How much food should i be feeding my 4-month-old?

How much baby food should I be feeding my 4mos old? He is eating rice and oatmeal mixed with applesauce...thats the first baby food I started him out on. But I feel like he is always hungry and in the morning feeding and night feeding he eats a lot. Does...

anyone know of a certain measurement I should go by?

Hi,

At this age, breast milk or an iron fortified infant formula is the only food that your infant needs at this age and he should be nursing or drinking about 5-6 ounces 4-6 times each day (24-32 ounces).

Over the next month or two, you can start to familiarize your infant with the feel of a spoon and start solid baby foods.

well thats your opinion. my pediatrician gave the ok to use baby food, oatmeal, and rice cereal. so thank you. And just in case you didnt know...every baby is different.

I know this is a little off the question but you never feed more than one food at a time . what you do is your baby eats the same thing for a week to make sure they are not allergic to it then you try a diffrant thing the next week and so on it easier to tell what the babys allergic to. oh and my cousins like that too they add a little baby cerial to her milk hope this helps some.

why are you mixing rice and oatmeal? With applesauce... thats a little strange but if thats what he/she likes then more power to you. My daughter is nearly 3 months and honestly I feed her until shes not hungry... I usually feed her 3T of oatmeal mixed with a little formula(and afterwards )probably like 2-4 oz of formula...but im eventually going to start more oatmeal... basically until he/she is content. Thats what I would do personally.

I agree with the first mother, but the thing is you asked Does anyone know of a certain measurement I should go by? Then when you got offended by her answer you said And just in case you didnt know...every baby is different. If every baby is different why are you asking for peoples opinion? Sound kind of strange.

CALM DOWN FOLKS. I FEED MY 4 MNTH OLD CEREAL IN THE MORNING AND AT NIGHT...JUST ABOUT 1 1/2 TSP. TO START THEN ABOUT 6 OZ OF FORMULA. SHE EATS 6 OZ EVRY 3 OR 4 HRS AND STILL WAKES UP ONCE AT NIGHT. IT'S TIRING, BUT IM NOT SURE WHAT TO SO DIFF. I DONT WANT TO BUMP UP TO 7 OZ B/C HER DOCTOR SAID TOO MUCH FORMULA LIKE THAT CAN BE HARD FOR HER STOMACH TO BREAK DOWN AND CAUSE FUSSINESS. BUT WHEN WE DO START BABY FOOD (IN THE NEXT MNTH) I WAS TOLD TO START VEGGIES FIRST B/C SHE IS MOSTLY GUARANTEED TO LIKE THE FRUITS (SWEETNESS) AND MIGHT BE PICKY ABOUT VEGGIES AFTER.

My baby is 4 months old too, and the doc gave the okay to feed him the stage 1 veggies and fruits. I'm starting with the veggies first. In the morning, he gets about 2 Tbsp of rice cereal in the morning and I feed about half of the plastic Gerber thingy to him at night. Just kind of an intro to solids. He still gets a vast majority of his nutrition from solely breast-milk. I don't even mix them yet. I want him to establish well with the foods before that. Hope my situation helps give you an idea of what to feed your munchkin...

My 4 mth old stays hungry, no solids is all I hear!!! But I feel like she is not being satisfied on milk alone. I have been putting ceral in her bottle, then I read on another website not to do that feed only out of spoon?? So I dont think nobody knows the best way. I believe only you know what your baby needs.

I think everybody has their own ideas of whats right and wrong. It even changes from doctor to doctor. When my 10 year old was a baby he wouldn't gain weight so they put him on solids at 2 months (they said it was early but it would do NO DAMAGE) My new 4 month old son LOVES TO EAT!! He has been drinking 8oz of formula a feeding for 2 months and it just wasn't cutting it. So I decided to try rice cerel a couple weeks ago and after a couple days he was eating it like a pro. I waited a week and tried him on sweet potatoes, He loved them from the first bite. (I do make his food, its easy and fast and I like knowing just what is in it) He now eats 2-3 Tbs of cerel in the morning with his 8oz bottle. 1-2 cubes of veggie at lunch and night all with a 8oz bottle, then a bottle before bed. This works for him. I was scared he was eating to much, but he is healthly and HAPPY and not even a little bit fat. So I say all of that to say this. ONLY you know your baby, if your baby wants to eat then feed your baby. Stop as soon as your baby doesn't want any more. I hope that this helps you a little.

