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Dear Pressured in PA,
Grandma versus mommy....I
definitely don't want to get in the middle of that!
A general rule about
fruit juice is this...Babies will "love it", but it will fill them up,
and take away their appetites. They will begin to crave sweet drinks,
fill their bellies with them, and then you will have a tough time trying
to get them to drink formula or eat baby foods. It's like having a soda,
and skipping dinner. You feel satisfied, but you don't get nutrition or
calories to grow.
Every baby is different
just like every grandma and mommy are different. Different babies can
tolerate different liquids or solids at different times in their lives.
I have given some "general guidelines" (in the table below) about how to
feed your baby during the first year. Keep in mind that these are
guidelines to help put you in the right direction.
Keep in mind also that
certain circumstances can change the schedule. For example, if you have
a baby who is premature, he/she will not be as ready as a full term baby
would be for the same things.
If your family has a
history of allergies, then it is a good idea for your baby to stay away
from cereals for the first 6 months of life.
Solids are best
tolerated when your baby has good head support (when sitting up), a good
tongue thrust (which means he pushes his tongue out of his mouth), and
begins to grab at YOUR food.
0-3 months
Breast milk and/or formula
4-6 months Iron
fortified cereals 7-9 months
Strained and pureed veggies; unsweetened fruit
juice (NOT orange juice) 10-12 months
Cottage cheese, yogurt, egg yolk, strained meats
and fish, dried breads, pureed beans or lentils, mashed veggies and
fruits 12 months
whole cow's milk, orange juice, whole egg
So......I guess you
lost the bet. Don't be a sore loser, you'll win one soon. It may be
frustrating sometimes, but your mom will have a lot more good advice for
you. Take what you need, and use it for the best.
I hope that helps. Dr.
Mike
This
article was reviewed
04/23/2010 07:24 AM
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