Help with starting to supplement with formula

[peachespoe]

My LO is five months old today. For various reasons that I don't want to go into in this post, I am starting to supplement my LO with formula during the day. My plan is to keep the first AM nursing and late night nursing, but give formula or a BM in a bottle during the day. I will be nursing at midday as well for a while and be pumping a little as I wean my body down to the two nursing.

My question is how much formula per bottle should I be offering Thea? She is also eating about 4 tsp. of solids 2x/day. Until recently she was nursing every two hours or so!! I have only been able to get her on a 3 hour EASY two weeks ago and she sometimes can't make it three hours without giving definite hunger cues. I know BW suggests a 4 hour EASY at this age, but I really don't think she could do it and frankly, a 3 hour EASY would be fine with me. Given a 3 hour EASY, our feeding schedule would look roughly something like this:

7:30 AM - nurse
10:30 AM - bottle of formula
1:30 PM - nurse or eventually formula
4:30 PM - bottle of formula
6:30 or 7 (bedtime) - formula
11 PM - dreamfeed (nurse)
middle of the night bottle or nurse if she wakes for it.

PLUS two feedings of solid foods, one in AM and one in PM ...I will be increasing these more as she get past the six month mark.

Does this look like a reasonable schedule? Or am I feeding her too much for her age? Would a 4 hour EASY really make much of a difference? From what I have read (other than the BW) if you tank them up during the day, they should sleep for longer periods during the night.

This morning I nursed her at 7:30, but at 10:30 she only drank 2 oz...so a hour later just before her nap, she seemed hungry again and sucked down 3 oz. right away. I can't force her to eat more when she doesn't want to, but then she is hungry again earlier later on....Hmmm, reading this over I see that she could have made it 4 hours this morning maybe, instead of feeding her at 10:30. But, she was giving hunger cues, so I am at a loss here.

[TDR'smom]

Hello and Welcome to BW!!

Here is a thread that will give you more info on amounts of formula...
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=67933.0

Most 5 month olds are on a 4 hour Easy.  This helps be sure they are taking long enough naps and eating properly.  If you'd like, give a peek at the EASY Forum and there will be some sample routines you can look at!

This thread might help too.  It talks about starting Easy at 4 months or older!

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=69369.0

[peachespoe]

Thank you! Those links are helpful!

[TDR'smom]

You are very welcome!  Let us know how it goes!!! 

[jana224]

The guidelines I have from my ped. say around 6 months the intake is 28-36 ounces in one 24 hour period... 

On a 4 hour EASY, your LO would get 4 feedings during the day plus a DF, so 6-8 ounces should be a good range.  You might find that the your LO has an easier time going 4 hours between formula feeds because it really does fill them up longer than breastmilk. Even so, BF babies get on 4 hour EASY routines.  The 4hr EASY worked for us once we were doing 3 meals of solids as well as BFing 4 x's a day.

I do think that nursing 7 x's in 24 hours is a lot for her age, and no wonder you are looking for a chance to wean (it's exhausting!).

You are right that tanking them up in the day promotes then NWs from hunger, but generally that applies more in the early months when they are feeding round the clock.

Can you post your EASY routine, with A and S times?  We might be able to identify some of those mixed cues you're getting that may not be hunger...?
Jana