A lot of people have different ideas about this. Here's what I think.
First of all, be prepared for a mess. I got so fustrated with baby food stains the first time around that I actually stripped my younger daughter to her diaper and fed her so I didn't have to worry about washing clothes. People thought I was nuts but I don't care.
The first food you should give your baby is rice cereal. Start with a teaspoon or so in a bowl. Mix it with formula or breastmilk until it is really runny and put some on a baby spoon. Remember this is brand new to your baby so it will take awhile for them to get the hang of it. She's used to only sucking to get milk- the idea of moving a food bolus to the back of her throat and swallowing will be new and strange at first.
A word about cereal in the bottle- it won't help your baby to sleep through the night. There really is no reason to put cereal in the bottle UNLESS your baby has reflux and you have been instructed to thicken the formula or breastmilk. If your baby is so hungry that you think she needs cereal in the bottle then it's time to start solids.
I suggest graduallly working up to about a tablespoon of cereal per day at first. Adjust the thickness as your baby can tolerate it. Once baby is tolerating cereal without any trouble then move onto the fruits and vegetables!
next- how to start fruits and vegetables
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First of all, be prepared for a mess. I got so fustrated with baby food stains the first time around that I actually stripped my younger daughter to her diaper and fed her so I didn't have to worry about washing clothes. People thought I was nuts but I don't care.
The first food you should give your baby is rice cereal. Start with a teaspoon or so in a bowl. Mix it with formula or breastmilk until it is really runny and put some on a baby spoon. Remember this is brand new to your baby so it will take awhile for them to get the hang of it. She's used to only sucking to get milk- the idea of moving a food bolus to the back of her throat and swallowing will be new and strange at first.
A word about cereal in the bottle- it won't help your baby to sleep through the night. There really is no reason to put cereal in the bottle UNLESS your baby has reflux and you have been instructed to thicken the formula or breastmilk. If your baby is so hungry that you think she needs cereal in the bottle then it's time to start solids.
I suggest graduallly working up to about a tablespoon of cereal per day at first. Adjust the thickness as your baby can tolerate it. Once baby is tolerating cereal without any trouble then move onto the fruits and vegetables!
next- how to start fruits and vegetables
Share |
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