How do i start to give my son solids?

Question

My son will be turning 4 months soon and i was wondering how i begin to give him a baby rice mixture. A few people have told me to start slow by maybe giving him half a teaspoon a bedtime and "slowly" increase from there as well as his formula. Also how do i know when to give him formula instead of the rice mixture? Do i give him the rice mixture at one feeding and the formula at the next? I am so confused can anyone help me.

This is my first baby so if you have any criticizing answers i don't want to hear them.

Answer 1

Your baby may be turning 4 months, but he may not be developmentally ready for solids. A good way to test if he will accept them: mix about a tablespoon of rice cereal with 4 or 5 tablespoons of breast milk/formula and offer it to him on a spoon. It will look really soupy/runny. It's supposed to.

If he accepts it and doesn't try to push it back out with his tongue, he's ready. If he pushes his tongue back out with the food, wait a week and try again.

You will have a lot of people tell you not to start your baby on solids until 6 months, but I started my daughter at the end of her 4th month, and she's doing fine. She's nearly 6 months now.

In these beginning stages, it's best not to substitute cereal feedings for bottles. Keep offering him bottles at the same times as usual. Do not decrease the amounts you give him-it's still his primary source of nutrition and will be for several months to come.

Can he sit well on his own? That can be a sign that he is ready. Does he reach for your fork or spoon when you are eating? Move his mouth like he is chewing?

It doesn't hurt to try now, but if he isn't ready, don't force him.

Try offering cereal when he's hungry, but not starving. Maybe an hour or two after he takes a bottle. Make sure he's in a good mood and is well rested.

And take heart: if at first he doesn't take to it, don't get discouraged. He will let you know when he is ready.

Answer 2

heyknow how you feel its my 2nd and im still confussed my baby seems ready for food but hasnt got the swollowing action yet but i have just been giving her a little bit at each feed (1 -2 teaspoons) and then a bottle as well she is slowly getting better at eating but loves to suck food off her dummy i put a bit of rice formula in her bottle to make it thicker so she settles a bit better good luck and you will be able to tell if he is ready or not just try it its the only way u will find out

Answer 3

honestly if i were you i would wait til 5 months to start this, there really is no rush to feed solids that early, he may not even want it.  

but if you are going to do it anyway you should always give formula first as that is where all his nutrition is coming from, the rice cereal isn't providing him anything compared to the formula so make sure he always drinks his formula first.  you could try giving him a bottle of formula then maybe an hour later try giving him the rice cereal.  if he spits it out or it comes right back out of his mouth then he most likely isn't ready for it and doesn't want it so don't force it, try again in a couple weeks.

your goal is to have his formula intake remain the same, you don't want that to go down, the rice cereal would just be for practice eating and not nutrition so it is an "extra" thing.

Answer 4

You should create a 'porridge' out of the rice cereal by simply mixing it with a little formula...just to thicken it up.  Also, the first time you introduce him to the mixture, I would feed it to him in the morning...instead of before bed...so you can see how he does with it...just in case he reacts to it for some reason.  

You could start by feeding him the rice twice a day..like 10 am and 4 pm...just to start...and giving him his formula all other times.  If he seems to like it, and is doing well with it...you could introduce the right-before-bedtime feeding, so maybe he'll start sleeping through the night for you!

Answer 5

wow idk