Hi Hetal/Friends
My baby is 5m old and i live in India. I hv 2 Qs.

My baby is taking almost all the recipes suggested and i need more suggestions from you all. What else can i give the baby? Can i give cerelac (but it says 6m age least)?

I hv one more q: I bf the baby mornings and evenings. The baby does take formula in bottle but my doc always insists on doing away with the bottle. May b due to bottle, but baby doesnt take full BM feed, i think she must b taking 1-2 ounces and then leaves.
My Doc says give baby semisolids in the day and BM rest of time. I know the doc is talking for my good but.

Will the baby get enough nutrition if it feeds on 4 semi-solid meals in a day and bm feed once or twice which also not a full feed?

This is my baby's schedule
morning : bm
noon: mashed khichdi with tadka as suggested by Hetal/apple pie/mausmi or orange juice/daal with veg carrot beans spinach/suji kheer
night: little bm
(spinach is from my kitchen garden so insecticide-free)
Birth wt 3.3 kg current wt 6.5 kg. Normal delivery, 2 weeks before expected date.

I cd not get Ragi in markets here. Baby has little cold so not giving banana or curd.

Please suggest more recipes and also comment if i need to give formula more.

Thanks
Meenakshi Meenakshi replied. Awesome!

Yes, my baby's weight was constant at 6.5 since a month! My doubt was on the diet and now you have cleared it!

Thanks so much. Hetal replied. sry for the late reply..couldnt make it on time...
a healthy 5month old is expected to eat,drink as above :

Infant cereal: 4–8 tablespoons, mixed
Infant juice: 2–4 ounces (1/4th to 1/2 cup, from cup only,introduce soft spout sippy cup or glass or spoon is fine..gv the juice diluted like strained fruit pulp plus water or fruit juice 1: water 2,3,4,,as pref by baby and that baby is not showing ne refluxes)
Breast milk: on demand
OR Iron-fortified formula: 4–5 feedings of 6–8 ounces each,,your baby should be getting in 24 hours...please note its too early for 5mnth old to replace the quantity of milk with respect to filling of solids...breastmilk or formula HAS to be important or let me say PRIMARY food of your baby until atleast first 6months of his life..and thn until 9months, you cant expect your baby to welcome solids at all meals...if dr has suggestd, giving one or two times meals is recmnded but considering the baby acceptance to solids only...

soon your baby will be 6months and you can plan his diet for upto 9months from nowonwards and likewise you can introduce him foods..so please go thru below links :

http://www.indiaparenting.com/boards/showmessage.cgi?messageid=6593&table_name=dis_feeding

http://www.indiaparenting.com/boards/showmessage.cgi?messageid=6452&table_name=dis_feeding

for some good recipes, indians and non-indianss, you can refer to below websites/links,,,,pick the ones that fits your baby prefernces:

1.wholesomebabyfood dot com
2.http(:)//homecooking(.)about(.)com/library/archive/blmisc16(.)htm
3.superbabyfood dot com
4.check on indiaparenting diet section, nice recipes therein too.
5.indianchild dot com
6.tarladalal dot com.
7.nandyala dot org
9.indianmom dot com site was also pref by other members.

now about your queries :

it is in good of baby that dr insists on bf all the time, but its practical enough that if you are not producing good for your baby,,formula is an ideal food ! try breastfeeing your baby for 1 week, and check his wght,,you will know whther or not he is getting enough or not..with the same solids that you have been giving with same number of meals...this will tell you whether or not your baby is getting enough !
now about his growth acc to his current wght, with bw 3.3kgs, and currnt 6.5kgs.she is doing perfectly fine..100grams less but its not a big deal..its acceptable.
as to my comments on giving 4 semisolid meals at 5months,,i would go slow with solids and continue breastfeeding or offering formula until atleast 6months,,considering baby current wght and health conditions..drs promote breastfeeding so do i, but i would refrain from substituting imp nutrients that baby will be get from formula or bm and NOT from solids..no matter how many meals he eats..so for me,it eliminates the possibility of even thinking of increasing solid feeds with respect to substituting the formula or bm/total milk intake !
you cant replace juice with water, nor you can replace formula/bm with solids..
if bottle is the issue,,offer milk or formula with cup or glass or spoon ! or start soft spout sippy cup..
but i would like to do some additions in your baby schedule and see if that helps you to give you some tentative idea about how to give 3-4 type of meals in 1 day...
morning : bm --- no comments...

noon: mashed khichdi
breakfast : only if you want to start : you can 1tbsl per serving : iron fortified cereal (often comes with fruit,if not introduce one fruit at a time of one week)..avoid putting bm or formula if you are putting fruit in it..or else offer plain cereal with bm or formula.

brunch - bm or formula.

noon: mashed khichdi with tadka as suggested by Hetal/apple pie/mausmi or orange juice/daal with veg carrot beans spinach/suji kheer ---- avoid offering juices in lunch..this has to be lunch only..

afternoon snack-offer juice/liquid diets with some baby crackers or a couple fruits or foods like apple pie//in short a serving of chopped fruit...
late evening snack --- Bm or formula...

dinner - if you want to include,,start including from 1 week after you started giving your baby breakfast(let him accept 2meals a day,,thn only include the 3rd meal),, offer iron fortified cereal,,whatever the qty is left as per the expected feeding above,,avoid offering fruits at night,,offerr with vegies instead or you may just give dal water and rice(start with whole moong water or moong dal water with overcooked rice with same tadka you do in khichadi),,offer a couple spoons and always check for his acceptance... go light diet atleast for another 1 month, until he complts 6mths to avoid constipation problems...

if you are increasing the number of meals or type of meals,,make sure the baby gets the required quality of food and not the quantity...which means he gets cereal,bm/formula,juice and a serving of fruit and vegetable..its upto you now to decide how many times..if you want to increase the number of meals, and not the quantity you can divide the recommended quantity of above foods in accordance to your baby acceptance...

before sleep,night, bm or formula-- full feeds...

for iron fortified cereal,if you are not sure whether cerelac is good for your 5month old,,ask your dr, or replace the cereal serving with similar grain poridge with some fruits in it,,include dash of spinach in each serving to give natural iron with the poridge...you can offer cereal in order as mentioned below:
1.rice cereal / or overcooked rice with dash of spinach..
2.oatmeal cereal/ oats soaked, overcooked and grinded well with dash of spinach or some apple puree.
3.barley cereal or barley soaked,grinded and overcooked with a sprinach..
4.lastly millet cereal or millet soaked and cooked likewise..
by the time you will reach to millet cereal, your baby will be around 9months..

hope all this helps you decide how to go about your diet and schedule of your 5months old..go slow no hurries for solids..give your baby time to accept the solids...check on ne allergy issues, or change in bowels and schedules whenever new foods are introduced...


a very good luck to you !