BabyWhispererForums.com
EAT => Bottle Feeding => Topic started by: Silas Mum on December 09, 2006, 02:32:11 am
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I'm just curious as to what signs I should look for that LO needs to go to 3 bottles a day?
He's 8 months old, but so far he seems to be a bit ahead in development (ie:needed solids at 3.5 months, started walking) and the past three days he doesn't want to finish his bottles, except the 1st one of the day.
Any thoughts?
Thanks.
Allison =)
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The signs ar refusing either or both 11 and/or 3 bottle.
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So total refusal of bottle, not just finishing half or so? Those are the two bottles that he has been having trouble with ... but he will take a few more ounces like 30-45 minutes later. Do you think this could be a sign that he needs to go to 3 bottles a day? How would solids affect this? Do I then give more? I wonder if there's a thread on this, I should look!
Thanks so much!
Allison =)
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I would think he is getting ready to drop a bottle. I'e read that you do something like putting his 11am bottle back to 12 or 1pm, and maybe give an extra oz or 2 and then another big bottle at bedtime. I don't know if your lo would be happy to suddenly have such a big gap between bottles so it maybe that you give a feed at 12pm, then a small bottle at 5pm, and another at bedtime. My lo hasn't dropped a bottle yet so I am just trying to remember what I've read. I'm sure someone will give more advice if I've written rubbish!!!
HTH
Sal
x
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DS was the same, on solids at 15 weeks (was taking over 40oz of milk a day and wanting fed at night!) and really big and tall for his age. I noticed the same thing, with the mid morning and mid afternoon bottles, he would only take about half.
He was about 8.5mo when he kind of decided himself that he didn't want the mid morning one - he was able to go through till lunch and then had a bottle about 3pm which he would then finish.
Sounds like your little guy is heading the same direction.
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I just started 2 days ago, my LO 9m but she a bit slower doing stuff!
It going well, i also done it because she having less in bottles and hardly any solids.
Her solids have increased, ou new routine is:
7 wake
7.15 Breakfast (solid)
8.30-9 Milk
12 solids with milk in sippy (2oz) to top up
3-3.30 milk
5.30 solids
6.45 milk
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Thanks ladies for your advice!
He's been having bottles at 7, 11, 3 & 7, but I'm thinking that we'll try to get his routine to look something like this --- please let me know if it doesn't look 'right'!
700am - 8oz milk
830am - 4.5oz breakfast (fruit & cereal)
1200pm - 4.5 oz lunch (meat & veggies)
130pm - 8oz milk
500pm - 7.5oz supper (veggies & fruit)
700pm - 8oz milk
What I'm gathering, is that if he's hungry between the 130pm bottle & supper, we should give a couple of ounces of milk? I'm thinking we'll try this "cold turkey"? Is that wise?! I think that's what we did when we dropped from 5-4 bottles, but quite honestly, the last 8 months have been a complete blur.
One more question, then I promise not to ask anymore questions! I've been wanting to get him to take his milk from the sippy cup, so should I do this first before switching to 3 bottles, at the same time, or after we switch? Thanks!
Cheers,
Allison =)
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DS's routine is
Up at 6.30
7.00 - bottle and breakfast (porridge)
8.30 - goes to nursery
10.00 - toast and water
12.15 - lunch, pud and water
3.00 - bottle and fromage frais
6.00 - dinner (sanwich and fruit)
7.30 - bath and bedtime bottle.
He usually has a short nap mid morning and then 1.5 hours after lunch.
No idea about the sippy cup - he uses his for water and watered down juice but I haven't even tried milk in it yet.
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One more question, then I promise not to ask anymore questions!
Ask away, I don't know what I'd have done if I didn't have this site to ask a million questions to!
About the sippy, does he drink water out of one already? If he is used to a sippy and can drink out of it then I would probably try putting a couple of oz of milk into it and at the start of a feed when he is in a good mood give him the sippy and see if he is happy to drink milk out of it. If he is then take it from there. I've read that some babies are happy to drink water out of sippys but refuse milk from them and just want a bottle so it can take some time to persuade them.
If he doesn't use a sippy at all then I guess you need to get one and get him used to drinking water from it.
https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=68677.0
This is the link to the faq about sippy cups, probably more use then me rambling on!
HTH
Sal
x
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Great news! LO took to 3 bottles yesterday like a charm! We'll have to see how today goes though! I didn't need to top up anywhere even. I did introduce apple juice on top of water as to ward off dehydration in between meals and bottles. I will give a try to putting some milk in a sippy today as see how that goes. LO seems more interested in bitting the spout, but I'm thinking if he starts to learn that there's milk in there he may stop, 'cause he just downed those 3 bottles yesterday without stopping.
Thanks everyone for your help .... MUCH APPRECIATED!
