Sample routines for dropping bottles (daytime core hours only)

[Lªuren]

Sample routines for dropping bottles (daytime core hours)

Most of us start of on 3 hr EASY, giving 5 bottles per day so our routines look like this;

E: 7.00 wake up and feed
A: 7.30 or 7.45
S: 8.30
Y: your choice
E: 10.00
A: 10.30 or 10.45
S: 11.30
Y: your choice
E: 1.00
A: 1.30 or 1.45
S: 2.30
Y: your choice
E: 4.00 feed
S: 5.00 or 6.00 or somewhere in between – catnap (approx. 40mins) to get baby through the next feed and bath
E: 7.00 (cluster feed at 7 and 9 if going through a growth spurt)
A: bath
S: 7.30 bedtime
Y: the evening is yours
E: 10 or 11pm dreamfeed

**following a 3.5hr routine will also give 5 bottles.


By making the transition to 4hr EASY at approx. 4 months, you are also dropping from 5 bottles to 4 bottles per day.

4-hr EASY

E: 7.00 wake up and feed
A: 7.30
S: 9.00
Y: your choice
E: 11.00
A: 11.30
S: 1.00
Y: your choice
E: 3.00
A: 3.30
S: 5.00 or 6.00 or somewhere in between – catnap
Y: your choice
E: 7.00 (cluster feed at 7 and 9 during a growth spurt)
A: bath
S: 7.30 bedtime
Y: the evening is yours
E: 10 or 11pm dreamfeed (until 7 or 8mths or whenever solid food is firmly established).


The transition from 4 to 3 bottles per day. can sometimes be difficult to spot. The main thing to look for is your LO consistently refusing the 11am bottle, this is the time to be changing to 3 bottles, so your routine may look something like this;

E: 7.00 wake up and feed milk and breakfast
A: 7.30
S: 10.00
Y: your choice
E: 12.00 lunch
A: 12.30
E: 1330/1400 milk *dependant on your LO’s nap time
A:
S: 2.00
Y: your choice
E: 4.30 dinner
A: 5.00
E: 7.00 milk given before or after bath
A: bath
S: 7.30 bedtime

** Notes:
 - most moms will find they need to increase volume in each bottle as you really want LO to be consistent at 24 ozs (or more) per day until they are 10-11 months of age (then it's fine to go as low as 20ozs provided they are eating other sources of dairy each day as well (yogurt/cheese etc).
 - it is most common for the 11am bottle to be refused but there are times when LOs will refuse the 3pm bottle instead, or will just take a small bit from each of the 11am/3pm bottles.

Your next transition to 2 bottles per day. , means dropping the 2nd (afternoon bottle) so you are left with just morning and afternoon. You can either go cold turkey or phase it out, again the signs are either refusing/not as interested in lunchtime or bedtime feed. In my case it was the bedtime feed he seemed to lack interest in, so I dropped the afternoon bottle and he took the bedtime bottle again.

Your routine is same as above with just morning and bedtime bottle.


The transistion to 1 bottle per day usually happens when you are trying start the process of weaning from bottle to sippy cup. The first bottle of the last 2 left to disappear usually is the morning bottle. The best way to do this is to offer milk in a sippy cup with breakfast. Also if not already doing so introduce a snack around 9.30/10am (depending when the morning nap is) with milk in a sippy cup again.  I found this transition no problems and she didn’t even miss the bottle. (Natasha Wells)


The final transition to offer no bottles is something you shouldn’t be in that much of a hurry to do. It is generally the bedtime bottle and often the hardest one to drop. To do this you can replace it with a sippy of milk with dinner if not doing so already and if you wished some more milk in a sippy before bed either before or after a bath. We tried dropping this bottle when we dropped the morning bottle but she screamed for her bottle so we are keeping it around a little longer. (Natasha Wells)


*****This is post ONLY meant as a guide, I have not added any ages or amount of formula because it happens at different time with different LO’s and everyone’s intake is different – you can find a guide here with a guide -  amounts of formula/bottls/bf with solids   

This process really needs you to following their cues and not continuing to offer milk when they are refusing it.

None of the routines above inc. any snack times or guidance on how to start weaning etc, they are purely just to show example an routine for the amount of bottles you are on or looking to drop to. 


Hth’s
Lauren


Thanks Natasha