How much to feed 22lb baby?

[MommytoJack]

Hi Everyone,
My ds is 9mo, he had a late start at solids due to some gas issues (he still has them but we switched formula and added tummy drops to help).  My questions is, the pediatrician said we are feeding him too much formula so he isn't wanting for food & he needs to eat for his body to learn to digest.

He was eating 7-8 (8oz) bottles per day.   She said to reduce to 3-4 bottles.  How much solids do I give him?  Should I reduce amt of formula? If so how/when should I feed solids?

Here is his eating schedule:
6:30/7:00ish 8oz formula
10:00/10:30 2T pureed solids & 4oz formula
12:00/12:30 8oz formula
2:30/3:00 2T pureed solids & 4oz formula
5:30/6:00 8oz formula
8:30/9:00 8oz formula
no night feedings

My dh is beginning to wonder if he has gas issues due to over feeding
Do you think I am feeding him too much, what changes in schedule would you make?

Thanks!

btw, he cannot eat cereal (throws it up ..rice/oat/wheat/barley etc)

[Lolly]

I think you can reduce the formula and increase the solids really! They need a minimum of 20oz a day and that can include the dairy in solids - your young man is taking double that! Many mums start to do food before milk and drop to 3 bottles around 10 months and work towards solids taking over from milk by 1 year.

Most babies are on between 20 and 30oz with solids and that decreases to around 14oz a day from 1 year. I think your pead is right that large amounts of filling formula will have an impact on the amounts of solids he is eating. I would keep the first morning and bedtime bottle at 8oz and drop the other 2 daytime bottles to 6oz for now and not give formula with meals but increase the solids. Is he still on smooth puree? You can make his puree more textured and make sure he has things like protien which will be more filling for him, finger foods are good for him too.

HTH!
Laura

Laura

[~Sara~]

Hi there!  Just my two cents worth: I think it could help if you drop the formula for the solid mealtimes.  I'm trying to think back to what DS was doing around that time, feeding-wise, and I think he was on 4 bottles a day, plus the 3 solids meals.  But, I know he dropped to 3 bottles by ~10 months.  What if you tried doing some solids in the evening, and then a top-off bottle before bedtime?

Also, here's a link to some additional sample routines (not meant to make you do things another way, but just some food for thought ):
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=164030.0

We also skipped plain rice cereal, but would mix it in with some pureed fruit for some nutrients.

[~inbalance~]

First off, don't feel like you've done anything wrong.  I think up until this point you've been doing great. 

I do agree that you can decrease the amount of formula, and if he wants more solids then you can increase those.  Feel free to add dinner, and you can start offering some finger foods too.

Sounds like a guy with a hearty appetite, that's a good thing too! 

[MommytoJack]

Thanks everyone!  How much is a typical 9mo suppose to be eating of solids & formula for his size?   I'll have to look at the sample routines but does it show the amounts?

What should I start for finger foods especially since he was a late starter to solids I am nervous with finger foods.

[~inbalance~]

Ok, first off here are some helpful links (I know one says for babies 6-9mos, but I think the same ideas are fine for older babies too):
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=95978.0
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=178221.0
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=57483.0
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=70142.0

If your LO has a good pincher grasp, you can do small bits of steamed veg or fruit, or cheerios.  Some other good finger food ideas are: 
sticks/spears of fruit and veg
toast fingers with spreads or dips
shredded cheese (if you LO can have dairy)
healthy crackers or biscuits
you can start offering some meat as finger foods, I always offered small bits of chicken or beef
fish fingers

I'm sure the other ladies can offer more ideas too.

Keep in mind amounts will vary from baby to baby and there is no right or wrong.  If your LO is getting anywhere bewteen 20-30 oz of formula plus some dairy from solids, then he is definitely getting enough milk.  The amount of solids an LO will eat will depend on that baby, so don't stress too much about amounts, just try too offer a good variety of different foods.  Quality is more important than quantity. 

[Lolly]

The advice I was always given was to feed to appetite, so stop when they show signs like turning their head away providing they don't cut down to much too soon on the formula which won't be an issue for you I think! I would have loved for my milk refusing refluxers to have been that enthusiastic about their milk!

I didn't give my two small pieces of food (apart from peas and sweetcorn, great for pincer practice and entertainment value!), we went with the BLW theory and gave bigger pieces they could pick up and control themselves. From 6 months they had things like steamed carrot sticks and broccoli florettes, sweet potato wedges etc. They enjoyed toast and sandwiches with soft fillings went down well. I gave finger of cheese and anything else really they could pick up. Apples wedges I nuked in the microwave to soften slightly but fruit like peaches, plums etc I gave in wedges too. Pasta is good too, I cooked it so it was a bit softer than we normally eat but you can coat it in sauces and put grated cheese on too, shapes like fusili and penne are good sizes to pick up.

