what bottle to wean first?

[legend_018]

ok, this isn't set in stone and I haven't been doing it long enuf but I have sort of fell into a schedule with my 10 month old. She just turned 10 months. Please keep in mind that A)She was doing a lot of morning and evening cluster feeds B)she still gets up around 2am for a "3oz bottle mixed with 3 oz water"...: ( and C) She went on a complete hunger strike from about 7 months to about 9 months. She is eating better but is still picky and won't really let me feed her. It's kind to be all finger types of foods. But it's getting better and she is at least eating some solids every day.

What would be the next  bottle when WE are ready to wean away from?

1. Bottle within half hour of wake time
2. Solids offered about 1hr-1.5hrs later
    playtime/nap #1
3. Solids again offered around 4 to 4 1/2 hours after the first bottle she had
4. than Bottle pretty much after the solid feed.
    playtime/nap #2
5. Bottle soon after she wakes up for 2ND nap. Been averaging around 3:30/4:00ish.
I found a bottle first after the 2nd nap and than solids later works pretty good
6. Solids offered about 1.5 - 2 hrs. later
7. Bottle close to or pretty much at bed time

By the way  bottles are usually on average from about 5oz to 8oz per bottle.
 

[* Paula *]

Can you let us know the times that you offer the bottles and solids?

This will give us a better idea, so we can see which bottle will be best to wean.  Is there one in particular that she is not showing much interest in?

Paula

[legend_018]

ok this is average:

1. Bottle around 6:30am ish.
2. Solids offered 7:45am ish
    playtime/nap #1.
3. Solids offered between 10:30am and 11am
4. Bottle right after solid feed
    playtime/nap #2
5. Bottle soon after she wakes up for 2ND nap. Been averaging around 3:30/4:00ish.
I found a bottle first after the 2nd nap and than solids later works pretty good
6. Solids offered around somewhere between 5pm and 6pm. Tonight I will offer them around 5:30/5:40pm since she had a bottle at 4pm
7. Bottle close to or pretty much at bed time. We'll be going upstairs for bedtime I think around 7pm. She woke at 3:40pm from an hour nap.

It's very hard to stay consistent with times as it all depends on when she wakes up and other factors so sometimes the whole schedule will be moved up for example. I'm trying to work on some consistency - which is why I posted that schedule. She seems to be doing ok on it.

She want ALL her bottles. I'm not sure if she is average with the eating solids part as she had gone on that hunger strike. If your interested in an idea of what she had for solids today I can tell you. It's better than before.

Remember in addition to this she is having 3 oz bottle with 3 oz water in the middle of the night. It's very hard. Some weeks she'll have a few days here and there where she'll sleep thru the night.

[* Paula *]

If you are looking to cut one bottle out I would suggest the one after her solids, and perhaps subsitute it with a small yogurt as a pudding instead of the bottle.  If you find that she is not happy with this you can always re-introduce the bottle and try again at a later stage.

At this age she really should not be waking for a bottle in the middle of the night, If she is waking, I would offer her water, or really water the bottle down over a period of a few days.  Once she realises she is only going to get water, she will not think that it is worth waking up for.  You may find that her not having this bottle in the night, might increase her appetite in the day and may take a few more solids.

I hear you on the hunger strikes.  We went through quite a few of them when DS was teething.  It is so worrying.

Hope this helps.

[legend_018]

but that would mean she'd have a bottle at 6:30am and than her next bottle wouldn't be until after her 2nd nap around 3:30/4:00pm? I was thinking about it and was wondering if that was correct?

[*Mona*]

well, we're having 1st bottle at 6:30am and 2nd one at 7pm...

so our feeding schedule is [more or less]:
6:30 bottle
8:30 joghurt and biscuit or joghurt and some sweet bread
11 cereal
13:30 meat + veggies
16:30 fruits or a sandwitch with cheese etc.
19 bottle
bed
that's it

sometimes half an apple here or there or some corn puffs. and lots to drink [we use Hipp herbal teas as she won't take water or juice ]

as I remember your Dd is older than mine so I think dropping that one bottle would do her absolutely no harm. IMO.

Monika

[legend_018]

I have to make sure she stays consistent with the schedule I originally posted. She went on a hunger strike for a very very long time and I can't rush into things. I'm glad I know what bottle to work on weaning when that comes though.

[*Mona*]

yep, consistency is the key

good luck

[* Paula *]

I agree with Monika.  When our DS was on 3 bottles a day we had 1 in the morning, then in the afternoon, and then again before bed.  You could always think about offering your second bottle before the second nap and then bring dinner forward a bit earlier, this may help.

[legend_018]

This gives me some good thinking. Thanks!!!