BabyWhispererForums.com
EAT => Feeding Solid Food => Topic started by: Bella89 on December 10, 2015, 18:16:20 pm
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Hi Ladies,
I feel like we have some trouble with solids at 10 months that few mamas posted about before, but I stil wanted to start my own topic.
My DS old eats solids since he was 6 months. He used to eat a lot, but now he is going through teething that also is causing runny nose:/ He eats only bread (Plain, without butter or jam)and takes a bottle for 5 days in a row:/ He ate so many different kinds of food, and ate a lot when you ask me.
Of course, I always offer whatever I cooked, but he is done with 1 teaspoon - soups, sweet potato, fruit, oatmeal with juice or fruit (he used to love it), plain fruit, meat, nothing. Then he would just not eat - he is not pushing for bread I just give it to him so he would fill up on something more than milk.
I know teething can cause trouble, and I am ok with waiting that out, but my question is?
1. Do I increase milk intake? - he takes around 30oz now that he doesn't like solids.
2. Do I offer milk at night? - he doean't eat at night since he is 8months, but when he cries at night I don't know if it's these darn teeth or hunger:/ I don't want to offer too fast.
3. How long it can last!!??
Thank you!
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Oh dear, if he's having a hard time with teething then it is quite normal to go off solid food for a while.
Have you maybe tried starting the meal with a small portion of bread and then offering other foods? Sometimes once the appetite gets going with their 'go to' food that they can't resist they actually feel more inclined to have a go at something else.
I would not expect him to be hungry at night if he has not had a night feed for a few months. He might like a sip of water or the crying is likely to be discomfort from teething and frustration of being awake (crying because he wants to be asleep).
I did have a short phase of my DS being hungry at night around 10.5/11 months but this was after 4 nights in hospital when he was very poorly and had barely taken sips of water and milk (no solids) for 5 days, he had taken only just enough to keep himself off a drip or feeding tube. Following this he needed night feeds for a few days, maybe even a week but this was a baby who had missed out on a lot of food and was still very poorly.
Perhaps if he has not shown interest in another few days you can begin by putting something on his bread? pate or hummus are high protein, cheese melted onto toast? or offer him something to dip into?
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I tried both ways - bread first or after meal. Nothing. Also, he is not that into eating by himself with fingers (except bread of course), maybe it's because we did pures when he was 6. I always give him something to eat with fingers when I feed him, but he doesn't like the feel of i.e. banana smashed between his fingers, starts to throw things or fusses in his high chair. So that would be "no" on things on his bread:/ I tried dif things butter, jam and he throws it away. I thing he just likes the feel of the bread on his gums.
Thanks for your advice! I think I found myself in a bit of a corner situation right now, because I fed him 2 nights in a row at 2am. I really have to back right away from that, because as we know that would get me in a sq1 right back:/ He gets up at 1 and stands in the crib, cries a little or more, talked to me, plays and at 3 he is tired. When I pick him up his eyes close and he drifts off, when I put him down he cries again:( I will try with water, but that didn't help night1. He had a full egg scrambled this morning, so I am a little hopeful about todays' appetite:)
What do you think about milk? Should I add extra meal? He is on 3 8z bottles.
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If it was me I'd rather he had more milk in the day than having milk feeds at night. Does he drain his bottles in the day?
Scrambled egg is excellent for breakfast - that's a great portion size too!
In fact, I should have thought earlier about suggesting offering foods in the morning. Often LOs take solids more willingly earlier in the day, breakfast, snack and lunch times rather than evening meal.
You can perhaps try some finger foods which feel more dry to the touch, bread stick (although it is bread again it would at least offer a different texture to keep his interest going, mine liked the hardness of a bread stick when teething), things like steamed green beans are quite 'dry' on the outside for holding and don't mush up in fingers. Also pasta without any sauce, it may not seem too appealing to adults but babies can hold the drier pasta more easily and again it doesn't mush so much in their hands. Little pancakes feel dry and bread like but you could add some grated apple, pear or carrot. How about eggy bread (french toast)?
I'm not saying cook up lots and lots of different things, just a few suggestions you might try whilst he is off his food.
I wouldn't think the worst of this teething with a stuffed nose and feeling rotten like he does would last much more than a week. Taking an egg could be a good sign of beginning to come out of it. I would really think that his appetite will return soon.
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Thank you for your tips of FF. This is a topic that I am slowly running out of ideas to be honest. French toast sounds good, I will try that as well.