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I have the same problem with the sippy, Dom just bites it!
I have just bought a free flow one though which he actually brought to his mouth and sucked yesterday. Just the once, he hasn't done it since but I don't care, he's done it once so I know he can do it again, I'm so proud!!!
x
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Hurrah! Funny how we get so excited about little things like this, eh?! What brand is the sippy? I've been using the Nuby which has a soft spout so it's more like a nipple on his bottle, but maybe I should try another type.
Allison
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We had much more success with a straw cup! At least worth a try....
We also did dropping the bottle cold turkey...i woke up one morning really sick of wasting formula, and just took it away! She did fine...just moved lunch closer and bottle nearer second nap.
Our routine looks like this:
7-wake
730- bottle 8oz
830- solids
1200-solids
230- bottle 8oz
445/5- solids
7- bottle 8oz
730- bed
Glad to hear it went well Allison!
sami
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So is it safe to say that around 8-9 months they should be on 3 bottles a day?
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MOST babies will be on three bottles a day...yes.
But that is NOT a rule...some babies are smaller eaters than others (as are adults). Your lo will tell you if the bottles need to go.
Also, try to make sure not to confuse with not wanting a bottle with teething or a cold etc.
sami
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Hi Allison, the free flow cup I've got is Asda's own, it only cost about a pound or something! I tried him with some milk in it this morning and he wasn't impressed.
Sami, by straw cup do mean literally a cup with a straw in it? Also, Dominic seems very happy drinking 8oz every 4-4.5 hours. He is 8.5 months now and on 3 meals a day, should I try to space out his bottles more or do you think leave him as he is until he wants to drop the bottle?
Thanks
x
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You can if you want, but don't feel obligated to. Your lo will tell you when he doesn't want those bottles. Most lo's are ready for a 4.5 hr EASY or even a 5/5.5 hr EASY at this age. We have bottles at 730, 230, and 7pm.
Um, here is a pic of my dd drinking from her straw cup...it is made by Gerber i think.
sami
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I think I'll try the 3 bottles a day and see how it goes, provided she will drink a full 8oz in the morning when waking up. I'm still giving bottles first, then solids.
We were on a 4hr EASY, but the 11am bottle had decreased slightly, so we went to a 4.5 hr EASY, but there wasn't much of an increase in her intake. She averages 26oz per day and sleeps through the night.
Samijoe, if your LO has a bottle at 2:30, is that bottle before/at naptime?
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Her bottle is slightly before a nap...but still far enough away that she doesn't associate the two. I don't always feed it at 230...sometimes 215ish, but we always do enough to separate bottle with sleep. I wouldn't be comfortable doing it this way if i thought it was at all a Bad Habit!
My dd has 3.5 hr A times right now (i am so lucky)....so we get up at 7, nap at 1030, up at 1130, nap at 300, up at 415/430 and then 730 bed. Usually she is asleep with 5 mins at bedtime or once in awhile she plays in crib for 5/10 minutes. But 730 is the start of MY y time....
hee hee! ;)
sami
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samijoe ... does your DD not jab herself with the straw? I'm thinking that if my DS can't even suck out of a sippy more than 2 swigs or so, he probably couldn't suck out of a straw? Did you try to introduce a 'regular' sippy before the straw sippy? I got a different sippy yesterday ... a hard spout, not the soft type like the Nuby I've been using ... but DS just got mad and threw it down when he couldn't chew it. Hahahaha.
I guess the trick is to just keep on offering it? But ... does there come a point where you just offer only a sippy and not ever bring in the bottle again?
Allison =)
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Allison,
We tried a hard spout (playtex) and the nuby one (gerber). Dh tried the playtex one and said it was super hard to even get out for an adult...she would get some, but didn't really understand that she had to lift it up. The Nuby one always gave her too much and she would spill it all over herself or choke on the flow. The straw took her about three days to get...and even at first she would get too much. But she figured it out...and she doesn't have to lift it up.
I wouldn't take the bottle away until you are completely sure your lo is getting a sufficient amount from it and will always take it. At least not in the first year when milk is super important! If your lo can fine, but i wouldn't force it. OMO though. I am sure you could teach your lo to drink from it all the time, but i think it would be a huge battle at this point in time.
I really think there should be a shop where US (as in me and you) mommies can trade in all sippy cups that don't work for our lo's! And maybe we could even trade for new ones to try too?? That would be great...lol! ;)
sami
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Oh Samijoe ... she's ADORABLE!!!
As you saw from my posting on the night wakings board about the screaming and teething, I haven't had time to push the sippy cup thing and get presents wrapped, nevermind get dressed by noon. I don't dare try to get to Wal Mart to buy a cup with a straw until after Christmas ... the crowds are terrible!
Cheers,
a.