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06-09-2006, 4:36 PM riagoose Joined on 06-10-2006 fond du lac WI Be nice - I'm new! feeding a premature baby! I'm a new babysitter--and although I'm 30 years old I've never had children of my own so I have tons of questions!   I am babysitting for friends and spend about 20 hours a week with their baby Elizabeth.  She is now 7 months old, but she was born premature by 3 months.  She is growing and starting to eat baby food--although it seems she doesn't really take to it that well.  She sucks it in like she's sucking on a bottle and then she sticks her thumb in her mouth to slurp it in :)  My question?  How do I know how much to feed her?  She doesn't give me any signs that she's done--so I stop at about 1/2 jar of the small jars of 1st step baby food.  Is this too much?  She often spits up most of the food she eats so I hope I am not overfeeding her or doing something wrong!  I love that little pumpkin and want to be the best babysitter I can be for her!!! "I sought advice and cooperation from all those around me - but not permission."--Muhammad Ali    Report

06-15-2006, 10:08 AM sister_2_1 Joined on 06-15-2006 Be nice - I'm new! Re: feeding a premature baby! Since she was premature, she probly only needs about half a jar of the small jars, and after about 6 small bites, give her a small drink of water to wash it all down. Then give her a little more food, and some water. Then she should be full  with just half a jar. If she spits up most of it, and she seems to be hungry again, give her some more of the baby food. If you don't want to try this, ask her parents how much they normally feed her, and how they get her to keep it all in, or most of it in.    Report

06-20-2006, 2:19 AM Chosen7Stone Joined on 10-21-2005 Tallahassee, FL Super Sitter!! Re: feeding a premature baby! I'm actually really surprised that mom is having you feed her child baby food already.  Though Elizabeth is 7 months out of the womb, because she is premature 3 months, she is actually only 4 months developmentally and technically shouldn't be taking foods other than breastmilk or formula yet, except MAYBE once or twice a week in little tastes. She's having trouble eating it and doing the push-it-in-with-her-thumb bit because she's not ready for it.  Her motor skills in her mouth haven't developed yet.  And she's spitting most of it up because her stomach isn't ready for it. She should be treated as a four-month-old, not a seven-month-old.  Look in a book the month-to-month development of infants, and compare her abilities to that of the average seven-month-old, and then to that of the average four-month-old.  You'll see that her capabilities line up more accurately with those of the younger infant. I know you can't tell mom how to raise her child, but it's something you might want to present to her kindly if she's fretting over the difficulties.  I'm surprised her pediatition has recommended the same to her already. *Love in Christ from Mary* 1 Peter 2:4-5 Vote my agency, Seminole Sitters, the "Best Overall Business" in Tallahassee for the 2007 Tally Awards at EverythingTallahassee.com!!!    Report

06-22-2006, 10:30 PM sister_2_1 Joined on 06-15-2006 Be nice - I'm new! Re: feeding a premature baby! My mom's friend had a preemie 3 months ahead of her due date, and her pediatrician started her at baby food when she was 4 months, and she would take a couple bites, and then get it all washed down with some formula, and then take a couple more bites. Even though she weighed only 6 lbs, 4 ounces at 4 months, she was started on baby ceareal and fruits. Her pediatrician said that then average age that an infant should start on small amounts of solids is 4 months. This 7 month old is plenty ready for solds, she just needs to get used to the tastes and the textures. My little brother is now 7 months old as well, and he uses his toes sometimes to suck in his food, it all just depends on the personality of the child.    Report

06-23-2006, 11:49 AM Chosen7Stone Joined on 10-21-2005 Tallahassee, FL Super Sitter!! Re: feeding a premature baby! I find that extremely difficult to believe, and would have gotten a second opinion from another pediatrition.  I hope the infant's still-developing stomach was able to handle that. *Love in Christ from Mary* 1 Peter 2:4-5 Vote my agency, Seminole Sitters, the "Best Overall Business" in Tallahassee for the 2007 Tally Awards at EverythingTallahassee.com!!!    Report

06-24-2006, 10:40 AM sister_2_1 Joined on 06-15-2006 Be nice - I'm new! Re: feeding a premature baby! Why do u find that hard to beleive, and Lexi (my mom's friends preemie) is developing just fine. She is now 7 months old, and is doing great. She is up to 11 pounds, 3 ounces. She was able to handle it, and her stomach was plenty able to handle it as well. She is now getting little bits of teeth, and she is now eating almost a full jar of the small jars of baby food.    Report

06-24-2006, 12:42 PM Chosen7Stone Joined on 10-21-2005 Tallahassee, FL Super Sitter!! Re: feeding a premature baby! I've explained why I find it hard to believe, and would like to avoid this becoming any sort of argument or debate.  I'm currently earning a degree in developmental (child) psychology, and in all of my childhood development classes I've learned that children born premature have their developmental age calculted by subtracting the number of months they were premature from their out-of-womb age.  Every mother and pediatrician I've spoken with have told me the same.  It doesn't make sense that a child's stomach would develop at a faster rate of speed than natural or typical just because they're being fed foods appropriate for older children.  It's the same logic as...you don't feed peanut butter to someone with a peanut allergy in hopes that their stomach will adapt. *Love in Christ from Mary* 1 Peter 2:4-5 Vote my agency, Seminole Sitters, the "Best Overall Business" in Tallahassee for the 2007 Tally Awards at EverythingTallahassee.com!!!    Report

09-18-2007, 5:06 PM sister_2_1 Joined on 06-15-2006 Be nice - I'm new! Re: feeding a premature baby! wow, i haven't been on in a while. Lexi and my brother are now 21 months old ( I can't beleive they are almost 2) and they are both doing extremely well. They are acting like the best of friends, and both are walking and talking like never before.    Report

09-28-2007, 10:23 PM iluvshoes1993 Joined on 09-24-2007 Along for the Ride Re: feeding a premature baby! If you want to be the best babysitter you can be, talk to her parents.  Don't hesitate to ask questions.  Anything you're not sure of.  They'll appreciate it, because they know that you care about their daughter enough to ask them questions so you don't do anything wrong!    Report

10-13-2007, 6:20 PM Girrrl Joined on 07-18-2007 Along for the Ride Re: feeding a premature baby! I just noticed that the original post in this thread is from last year.  So responses to it are not so relevant right now. BUT, I just wanted to say that in general, it's best to direct questions like these to the baby/child's parents.  I really don't understand why people think strangers on the Internet would have better advice about caring for a child than the child's parents/caregivers, i.e. the people who know that child the best.    Report