Welcome to my blog!

I am a first time mom-to-be just trying to organize the wealth of information I’ve been reading about. This blog contains my notes, thoughts, and must-have products I’ve come across as I’ve been reading parenting books and magazines.

I hope that you and your baby can benefit from the parenting tips I’ve compiled. Throughout this blog, I will refer to baby as “he” rather than “he/she” since I am preparing for a little guy of my own. All comments and advice from other moms out there are welcome! Happy parenting!

Monday, February 21, 2011

Infant Hunger and Fullness Cues

Here is some information I found in a Gerber informational pamphlet:

Signs your baby is hungry:
  • Cries or acts fussy
  • Smiles and looks at you while you’re feeding him
  • Opens mouth and leans toward the spoon

Signs your baby is full:
  • Stops sucking or releases nipple
  • Slows down sucking or falls asleep
  • Turns head away from spoon
  • Spits out familiar food

Saturday, February 19, 2011

How do I know when my baby is ready for solid foods?

Here are some tips to determine if your baby is ready for solid foods (from a Gerber pamphlet):

Gerber suggests your baby for solids (purees and baby cereals) if he meets most of the following criteria:

- Baby weighs more than twice his birth weight

- Baby sits with help or support

- Baby has good head control

- Baby still seems hungry after 8-10 feedings

- Baby turns his head when he’s full

- Baby seems interested in your food

- Baby moves his tongue forward when his lips are touched

Sunday, February 13, 2011

How often and how much does my baby need to eat?

Here is a sample baby feeding schedule for a 6 month-old baby from a Gerber pamphlet:

Early Morning: Breastfeed until full OR 4-5 oz. formula

Breakfast: Breastfeed OR 4-5 oz. formula, AND 1 tbsp. rice cereal mixes with 4-5 tbsp. breastmilk or formula (give him some breastmilk, then cereal, then breastmilk)

Lunch: Breastfeed until full OR 4-5 oz. formula

Afternoon snack: Breastfeed until full OR 4-5 oz. formula

Dinner: Breastfeed OR 4-5 oz. formula AND 1 tbsp. rice cereal mixes with 4-5 tbsp. breastmilk or formula (give him some breastmilk, then cereal, then breastmilk)

Bedtime: Breastfeed until full OR 4-5 oz. formula

That sounds to me like an awful lot of food for a little baby, but at least I have some idea of how much a baby needs to eat at 6 months. If you have a child, does this feeding schedule sound accurate? How much and how often does your baby eat?

For another great resource for infant feeding schedules, visit Family-Health-and-Nutrition.com.