Starting solids in about 2 weeks (OT?)

"Sue" wrote in message
...
iphigenia wrote in message:
Or just hand-express; that's what I did, as it doesn't really take that
much milk to make cereal for a baby just beginning solids.

Well she said she wasn't interested in doing that, but personally I found
it
easier. )

I never got the hang of doing that. Not once was I able to hand
express. Maybe the OP isn't able to, either?

I'm amazed at how easy it was for you all!

Donna

Sue wrote:
Well she said she wasn't interested in doing that, but personally I
found it easier. )

Oops, so she did, I missed that. The hospital LC when Gabe was born taught
me how to do it. It's not hard, and really, I think it's a really useful
thing to know. Anyway!


--
tristyn
www.tristyn.net
"i have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.
i do not think that they will sing to me."

I know some of you hand
express right into the cereal (so it's warm to begin with), but for some
reason I'm just not interested in learning that skill.

It probably isn't that difficult to learn, and the five minutes you spend
learning now will probably be repaid a dozen times over later on in the time
you DON"T spend pumping and storing and warming milk for the cereal feeds and
washing the bottle you keep the milk in. Takes but a moment to squirt a little
breastmilk into the bowl, add a dab of cereal and mix, and you're ready to go.

#2 Also, can anyone point me in the direction of a good website or book
that has a good guide for what foods to offer and in what order?

Don't know of any websites, but it isn't rocket science. Do whatever is
conveneint for you, and whatever baby seems to like. Doesn't really matter.
(And if you read 10 different books/websites, they'll just give you 10
different 'right' orders anyway...)

#3 How much rice cereal should I offer at first, and how often? I know
all babies are different, but I was just hoping for some ideas of what
to expect.

A half teaspoon to a teaspoon is plenty to start. (Once a day.) You increase as
baby seems to like it. Some babies will want to increase rapidly (going to
several feeds a day, several tablespoons at a time) within a few days, others
will be happy with just dabbling for quite some time. (And some of course,
won't want anything to do with solids just because the calendar says it's six
months...)


Naomi
CAPPA Certified Lactation Educator

(either remove spamblock or change address to to e-mail
reply.)

"Kathy" wrote in message
...
DD will be 6 months old in about 2 weeks...so sometime around
then I will be starting solids, beginning with rice cereal.

We're starting rice cereal next weekend. I'm already feeling a little
wistful.

#1 I want to make the cereal with breast milk...my plan is to
keep some pumped milk in the fridge for this purpose. If I
want to make the cereal warm, what's the best way of going
about this? I know breast milk isn't supposed to go in the
microwave. I know some of you hand express right into the
cereal (so it's warm to begin with), but for some reason I'm
just not interested in learning that skill.

I don't think it matters if you microwave it actually. You wouln't want
to nuke bottles that are a main source of nutrition on a regular basis,
but just the little amount needed to mix cereal, it isn't going to be a
significant loss. AFAIK microwaving only kills some of the enzymes or
something, it doesn't ruin all the nutrients. Then again that's coming
from someone who just used tap water to mix baby cereal (for #1).

#2 Also, can anyone point me in the direction of a good website
or book that has a good guide for what foods to offer and in what
order?

Cereals then veggies/fruits then light meats then red meats then yogurt
and cheese. I don't think the veggie/fruit order matters really, and I
don't see why you'd even have to do all of one before doing the other.
I.e., why not go peas, banana, carrot, peaches, etc.? The foods I
avoided until after a year for #1 included citrus, milk, beans, berries,
nuts, and seafood (still avoiding nuts and seafood, actually, until age
3). There may be others I'm forgetting ATM. Other than delaying the
big-time allergens I doubt it matters what order you introduce specific
foods within the general order of types, above.

#3 How much rice cereal should I offer at first, and how often?

I'm planning to start with one tablespoon (dry) per day for several days
until his system gets used to having something other than milk in it.
Then just go by interest but always nurse first before offering other
foods.