He doesn't want to eat by himslelf:/ I encourage him to hold his bottle but he would just get mad and look at me like "hey, it's your job isn't it?". He is a stubborn little thing;]
I think he slowly eats more. Instead of 1 spoon he would have 5, so that's an improvement:)
He is not draining his bottles. There was a time he would need 9oz in the morning, but now he always eats 6/8. I add formula to oatmeal, so I guess that counts as an extra portion. D you think I can start cooking oatmeal on cows milk instead? I know I would have to be careful, but I would really like to go on cows milk after he is 1, so I wonder if I can start adding some to his food. He already eats eggs on cows milk (I add it for the moisture since his scrambled eggs are steamed cooked).
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Cows milk is totally fine to cook with from 6 months (unless there are allergies which I see there are not) so yes you can use it in his cereal and any other cooking you do, it just isn't suitable for the main milk feeds as it is not complete like formula is.
It does sound like he is taking some more solids so perhaps he is perking up again :)
Do you eat with him? It is helpful to see you eat to encourage him to self feed. I ate with my fingers some times, depending what the food was, just to show my DS it was ok. I also gave him pre-loaded fork or spoon of food for him to bring to his mouth himself.
I think it is a bit different with the bottle. Whilst some LOs will self feed a bottle under supervision it is such a lovely cuddle time, I only very rarely encouraged mine to hold his bottle (only after swimming I think, so he could eat whilst I dress by him as he was so hungry he couldn't wait but I was dripping wet and freezing).
There are some finger food ideas here:
Finger Foods (6 months+)
My 'go to' food was batches of pancakes which I layered with baking parchment and froze so I could lift out a few in the morning ready to use later in the day. Bean burgers/patties the same, oaty chews, mini muffins (fruit or veggie)...there were not very many things I batch cooked to freeze but those things were really useful, all quite 'dry' to hold and didn't make too much mess for eating out and about.
Frittata is another egg meal, add some grated cheese and any soft left over veggies from maybe the day before to whisked egg and oven bake. One egg in a little ramekin is a big portion for a LO.
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Hi,
I wanted to let you know that we're back to normal. It was 1,5 weeks of weird food issues and now we're back to normal - eating lots!
No teeth so far, so I don't really know what was the reason. But maybe it doesn't always have to be teeth coming out, just growing inside gums? I wonder...
Anyhow, I was wondering if you could look into our feeding routine and tell me all what you think. It all seems ok, but I wonder what happened with 4h easy. I know it turns into EAESY when they grow up, but I wonder if everything is ok and DS is not a snacker.
8WU
8:30 8-9oz formula
10 breakfast: good amount (oatmeal size of a fist or 1 egg or 2 toasts...)
11:30 8-9 oz formula
12:2:30 nap
3:00 dinner (fist size of whatever, sorry for the naming of a portion but I don't know how to name it, I might be 7-8oz maybe?)
5:00 supper (similar to breakfast food, sandwich)
7:00 9-10 oz formula
7:30 BT
What do you think?
Thank you!
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I wanted to let you know that we're back to normal.
Wonderful - amazing isn't it how we can worry so much and it seems to go on for so long and then it turns out to be 1.5 wks and back to normal! I worried just the same with my DS! Still do!
Your routine looks fine. When they have milk and solids it always looks like they are eating every couple of hours and can appear like snacking but it's just normal. Between now and 12 months you might switch that 11.30 milk for a solids snack with drink of water or milk in a cup. It might even turn into an early lunch before the nap, with a snack after the nap. Some people do split lunches - half before nap half after - it depends really when your LO is hungriest.
Really, looking fine. At 12 months you'd be looking at 3 meals, 2 snacks and 1 or 2 milks...it does seem like lots of meal times but their tummies are still small so they do need the regular intake. There's often a bit of a reduction in intake around 1yo ish which is common so don't worry too much if he seems to have less of an appetite for a while then too :)
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Thank you so much!
Just to make sure, what you're saying is I can go down to 2 bottles as I get closer to 12 months and replace it with light lunches?
I would like that, more grown up food. He seems to like it. Even more solid things like cooked meat.
But I have to say, in some cases, when I don't have time or he doesn't like what I've made, I would just give him extra bottle instead of solids to fill him up. I don't feel so bad about it, I know milk is nutritious.
What I would do without you:)!
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Just to make sure, what you're saying is I can go down to 2 bottles as I get closer to 12 months and replace it with light lunches?
