I breastfed my daughter so I'm not sure about formula.When I had trouble breastfeeding my lactate nurse suggested using a cup in stead of a bottle,and she did very well.I really can't remeber when I started feeding my daughter foods.I know you have to be careful because of food allergies and usually they have you introduce foods one at a time especially fruits such as berries.If your doctor is not giving you straight answers,find another doctor who will.I ended up looking for a another doctor because the first one was against breastfeeding.I hope I helped some what and goodluck!!
Hello Michelle. My daughter is 7 mths. and we started introducing a sippy cup maybe a mth ago. She really isn't getting much out of it, it's just for practice and fun really. I find that the Nuby sippy cups are the best and closest to a bottle, as far as the nipple. All other sippy cups she has a hard time figuring them out. We are putting in Gerber juice in it, we water it down about 50%. She did start holding her bottle between 4 and 5 mths though, so if your daughter isnt holding her own bottle yet, maybe wait until she can hold it better on her own because the whole point of introducing the sippy cup is them doing it on their own. Ok, and the food, my daughter has three meals a day along with her formula. She has cereal and fruit in the morning. veggies and fruit in the afternoon and at dinner she has either some of the dinner(st.2) jar or some of the dinner along with veggies...depening on what it is. I hope this helps!! AND yes...you are the mom and you make your own decisions! Sometimes its hard trying to figure out things on your own, but that's what a parent does and you and your husband are raising her, not anyone else! : )
My little girl didn't want the sippy cup until she was 8 months old. I keep trying to introduce it every week and it got better, until she finally figured out how it worked. Even if she can't hold it yet, still try holding it for her. I say take the ques from her, she will let you know when she is ready for solid food or regular food and when she is ready for the sippy. Her formula should still be her main form of food until she is 1 most doctors will say.
Michelle,
Yes, step 2 foods are fine now. If you feel your daughter is taking to them well also you can try the next step around 9 or 10 months old. As for the sippy cup I would wait on that, I started my son when he turned one to get him off the bottle and the one that worked best for me was the Nubby brand from Walmart because it has a soft drinking spout and doesn't leak until they bite the thing to death. They only cost about one dollar a piece instead of the usual $4 and they are so much easier to clean. If she cannot hold her bottle by now, I am thinking she is a little spoiled (just kidding) make sure when she is eating that you put her hands on her bottle and don't help her once she has it. If she drops it wait to see if she trys to do it if not put it back in her hands and let go. She will get the picture but that is something that she should be doing already, my son had that down when he was almost 4 months old. When you do try the sippy cup you can use formula in it but it is more for milk or juice. When you give your daughter juice do you water it down half water half juice? Have you tried a few kinds of juices? Gerber sells small bottles of juice in different flavors (you still need to water Gerber juice down) try a few and see which one she likes. Some kids are picky at this age so if she is just holding it in her mouth maybe she doesn't like the taste. Also try giving her cold water. That was my son's favorite drink for a while. No matter what you give her water juice or 8oz. of formula she will stop when she doesn't want anymore. My son was on a four hour clock every 4-5 hours he would have 8 oz. Some kids have more some have less. If you notice she never finishes her 8 oz. start making 7 instead, if she sucks it down and seems like she wants more add baby cereal to the bottle just a tsp or so per bottle and increase it as she continues to eat more. You are a Mom now, don't doubt yourself because others do, you will do fine! I did a great job when I had my son and I was alone.
As for your mother you need to tell her that you would like to learn what you have to learn on your own like most of the other new mothers in the world and that when you need her help she will be the first person you go to. She has to know you appreciate her help but that you are getting stressed over that fact that she is always over your shoulder judging you. You have to learn your own way or you will always be questioning yourself and that is a very bad thing when it comes to your precious baby. Good Luck and any time you need someone to talk to you make sure you send me a letter, I am here to help.
