Completely confused - DS is 11 mos.

[momtoelise]

I'm hoping some of you can help me out with your opinions/experiences (please, please help!  )....


DS Jack is 11 months old today & current feeding is as follows (times are approximate):

7:30 bf (right after waking)

8:00 some cheerios/other dry cereal (while DD & myself eat breakfast)

11:30/12:00 bf (right after nap), followed by solids

4:30/5:00 bf (right after 2nd nap), followed by solids

6/6:30 snack of puffs/mum mums (while we eat dinner)

7:30 bf (before bed)


I know we're supposed to be moving toward fewer milk feedings & more solids, and I would like to be done bf'ing around 12 months.  I'm totally confused about how to get there though...  With DD (now 4 years old), I went to 3 milk feeds/day at this age and was doing them at wake up time, mid-afternoon (before her 2nd nap) and at bedtime.  But, I'm not sure that really makes sense now...  By doing that third milk feed in the middle of the afternoon it really breaks up that time - right now that's the time of day I'm able to get out/get things done, kwim?  I was thinking of moving to 3 milk feeds/day by doing wake up, lunch time, and bed time, and then just giving him a sippy cup at dinner (with water or formula?), but he's not great with the cup yet (maybe this will help force that a bit?)...  Or maybe just go to the 3 milk feeds/day without worrying much about what he has at dinner at this point - but is that spaced out ok?

I should also mention that the last few days he's been still quite hungry after I bf him before bed (I'm guessing I don't have the greatest supply since I only fed him 2.5 hours earlier) - he's taking up to 6 oz of formula after nursing.  So, obviously something needs to change with that.... I'm just not sure how to put all this together in a way that makes sense. 

Any suggestions/ideas would be very appreciated!!

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

I personally kept 4 bf's a day until well after 12 months.  Your routine for BFs and solids is very close to what we did, except that we didn't do solids after the pm nap breastfeed - we just did solids with supper (at the same time as the rest of us).

As I dropped breastfeeds (when I went back to work and couldn't pump enough anymore), I'd just give a snack and a sippy cup with whole milk after the naps.  The girls still have snacks at about those times of day.

[~*Nicole*~]

I just posted about switching to cups for DD at 10 months to be done with bottles by 12 months. A couple of ladies posted their routines for their los around this age and show when they do meals and snacks and naps etc. That might help you. Let me see if I can find it.

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=152135.msg1700891#msg1700891

(I don't know how to post a link any other way, sorry)

If you don't have time to find and read it; I was doing 4 bottles and switched to 3 a day around 7/8 months, but now am doing 4 or 5 sippy cups with smaller amounts during the day b/c DD isn't great with the cups either and it gives me a chance to get her to take more milk than she otherwise would while still switching to cups with meals.

HTH

[momtoelise]

I personally kept 4 bf's a day until well after 12 months.  Your routine for BFs and solids is very close to what we did, except that we didn't do solids after the pm nap breastfeed - we just did solids with supper (at the same time as the rest of us).

As I dropped breastfeeds (when I went back to work and couldn't pump enough anymore), I'd just give a snack and a sippy cup with whole milk after the naps.  The girls still have snacks at about those times of day.

Thank you Erin!  That makes sense for a long term plan - keeping the meal times 'normal' and doing the sippy cup & snack after nap.  My only concern is my milk supply at this point in the evening...  When I've been nursing him at that ~5:00 time, and then again already at ~7:30, we've been having the issue with not enough milk at the 7:30 one (having up to 6 oz in a bottle after nursing).  Maybe I should do a bottle with formula after the nap and then nurse at night??  Any thoughts?

Today after his nap, I tried doing some formula in a sippy cup with his solids.  He ate some solids, but would not drink the formula from the cup.  I ended up feeding him the formula in a bottle (just 4 oz) after the solids.  But, tonight when I nursed him before bed, he was satisfied and we didn't have to do a bottle afterwards. 

[momtoelise]

I just posted about switching to cups for DD at 10 months to be done with bottles by 12 months. A couple of ladies posted their routines for their los around this age and show when they do meals and snacks and naps etc. That might help you. Let me see if I can find it.

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=152135.msg1700891#msg1700891

(I don't know how to post a link any other way, sorry)

If you don't have time to find and read it; I was doing 4 bottles and switched to 3 a day around 7/8 months, but now am doing 4 or 5 sippy cups with smaller amounts during the day b/c DD isn't great with the cups either and it gives me a chance to get her to take more milk than she otherwise would while still switching to cups with meals.

HTH

Thank you Nicole!!  I will go check out that link here shortly... 

[momtoelise]

That thread link was helpful Nicole!  Now, I'm thinking maybe it makes sense to keep going with what I did today and nurse in the morning, lunch time, and bed time, and then try some formula in the cup after his 2nd nap.... 
Here's my concerns though:
1) he wouldn't drink the formula from the sippy cup (only the bottle) - maybe I start with the bottle for a couple days, then try holding him in the same way but switch to the sippy cup, then transition to his seat?  or maybe just keep putting it in a cup and offering it in his seat - figuring eventually he'll give in and go for it?
2) what the heck do I do when he just throws the cup on the floor?
3) he doesn't hold his own bottle yet (I suppose b/c he's so used to nursing)....  So, I can't even just give him that in the seat.  He really doesn't hold his own cup much either (except to throw it on the floor  ).  He's held it briefly on his own when I'm holding him, but that's about it.
Thoughts?  Shouldn't this be easier the 2nd time around... 

[~*Nicole*~]

Let's see...

1-Try various sippies. Offer them in addition to regular milkfeeding sessions with milk in them (BM or formula) so he gets to practice but is still getting enough milk in. Straw sippies are great for los that can't hold their own cups bottles b/c they don't need to be tilted.

2-DD throws her cup often. I try to grab it before she throws it and keep repeating "Oh, you must be ALL DONE." and then set it on the table in front of me. Then after a few mouthfuls of food I offer her the cup and say "Take a sip!" I am hoping she'll learn "All done." in place of throwing it and "sip" when she would like a sip. But we'll see!

3-Keep practicing. DD could hold her own bottle......only laying down. She could never do the tilt. Recently with practice she has gotten TONS better.