How Often To Feed Solids To A Five Month Old Baby
Summary:
Up until now your baby has been feeding exclusively on either breast milk or formula. Now that doesn’t seem enough for them. It may be that you need to start your child on solids. Cereals that are iron fortified such as rice, oats, wheat, and barley.


There are few  things to look for when you are considering giving your child solids. They should be able to hold their head up unassisted. Sitting well in a highchair is also extremely important. They should also have gained enough pounds that it is twice the baby’s birthweight.  

Your baby may be making “chewing” action. This is when they push their tongue out and in the mouth. They may be showing an interest in food. They also must be able to move food from the front of their mouths to the back.

You will, if this is the first time you are giving your child solids, want to go slow in giving your child cereals. In the beginning you will be mixing one teaspoon of dry iron-fortified cereal with approximately five teaspoons of breast milk or formula.  The cereal will appear runny. You can gradually thicken the cereal up to one tablespoon of the dry cereal mixed with either breast milk or formula. You can feed this to your baby twice a day.

Your child will also still be taking formula or breast milk as well. There is a variety of cereals including rice, wheat, barley, and oats. Mixed cereals are also available to that you can offer a variety of cereals to your baby.They must be iron-fortified to help supply your baby with the necessary  nutrition for proper growth and development.

Your baby is embarking a whole new world of food. They will not like everything but at least try to re-introduce it to you child a bit later. Follow your pediatrician’s recommendations.  You can bend to some of their preferences and still provide them with all the nutrition needed for growth and development.

Your pediatrician will give you advice as to when to start solids, how much to offer your baby, and how often they should receive cereals or other solids. Remember to introduce new foods slowly to your baby. As your baby tolerates more food you can start to increase it a bit at a time.