Laura

[~Sara~]

And we represent the other end of the spectrum: DS couldn't handle chucks of food for a while, so we did more purees and thickened them more and more and slowly added soft chunks to them.  I agree that it's best to just take your cues from him and see how he does

[MommytoJack]

he is so funny, he likes things like squash over apple sauce or mixed veggies over blueberries   Lucky Grampy has a garden, think this boy is a veggie guy.  I am so worried the more solids I add the worse his gas will get.   He has been doing a bit better then before especially since we even switched his formula.

So I checked out the feeding samples here & will be trying more of a breakfast/lunch/supper for the solids and bottles in between with 6oz's.   (did I mention he doesn't get a feed at night...should he until he has more solids?)

I am sooooo nervous of finger foods.   We tried cheerios the other day but I quartered them LOL.  I mean he only has 3 teeth,2 bottom & 1 top.  How can they chew/swallow?

He is enjoying the foods so far so cross your fingers it works out.  He is a big boy   and he is such a happy baby, just want him to get all the nutrients he needs.

Thank you everyone for the help!

[~Sara~]

(did I mention he doesn't get a feed at night...should he until he has more solids?)

He shouldn't need one anymore, especially being formula fed.  Once solids are well established, even Tracy recommended dropping the dreamfeed (she suggested ~8 months old to do this).  I think he'll be okay since he likes his food, and doesn't have a MOTN feed now as it is.  If it makes you feel any better, we didn't do MOTN feeds with DS since ~5 months old...before he'd even started on solids!

Instead of cheerios, could you try some cereals puffs?  They make them especially for LOs who are learning to self-feed and they dissolve really quickly!  They come in many different flavors, too, which might be good if your LO is a veggie dude

I don't have much advice to offer on the gas, however...maybe others will have some tips.

[MommytoJack]

Most of the puffs & cookies say 12mths on the packaging.  My mom bought LO some of the banana puffs that melt in your mouth and he likes them but again I cut them into quarters LO...did I mention I am a paranoid mommy LOL!

I saw they have the cheesy puffs etc...what about macaroni?  I was gonna try that for supper perhaps.

[~Sara~]

I saw they have the cheesy puffs etc

I know Gerber has some cheese puffs (Lil Crunchies, I think they're called)...and they're amazing!  I found myself snacking on them quite a bit.

We held off on cookies because they were harder, but the puffs were much softer.  I would say that if he can't handle the food, you're the best judge of that as his mom   I was much too worried about DS doing everything just like all the other LOs, but I knew he couldn't handle the more substantial food for a while.  He turned out fine, ate lots of fruits and veggies for a while.  Now he can eat anything...if he decides he wanted to (but being a picky eater is a different issue)

Something else you could try is just gradually building up to the finger foods.  For example, offer steamed/softened foods, but mush them up a bit.  Not as smooth as a puree, but not a whole piece either.  Then after a little while, try the food less mushed...and so on.  You also don't have to do finger foods every meal; you can start with one meal of the day and working your way to all 3.  There really is a lot of flexibility with this and no one Right Way to help your child transition to solids/finger foods.  He'll get there in time

Good luck!!

[MommytoJack]

I am so excited for him to try new things & can't wait for him to be eating at the supper table right along Mommy & Daddy

I'll do what you suggest & try puree's not too puree'd

[Lolly]

Don't worry about lack of teeth - their gums are really hard and can break down most things! My DD only had two bottom teeth when she started finger foods and she did just fine!

Just as something to think about - bigger pieces are easier for them to eat. If they have bits that are too small in their mouths they are harder to manipulate and more likely to cause problems. This is why with BLW they suggest pieces that are big enough to fit in their hands with a bit sticking out for them to get into their mouths, they have more control then. They do gag a bit (or some a lot) but generally that's actually a good thing as the gaging is them protecting their airways and learning how to use those oral muscles. If you are worried get some advice on how to deal with actual choking.

It's a good idea to make purees thicker too - that's what we did, stopped pureeing and mashed instead. Just adding lumps to thinner purees is confusing, as they are trying to work out if they have a liquid or chunks. Both mine struggled with some of the jarred food when they were eating much bigger chunks with no problem!

Just to show how different babies are when they start, Sara's DS was born the same day as my DD and although they were very different with finger foods I bet they are both eating the same kinds of things now!

Good luck and enjoy!

Laura