How do you know??

[Mummalex]

How do you know when to increase how much you baby eats for solids?
Nicky (5mo) started 1 tspn on Tuesday night. He's now up to 3 ice cubes about 2 times a day (eats more at night then the morning) but looks like he could eat more. He has however, started demanding feeding more often, and isn't drinking as much each bottle. Up till 3am last night, his sleeps were improving too.

Is he still hungry?

DH thinks it's coz it's Sunday and tomorrow night is normally CFS but if kids are playing up he stays home!

[hanabi]

At five months old, I feel that is too much solids, but only you can be the judge. How are his bowel movements? Is he belly-achey, windy, or struggling to pass a motion? If he increases solids and reduces fluids, it can lead to constipation. The sleep changes could be due to his changed eating habits.

I would say he's being well-fed. Perhaps give the bottle first, then the solids to top him up - then he will be getting all the fluids his gut is accustomed to and it will be less likely to disrupt his digestion.

[Mummalex]

Thats the order we are giving it to him milk then wait little bit then solids.

[sweetchili]

i would have thought that was too much too fast, but as Jodie says you need to be the judge of that.

In the child health book that comes with the personal health record folder(in QLD) it says the following;

At six months;
offer half a teaspoon after milk. slowly increase over the next few days.
only offer solids once a day for the first week
twice a day for the second
three times a day for the third.

start with a single foods and introduce new foods one at a time. (usually recomended after three days, to make sure your child doesnt have any reactions to that food).

juice is unnecessary, cooled boiled water is recommended to help digestion(however i would only give the tiniest amount after a solid feed, as this will distrupt how much milk he takes too).

Breastmilk or formula is still your baby's main food at this stage.

***************
most medical profesionals(sp?) and speechies will tell you that between six and ten-twelve months, giving solids is about them feeling the texture and having a taste, not them actually getting a meal. So i would recommend that you take it slow on the solids and make sure bub is still getting plenty of milk. so if he starts dramatically decreasing his milk intake i would decrease the amount of solids you give him.
At this point as they eat such small portions of solids, he is going to still benifit so much more from the nutrician in the milk, than the solids.

not that *I* believe its neccesary but if you are concerned about increasing iron then you can use the formula for the next age bracket..at six month..whcih has a higher iron content.

Feeding solids is excitting though!