Thank you everyone...I can't believe that we have just about made
it to the 6 month mark with DD being exclusively BF. My husband
is a wonderful source of support, but other than him, this group has
been THE best source of support for me. I never would've done it
without you all. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

This group certainly is an incredibly valuable resource. Congrats on
almost-six months! I can't believe we're nearly-there already too.
--
Cheryl S.
Mom to Julie, 2 yr., 11 mo. and Jaden, 6-months-on-Thursday
Quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

#1 I want to make the cereal with breast milk...my plan is to keep some
pumped milk in the fridge for this purpose. If I want to make the
cereal warm, what's the best way of going about this? I know breast
milk isn't supposed to go in the microwave. I know some of you hand
express right into the cereal (so it's warm to begin with), but for some
reason I'm just not interested in learning that skill.


There are two reasons not to microwave breastmilk: (1) the danger of hot
spots, and (2) microwaves kill off some of the good stuff -- antibodies? -- in
the milk.

Hot spots can be dealt with by thorough mixing, and the other problem just
isn't very significant when you're talking about a tablespoon of rice cereal.
I wouldn't microwave a bottle of ebm, but for mixing with cereal, I never
thought twice about it.

You could also mix the cereal with warm water -- in addition to (initially) or
instead of (probably later) the breastmilk.

#2 Also, can anyone point me in the direction of a good website or book
that has a good guide for what foods to offer and in what order? DH and
I don't have any history of allergies in our families that we're aware
of, and I don't plan to be overly stringent about what foods I give in
what order...but like all things that are new to me I like to at least
have some good guidelines to follow.


Any decent baby care book you have should offer some information, and your
doctor may have a pamphlet or something (that's what we mostly used). And
kellymom.com has a section on introducing solids.


#3 How much rice cereal should I offer at first, and how often? I know
all babies are different, but I was just hoping for some ideas of what
to expect.


It doesn't matter very much. :-) Once a day, once a week; one tablespoon, a
quarter-cup. Just don't use more than an ounce or so of breastmilk at a time
for the first few meals, because you don't want to waste it if your baby
doesn't eat it, and don't offer so much cereal that your baby's appetite for
nursing decreases. Be guided by whether and how much she seems to enjoy the
experience.

Holly
Mom to Camden, 3yo
EDD #2 6/8/04

iphigenia was all, like:
Sue wrote:
Well she said she wasn't interested in doing that, but personally I
found it easier. )

Oops, so she did, I missed that. The hospital LC when Gabe was born
taught me how to do it. It's not hard, and really, I think it's a
really useful thing to know. Anyway!

It does seem like a useful skill, and I've tried, after reading instructions
on a web site (don't remember which one), but wasn't successful.

Then again, I pump for daycare, and I've got a freezer stash, so I usually
have EBM around anyway.

Tine Andersen writes:

: My, my, we are in a happy mood today, aren't we? :-)

: Tine, Denmark

When I actually wrote the post, I thought I was being funny,
rereading it now I understand Monika's "bordering on rude..."
remark,

Sorry Kathy,
Larry

Tine wrote:
My, my, we are in a happy mood today,
aren't we? :-)

Then Larry wrote:
When I actually wrote the post, I thought I
was being funny, rereading it now I
understand Monika's "bordering on
rude..." remark,
Sorry Kathy,
Larry

No worries Larry...I figured you were just being funny!

Kathy

"Kathy" wrote in message
...
#2 Also, can anyone point me in the direction of a good website or book
that has a good guide for what foods to offer and in what order?

Sears' _The Baby Book_ or www.askdrsears.com/

But be prepared for all your plans to go out the window, in one way or
another.

My DS never did care for cereal, and really did not eat a thing until he was
11 months old. Before then, there was nothing to do but keep on
breastfeeding him exclusively, offering food now and again in case he was
interested. We basically started him on table food, then.

#3 How much rice cereal should I offer at first, and how often? I know
all babies are different, but I was just hoping for some ideas of what
to expect.

Expect her to take only a spoonful or two for a long time. Try it for one
or two meals a day--perhaps in the evening. If she rejects it, not to
worry. Just try again in a few days or a week.

Don't worry about the temperature of the milk--it won't stay fridge-cold for
long, and chances are that your DD won't mind, anyhow.

Beth