Yes that's it. A guidance for 'snacks' is say a quarter of an apple or a bread stick, a sugar free mini muffin, a finger of cheese. Some LOs will need a bigger snack, half apple or a banana, which is also fine.
With mine if the snack was very big (where mine had more like lunch instead of snack in the mid-morning) I made sure it was more than fruit, I made things like mini lentil or bean burgers which were easy to take out and about with me and still small and easy to eat with fingers but had some protein, veg and carbs in them.
At/by 12 months LO will be joining in family meals just the way you have them (although cook with low/no salt, not much sugar) plus a couple of snack plus a milk or 2. Meat is fine, they can gum on hunks of meat with out any or many teeth and still suck out the goodness, fish too, just make sure no bones.
Guidance is to drop bottles at 12 months but he does still need milk. Some find LO won't take a good portion of milk from a cup so like to keep one of those bottles longer to ensure the milk feed is maintained. Bottles are not a problem so long as it's just the feed and not walking around sucking on a bottle all day long, yk. I dropped the BT bottle at 12 months (gave a cup of milk and solid snack an hour earlier) and switched the WU bottle to a WU milk with a straw at 13 months. I used the straw as mine would take a full good milk drink with it where as the cup milk was just a small amount. Some keep the BT bottle instead. It's up to you.
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Bean burger?! I really have to find a recipe for that one! Sounds nutritious. I am not good at making things to eat for him. I run out of ideas and good will;]
I bought a straw cup, I think it was tomee tippee. I think I threw it away already. It was junk, even I didn't know how I'm suppose to drink from it. I am looking for a good one. Can you recommend it?
Thanks.
That's some great advice!!
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I bought a straw cup,
All the various cups I tried were useless apart form the regular sippy cup (without valve). For a straw I used those disposable coloured straws which the bendy bit. I put the milk in a sports type bottle (it was an animal one so he liked it but the lid and spout/top was useless) and just held it upright with the straw in it, so it wasn't sealed or anything, and he sat up on my knee whilst we both held it. He also loved choosing his own colour straw each day. It sounds kind of wasteful to use disposable straws but the straw cup/bottles i bought I could never be really sure all the milk was cleaned out of the straw, I worried about bacteria etc. The disposable straws I rinsed in soapy water (but didn't re-use for drinking) and collected for crafts. Took a while but eventually when he was older we made some great stuff with those straws.
Bean burgers you can just drain a can of beans (eg kidney beans in water, no salt/sugar added, they are precooked) mash, add some left over veggies, add an egg and some flour (add herbs or spices if you like) then depending how thick the mixture is either shape with your hand or pour the 'batter' into a hot pan like pancakes, or dollop into mini muffin tray to oven bake. When cooled you can freeze them, do single layer then baking parchment then single layer, this way you can defrost them in singles rather than all at once.
I'm sure there must be exciting recipes on-line but I usually just made it up as I went along, cooked beans, cooked veg, you can't really go wrong as it's all safe.
Maybe try a falafal recipe (chick pea patties), they're nice, I added spices too but not so much as a full recipe, and I never added salt.
I think there may be a recipe or two on the finger food thread.
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So we're on bread and milk again:/ I do my best, but he's getting so stubborn lately! I cook various things and it all just go to waste :( He has 2xformula and 1 bottle of cows' milk. He is ok with that.
I try to give him cows' milk before his nap in straw cup. He learned how to drink from it, but just not drink milk from anything else than bottle :( He never drinks much from any cup. Few sips and off to play again. He gets so angry, screams at me like "hey, we dring water from this cup!". So I'm trying to have 2 cups. 1 for milk and one from water. But it's just for 2 days now and still not working:(
I have a question about solid food when he has these no food episodes. He was such a good eater. I never had to correct his posture or habits when he ate. Now he just squirms in the chair, turns his head and cries until I give him bread. I think it's also because he want's more finger food - this I encourage.
Do you have any advice on good eating habbits?
I don't want to feed him by fooling him to take a spoon of something. Stronger voice doesn't work and I obviously don't want to yell.
Should I just stop feeding him and try in 10 min i.e. to let him know that we only eat if we behave well? Sometimes he get's so angry in the chair that I think I could loose it in a second! :(
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Hugs. I can sense your frustration.
Honestly, all you can do is provide a good diet. It's your job to provide healthy balanced food and his job to eat, you can't make him eat.
