making the 4 to 3 bottle switch

[emz1907]

I think my lo is ready to combine his two middle feeds into one as he is starting to leave a few oz's at each of these feeds. He did this a few weeks back but then took them up again so Im nervous of doing it, and also Ive no idea how to do it. Do you bring them closer together (i.e. first one later, second one earlier than usual) ? But doesn't that mean he'll be less likely to drink anything at the second bottle as it won't have been long since the last one.
My HV said she'd like to see him on 3 bottles and more solids by 8-9 months but that's not what bw says so Im confused. Also, on 3 bottles is the middle feed a big one like double the oz's to compensate or just a normal feed? I dont think he'd drink a load at once.

At the moment he is on 7oz bottles (but often leaves a few oz's) at 6am,10am,2pm,6pm. He takes solids 3 times a day at the first 3 feeds but not before bed.

[Seona1973]

When ds dropped to 3 milk feeds he had the following routine (I didnt offer milk with solids though and the solid feeds tied in with when we had our meals):

7am - milk
8am - breakfast
10/10.30 - snack with water
12pm - lunch
2.30/3pm - milk
5pm - dinner
7.15pm - milk

p.s. DS was on 5 feeds up till 8 months (had a night feed till then) and didnt go to 3 feeds till around 10 months.

[* Paula *]

We just recently switched to 3 bottles.  DD was originally on 7:30, 11:30, 3:30 and 7:30.

We now do this:-

7:30 - 9oz bottle
8:15 - Cereal
11:30 - Lunch
1:30 / 2:00 - 9oz bottle
4:30 - Dinner
7:00 - 9oz bottle

Since switching, as she was refusing her 11:30 one, she has done so much better with solids, and not finishes all her bottles when she is not teething.

[emz1907]

Thanks!

So do you think him leaving oz's at one feed is enough to make the swap? Or does he have to refuse the whole bottle?

[Seona1973]

if you didnt want to switch to 3 bottles then just make up the 4 bottles with less in them and then you will have less wastage.  Once your lo starts leaving more in the bottle then drop the one that he takes least from - with ds it was the mid-morning one that went first and was replaced with a snack and a drink of water from a lidded beaker.  There are no hard and fast rules and if you and your lo are happy with 4 bottles then why rock the boat. I'd be guided by him rather than your hv tbh.

[emz1907]

Its the mid-morning one he is not as interested in also. I just didn't know if it was ok to reduce his milk intake as Im always hearing how they need the same volume of milk until they are 1yr. He loves drinking from his sippy cup so I could if he continues to refuse it replace the whole feed with solid and water? Do you make up the oz's elsewhere or drop those oz's completley?

Looking at others routines above Ive no idea how we would fit that in with us due to the timings of his naps.

[* Paula *]

The guideline in the UK is to have a minimum of 20oz per day, but this does not have to only include Formula / BM it can include milk in cereals, custards etc, as well as yogurts cheeses.

Our afternoon bottle does not always fit well with our naps, so if naps are a bit weird, we tend to split the bottle in two, and offer 1 before nap and the other after nap, that way she does not wake up mid nap hungry.

[emz1907]

Well thats good becuase even by dropping a bottle he will be getting the 20oz or more still. Plus I normally end up mixing another oz or so to mix his morning cereal with if he hasn't left any. I guess Im nervous of changing things and heading into unknown territory again LOL Just when you get used to one thing...

[Seona1973]

In the UK a minimum of 20oz is recommended up to 1 year so it doesnt matter how many feeds that is split across.  You might find that he then takes a larger amount of milk at the mid-afternoon feed when the mid-morning feed stops.  The 20 oz is also inclusive of milk in cereal, in foods, etc and any other dairy products your lo has e.g. cheese, yoghurt, etc so it doesnt all have to be taken as a drink.  

Re: routines, I gave the milk feeds as normal and slotted in solids when we normally have our meals i.e. 8am, 12pm and 5pm. Snacks then replaced the daytime milk feeds.  What feeds/naps does your lo have? - you could probably fit something in around them