Vicki
Kingston, NY
23 years old
michelle...give the baby a sippy cup and don't worry. juice and water...50-50...leave the formula to the bottle so she can get her nutrition. let her suck those nutrients right up...the sippy cup is like a fun time to watch her discover what is in this world...have hun and don't worry...i wrote a whole bunch a few minutes ago and don't know where it went and i didn't hit on the sippy cupsssss. sorryyyyyyy
Hello Michelle,
I am a mom of 4 children, and they all did things a little different. My suggestion is this if she is hungry and she finishes the stg1 then she is ready for stg2. Just give her the foods you have already introduced to her, and still use the 1week method when trying a new food. As far as the sippy cup maybe you should wait untill she can hold it her self, and sippy cups tend to have a faster flow, so that may be why she spits it out, because its too much milk. I agree with the other moms if and when you do start with the sippy you should use it for juice and water. The Pedi docs will tell you that you should start with this food at this age, but lets be honest all babies are not the same, so you feed your baby on her scheduel and she will be just fine. I hope this helps.
first when she can use a sippy cup. If she can sit up and hold if and you feel comfortable then let her use one. she is going to make a mess so I would start with water..... second she should be on formula for the first yr. so give her the formula. I know the cost of it is not pleasant but it has all the things she needs in it. Third I started my kids on food ( cereal at 2 weeks they where not satified with just formula and I think she would be ok trying the fruit. start with applesauce and give her that for a couple of days before trying pears. that is just to make sure that she can handle it okay.try banana's last sometimes it will constipate them.when you make her cereal use the formula from an 8 oz. bottle and let her drink the rest. feed her by spoon never put her food in her bottle.and don't get her used to taking a bottle to bed. give her a drink before bed and no bottle in bed. it can cause ear proublems for her.by the time she is 10 to 11 months if you can get her used to the cup you might be able to get her to not want the bottle.and that worry of getting her of it would be great. remember if she is not ready don't push. it is all up to what she is ready for not what your ready for and it also takes alot of patients good luck Michelle oh and if she is holding the juice in her mouth try another flavior she probly don't like that kind.
Hi Michelle,
These are all very valid questions. Every parent has to decide on their own what their child needs. My opinion is No, if your child still wont hold a bottle ,don't give her a sippy cup. Juice is an acquired taste for babies and not all children like it. You can always try diffewrent juices(watered down)- but do it in a botle so the baby will accept it easier than trying to introduce two foreign things to her at once. Gerber food is great. You know your childs appetite. Cereals added to formula in a bowl or even in a bottle Is good. You are this childs mother. You and only you will know when your child is ready for change. Give her tastes of different foods and juices by the taseful. She will tell you what she is ready to do. Doctors and grandmothers and friends and anyone else can give suggestions -just be polite and smile and say thank-maybe I will try that next time.But, always know this- No two children are the same- the way you were as a child does not mean your child will be the same. If you have another child does not mean they will be alike. The truth is they will probably be very different. You must go with your instincts as a mother and follow what you child is trying to guide you to do. I hope this helps.
Linda Jackson
HI WELL IT HAS BEEN A FEW YEARS SINCE I HAVE HAD A INFANT BECAUSE MY DAUGHTER IS NINE YEARS OLD BUT FROM EXPERIENCE YOU USUALLY DONT INTRODUCE A SIPPY CUP UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO WEAN YOUR DAUGHTER OFF OF THE BOTTLE. A SIPPY CUPS PURPOSE IS TO TEACH A CHILD HOW TO DRINK OUT OF A NORMAL CUP AND YOU USUALLY DONT START DOING THAT UNTIL THEY ARE CLOSER TO A YEAR OLD. AS FAR AS THE SECOND STAGE OF FOOD I THINK YOU SHOUL BE STARTING HER ON IT NOW ESPECIALLY IF SHE IS TOLERATING THE CONSISTENCY OF CEREAL AND THE FIRST STAGE FOODS. I MEAN READ YOUR BABY'S BODY SIGNALS IF YOU TRY TO GIVE HER 2ND FOODS AND SHE REFUSES THEM DONT GIVE UP TRY MAYBE THREE TIMES AND IF SHE STILL REFUSES JUST GIVE HER A LITTLE TIME. LISTEN NO CHILD COMES WITH A BABY MANUAL IT IS BASICALLY TRIAL AND ERROR IF IT ISNT SOMETHING THAT WILL HARM YOUR BABY THEN DO WHAT YOU THINK IS BEST.
Hey Michelle. I'm a mom of four, and here's some of my experience. Switching to baby food as the primary source of sustenance for your baby, too early, may not work out for you. I swtiched my first born over to solids at about 9 months because she ate them and formula was costing an arm and a leg. She dropped from the 90% to the 25% by her year check up. There's nothing wrong with being in the 25% (my fourth baby is right there now) but I could see that my first daughter totally slowed down in her physical development. Your baby should probably be taking at least three 8 oz bottles with some solid meals.