Under 12 months he shouldn't really be having cow's milk as a drink from a cup or bottle, it should really be formula until 12 months, but I can see that he is almost 12 months so perhaps that is why you give cow's milk, please note though that it is not as nutritious as formula so if he is not eating solid food he may do better with formula which is made with balanced nutrients and vitamins.
Either he is going through a phase of teething giving pain which means he is just off his food and his appetite will return, or he has less of an appetite overall (this does happen at 1yo) and you will see a more prolonged phase of less appetite but he will still be well, or you may need a tweak to your eating routine. if you'd like to post your EASY times and what he is eating I may be able to offer some suggestions.
My main advice is to take a step back, there is absolutely no point in getting yourself wound up about this. He is not going to starve himself, he knows he needs food to live and you can trust he will eat a sufficient amount. This is not something for you to be angry about, it just won't get you anywhere (other than more angry). If you shout or deny him food you risk damaging your bond, take a breath and ask yourself if it is worth that? If he is squirming in his chair the chances are he wants to get down anyway, so why not just let him down and move on to the next activity, walk away and count to ten if you need to but when you go back leave the frustration of non-eating behind you and enjoy your time with him.
WRT good eating habits. A good diet is provided by you. This is your role. If you feel that there is too much bread stop giving it. That's it. If there is really no problem with how much bread he eats then give it without trying to get him to eat something else first. Bread isn't unhealthy, it's not like he's eating gummy sweets all day yk? But you decide how much is a reasonable toddler portion (I'd say half a slice) and serve it with his meal and do not give more.
Table manners are another issue. Just as with other aspects of our LOs development and the BW ethos, we need to be respectful of our LOs as little human beings, and to expect what they can manage at each stage of their lives and development. It sounds like your LO is squirming in his chair and refusing to eat... so I would look at lack of appetite at that time, maybe he needs to wee or poo and the chair position is not comfortable for him (mine used to sign toilet at that age and I'd get him out of the chair and he'd use the potty and then come back to eat happily and sit nicely once he had relieved himself), lifting him down saying something like "I wonder do you need to use your nappy/wee/poo? Lets try again in a few minutes" or perhaps he already needs a nappy change?
Honestly using a firm voice or shouting is not going to help, it will rapidly become a power struggle which you can't win.
If he doesn't like spooned food stop using a spoon for a while - this doesn't mean he won't be able to eat soup as an adult it just means right now he wants finger foods and to self feed.
If he wants down from his chair I'd just accept meal time is over, pack up what you made into tubs and pop them in the fridge.
if you feel bad about the waste reduce what you offer. One piece of food on his tray/plate at a time. When he has eaten it serve a second piece. The rest is in a clean serving dish so the food can be wrapped and kept until later or the next day.
Whilst it's ok to try again in 10 mins just in case he did need a wee or something, I would not keep trying in 10 mins and another 10 mins. Just do it once is my suggestion. You do not want to be feeding all day long. Meals at set times and ok if he wanted to go off for a few mins then shows he would like to come back fair enough for a few times, observe and see what his reason is, game interrupted? Nappy? Something else? Learn from those observations and adapt the routine if possible. If not then just offer at set times, once and that's it.
more hugs xxx
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OMG you can't imagine how greatful I am about your clear and quick reply!!!! I could hug you for this.
I cook and cook this various meals and he ignores it for the past 3 days. I think he has like 3 slices of white bread a day. It can't be whole grain-I learned that already;)! I know it's too much. He doesn't have constipation trouble yet, but I'd rather be careful.
I plan on cooking veggie soup tomorrow (he likes it best) and baking some whole grain blueberry mini muffins ( I would assume it would be similar to bread in his mouth and hands:)
About cows milk. I think I will go with furmula through this time, but I slowly increased the amount as he is going into 1y. Also, I use organic, real milk, so I think I just feel better about it. I know he needs his vitamins, but beside these few days he ate lots of various foods so that was never a concern.
I definitely have to observe more. I know when he is hungry I can just call him and he would come and stand by the chair waiting for me to lift him up. I think I have to encourage this. I think I will offer one more time in like 30 min after potty or nappy change if needed. That being said, what would you do if you offer a meal and LO would not even take a bite? Would you offer something else or let LO skip a meal at that time? I think I have to stop offering bread if he doeant want anything because it encourages him to refuse other foods as he knows he can make me give him bread.
