Reducing formula/milk intake in 13 mo

[everhopeful]

Hello,

I hope this in the right place. I wasn't sure if it should be here or in Feeding Solids. Please move if needed. 

My lo is really not that into solids.  Partly he never has been and partly he is teething. Tonight he ate about 5 pasta shells with cheese sauce, 3 bites of broccoli, and 2 grapes for dinner.  That is about average for all meals.  He still has 4 6oz bottles a day (4 ounces formula and 2 ounces whole milk).  The Ped says he needs to be down to 16 oz when he is on 100% milk.  I don't know if I should reduce the amount of liquid I offer so he eats more solids or not. I worry about his nutrition. This is also why he still gets mostly formula.  If I do reduce should I still give 4 bottles, but with less liquid? Maybe 6 oz, 4 oz, 4 oz, and 6oz?  Should I go down to 3 bottles?  Should I do solids first and then bottle to get him to eat more solids? 

Here is his schedule right now
7 AM wake up - 6oz bottle
8AM breakfast
10:15-11:45 Nap 1
11:45 6 oz bottle
12:45 lunch
3:30-4:15 nap 2
4:15 6 oz bottle
6:30 Dinner
7:45 6 oz bottle

Thank you!
everhopeful

[emmas]

I have a big milk drinker too - still drinks about 1/2 pint too much each day!  But since swapping to cows milk his eating has improved - formula is food - complete food, its all they need - it fills them up whereas cows milk gives fat etc but isn't as heavy.

Personnally I would switch to 100% cows milk and you should see an improvement.  To start with I just made sure DS ate something from each of the food groups each day and try not to stress about balanced meals, just balanced days.

I have managed to drop the 3pm bottle ands just offer a yogurt or something instead.  My problem is he drinks at least 14oz before bed!!!

[~*Sugar*~]

Hope you dont mind if i butt in as i am curious about this as well.I got rid of the morning bottle and the pm bottle and added more dairy and cups of milk during the day.My problem is now he is nightwaking again and i think hes hungry.Hes also drinking 14+ oz at bedtime then waking 3-4 times a night.Last night i left his empty bottle beside the rocking chair and when he woke he saw it and went crazy for it so i gave him 6oz and he downed it in no time,went back to sleep right away and slept until 9am with no wakings.So now i am wondering if i should add a bottle back instead of reducing.Just when i think things are going well i am all confused again...lol

Christina

[benandmichelle]

Hi Everhopeful, It seems like he is havfing a lot of bottles for 13 months. I had the same kind of problem but now we are down to 2 bottles a day (400ml) and he is getting into eating more. It is tempting and easy but the fact is we need to be training them to gradually wean from liquid food and onto 'normal' food. It might seem like he isn't getting enough but if the food is there and you offer it, the rest is up to him and they can survive on surprisingly little food. I read that often even a few bites is sufficient in many cases and it is VERY unusual that a LO will eat 3 decent meals a day. The norm for us is an OK brekkie and then he will eat noticably more at either lunch or dinner. The recommendation for 3mths is 400ml per day. Christina, Try to resist the temptaion and hang in there!
Michelle

[em_here]

I agree that he is probably having too much milk. At this age 16-20oz max should be adequate, one feed in the morn, one at night.  He is probably too full to eat more solids.  I would also agree with going to the cows milk, and hopefully the reduced quantity will lead to an increase in solid consumption.

I would go for something like this:

Morning bottle - 8/9oz
Midmorn snack of cheese & cracker/yoghurt/cheddars etc etc
Lunch
Mid afternoon snack - again whatever
Tea
8/9 oz bottle before bed

Also as a pp said, babies seem to be able to survive on very little food, and believe me, you would know if he was hungry I always go for 3 meals and 2 snacks, and then the 3 meals do not have to be super duper large, just nutritional and the snacks can be dairy based for the extra calcium. xxxx We always weaned bottles cold turkey, as it worked for us, but you can reduce the 2 middle bottles oz by oz until they are gone, if thats better for you xxxx

[jaedagal]

Don't mean to butt in either, but what if you cut them down and still they don't up their solid food intake?! My guy is doing that now and he's having night wakings because of hunger. I know mines caused mainly by teething, but it's a problem we're going through now.

[em_here]

Are you sure its hunger and not teething pain thats waking him? DD is going through a non eating phase atm and it seems to be due to her teeth and the fact shes been poorly, rather than being hungry as shes been nw.  I would say that when teething isnt an issue appetite should increase, but all toddlers seem to go through this reduced food intake phase, also around 13/14 months DS dropped his food intake and lived off half a sandwich and a couple of bites of cereal for weeks on end!

[everhopeful]

Wow! Thank you for all the great replies!  I really do think I need to reduce the formula and switch over to more cows milk.  We are going on a trip this week and I hate to change things around travel so when we get back I am going to start weaning him off the bottles more and  hope he takes in more solids.  I think you guys are really right that he is just not hungry enough.  I just pray that this does not lead to more night wakings. We have way too many of those already!!! I will let you know how it goes. 

[jaedagal]

Emma Lou, it's totally possible that he's waking from teething (those pesky molars and canines -- he's a horrible teether poor boy), but I do give him baby motrin and camilia at night to ease the pain. The only thing that makes me think it's hunger is because he'll fall right a sleep after having a bottle -- if he wasn't hungry it would take anywhere from 1-3 hours to get him back down.

I know his appetite has decreased with age (at least I'm seeing that now), but it seems like he's living off of air the last couple weeks.

[em_here]

Awww hugs, lets hope its just the teething phase   I just wondered because it seems a rarity to wake with hunger at this age, BUT possible if he is eating as small an amount as you say.  Maybe once the teeth are through he will increase his food then xxxx

Good luck Everhopeful Am sure it will go well, if he nw's a lot, have you tried posting on the sleeping for toddlers board?  xxxx

[jaedagal]

Thanks for your help!!! I'm thinking you're right (last night I saw the light) and now his wakings have become a habit... Darn it! Off to training I go again.