Feeding question

[5n1]

Okay ladies, I know there is other forums I could probably ask this question in, but I know most of you are extremely helpful. so here it goes

My LO is 5 months old, and her pedi has cleared her to start cereal, baby food, and juice...She was on similac RS because of reflux, but at her 4 month check-up he switched her to similac sensitive...well, she quit eating cereal from a spoon a couple of weeks ago because she got sick and just didnt want to eat...but since she switched formula, nothing fills her up and with her not eating cereal, its not helping...

so my question is, someone told me to give her Gerber baby drinkable yogurt once a day to help her....do you think it is okay???? I looked at the gerber site and it says for sitters, and well she can sit by herself and play with toys...

and when I say she is hungry non-stop, she will sleep through the night for the most part still, but as soon as she is up, she is eating...we went through 2 cans of formula since saturday...thats how much she is eating...

or what can I do to help her start eating cereal with a spoon again??

sorry for the long question, any help would be appreciated...THANK YOU

[5n1]

when she was taking the cereal before, she liked it pretty thick...if it was any kind of runny she would turn her head....


Oh and an update since last night...She had her bottle around 7pm and she just kept fussing, but I knew she didnt want another bottle, so I assumed those two teeth on the bottom are giving her problems..well, I decided to try once more with the cereal and spoon..AND GUESS WHAT?!?! she ate all of it!! I was in shock....not to mention she also took another bottle at 930 before bed...

Thank you ladies for all of your wonderful advice...I do feel better knowing that if she only takes formula, that is okay, and the amount she is consuming is okay as well.....It really eases my mind...

[KAnuCmEY]

I make sure my son is really hungry before I sit him down to eat, that way he doesn't spit it out or play while he is eating. If she likes her juice you can always mix that with the cereal too. have you tried different cereals too? my son won't touch the rice so I got oatmeal and he loved it and it was a lot easier for him to digest. I will add one last thing, my son is picky with the texture of food. he kept trying to slurp if off the spoon if it was to runny so i left it a little thicker that seemed to have made a difference.  I hope this helps.

[SunWorshiper_26]

Babies won't eat from boredem so if she's hungry give her food or forumula. Formula has all the things she needs at this point.

The reason they say wait on dairy is it is harder to digest and allergies can be a concern but if you have given the yogurt and there is no upset tummy or strange poops than I would say it's ok to give it to her once a day. Maybe try mixing a little cereal in with it if she tolerates it

Some babies are more picky about eating but luckily your little one is happy with formula which is most important in the first year of life

[wannabeamommy0124]

I think 40-50 oz is ok... I work with infants at a preschool and the 5month olds (3 of them) are eating 5, 6, and 8 oz every 3 hrs. so taking the 8oz drinker... according to parents she wakes up once at night to eat so she eats 24 oz while shes at daycare plus her morning bottle, her dinner, and her overnight. so thats about 48oz a day... so i think you are ok.. she just also started cereal and did not like it... i think shes just not used to the spoon and it is understandable that your little one may have forgotten how to eat from one because she was sick..

[Michele, Katy, TX]

I would def talk to your ped about the changes in her formula eating habits since the switch was made.  As for the yogurt....if she is doing fine w/ it, then I would let her have it.

The feeding things and preferences are just trial and error really.  With my last one (she is almost 16 months), I have had a terrible time getting her to eat healthy solid foods and I tried everything imaginable to man.  I have never had these problems w/ any of my previous 5 children, so this was/is all new to me.

Good luck :)

[5n1]

Thank you ladies....

I am definately not trying to force it...I just try cereal once a day, and if she wont eat it, ehh I just move onto another bottle....its not a big deal to me....and yeah she has had no reactions to the yogurt, and it is no more than one a day if that....She was sick the week before Christmas, ear infection, pink eye, and cold...the joys of having siblings in school lol....so, do you think it is okay to allow her that much formula a day....I mean she is probably having 40-50oz right now a day?????

Sorry I know I should know these things, with this being my 3rd child..but every child is different....

[tiredbuthappy]

when  was she sick? recently? maybe her throat still hurts.
try different textures. my first had to have really runny cereal for the longest time. My second wouldn't touch cereal for the longest time. She also wouldn't touch anything sweet until after 12 months. The first food I could get her to eat was avocado around 6 1/2 months. By 7 months she was eating steak and veggies (toothless) but no sweets. When she did start eating cereal, it had to be super thick, like paste. And she never ate it plain, only with veg mixed in.

I think they generally recommend waiting until 9 months to introduce yogurt and dairy products, although I'm not too sure why. If she's had it with no reactions, then I would think she's OK. However, i would look at how much sugar is in there. And even the gerber website says no more than 1 a day.

Personally, I feel that if they are not ready or willing to take food by a spoon, then it should not be forced by finding alternate ways. Her ravenous appetite may be due to a growth spurt, and the formula certainly has more of the nutrients she would need in those stages. Definitely keep offering different foods and try different textures, but take her refusal as a cue that she isn't quite ready for solids.

[5n1]

I mix it with formula....she was eating GREAT, well cereal, not baby food yet, prior to getting sick...and now, here we are with not wanting to eat at all..

That is a good point though, I never thought about her maybe needing to basically re-learn to use her tongue..

Thank you so much

[LosingMyMindInGA]

I'd say if you do 2 tbsps of cereal then add maybe a (baby) spoonful or two of fruit and see.  You can also try mixing the cereal to a more watery consistency.  Do you mix it with water or formula?  

It could be she just doesn't remember how to work her tongue properly in order to keep the food her in mouth.  Just keep trying.  

[5n1]

We were writting at them same time losing, lol  I am not sure if it is the taste or the texture of the food...how much jar food would you mix with the cereal, just for taste so maybe the texture wont be there, and maybe she will eat it

[5n1]

I have tried bananas and she just spits them out too..heres what I have tried, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, applesauce, bananas, and rice cereal...The only thing I can get her to take is the gerber drinkable yogurt, and I have only tried that twice in a week, because I wasnt sure on it..

and no, I am not going to get upset with the whole fruits first with you girl, my son was the same way, he ate fruits first and now he loves veggies...


Thank you for answering

[LosingMyMindInGA]

I'm not going to go against what smjmekg said but I'm going to offer another suggestion....try mixing just a LITTLE bit of fruit in with her cereal to give it just the slightest of a sweet taste.  If she starts taking that, start tapering off the fruit mixture little by little until it's completely removed.  This may help her begin to take it again and also get her back into eating bland tasting foods.  You can still start with veggies first but go with something sweeter like sweet potatoes or peas.

If it were me I would probably hold off on the yogurt stuff until atleast 6 months.  

[smjmekg]

I'll probably get some lashing from telling you this, BUT I'd try starting her on a fruit. Maybe something thick like bananas.

I know they say you're "supposed to start veggies first" so they don't "develop a sweet tooth" BUT I started Elijah on fruits first, and now at 2 1/2 yeah I give him cookies or something like that once in a while, and yes he had a candy cane or two since it was Christmas, and yes he had a couple pieces of the candy he got trick or treating, BUT he eats his veggies too, always has.