What food for a 4-month-old baby?

Question

I'm a mom of twin-girls (3 months 3 weeks old). They were born premature (in 36th week). I've been breastfeeding them all the time. I wonder when should I start other food - milky pap, squash (with a lot of water at first, of course), fruit juices (I would make them from real fruits or vegetables, squashed in a machine), etc? My friend who has 1 and a half yo daughter told me some but I need advice from a mother and my mother unfortunately can't help me right now.

P.S. I'm 13 but I have financial abilities to buy anything needed, just give me advice and keep in mind I don't knwo everything, so the question may seem dumm but none other girl my age would know, thanks :-)

Answer 1

your dr will let you know when it is time. sometimes not until they are 6 months old. and even then , you arent to start with food.....you start with some cereal mixed with breast milk/formula. talk to your dr about it because he/she will know what age your twins should start on cereal...then you will start introducing food.  

Answer 2

Four months is the earliest you should be giving them solids and cereals.  Six months is probably best, but if you must vegetables and fruits mashed up really good.  Why not try Gerber's First Foods?

You shouldn't give them any juice, babies don't need it at all.  It's loaded with sugar and you'd be introducing a bad habit.

Keep in mind too that even though you may start them on solids, their primary source of nutrition is from the breatsmilk.  The solids are just extras right now, basically just introducing them on how to eat. So if you decide to not give them solids for the next couple of months it's perfectly fine because the breastmilk is all they need to keep growing healthy.

One other thing, make sure you're still taking your pre-natal vitamins while you're nursing.  You still need to make sure you're replenishing your body with what it needs.  

Answer 3

Wow, I'm impressed that you're able to breastfeed both of them! Congrats, it's a feat! I have breastfed both of my babies, and it really is the best for them. Babies show that they are ready to start experimenting with solid foods when they start making eating motions while watching you eat, usually around 6 months but occasionally earlier. Take into account your babies adjusted age (subtract 3-4 weeks for prematurity) when considering when to give them food. Really just following their cues is better than any age guidelines other than waiting so you don't start too soon.

I wouldn't be in a rush to start them on solid foods anytime soon, especially if they're preemies. Breastmilk really is what they need the most of, and they use every drop of it. At this age, solid foods, even rice cereal, just go through them mostly undigested. So really it's kind of nutrition-negative, you know what I mean? Solid foods fill their tummy and make them feel full, but they don't get all the nutrition they could if they were getting breastmilk instead. My daughter is 11 months old and mostly breastfed. She didn't really take to solid foods until she was about 5-6 months old, and still gets frustrated and prefers to nurse sometimes.

Answer 4

Four months is the earliest to begin with very thin cereal, but it is better to wait longer. They are ready to begin if they can do most of the following..

control their necks

show when they are full (turns head refuses to open mouth)

sit with support

shows interest in food when you eat

mimic when you eat, such as opening mouth when you do

indicates wants by reaching or leaning towards something

seems hungry for more food when breastfed

I also found a few sites that seemed good.

www.gov.ab.ca

www.babycenter.ca/baby

www.nestle-baby.ca

www.everydayhealth.com

www.parents.com

And I have a book that I found invaluable

"your baby's first year week by week" by Glade Curtis and Judith Schuler. The checklist above came from there.

13 and twins? I'd find it hard at thirty, but wow. Good Luck.

Answer 5

They are fine with just your milk right now, it's too early to be thinking of giving them anything else.

"The following organizations recommend that all babies be exclusively breastfed (no cereal, juice or any other foods) for the first 6 months of life (not the first 4-6 months):

World Health Organization

UNICEF

US Department of Health & Human Services

American Academy of Pediatrics

American Academy of Family Physicians

American Dietetic Association

Australian National Health and Medical Research Council

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners

Health Canada"

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids...

Answer 6

Hey Amy, You really are supposed to wait on the solids, but I know how antsy you can get when breastfeeding gets sooo demanding. I (right about that time) gave my son really runny rice cereal. Then a couple weeks later I gave him bananas. (Really smushed and I also stirred my breast milk in) Now we're doing pears from gerber jars. But he really doesn't open his mouth very well for me. So, I suggest doing this every day. I haven't really done it that often. (My son is 6 1/2 months old now)

Well, have fun with your girls... and make sure you take pictures- you'll want to remember their first time!  

Answer 7

Well, if you were to go to any store to the baby food section, you'll most likely see baby foods with lables like "first foods" or something similar. They come in MANY flavors. Those would be good because they are meant specifically for babies that age, and as they grow up, you can get from first foods, and start getting to the babyfoods with lumps in them. It helps them learn to chew and eat better as they grow up.

