It's been a few years since we started rice cereal with our first so I have forgotten how often to give it to them, and is it before or after nursing or a bottle, and is it between nursings, or what? Have no idea.
Rice cereal given the last feeding of the night helped my baby sleep all night. So that's what I'd suggest
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G. W
I forgot too. I have a 3 year old as well. Our doctor told us to keep breast/bottle feeding schedule and just add cereal 2-3 times a day (1-2 tsp). We mixed it with forumla. He didn't like it at first until we really thinned it out. We have moved on to veggies and fruit, so we mix with fruit now. He loves it!
We started at 4 months and gave it her about an hour after she had eaten. She hated it though, and after numerous attempts, just had to hide it in her 1st baby foods. She ate it that way until she started solids.
You don't have to start with rice cereal as a baby's very first food (there's not much nutritional value in it, and the iron in it may constipate your baby). Other good (nutritionally, and taste-wise) first foods include mashed ripe banana and cooked & pureed sweet potato. Both area easy to prepare at home (or you can just by the jarred stuff). If you do decide to prep your own foods, I recommend using a hand mixer to actually get the banana or sweet potato really smooth and blend in some (maybe an ounce) water or breast milk/formula - it'll go down much easier that way (they don't chew at this age, so chunks usually just come back out). Starting you baby on "sweets" won't destroy her palate either; as long as you introduce a variety of foods at the right time, she should learn to like or at least try just about anything. I'm happy to pass on my experiences with making my own baby food, so let me know if you're interested.
My 5-month-old baby gets "solids" before nursing twice a day, once late in the morning and once late in the afternoon. I'd try both before, after and in the middle of a feeding though, to determine what works best for your daughter (and her habits may be different from your son's). Since the bulk of her nutrition and calories should still come from breast milk or formula though, don't use solids in place of a normal feeding. Remember too that when you offer a new food, it's better to do it earlier in the day just in case she has an allergic reaction or it makes her gassy (screaming during daylight is better than screaming in the middle of the night, right?). Good luck!
I always gave it to them when they are hungry (before nursing) and followed it with nursing to fill up.
Blessings,
P. <><
It doesn't matter, so long as your child still nurses. If you feel she isn't taking as much milk after cereal, then nurse first. Some people recommend feed on one side first, then do cereal, then feed on the other side. In our home we nurse around 4, do cereal or first foods at 5, and do last nursing at 7 before bed. Just do what works for your family and baby.
We did cereal first when she was hungry at the last feeding of the night, maybe a little earlier than usual so she wouldn't be frantic, then formula (she wasn't nursing). Shortly after getting it at night, I started giving it to her first thing in the morning, too.
