Do i replace milk time slot with solids

[powerqueen13]

My 5 month old DS eats only 5 times a day. NEVE had a DREAM FEED and is still on 3 hour EASY. 
Now i am going to try solids. Do i replace a Breastfeeding session with solds? and do i switch him on 4 EASY first??  he is having very poor naps but sleeps 12 hours straight through the night.... HELP

Oh, and how many ounces is a full solid meal??? he has 6 oz of milk (BF.. this is my yield from 2 breasts) each feed.

Help help help

thank you

[~inbalance~]

First of all I do think you should transition to a 4hr EASY.  It is more appropriate for his age, also he could be snacking on milk, and it's hard to fit in solids on a 3hr EASY.

Second, solids are NOT meant to replace milk feeds before 1yr old, rather they are more for fun and exploration.  Milk will be the primary source of nutrition until your baby is a year.  The best way to think about it is, milk feeds should remain the E part of your EASY, and solids are part of the A time. 

How many oz a full solids meal is will vary from baby to baby.  When you are starting out, it is not the goal to be filling baby up with solids, so you usually start with only a few tsp, once a day for a little while before adding a second, and then third meal. 

Do you want to post your routine so we can see how to work them in?  I would suggest spending another week or longer just thinking about your EASY and maybe seeing if he's ready to transition to a 4hr EASY before throwing solids into the mix.  You might be able to get him napping better once he is on a 4hr EASY.

When you are ready, here are some helpful links about starting solids.  Remember, these are only guidelines so you will have to decide what is best for you and your baby, but of course we are here to help. 
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=209678.0
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=36922.0
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=57557.0

[powerqueen13]

thanks for your help you are fabilous.

here is my routine

E 7:00 am
A 7:15 to 8:20
S 8:30 to 9:00 
A 9-10

E 10
A 10:20 to 11:45 or even 12
S anywhere ranging from 11:30 to 12:45 (it depends it could range from 30 to 60 minutes, but more 30 minutes)

E 1:00
A 1:20 to 2:30
S anywhere ranging from 2:30 -3:30 (it depends it could range from 30 to 60 minutes, but more 30 minutes)

E 4:00
A 4:20 to 6:45 (most days no power nap because he won't sleep at night. but if he does it's only 20-30 mins)

Bath 6:45-7:15
E     7:15-7:30
S    falls sleep anywhere between  7:30 to 8:30  (but sleeps through)

NO DREAM FEED
 

 

[powerqueen13]

i am worried that he will be hungry and begin to wake up at night on 4 hour EASY.
AND, i have not been successful to swich to 4 hours due to his napping pattern... i really need help..lol

[~inbalance~]

Ok, so first off I am going to suggest that you post your routine on the EASY boards for advice on how to transition to a 4hr EASY.  I do think it is time.  Here is one link to look at:  http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=63161.0 

He is not likely to wake more on a 4hr EASY.  When babies are over 4mos, they can go 4hrs between milkfeeds.  If you are feeding less than that, he is likely not filling up on full feeds because he is not hungry enough.  It can lead to a snacking issue.  By feeding him every 4hrs, he will take longer feeds and get more of the richer hindmilk which is more filling and will sustain him longer. 

I think that by making the transition you will find he will start napping better because he will have the appropriate A times for his age.

Once he is on a 4hr EASY, it will be easier to fit solids in.  There is not enough time on a 3hr EASY to do solids properly, because ideally you would like to offer solids 1hr after his milkfeeds.  This would not work on a 3hr EASY as solids would then cut into his naptime.  You need to increase his A times so that you have more time to introduce new foods.

I hope I have given you some ideas to think about.  I really encourage you to post on EASY and work on your routine before starting solids, but I do think that you will be ready to start in a few weeks once he is on a 4hr EASY.  Hope I am making sense. 

[powerqueen13]

Thanks Maritna i did post the routine on the EASY board but hardly got feedback, which was not enough.
People keep telling me i need to increase his A time.. but as it is, it's quite long, for eg from 9 am to 12 pm is 3 hours!