I know eating habbits are important now. I dont want to chase him around with a spoon or force anything. I think I got upset talking to a friend that said about her 6month old that when she turns her head or squirms she would just use a firm voice and make her sit straight. Sometimes, it just would not work. I know it my heart that it's not form my DS. He doesn't like when I raise my voice i.e. when I sign danger.
This is from today:
7 WU, getting dressed, washed up - both of us:)
8 8oz formula
9:30 scrumbled egg, he had 2 spoons of it and slice of bread
12:00 8oz of cows milk
12:20-3 nap
3:15 dinner- he had none and we went to my parents
4:30 I offered once more and he had 2 spoons of rabbit meat in cheese sause, refused pasta as I started cooking it for his fingers while I spoon the meat.
5:00 he had 3/4 of banana and a cookie, he seem to be interested in my mashroom soup that I had but I let him just feel a taste as it's mashrooms and I dont feel comfortable having it yet.
6:00 5 min nap in the car
6:30 bath
7:00 9 oz of formula
8:30 asleep ( he is usually asleep by 8, but that nap threw him off)
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
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More hugs.
Looking at your EASY I would be inclined to change things a little now he is almost 1yo. Perhaps bring breakfast earlier (9am), put a morning snack in at around 10.30am (a wedge or two of fruit or a couple of sticks of steamed veggies), then make the 12pm a proper lunch. Small snack after nap around 3ish and dinner 4.30/5pm. So dropping that mid-day milk.
If you are not sure about changing the routine though wait a few days or a week and his appetite may pick up again.
A few other thoughts.
I think he has like 3 slices of white bread a day
Well, I'm not sure how big a slice is where you are or what sort of bread. In the UK sliced shop-bought bread is pretty high in salt (higher than most other countries) so I wouldn't have given my under-1yo 3 slices per day, about half to one slice per day would have been the absolute max I would have even offered in a whole day.
what would you do if you offer a meal and LO would not even take a bite? Would you offer something else or let LO skip a meal at that time?
Personally I'd probably offer something else, 1 other item, a small piece of fruit say. Otherwise I'd just accept he is either not hungry or his mouth hurts from teething. There is always another meal later, or BT milk. He will be fine, and perhaps if not cajoled into eating when he is not really hungry then he will increase his appetite for the next meal and be more inclined to eat what's offered.
he knows he can make me give him bread.
Honey he can't 'make' you do anything.
He can ask for it, he can make fists, he can even scream in your face but he cannot make you give him bread (in exactly the same way that you can't make him eat, you can put the food to his mouth, you could use a firm voice or shout but you cannot make him eat). I would put a small (very small, a quarter square) piece of bread on his tray at the beginning of the meal and tell him that's all there is (I see no need to totally deny the bread just reduce it to a small portion). If he eats it and asks for more you say "No more bread, you can have your (cheese or whatever it is) or you can get down, which? Want this?" hold out a finger of food for him to take or pick up a wedge from his tray and show him then put it down and leave it. Don't tell him to eat, don't tell him he can have more bread if he eats his cheese, just let him decide. Better still if you are eating and enjoying your food and he can see you are.
You *can* decide how much bread you give him. You *can't* force him to eat. I do think you will feel better in yourself once you are clear what you can and can't do, what control you have and what control you don't have.
I think I got upset talking to a friend that said about her 6month old that when she turns her head or squirms she would just use a firm voice and make her sit straight.
Friends are not always helpful, if your friend chooses this approach when it seems her LO is indicating she is full then that is her choice of parenting style. Besides, it's quite different with an almost 1yo.
The thing is, raising your voice, using a firm voice over food, it raises the tension. You really want to aim for meal times to be pleasant times when the family come together to socialise and enjoy sharing healthy food. You don't want to teach your LO that meal times are times of stress which no one enjoys.
I would think of adapting the meals to just give him finger foods. An omelette can be sliced into strips for him to pick up himself, no spoon needed. Not sure how big the rabbit pieces were but I would imagine he could pick bits up himself. Things with lots of sauce I strained/scraped off and put the sauce to one side and the meat and veggies in small piles so it wasn't all mixed up for my DS, he preferred it this way so he could see clearly what each food item was.
You'll get through this you know, you really will xx
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I think you opened my eyes a little to the fact that he will not starve to death in these few days if he drinks his milk. I am worried about his appetite, but maybe it's teething. He has some mild diarrhea today.