I was eager to get her to drink out of a sippy cup too, but your observation that your baby won't even hold her bottle is a good sign she's not ready. And after having three infants who have grown into toddlerhood, I've adapted a "don't push it if they don't want to do it themselves" kind of attitude in the food area. Mealtimes are so much less work when your baby is ready physically and mentally to take the next step themselves. I think there are a lot more important things that you need to focus on rather than the things your child can let you know she's ready to do. That was a mouthful.
And you can tell your mom, "Mom, I love you and appreciate you, but I feel that you really doubt my abilities to take care of this baby. Please give me "some space" (you can figure out what that looks like, together) and realize that even if I mess up, it's okay. I will learn best by doing things my way and finding out if they work or not. Our little family will figure it out together, and we'll ask you when we need some advice."
i would start the sippy cup later on, like more toward when she is a year old and able to hold it properly and drink from it then you can put milk in it anyway or juice (make sure you dilute the juice with water so they dont get cavities). if your daughter can tolerate other foods then introduce them slowly- just stay away from honey, nuts, milk, etc. until after a year in case she has allergies and so her digestive system can tolerate it. hope this helps. i'm raising two boys and had a pedi dr. that told me how to "do things" and come to find out she doesnt even have kids!! needless to say, i figured it out and they did just fine.
charity
Hi Michelle...
sippy cups are tough, only you and your daughter will know when she is ready for the sippy cup. And just so you know, my daughters never held their own bottle, lazy bones i guess. My youngest stared really late with a sippy cup. She just didn't get it, so i think that is only when your daughter is ready. Introduce it everyday, and just be patient, they eventually get it. And i had to help her with the cup for a while and i always had a fresh sippy cup of water hanging around so if she crawled over to it she could practice on her own. Also, you can, at 6.5 months put both formula or juice in the cup. But watch her diaper, if she gets rashed i would water the juice down. THe baby food thing, i didn't really get it with the first one either. The only difference between the 1st foods and the 2nd foods are the size of the jar. And of course the combinations...if your daughter hasn't had any trouble with the 1st foods i would SLOWLY introduce her to the 2nd foods. there is no rush, they don't seem to get bored as we do watching them eat the same things over and over. Formula is very, very important right now. I would give my daughters a botlle when they first woke up, and hour or two later some cereal and fruit, then 2 to 3 hours later a bottle, then a few hours later lunch veggies and fruit, then a bottle a few hours later etc... The bottle wasn't always a full 8 ounces, but be sure that she gets that formula. Only you can figure out what works for you and your daughter. Sometimes I feel that is why pediatricians are so wishy washy, because it is what the baby wants. Well, i know this was long winded, but i hope that it helped. Something i learned was to relax and just go by trial and error. Try it, if it doesn't work then try something else. Good Luck
Hi Michelle,
My name is Rebecca. I wanted to write to you and tell you I believe it is to early for the sippy cup! You can still put water and juice in her bottle! If she can't hold it yet don't introduce it to her!! About the gerber food I think you should start giving her the next stage if the 1st stage isn't satisfying her!! I never put formula in a sippy cup! My little man is 2 and a half y/o now!! I didn't start the sippy cup until he was over a year old! Let me ask you a question. Did you start her with sereal in her milk at anytime? That will also help with her hunger! I hope I was some help to you!! I only wish I had this when my son was at this age! good luck to you!
Rebecca
Hi Michelle,
Congratulations on your daughter! Being a mother of two little girls I can totally understand your confusion as to when to do this or that with your child. You should introduce the sippy cup when your daughter is around 9 months or so. Start off with formula if you're giving her the sippy cup now. The second stage of Gerber is around 6 to 8 months. You don't want to give her anything too solid yet since she'll be teething and her stomach is still growing (maturing? that's what my pediatrician told me). Give her formula in the morning and at night. Give her solids for lunch and dinner. For the most part though, base what you should do next on your daughter and how well she's growing and adapting to new things.
As far as your mother goes, tell her you appreciate her advice (she's been there and done that) but gently remind her that times are different and you and you're husband are raising your child.
Good luck!!!
Our first and only daughter is now 18 months. We look to her for when to introduce new things such as a sippy cup or new food. If you see your daughter has the skills and desire for something, then it is time to try. Use your common sense on what is working or not.
Seperately, you and your husband need to set a boundary with your mom. Explain tht he and you need space to make decisions and that her well-intentioned advice is undermining your confidence. This is very important to establish now as it will only continue otherwise. You will also have to develop a really strong filter and block out whatever you don't feel is helpful. Your husband should reinforce this position with your mom.