I really don't think he is a sanker, he is very efficient when it comes to food. he empties both breasts at each feeding and i know for a fact he gets the hind milk, as he is in the 98% wieght and hieght. he has doubled his birth wieght and then some hence my original worry... if i chenge to 4 hours, then will he be getting enough food.

i tried rice cereal yesterday and today, he likes it i think, but he keeps blowing bubbles... he is not spitting out in disgust but i think he thiks it's a game!


His lack of sleeping is putting a major stress on me and now solids are stressing me even more.... i hope i can handle it and do what's right.

[~inbalance~]

(((hugs)))

9-12 is a long A time for him, and that's because he is short napping in the morning.  It is hard to find the right balance and make it work.  Keep working at it, you will find what's right.

FWIW, it took me well over 6mos to get a good routine established for my LOs.  It's really all trial and error.

He will still be getting enough food eating every 4hrs.  He'll regulate what he needs.  But like I mentioned, feeding milk every 4hrs is the only way you'll be able to get solids in properly.

It's hard I know, but LOs can't stay on a 3hr EASY, they just can't.  The routine needs to grow and evolve as they grow.

Don't worry, you are doing everything right simply by trying to follow your baby.  No one expects moms to be perfect, but don't be hard on yourself. 

[*Ali*]

I just wanted to pop on to reiterate what Martina has said about him taking bigger feeds if fed every 4hrs instead of every 3hrs. The idea is that he has 4 big meals rather than 5 smaller meals. So if he currently takes 30oz of BM in 5 feeds of 6ozs, on a 4 hr EASY he will likely take 4 feeds of 7.5ozs (or more) and still be getting the 30ozs he is used to. By snacker we just mean he eats little and often rather than bigger meals less often. This is not a reflection of the total milk intake and will not show in his weight. It just means he expects to be fed more often. This could be one reason why he does not nap well as he isn't nice and full for long before he wants feeding again if that makes sense.
Re: your EASY I think if you could increase that first A time to 2hrs you might get a longer nap. As it is I think you are doing a short 1st A and getting an UT nap. It is very difficult to extend an UT nap as the LO just isn't tried anymore. Then your next A time is too long after that short nap leading to another short nap, this time due to OT. Then the rest of the day is OT and all naps are short or non-existent.
HTH

Ali

[powerqueen13]

LO is now on 4 hour EASY. we did the witch 5 days ago cold turkey and it worked... i guess he was ready.
the next day  i introduced solids and he loved it... he took the spoon and ate by himelf... wonderfull sight.

new routine is

E 7 am
A 7:30 to 9
S 9 (but he sleeps 30 mins instead of the 2 hour nap)

E 11
A 11:30 to 2 pm
Solids at 12 or 12:30

E 3pm
A 3:30 onward
Solids at 5:30
S 20 minutes anywhere from 5:45 to 6:30

Bath time at 6:45
E 7:14
falls sleep 7:45 8ish   but sleeps through the night.... HOWEVER, he has been waking up at 6 am instead of 7 and this morning he got up at 4 am.. and stayed up !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[~inbalance~]

Hi there, glad you have made the transition and that solids are going well.  So he is already on 3 meals a day?  It's good that he likes them, but remember he is still little and so you don't want to rush into offering too much solids too early.  Make sure that milk feeds are still the priority and that he is taking all his milk.

Re the EWs, I suspect that he is probably really OT as he is not napping enough and is going to bed too late.  Do you have an EASY thread we can look at?

[powerqueen13]

yes, right up here that is the EASY i have, i omitted the Y part because it really deosn't exist...
I BF 4 times a day and his bed time is just perfect at 7:30ish... but solids is only twice a day 1 tsp rice cereal and 2 tsp breast milk.  i tried every combination regarding nap time... under tired, over tired..... stimulation, no stimulation... and i concluded that its my baby... he just doesn't want to sleep... no matter what routine i go by and what i do, he still naps for 30 minutes!

[~inbalance~]

Hi,
My DS1 was always a terrible napper so we just had to work around it.  DS2 is a decent napper but it took until well over 6mos before he was napping well consistently.  So you will get there too.