Need help with a feeding schedule

well yesterday my son turned 5 months and I decided to try him on the rice cereal. I think he liked it...everytime we put the spoon to his mouth he would open up for it and about half of what we put in would come right back out but he did pretty good swallowing.

My question is.....for his age and weight...approx 16lbs....how much should I be giving him? and how many times per day? breaky, lunch, dinner?

DH wanted to go slow and only once per day but should we do 3 meals? He has no feeding sched whatsoever so I was hoping it might help him get on a sched.

Also.....after feeding him the cereal should I offer a bottle even if he seems full?

I have no idea what i am doing when it comes to feedings so I need help!

[mamaof4410]

since hes only 5mnths i would start him on dinner first then around 6 or 7 months start on breakfast and after 7 mnths start him on solids like baby food. Veggis first because theyre not as sweet. And wait a week or two between giving him a certain food to see if he develops an allergy to any of it. And start off with like 2 tablespoons of cereal and increase as he gets older and his appetite increases.
And offer him a 2 ounce bottle of purified water he might not take it but it will wash down the food.  I did it with all 3 of my kids. or some watered down gerber baby apple juice. This is what i did with all 3 of my children and they are not obese nor do they have any food allergies. they are happy healthy kids. good luck but putting him on a schedule for feeding especially during the day is better for him.

[illsurvive]

he still needs breastmilk more. so dont give alot him that i can drink milk.
or ( as my docotr told me) give him brestmilk before giving him food. more consentrate on milk  

[mamaof4410]

Yea of course dont replace formula or breast milk at all. he should still get milk during the day and at night until hes 12 mths and thats the recommended age for formula fed babies. but breast milk is awesome until you decide not to breast feed anymore. i fed my kids cereal when my husband and i would sit down for dinner, i feel it bonds us at dinner time :)
but continue feeding milk, dont cut it out. just replace that one bottle around dinner time for the cereal. thats what i meant. :)

[30something13]

babies are not to have foods till age 6 months according to the american acadamy of pediatrics and world health organization. Babies ahve an open gut to digest milk lacotse and protiens until around age 6-9 months it starts to close. Introducing foods to soon is not reccomended.

They used to say cereal because it is least allergenic but it lacks in nutritional value and fills babies belly to much. no food sgould substitute breastmilk or formula. think about it, why would you substitute a ;acking food for their very high calorie and nutritional food??they need it for growth and development! Especially water.....

Sweet potatoes and avacado are very high in nutrician and good first foods and babies tend to like the sweeter taste when ready for foods, it does not make them not like veggies less!

read AAP, WHO, Dr SEARS pediatrician, wholesome baby food has nutritional values of all foods inclydibg cereals. kellymom also has loads of info were she puts in study links etc..

[mamaof4410]

Thats what I have done with all 3 of my children and when i was on the WIC program with my first son i clearly remember them giving me the ok to give him rice cereal at 4months. and as for giving him PURIFIED water only after the cereal feeding, that is something i also did. I clearly did not suggest cutting out breast milk or formula to replace it with baby foods except for the one at dinner time . and there are babies that are breast fed that tip the scales quicker than my 5 month old son getting milk and ONE cereal feeding per day. My children are not obese nor do they have an allergy to any food they eat today. Obesity has alot to do with the parents not just what a child eats. half the time the parents are obese the parents are to. thats were it starts.

[NicoleW09]

According to my ped and the people at wic, it is okay to start cereal at four months. (we were advised to start it early due to severe reflux). However, you don't introduce fruits/veggies until 6 months.

[mamaof4410]

And thats exactly what i said..start the other solids around 6 or 7 months. Thank you for the back up.