Earlier I even thought he swallowed something and just doesn't want bigger chunks only water and milk. He sometimes signs vomit to the foods that he ate and liked before i.e. oatmeal. But now I think he would cry or be in pain if something would stuck in his throat, right?
You are right about bread. I think I preferred he eat something than nothing, but it got to a point when my intuition told me it's too much. I was more worried about gluten than salt really, but that's an important thing to consider as well.
This is what I will do, offer one more thing and let him be. He didn't eat anything at 3. I offered salmon and pasta for finger food, than steamed carrots:/ We will see if he will want anything in 30min. It's 4 now and he is cheerful;]
I think I have a good knowlenge of how we should teach him eat and behave at the table and how to do it. I just lack experience in implementing it. I know I can only guide him. I really don't like stressing about eating, so I will back down and watch his appetite. I think I am much more relaxed now past 2 feeds..
I think I will keep 3 MF for now, and do as suggested by you when he will be better. We're fighting a rash on his belly right now and I had to eliminate cow's milk anyhow.
Thank you so much. I know it will get better soon as it is really ups and downs with DS, but I also know it's just a beginning ;]
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We're fighting a rash on his belly right now and I had to eliminate cow's milk anyhow.
Obviously I am not medical but a rash could be a post-viral rash which would indicate he's been poorly and possibly without you knowing, that would explain the loss of appetite and diarrhoea.
He sometimes signs vomit to the foods that he ate and liked before i.e. oatmeal.
Do you mean he uses sign language (I wouldn't have though 'vomit' would be one people taught but I don't know) or do you mean he begins to gag, bringing it back up?
glad to hear you are feeling a bit better about things. If you are concerned about something he may have swallowed or about his food intake or about the rash a trip to the doc might help settle your mind.
hugs x
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Hello again :)
So the rash turned to be an allergy to eggs as our ped says. Not that he is allergic it's just 4 eggs a week (scrumbled, omlette, in a soup, in muffins so total 4/5) was just too much for him. We managed that and he is clear yay!. We can start eggs next week but 1 at a time and observe next 2 days if he is fine :) It wasn't cosmetics or laundry detergent (although I switched that one just to be sure), so that leaves us with eggs or diapers. It's so difficult to sort that out:(
He started eating egain! I was looking at his meals and I think he has deffinitelly too much milk (30oz) as for an almost 1yo that needs to start his adjustment to grown up food.
I gave him lunch today at 11:30, but he was too tired for a meal. He couldn't even sit up straight:/ After few spons of soup I've put him down. So that got me thinking.. Do you think I could just do a snack before the nap? I mean, I'll see how long will he sleep now, but him being tired I don't know if he can handle a meal before.
SO it would look like this
8:00 milk
9:30 breakfast
11:00 snack
12-2 nap hopefully
2:30 or 3 lunch
5 dinner
7:00 milk
I have a feeling that this could work for us, but on the other hand I don't know if I feel good about his 2 main meals being in the afternoon:/
What do you think?
Thank you for helping me.
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The only things I'd suggest to think about in your suggested routine would be bring the lunch a bit earlier so 2pm or as soon as he is willing to eat following his nap, then add in a snack and water around 3pm, with dinner around 4.30/5pm.
The other thing you can allow for is for him to eat as much as he likes for the 'snack' at 11am and call this a lunch or split lunch. Lots of people do split lunch around the nap. I remember mine having 'snack' which was more like lunch at 10.30 (the planned routine was 11am however we were at baby and toddler groups a few mornings per week where they gave snack out earlier and he was not happy with one or two little bits of snack so I used to take a packed lunch for him).
There are no 'rules' about what snack and lunch have to be so it is possible to prepare a 'meal' and just offer a snack sized portion or then offer more if he seems hungry and wants more. Then keep the rest aside ready for 2pm.
I don't know if I feel good about his 2 main meals being in the afternoon:/
It's also ok to give a 'main meal' at breakfast. There's no rule about breakfast being cereal, you could always save a portion of the evening meal to offer at breakfast time. Many LOs eat better in the morning or early afternoon hours and less at 5pm, if this is the case for your DS then giving a more varied breakfast could be the answer.
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That helps a lot! Thank you so much.
He is so grown up now. He wants finger food more and more these days. Also, I think I have to get out of my head the thought that he is not able to eat enough with his hands. Meaning I can get more in him with a spoon - that's true, but I know he will eat as much as he needs. I just like to know that he had a good meal, full and ready to play.