Give them a variety of foods, don't just stick with a few things, try many things. They'll let you know which ones they do and don't like.

Answer 8

4 months is the earliest you can start them on pureed foods, but it's best to wait until closer to 6 months. Most doctors recommend starting off with just a little bit of rice cereal, mixed with formula for a thin consistency. Look for other signs that they're old enough for "solids"...if they've lost their tounge-thrust reflex (so they don't push it out of their mouth), and they can sit well supported they are probably ready. Only give them one food every few days so if they have a reaction you know which one caused it. Fruit juice shouldn't be given for a while...at least 6 months, and not very much. When you give them juice it should be diluted with water...like 2 parts water, 1 part juice. Because even 100% fruit juice is very high in sugar. And give it to them in a sippy so they won't associate juice with their bottle...the bottle should be just formula or breastmilk. However, babies don't actually need juice until they're over a year old. Here's a good reference site... www.wholesomebabyfood.com , especially if you're planning to make your own baby food/juice. Make sure you read the information that talks about the signs baby is ready for solids. Congratulations on your twins and best of luck.  

Answer 9

"I'm 13 but I have financial abilities to buy anything needed"

Of course.

Answer 10

Your girls do not need any type of solid food before they are 6 months old. Right now they are perfectly content with just breast milk.

So, give them another 2 months, and then have at it!

Answer 11

first off good job for knowing enough to come forward and asking if you don't know you should always ask someone you don't learn unless you ask. being that they are premature I would ask your dr or health nurse when they want them on other food. again though 36 weeks isn't that premature either. i started my son on watered down pablum at 4 months once a day in the morn i wouldn't give it to him in a bottle like some suggest cause he had to learn to eat off a spoon (it was messy at first but didn't take long for him to catch on) i would start pablum first, them add veggies and add fruit last. fruit is very full of acid and can be hard and cause serious bum rashes etc... if you want to supplement with something else to drink i would buy a formula to supplement with at this age i wouldn't be giving them anything else to drink such as juices until they are at least 6 months but as for food I would start pablum at 4 months if you have to make up the choice but i you have the option i would wait and ask there dr or health nurse only because they are premature. If you are feeding 24/7 or it feels like that they are probably ready for a supplement of either formula or pablum.

P.S if you have any further questions feel free to email me as I am always willing to help young moms as I was a young mom to if you don't ask you don't know.

[e-mail]

Answer 12

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T032000...

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids...

http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/readyfo...

those sites all have info on how to know if your baby is ready and how to start introducing solids.

keep in mind that just because the baby food company is willing to sell it to you doesn't mean that it's good for your baby.  there are many ingredients in baby food that is marketed for babies who are too young to have them.

Answer 13

I would start out adding a little bit of rice to their formula. I would start them out with a thinner amount, not a whole lot of rice. That way they can get used to having something other than just formula. With the baby food, I would start out with maybe a vegetable. It may take a couple tries before they like it. It is something completely new to them....

They might not eat near as often if you started them out on a little bit of rice..and some baby food. My daughter would eat hers heated up for about 5-10 seconds...I guess it makes it taste a little better....

Good luck to you...13 years old and twins.....proud of ya for taking care of them like you are.......

Answer 14

Ktree- you probably got thumbs down because solids are not supposed to be given before 6 months. they can't digest it. But in a situation with twins, which I have no knowledge of, they may need to take it earlier (or later) than normal. I would think earlier because it may be hard to give them enough breast milk when two of them are eating. I would then again think later because they are smaller than a normal baby and may need additional growth time before they are ready for solids.

You also probably got thumbs down because you said breast is best. Which it is. I formula fed my daughter because I found it to be easier. Of course she's smart, but I always wonder if she would have been smarter had I stuck with the breast feeding. Breast is best, no matter what anyone thinks and no matter what they do. You simply can not replicate breast milk. This has been proven so many times, it just makes people look ignorant when they say anything else.  

Answer 15

Wow, bless your heart...  If money is truly no object, buy Stage 1 baby foods... start with veggies first - squash, green beans, sweet potatoes & carrots.  Rice cereal at first is good, too...  Then, add fruits to the diet - they have Stage 1 baby food in fruit as well.  When you are starting new foods, use one for several days before introducing another new food - that way, if there is an allergy, you'll see the reaction and know which food it is!  If you start more than one new food at once, it's hard to tell which one caused the problem.  

Good luck to you...