Dropping to 3 bottles @ 7 months?

[Sammy2439]

Hello all

I'm just after a bit of advice re dropping to 3 bottles.

Current easy looks like this

E - 7am
Breakfast - 8.30am
A
S - 10 - 11.30am

E - Bottle 11.30/11.45
Lunch - 12.30
E - Bottle - 2.15
S - 2.30pm - 4pm

Dinner - 5/5.30
Bottle - 7pm

As you can see i seem to spend most of the lunchtime activity time either giving a bottle or giving solids.  I moved the 4pm bottle to before her afternoon nap as if i give her a bottle at 4pm, she is then not interested in dinner or bedtime bottle. 

I'm just not sure if i should drop to 3 yet as she takes about 4ozs at 11.30 one and then sometimes up to 7oz at the 2.15 one.  She doesnt seem overally bothered by the 11.30 one.  As she still takes some @ 11.30 i'm confused about dropping it as everything i read suggests that you drop a bottle when they lose interest or outright refuse it?

I hope the above makes sense!?!

thanks in advance!

[1tamara1]

Hi, I can't offer any advice but just wanted to say that I'm having the exact same problem as you are with my 7.5 month old. It's like he has gone to having a bottle very 5 hours ad not really interested in the 11.30am bottle. I remember my daughter gave up the 11am bottle first but I can't remember the age. So yeah, sorry I can't offer much advice, hopefully someone on here can

[becj86]

How much milk is she taking overall in 24hr?

[Lolly]

The normal age to drop to 3 bottles is around 9/10 months, so long as they are taking something at that 11 bottle I would keep it for a while yet.

Laura

[Amanda5555]

Just listening in. My LO did that as well now we are almost 8.5 months and have been on only 3 bottles for a while plus solids. Takes 24-27 oz per day max each bottle is 8-9 oz each. He is a refluxer and has trouble swallowing with aspiration. No matter what we did we couldn't get that third bottle into him and stopped pushing it due to extreme feeding trouble with the bottle. He has continued to gain weight and is 21lbs 9.7kgs at last check so I think its ok but wondered if there were any thoughts as I was also quite concerned about this.

[Lolly]

Amanda - with reflux and other issues it's a bit different. My DD dropped to 3 bottles by  8 months to increase her milk intake as she wasn't getting the minimum 20oz they recommend from 6 months in 4 bottles. In your case the overall intake is fine but for a baby without reflux they are better sticking to the 4 bottles for as long as possible as this is what is recommended.

Laura

[Amanda5555]

Thanks 

[Sammy2439]

hello all, thank you for your replies.

Her milk intake really varies, she has never been a big milk drinker even when she was tiny, which i never really understood given that she plots between the 75th and 91st centile on the charts (weighed 19ib 3oz last week at 32 weeks).

Today she has drank:

 8oz 7am
6oz 11.30
2/3 oz 2.30
and probably 8/9 oz before bed

generally her intake is between 20-28ozs probably averages 22/24 ozs

it seems that if she drinks a fair amount at 11.30 she will only drink a little at her next one or vice versa!  I guess because she's never really fussed a lot for milk i don't want to drop it if she needs it!

[SILLYFACE]

Hi hun - I would give her solids a little earlier and offer the milk after. As she takes more solids this feed will decrease and you can eventually cut it out. The othe times seem fine although you might stretch the 2.15 bottle to 3 after a lunch and bottle. Good luck xxx