I have a very large 4 month old with GERD. He weighs 20 lbs and 27 inches long as of last week. He is always hungry and is no longer sleeping through the night. He is currently on Enfamil Lipil AR. I want to start solids and just need some advice on how to start the process and any tips? Is it ok to give Gerber 1st foods at this age or do you wait until 6months?
Just stressed about this process because of his GERD, but think he is more than ready!
C.
Thanks for the advice!! As a first time mom with little baby experience I need ALL the help I can get!! Oh and GERD is just like acid refulx/heartburn for adults. He takes Zantac for it. He will be 4 months old in 9 days and I think solids will help him sleep again through the night. I guess I will try rice cereal tonight, wish me luck!!
i started giving my son simple solids gerber has teething biscuits mine loved and they are really bland soo they shouldnt effect the GERD. And it will let you know if he really is ready for solids or if he just thinks he is.
1st foods are fine and rice cereal only. Put a little rice cereal in his bottle and it will help him sleep at night or try to feed it to him before he goes to bed. Good Luck!
He is probably ready just given his size. I love referring to The Baby Whisperer book as she had some guidelines to starting solids based on weight and not just age, like so many docs. I do think you might want to be more cautious trying everything too fast, but just giving him some extra bulk might really help him. If he pushes it all out, then he is likely not ready anyway. I tried to buy my baby cereal from the health food store because it actually has fiber in it (filler and healthy) unlike the gerber cereals when my kids were babies. I think they usually say to start with rice and/or barley. The baby whisperer has guidelines too. If he has trouble with his bowels after introducing cereal, add some baby fruit juice to it to help that along. Hope this helps. Ssusan
They actually would like you start solids and rice ceral about now. I also have a 5 month old little girl and to get her to sleep through the night we put rice cereal in her bottle starting at 5 weeks old. add however much formula your son takes and then add a scoop or two to the bottle. Where the solids are concerned it is really upto the parent. Some parents like myself start with the vegetables then do the fruits. Others do the fruits first. One question though What is GERD? My 7 y/o has Cerebral Palsy and my youngest daughter has a curved spine that we just noticed this past week.
You can start solids.. Most mom's I know have started at 3 months even... And most of them were on stage 2 by 6 months...
Make sure you make the cereal liquidy... If you give the 1st foods... Do put a bit in a dish dont feed from the container.. So by doing that it will stay good longer. And not contaminate it...
WE even put cereal in the bottle for my first son at a month old.. Not tooo much.. just to try to help..
Sadly.. IT is not always a quick fix to get them to sleep...
but he is a big boy.. so I am sure it will help him to be a happy Baby!!!
Not sure about GERD, but I always started feeding solids with rice cereal, then one veggie or one fruit at a time, so you can watch for any allergies. consult with your pediatrician first....
p.s. make the cereal thinner at first, then gradually thicker in consistancy.
I have hilarious pics. of our son's first try eating green beans.........a great big shiver came over him! He still shivers at some sour/tart foods, like last nights' key lime pie! He's almost 5 and eats everything, thank goodness! have fun with your baby! don't forget cheerios when he can gum/chew them! great finger food...gerber's 1st foods and so on are great...and their toddler meals were very useful.
Ok so i just got my baby center magazine and it says you can start them on rice cereal as soon as 4 months or you can weight until 6 months b/c theres no harm in waiting, they are just concerned about the baby getting enough iron at 6 mos but if ur feeding them formula you dont have to worry about that. they also said that if ur baby is eyeing ur food when you eat or trying to take food off ur plate its time to start them on solids. basically the first time you feed them is just a taste plus you should just make the consistancy slightly thicker then formula or breast milk and the thicken it as he gets used to it-1-2 weeks
the mag also says you can feed them rice cereal or pureed meat to start b/c they both have lots of iron in them.
she also says that bananas mashed with formula and avocados is great for the first food too.
and it says that you can start them next on either veggies or fruits, it doesnt matter
and they also say that lots of rice cereal, apples and bananas can leave ur little one constipated so mix it up with pears and prune juice.
it was a really great and informational article, i hope it helps
C.
If you do try ceral if he does not like using a spoon you can put it in his bottle my mom gave it to my son just a little bit in a bottle when he was two week old and he is fine I was scared that she would hurt him and was freaking out but my little boy is almost six and no side affect happened she just said look I raised you just fine and he will be just fine so maybe it will help satify your little one
Hi C.,
We have a large 4.5 month old too... 17 pounds. We started him on rice cereal on the advice of our ped about a week ago. Overall he doesn't seem wild about it but I tasted it and it's kind of like wallpaper paste. She reccommended waiting until 5 months and we had cereal down before starting vegtables and then fruit. We started by making the cereal very thined down with formula/breast milk. He still isn't getting the concept of opening his mouth so we have to be very patient to get down just a little bit. I think it takes them awhile to learn to move it to the back of their throat. What worked for us was giving him about 3 ou of bottle and then trying the cereal. They should be hungry but not starving or they just get frustrated.
Good luck!
C.
My daughter is now 5 months old and at her 4 month checkup my doctor said that she was ready to start solids now b/c of her size and the fact that she was sitting up by herself. What he said is to try to give her a bit and to ease it on her. She absoultely loves baby food. I tried all the veg. 1st and now she is starting fruit. Its really your gut feeling if you feel that he is ready for it then he is. If he acts like he doesn't know what to do with it and contiues to spit it out then you can tell that he isn't. Also if you do start him on solids don't be alarm if he doesn't take as much as he use to on his bottle. Tasha went down to 5oz. I freaked out and called my doc. and he said it is normal. Also great brand of formula thats what I use. I buy it from Sams club b/c you can get a big can and it last a little longer so I don't feel like i'm always buying formula. My last adive is have you tryed just cereal that a great starter for introducing solids. I also read someone said to put it into there bottle. My niece has stomach problems now b/c her mom did that and it is leading to more acid relax problems and that it really is not good to do.
love to chat with you more.
celia
You should try rice cereal! Good Luck!