I feel like I am feeding him all the time, more frequent then when BF to be honest. But I know it's the healthy w3ay to go. More but smaller portions. Is it right to say that ultimately (without formula at all) we want 3 meals and 2 snacks? Although, I think I don't mind milk from a straw cup at breakfast or before bed even when he is 2yo.
I have a feeling weaning that midday bottle will be hard, but it's high time to do it. As you said. I will try earlier to avoid him being sleepy.
Thanks again!
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You might be surprised at just how easy the mid day milk drop goes. I often found I was more concerned about things than my DS was. If you offer a solid meal (finger foods if that's what he likes) at that time you can still offer a milk drink after it if needed but the chances are he will not want it or only want a smaller portion of milk.
Is it right to say that ultimately (without formula at all) we want 3 meals and 2 snacks? Although, I think I don't mind milk from a straw cup at breakfast or before bed even when he is 2yo.
All kids need fats/calcium so unless there is a milk allergy or dislike then the milk continues right through childhood. It may be a drink of milk (I'd say this is probably the most common) or it may be other dairy produce if LO doesn't really like milk (and milk alternatives for those who have a milk allergy). Mine turns 5yo tomorrow and still has a big milk drink in the morning. Many children here in the UK have milk at snack time at school (in some years this is free school milk, a little carton with a straw).
So, yes, 3 meals and 2 snacks is the aim for 12 months but there will also be 2 milk servings (in a cup or straw) in addition to those (often WU and BT but it doesn't have to be) and as he gets older it may reduce to 1 milk, which may be in addition to the meals and snacks (like my DS) or the milk might be served alongside one of the meals of snacks (like the kids at school here).
I think I said before the guides are to drop bottles at 12 months but if it's just a quick milk drink really it is not such a big deal to have 1 or 2 bottle feeds for a while after 1yo. I dropped the bottles at 12 months as I was fed up of the whole sterilising thing and was a bit of a stickler of following the 'rules' but those guides about not using bottles are really more important for LOs who are using a bottle all day long.
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I think I said before the guides are to drop bottles at 12 months but if it's just a quick milk drink really it is not such a big deal to have 1 or 2 bottle feeds for a while after 1yo.
My main concern is the bottle teeth decay, and I hope if I drop the bottle he will more likely drop the paci himself (maybe it's just wishful thinking:).
My plan is to do 1 thing at a time. Midday milk, then switch BT milk to a straw cup (give him more water and food in the afternoon, so it's better for his teeth. And also he sleeps through the night but often wakes up by wet diaper so I have to change him at 4:/). Then morning milk in a straw cup as a drink to his breakfast. I think drinking in a straw cup will decrease the amount he drinks. I think it's a good plan for the next 2 months:)
We were talking about straw cups... I found a great one - Avent that comes with sets of brushes so it's really easy to clean:) He loves it!
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Oh it's great you found a good straw cup he likes :)
The teeth concern - if you brush teeth after the BT milk then there is no worry about continuing the BT milk. But I totally hear you on the wet nappy too. I decided to drop the BT bottle because if I had to move it earlier (to brush teeth after it, and I worried this would ruin our lovely BT routine) I might as well also drop the bottle at the same time. I introduced a 'supper' solids snack with milk in a sippy cup about an hour after dinner and about 1-1.5hr before BT. The transition was super smooth over about a week. I can give you more info on that if you need it.
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Sorry, I've been busy with some family things.
So we're doing 2 bottles right now. Morning cow's milk and BT formula. I've notice that he gets hungry sooner now with morning bottle (cow's milk is less filling I guess), so I've switched it today with ouatmeal and milk in strawcup. BT bottle stays for now.
He deffinitely eats more with his hands. I try to cook finger things for him every time.
I pressure myself so much to vary his diet, but soon I realize we eat the same things over and over as well. I thing I will cut myself some slack. If he eats veggies, fruit, grain and diary in good proportions I think I shoud be ok, right?
Thanks!
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Yes it's fine :) A balanced diet is likely more important than eating a huge range of foods, there are so many different types of food available now that it can give us the impression we have to cover all of them but we don't.
You didn't have meat/fish/beans in your list for protein so that's the only thing I'd add, likely you just didn't type it out rather than not feeding him those things.
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Yes, he has lots of meat, 2 or 3 types of beans and we go low on fish right now as our ped said he might have got a mild alergy to it. We will give him more next week to see if it's that.
Thank you!
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You're welcome.
I'm glad to hear things are improving :)