a mom of a son who is allergic to many things and read many boxes - Gerber uses soy as a preservitive - Beechnut does not and is the only one the doesn't. I hope you remember to try 1 fruit or veggie for a solid week before moving on and mixing it up. Also green = gas - the green veggies make more gas but as long as it does not become too much for her to handle - a lil gas is not that bad. If she spits up after eating - it might not agree with her... but try it again and make sure - also remember what does not agree as a small baby - might be fine by 1yo.
Food for thought.....
S. B

I was told by the nutritionist that baby's bodies are the best calorie counters, they know exactly how many calories they need and thats what they will take. Some babies need more than others, unless there is a weight problem with your daughter I don't think you should worry. My 8 month old eats 3 times a day(she is also breastfed), but most of the time she will only take maybe 3 spoonfuls if that, lately she has been eating maybe 1/2 jar(the same size jar, earth's best). I was worried that she wasn't eating enough, but she is healthy and in the 95% for height and weight, so once I talked to the nutritionist my mind was put at ease.

I would say let your child guide you. It's obvious that you are trying to be contientious (sp?)about her eating so I'm sure you won't overfeed. I was worried about the same thing because my daughter who will be 2 in March and my son who is 6 months both love to eat. My daughter started cereal around 4 months and quickly switched to veggies and fruits. She was on table food by 8 months. My son was wearing me down with his nursing by 3 months and I started him on the organic rice cereal before his 4 month check-up. The pediatrician said that was fine because she finds that by 15 lbs they need more than just nursing. He'll be six months tomorrow and is already doing the stage 3 jars and table foods depending on what we are having for a meal. He nurses about 4 times a day, (first thing in the AM; Pre-morning Nap; Pre-afternoon Nap; After dinner/before bed). He gets a full b'fast of regular oatmeal with some natural applesauce or yo baby with some infant cereal mixed in, as well as a regular lunch and dinner. He is also learning to master his sippy cup with 1/2 juice 1/2 water. There are some meals I'm not sure where he puts all the food and others he barely eats 1/4 cup of something. Granted he's a pretty big guy, 97th %ile for height and weight and wearing 12m outfits, but when he's full he lets me know by slowing down or losing interest all together. My daughter is the same way. She goes in spurts of eating more or eating less and the pediatrician says she's right on track. As long as the height and weight are on par and your daughter isn't fussing because she's hungry you are probably fine. I was told that infants don't overeat. They naturally take in what their bodies need and stop, unlike adults who can eat beyond their hunger for reasons other than supplying their body with fuel. Good luck with the journey and try not to stress yourself out.

Hello,

I wouldn't think that she is eating too much since it is just 2 small jars and some cereal to go along with her breast milk. The fact that she is sleeping through the night probably means that she is getting enough food during the day to sustain her which is great. But my main purpose in responding is to make sure you know about the Earth's Best babyfood recall. (jars of apple peach barley and a variety pack of wholesome breakfast foods) You probably aren't going to be using the stage 2 any time soon but I wanted to warn you just in case. It's posted on the FDA website.

D.

I had a similar problem with my two children, down to the sports induced asthma, though the source of allergies in my son were dust, pollen and other foods. Both of my children had atopic eczema. My son had sensibility to cow's milk, egg, fish, some fruits -like lemons or strawberries- and some vegetables -like tomatoes- when he was little.

It looks like you are doing well. I don't think you are feeding her too much. You don't need to worry about how much she eats as long as her weight is between the normal range. Babies grow at different rates.

I would start adding some meat to the midday meal. Around six months old iron deposits laid down before birth are almost depleted. The recommendation from my pediatrician was to use red meat; apparently it had less hormones than chicken. As you only need 1-2 oz per day until they are over 12 months, I choose the leanest organic beef I could find.

I prepared my own food - carrot, peeled and diced, potato, peeled and diced, a few green beans, washed and trimmed, meat and simmer it until it was tender, and drizzling a little olive oil at the end. Then liquidize it -a hand held blender is great for this task.

You can prepare enough for a few days and freeze it in ice trays, then transfer the cubes to a bag and defrost what you need. Homemade instant food.

My children's eczema would flare when they had enriched food or vitamin drops, so I had to go the organic way for everything, which is expensive. They are still allergic to pollen and dust -though they are much better, no asthma and barely medication- but most of their food sensibility has disappeared. Unhappily, nut allergies do not tend to disappear with age.

I wish you the best.

I would say you are doing great if your daughter is content, because it makes you content. from what I can see, you are doing great. if you are really concerned, just discuss it with your pediatrician and have them keep an eye on her growth, and porportions. and the worst case scenario you could possibly have, is that she would gain more weight than necessary, and you correct the feedings accordingly, and then she will loose any excess when she starts crawling actively or walking, believe me, they will thin out! my son was in the 95th percentile for height and weight, but at the same time, he was porportionate, and it suited his body, (he has a large frame like his father.) and the pediatrician thought he was perfect. I even thought I might have been overdoing it, but she told me that I was to not cut back any foods that I was giving him. when he became more active, any chub that he might've had on him just turned into muscle, or just spread out as he became taller.

Hi Crystal,
I am a breastfeeding advocate as well but 6 months is a good time to start solids. My daughter is 6 months (week 2) and has been eating solids since 4 months. Her Ped. recommends 1-2 tbls. of cereal in the morning and evening with stage 1 or 2 fruit, AND a veggie for lunch (stage 1 or stage 2). I did this with my 2 year old and found it did not interfer with my milk production. It is best to nurse before so your daughter isn't starving before offering solids. The difference between the stages is the amount in the jar. If your daughter seems hungry after the stage 1 then you should offer the stage 2 size. I mix the fruit with the cereal and my daughter loves it! Good luck!

Breastfed babies don't usually overeat, they tend to stop when they are full, just like they do when they are nursing. So I wouldn't worry about that. As long as she is content, keep it up. When you decrease the nursing futher, try to intro a bit of protein.

Hi Crystal,
I have a 5 1/2 month old whic I started on solids (rice cereal) at 2 months but thats because she kept vomiting the formula up because it was too thin and wasnt sticking to her stomach. A baby can have up to 32 ounces of formula or breastmilk per day. In addition, he can have as much in the way of solids, water, or juice as he wants to supplement this. The mealtime formula or breastmilk is usually given at the end of the meals, to top off the solids in a comfortable and easy way. Even though the solids are now playing a larger role, the breast milk or formula still provides the core of the nutritional needs. If a baby begins to regularly take less than about 20 ounces per day, you might want to offer the bottle first and then solids. But I would ask the pediatrician because depending on the babys weight the feedings should be regulated to that. Have you started her on juice yet since you just started her on solids? Remember to ONLY give it in a sippy cup and she should have no more than 4 oz a day. If you have any more questions you can contact me directly at ____@____.com or repost something on here.
-N.

Crystal -
I feel for you in this confusion....my daughter was much the same. It sounds like you are not short supplying your daughter with milk (which can be a fear when introducing a LOT of solids). Just know that each child has growth spurts at such different times, this could be a spurt. It could be a REAL love of this new solid stuff. Keep offering until she isn't interested....starts to get distracted, doesn't open her mouth as eagerly, etc. Another suggestion - is get in what you are feeding her of solids at a meal - then breastfeed - see if she still seems to want more. Like I said before - the concern is a large reduction of your milk supply because of all the solid foods. In reality the solids should be an addition to your milk, not a replacement.
It is a fine line to walk - you know your baby best - trust your instincts and talk with your health care provider if you are still concerned.