There is a wonderful book "What To Expect The First Year". Very interesting and a helpful guide.
-jennifer, mother of eve, 18 mos.
I would let her have an empty sippy cup, or even put just a small amunt of water in it and let her play with it to get used to it for now.
All kids are different, but this is what we did with our 2 kids. We started the second stange of foods when they were about 6-7 months old. Both my kids had a bottle with their food as well as just a bottle beforethey went down for the night.
My daughter hated sippy cups and my son started using them around 9 months and only the ones with the soft spout, he hated the hard ones. I am assuming because the soft ones felt better on their gums and were like a bottle nipple.
On the other hand my friends 7 month old has been using a sippy cup for a few months now because her daughter hates bottles.
I only gave my kids juice in the sippy cup until they were completely off the bottle. Some of my friends have done the same too.
HTH,
Heather D.
Hi Michelle. I remember asking all these questions when I was a mom for the first time (23 yrs ago). Sippy cups for a baby that young can be tricky, I would wait til she's atleast a yr old to start introducing them, she's still learning to move food objects down to eat and not having a nipple in her mouth which goes in further will prob make it more difficult for her to swallow it, hence getting all wet.
As for when to move on to 2nd foods and such. I made all my own baby food with a great little countertop processor, so mine were almost always getting everything they needed from about 4 months on. You need to see how well she swallows the thicker foods, which at this age she should be able to. She should also be able to have toast, french toast, scrambled eggs, jam sandwiched torn into little bits (they love them) and at that age I did omit the crust it can be a little dry, pasta (like elbows or spagetti cut up small), mashed potatoes, things like that. I almost never listened to my ped, I listend to my daughters (and their tempers)and they wanted FOOD! LOL
When you DO introduce the sippy, I would stick with water in it, til she gets the swallowing technique down. Less staining and mess to worry about.
She, at this age should be having about 24-28 oz. I believe of formula daily. Difficult to remember as I nursed all 4 of mine til they were almost 16 months old, but if I remember with my grandkids (yes grandkids and they're almost the same age as my 2 youngest) my daughter gave them 6oz bottles so as not to fill them up too much between and during meals and they were pretty much on table foods and things by 7 months.
Juice is really a filler at this age. They get ALL their nutrients from the formula. It's a nice change (taste wise) but I would definitely limit it.
I hope some of this helped. My first response since joining.
Best of luck.
Kim
Hi Michelle... I have a 7 month boy and he eats cereal , fruit and veggies through out the day... I changed to stage 2 and three already... the ped says it is fine as long as he is getting a variety. He does the same thing with the sippy cup. he doesnt hold it and usually gets it all over him, but I think that is just part of the process of learning how to use it. I give my baby formula through out the day as well. i also mix it withthe cereal in the am and pm. He gets 6 ounces in the am, 6 in the afternoon and 8 at night . The ped says to give him no less then 20 ounces, but he takes 18-20 ounces a day. I dont put the formula in the sippy cup, I put juice in there. He also doesnt hold his own bottle yet as well.
As for mothers, I have the same issue with my inlaw, but I kind of listen to waht she has to say, and follow through as I wish. They dont always agree, and are sometimes even a help, but it does become annoying and a bi hard to deal with at times, but patience is always good and talk to her about it, if you can and tell her to BACK OFF. He he Okk good luck, I covered all i could. I am also a first time mom :)
Hi michelle, babies are a lot of work we all know that they dont come with instructions... if your daughter is only 6 1/2 mths old she should still be using her bottle she should be eating baby cereal and fruits and vegis.. she maybe able to hold her own bottle but some babies can and some can't hold there own bottle, but that dont mean she is ready for a sippy cup some times mom's can be over welling and over powering... i believe by the time your daughter is 10 mths old you can start to introduce her to a sippy cup so by the time of her 1st b-day she will be drinking from a sippy cup.. and juices and water are very good for her.. but she still needs her formular, things will get easier, when i had my daughter 28 yrs ago tomorrow...lol... my mom was all over me like flies on poop.. but i was young 16 ..lol.she use to do the same thing dont do this dont do that make sure you do this... blaaa blaaa blaaa ...lol.. you should ask the babies doc, what he thinks... every baby is different.. my 2nd child was a premie.. oh man my mom .. she was driving me crazy..but as i think back she had 7 kids she must know something... well i am here if you need me, talk to you soon keep in touch .. good luck and hugs mary