What's with all the attitude in this forum. This is my first time visiting this site. If you ask a question, then be prepared for an answer! Don't get all defensive because someone makes you insecure. To the original poster, Get over yourself!

To everyone else, thank you for your opinions. They are all informative.

I am logging into this site for the first time and if you don't agree to the person asking the question or answering the question why this attitude?
and yes its accepted world wide to start solids at 6 mnths but now if you think that you know better than the researchers and the doctors ..go ahead..and yes for some baby with special needs drs do advice solids but its a personal thing
to agree or not to agree..don't lose patience with your own child do what is best for him/her

A boyfriend baby shoudn't start solids until 6 months and its not needed until 12 months, heres some info on it, doctors are behind when it comes to boyfriend babies
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T032000.asp
http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/infantfeeding_recommendation/en/index.html
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/feb05breastfeeding.htm
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/index.html
If you are determined to feed solids before 6 months remember a few things, BM is more important than ANY other food or liquid before 12 months, NEVER replace a nursing with solids, boyfriend BEFORE every offer of solids and GO slow when introducing them. FF babies are different because formula doesn't adapt to a child needs and more ounces and solids MUST be added to their diet, BM changes with a child changing needs so solids aren't necessary and aren't recommended to even start before 6 months. Ask this in a BFing group too.

This is ridiculous!! My pediatrician said to abosolutely START feeding solids at 4 months!! He said that people are paranoid about starting early...but it is totally fine!! You know your baby...don't let other mothers make you feel bad. My Dr. actually said the first food should be meat...it has all the nutriants little ones need...but people are so damn afraid to feed that no one does it and he said it is a shame! When I was born...mothers were told to start feeding cereaL at 3 weeks...and food not too far after...NO ONE I know my age has allergies or any ridiculous problems children have these days...god just feed your kids!!!

I have a 4th old little girl . she only drinks about 4 oz at a time . I've tried to give her more but she wont drink it . but then she was hungry a hour later. so I tired to give her a little of stage 1 food and she loves it . she is always eye balling out food when we eat its so cute. it even helps sleep more at night . she was getting up one and two times a night . now she sleeps through the night, well sometimes. all babys are differents . good luck all

I have the same question...we actually started giving my daughter 2-3 Tbls of rice cereal twice a day at 3 1/2 mo b/c she was waking up starving at night. This was per my pediatrician. It's worked out great! She's content at night and gets a good 5-6 hour stretch in...still wake up once to be nursed, which is totally doable. I'm just not sure when to intro fruits/veggies and how much. She has her 4 mo dr appt next week. I suppose I should wait until then?? By the way, she was totally ready for solids (if you call milky rice cereal solids- haha!) and she LOVES it! Great head control, assitted sitter, etc. I just don't want to give her too much, too soon.

PS- Don't be mean. We're all mothers looking for support and hoping to get some answers to our questions...it's tough being a first time mother, especially. There are way too many nasty people in this world- life's too short. The original poster was just looking for advice...I don't blame her for becoming defensive...she was following dr's orders and her baby's hunger Editor didn't read her question...she wasn't asking if she should feed her 4 month old, she was asking how much so, her post was unneccessary.

it would depend on your babe. mine at 5 months eats 4 tbs of cereal in morining then 1 jar of fruit at lunch then veggies at dinner(first foods) plus he nurses about 8 times a day. feed him as much as he will eat while still nursing good and look for signs he is full