I am not a Dr but I would not recommend it. I was told by Alex's Dr to wait until he was 4 months old before giving him any kind of cereal and I was told to put the cereal in a bowl and use a spoon to feed it to him. This, to me, is the only way a baby should eat cereal. There are myths that is helps with getting baby's to sleep through the night but that is not a fact. My answer would be just be patient and feed it to your baby from a bowl when your Dr suggests it is the best time.

Labels: baby food, baby questions

Having family time together is important, and if you start when your baby is young it will be easier to keep it up. Try to eat dinner at the table together every night. This will give you all a chance to talk, laugh, and just be a family without interruptions. If your job keeps you aways during this time, shoot for breakfast. As long as you are together and everyone is able to talk to one another that is what matters. I know this doesn't sound like much, but it is. Just give it a try and see if you see an improvement.

Labels: baby food

The things that baby's and young children eat will normally stick with them. If they start out eating junk food and lots of fried food the chances are that they will continue down that road. It would be especially hard to break with the fast food industry growing the way it is currently. Give them a step in the right direction by avoiding the foods that they don't need. A lot of kids would rather have a strawberry then strawberry candy.

Labels: baby food

This is really they key. Your baby knows when they are hungry and they will stop eating when they are full. Just keep the snacks healthy and give them good meals. Getting them in a routine will help both of you. It will help you because you will be used to cooking at the same times every day, and for your baby because you will know when about he/she will be getting hungry.

Just keep in mind that baby's go through phases as well as older children where they are just not as hungry. During this stage just be sure that the foods that they are eating are good for them and offer fruit or veggies for your baby's snack.

If your baby develops good eating habits now chances are that they will stay with them! So why not give them a boost!

Labels: baby food

I get asked why people breastfeed pretty often and haven't made a post about it yet, so today is going to be the day. Breastfeeding is good for so many reasons. There is something called colostrum (this contains many antibodies) that comes before the milk and it is usually the first 3 days after your baby is born, this is great for the baby. So even if you choose not to breastfeed, at least try the first 3 days. Other more common reasons, would be that the milk is always at room temperature, the milk is always sterile, and less bottles to wash.

It is also a good bonding experience, and you can put your breast milk in a bottle to give daddy a chance to do some bonding of his own. I didn't breastfeed Alex, and I'm really not sure why, but if we ever have another baby I probably will after learning all of the benefits that come along with it.

Labels: baby food

Appetite goes down between the ages 2-6 and that can pretty scary when you notice your child not eating, but know that it is normal. As long as when you take your child to his/her Dr visits and they stay around the same percentile then your child should be fine. If you're child is not hungry then don't force them to eat.

Things will change when your child gets a couple years older and they will be eating everything is sight, so don't worry too much now.

Labels: baby food

When your newborn cries it may not always mean they are hungry. If you always resort to the bottle when they cry it could result in teaching them a very destructive lesson, which is that food is comfort. I am not by any means saying not to feed them when they are hungry, but really listen to their cry. Could it be that they are scared, bored, too hot or cold, or even in pain? If so then your baby will learn that there are many reasons for there happiness and they will become very well rounded!!

This tip could also help to get your little one sleeping through the night!!

Labels: baby food

I do my best to keep Alex eating healthy, and some people have asked why I deprive him of the "junk". My answer has always been, he just doesn't need it. I will give him cake on birthdays and that kind of thing, but as far as an everyday snack we stick to a banana or bell pepper, something along those lines. My point is that the reason that I try to stay away from "junk" foods is simple because I want Alex to develop a taste for things that are good for him. It seems to work, because his light up every time I ask him if he wants an apple!!! I don't think that people realize how much naturally sweet is in fruits. The point that I am trying to make is that don't get discouraged by people telling you that you are mean for making your child eat healthy. Your baby will thank you one day!!

Labels: baby food

First you need to warm up the bottle, ALWAYS test the milk/formula on your wrist so that you know if it is too hot or not. Then when you are feeding you baby make sure that you tilt the bottle at an angle so that the nipple doesn't get any air in it. Also tilt your baby, it will make it easier for him/her to eat they aren't laying flat on their back. Then finally after about an ounce take a burp break, this way she/he can get out any swallowed air.

Labels: baby food

The best way to keep your baby eating right, and to keep it that way is if you eat good too. Baby's really like to mimic their parents, so if you are eating healthy they will want to eat whatever you are eating. If you start them out eating well it will be easier for them in the long run. They will develop a taste for food that are good for them.

If you are trying to make your baby eat good and you aren't eating that well, this could have the opposite affect. Your baby will probably wonder, as they get older, why they have to eat it but you don't. Which could mean that they stop as they age.

Labels: baby food

There are some many bottle and nipple types it can be hard to choose which one is right for you.

You may have to try out the different styles and see which one your baby is most comfortable with. When you have a newborn you may want to start with the smallest size. After you find a style that your baby likes buy a lot of them and you will be able to replace them.

If the formula just pours out of the nipple it should be tossed out an replaced. Check the nipples on all the bottles often and make sure it is just a steady drip.

Labels: baby food

This seems to be a very common question. My Dr. recommended waiting until Alex was 4 months old before he got any kind of solids. We started him out with rice cereal. Once I did that he told me to feed Alex the same food for 3 days to make sure that he didn't have an allergic reaction.

We went through all of the cereals, then all of the veggies, then all of the fruits. I have Alex veggies before fruit because I thought it may help him like his veggies if he hadn't had sweet fruit yet. So far he is a big fan of both.

You should check with your Dr. so see what she/he thinks.. Every baby is different, but this worked very well for Alex!

Labels: baby food, baby questions

Try to eat as many meals as you can together away from the TV. This way, as your baby grows up and get busy, they will know that meal time can be family time. Also, when your baby is eating away from the TV they can focus on eating rather than the things going on around them. When they are not focusing on eating they might not stop when they are full, which can cause a hurt belly.

Labels: baby food

I will tell you that I gave him veggies before fruit because I thought that once he got the sweet taste of fruit he wouldn't want anything else. So far he isn't a picky eater.

Labels: baby food

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We try to mostly stick with fruits and veggies as snacks for Alex. The Fresh fruit I want to buy is not always in season so sometimes we have to buy the prepackaged fruit. I always check for the amount of syrup (which is basically just sugar) that is in the package. Unfortunately a lot of prepackaged fruit is packaged with a lot of sugary syrup and a lot of syrup is of course very bad for your child.

If you are trying to avoid syrups all together I have found that the prepackaged pineapples tend to be soaked in juice instead of syrup.

Remember to always check the packages of the food you are buying for their nutritional values and ingredients. This is a good habit not only for the food you feed to your children but also for the food you feed to yourself! Your children are going to learn their eating habits from from your habits. So make your habits good habits for the health of both your child and yourself.

Labels: baby food

Eating habits are learned when you are a baby. If you can feed your baby fruits and veggies instead of junk food they will develop a taste for foods that are good for them!

One of the biggest health problems facing our world today are all of the children growing up eating substandard food from fast food restaurants and other junk food. Someone who eats junk as a baby will most likely crave junk throughout their life and will very likely battle weight problems and have health issues as they grow older.

Labels: baby food