Portion size for a 6 mth old?

[cheethaz]

Hi,
Have started weaning about 10 days ago - LO is 6 months this week. Thing is, she has always been a greedy thing and I don't know how much food to give her. She grabs the spoon and can put it in her mouth by herself - certainly didn't get that hand eye coordination from me! But she would just eat and eat so I have tended to stop her after a certain amount. At the moment, she's getting two teaspoons of baby rice (+ the formula milk its diluted in) in the morning. I give her pureed carrot or something like that in the afternoon and have been cutting her off after 7 -8 teaspoons. Then just a few teaspoons of fruit. Should I let her keep going and risk her stuffing herself to the point of discomfort? This is what she has done in the past with breast milk and/or formula - regulates herself by throwing the excess up....V annoying but has worked I guess. Just don't want her to give herself a horrendous stomach ache!

Our pediatrician always told us to let DS eat as much as he wanted to so we did.

Personally I think you should give her what she wants - you don't want her getting a thing about food either way either - i.e. has to grab it while it's there because it will be taken away any second. Also the amount she's currently having doesn't sound very much at all IMO.

I alway used those little chinese melamine bowls you get with a WOK, and filled them about a third to half full.
To start with any way.

and always mixed fruit with cereal at first so their stomaches get used to it, as loads of fruit on it's own will prob result in some very messy nappies.

i would let her eat what she wants. she will stop when she is full

Great - thanks everybody. Will do that and see what happens. Have just been a bit nervous about the change for her after just milk for so long! Will also take the fruit thing to heart. God, can't describe the stench after the carrots were introduced. TMI!

I know - it's a bit wierd psychologically changing over to solids isn't it??!!

You could try just putting food (not pureed) out in front of her and seeing what happens. e.g. toast fingers with butter on, chunks of broccoli, nectarine sections etc you might be surprised!

I was exactly the same up until last week - LO had been having little bits of baby rice, veg and fruit but she started waking up in the middle of the night again. So I thought as her tummy has had a chance to get used to digesting food now we would go for it and see.

I told myself that if she had tummy ache I would then go back to gradually increasing the amount every couple of days. I made sure that she wasn't eating too quickly, giving her sips of drink and amusing her with silly dances. Also good if they can have at least 10 minutes upright after so that any burps can come up. Anyway, she is now sleeping through. She takes DOUBLE (!!!!) what I was giving her. I feel so guilty - poor thing was obviously starving! No tummy problems so far..
Good luck

Give her what she wants. Annabel Karmel suggested 2 ice cubes at the stage when my eldest was putting away 8! It did make me paranoid, esp when people commented on his size but he is 6 now, is a skinny thing, eats really well and is never ill. Just feed her what she wants.