What Should 6 Months Child Eat from 9 Am to 5Pm?

M.,

My daughter would never take a bottle - so I pumped breast milk and the day-care workers gave it to her from a regular cup. Once she could sit up on her own, she did quite well. I would go nurse her once a day and she got breast milk from a cup twice a day - and she slowly began solids - peas, beans, etc.

On another note, after my kids were born, I had spells where I would just cry and cry - my doctor prescribed Zoloft and it has really helped me. You might want to talk with your doctor about your crying.

Good luck! S.

Hi M., I have a 6 mos old and am breasfeeding. I started my son on solids about a month ago. He will still need milk at breakfast lunch mid afternoon and dinner, and at night, it should still be most of his nutrition. However, he should be eating 12-20 tbsp of cereal and fruts and veggies per day. It takes a while to work up to that much though. If you do a search for solid feeding schedule, you will find lots of information. They all vary a little and should just be used as guidelines. Good luck. PS, do you get away from the kids much, maybe you need a little Mommy time. Sometimes little ones will take a bottle from someone other than Mom. Sit in places where you don't usually nurse. Take him to Grandma's and have her give a bottle. I was suprised how well this worked for me. He will not take a bottle from me.

As long as your Pediatrician has approved solids, I would think that some of the 1st stage baby foods would help your little one make it through the day (rice cereal, banana, pear etc). Have you tried pumping and using a bottle or did you just try formula in the bottle?

Hi M.~
While I can't say that I've tasted formula OR breastmilk, there is truth to the opinion that your baby wants what he is used to. Six months begins a big transition stage for your baby with foods and activity. You are pretty much a slave to baby during the first part of his/her life and it's tough even for the most experienced. I think you'll see a huge improvement in the way your kids interact and play in the next few weeks. Mine are 3yrs and 8months and life has gotten way better over the last 2 months as far as my sanity goes! That said, it's easy to fall into isolation and depression, especially if your life is work, school, kids with no mommy-time (or mommy-daddy time ;)) in between. You didn't give up your identity to be a mommy and it's not necessary to do so. My very first step would be to see a doctor...you can't possibly get it all together if you are living with a true imbalance. As far as nursing goes, this is temporary! Soon enough your little one won't be nursing so relax and enjoy it while you can. Sometimes just changing the way you look at things makes a huge difference...try to embrace these nursing moments and see if you feel better about it, it's the only food he really NEEDS right now, anyway. You can try solids, though...if anything, it's something new and might give you a welcome break if somebody else can feed baby a few bites.

In the long run, this period is such a short one...but it's so tough to make it through sane! Rely on the resources you have (like here) to communicate and give yourself a break! Nobody expects you to be a perfect parent, but your kids will still think you are!!!
~L.

He should be nursing, or taking breastmilk in a bottle.

You can laydown with him on the floor or on the bed and let him nurse while you snooze. That was the only thing that kept me sane when my 2nd was that age...and well now I have three kids so there is no hope for sanity. But at least you might get a few moment rest.

(((Hugs)))

I wouldn't take formula when I was used to breastmilk either! Have you tasted it? It's nasty tasting in comparison! Can you maybe find time to pump some and try that? It takes a while for a breastfed baby to get used to a bottle sometimes and sometimes they can be pick as to which bottle they take. Try different bottles, different cups, etc. until you find one he likes. My daughter likes the Avent ones and the playtex drop-ins ones but hated the Dr. Browns, Medela, and a few others.

You could also start giving some foods during the day too. Sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, squash, carrots, and rice or oatmeal cereals are good for this age. The 1st foods or homemade - just make sure they are pureed good and thin to start with. Good luck!

See here for a list of foods by age: http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/extras/SolidFoodsChart_W...

You might not like to hear this, but this may be a sign that it is not time to leave your child in someone elses care. If everyone is unhappy then try to find a way to stay home, maybe even until he's a little older. Have you thought of taking online courses, or at least going part time? Think of all your options--why be miserable!!!

Hi M. -

I have a lot of empathy for you with respect to feeding! My son nursed exclusively for the first 6 months and it was difficult from the beginning! He was nursing almost every hour for months b/c he would eat so little at each feeding -- we hardly ever went anywhere b/c it was so hard to nurse him anywhere but home and I was a little "nursing shy" in public! He was always hungry and I was always tired!

Now that he is 8 months and on formula, things are not any easier! He still refuses the bottle most days and sometime I feel like I am wrestling him to get him to take the formula! We have tried everything to get him to take it...different cups, positions, times of feeding, formulas etc. Nothing works. Unfortunatley, per my pedi, I have to go against the norm and focus on the solids b/c at least he will eat those! We still offer formula first and often b/c that is the best soruce of nutrition...but after he started losing weight, we figure the homemade food I prepare beats him eating nothing at all!3

I don't recommend you follow what we are doing, but I just wanted to let you know you are not alone with the baby struggles! Before we know it though, they will be grown and presenting us with REAL problems ;-)....then we will look back and really miss these days.

Good luck and keep smiling :-)...babies are a blessing and a miracle.

M.,

I feel your pain, I also am a full time student with 2 small kids (22 months and 5 months.) My only suggestion is to spend an entire weekend where your son doesn't get anything except formula in a bottle, or if you have a pump, pumped milk through a bottle. I know it sounds cruel, but if your son is hungry enough, he'll take the bottle. Good luck.

Where do you go to school at? Maybe we could meet up and let the kids play.