9 month transition time - finger food instead of milk for snacks?

[littlerascalsmum]

Hi,

Well, it's happened again. As soon as i am feeling confident about our routine it seems to be time to change again! I am feeling completely confused as to what I am meant to be doing (I wish the BW book covered feeding for older babies) At the moment our routine looks like this;

6.30-7 BF
8.30 - cereal and fruit
9.30 - nap
11 - BF
12.00 - solids for lunch
3 - BF
5 - solids for dinner
7 - bath, BF bed

My problem is this... I have recently been advised to cut down to 3 breast feed and to offer finger food for snacks not breastmilk and to give a BF after solids for breakfast and after lunch. I am feeling worried that this will be too little milk. The nurse who suggested this believes he needs more solids as his height is in the 97th percentile while he is only at the 85th for weight (he has been like this from birth so I think it is just his body type) And apparently this is what you should be doing at this age??? At the moment his routine is working well and he sleeps through the night (barring teething probs and colds etc!!) Does anyone know a routine suggested by Tracy for older babies? I have followed the BW from birth and it always works so well for my boy.

[Mum-of-Two]

Um, I think your routine looks good especially if it is working well for him!  BW recommends nutrition come from milk up through the first year.

I tried finger foods with my 9 month old and he choked so bad his gag reflex sent him puking all over the floor.  Needless to say, we're not there yet.  What I am trying to do to move him along is make sure he gets a taste of stage 2 baby foods, and we'll start looking at stage 3 when he is 10 months rather than going right for the finger foods which obviously he's not ready for yet.  Plus I introduced a sippy cup after his dinner time meal to get him started on that.  There are small steps you can take without altering his schedule dramatically -- and -- remembering the bulk of his nutrician is your milk.

If you look in the EASY boards frequently asked questions (FAQ) area you'll find other sample EASY routines for 9 months - 12 months.  Very helpful and you'll be able to see how much they vary at this age depending on baby.

If your baby is healthy and happy, try not to worry about one persons opinion. 

[littlerascalsmum]

Oops I missed out that he also has a nap at around 2/2.30

[Mum-of-Two]

LOL, I was going to ask about that 2nd nap.  Figured it was in there somewhere 

[caz2107]

I can't recommend any routines that Tracy may have outlined, hopefully someone else can direct you towards some but I thought could share my routine for DS (9.5 months)

7 - milk
8 - solids - usually cereals but offer toast/cheese on toast/omlettes etc as finger foods

12 - solids - this meal is always purely fingers foods *mini sandwiches, fruit / vegetable sticks etc *
1 - milk

5 - solids
6.30/7 - milk

so very similar to your routine already, just with a few more finger foods thrown in.

It sounds as if your routine is working really well for you and milk is still so much more important at this age so personally I wouldn't worry about changing it at the moment xx

xx

[littlerascalsmum]

Thanks for the replies - I should have said that he loves finger foods (he doesn't eat pureed/mashed foods very well at all) Most of the meals he eats are finger foods and while he is eating them I can sneak in some spoonfuls! Sometimes I guess I just want someone to tell me what to do!!!! I would hate to think I am withholding nutrition from him by giving milk instead of solids at Morning and afternoon tea.... it will be so much easier once he is a big boy and just eating like the rest of us!

[billysmummy]

Hi
Your routine looks good to me - my little one is 9.5 months and we have only just switched from what your routine is to three milk feeds daily. LO is formula fed and dropped one bottle only because he was not eating that much at lunch and the two bottles in the middle of the day were very hit and miss with often half of each not drunk. Consequently we ditched the lunchtime one (after reading other posts it seems most keep that one and drop the afternoon one) and as a result he eats a good lunch and usually drinks each of the remaining three bottles dry! Our routine is:
7am - bottle
8ish - breakfast - weetbix then fruit for finger foods
9ish - sleep (anywhere bw 45mins to 2 hours)
11.30ish - lunch - protein and veg - about 100g offered.
12ish - sleep (bw 1-2 hours)
2.30ish - bottle
5-5.30ish - dinner - similar to lunch or just veg - 100g offered (amount eaten variable!), then BATH (have to have it here due to mess from dinner!)
6.30ish -bottle
7pm  - bed

He has lots of water throughout the day from either a sippy cup or just a plastic tumbler.

Like I said - very similar to yours just one less milk feed. If your little one is happy and sleeping well that sounds good to me!

We are now going to work towards daytime milk from a cup, more finger foods (introducing sandwiches) and getting more consistent sleeps. He often has trouble getting through to 9am for his morning sleep and some days still needs a little catnap before dinner.

Remember they say: the ONLY constant is change!
 

[littlerascalsmum]

Thanks for that Billysmummy - ha ha, you are so right that the only constant is change! Hard to know how much milk he is taking as he is breast feeding but he still seems to take a whole feed each time. So do you just give the bottle at 2.30 or offer some finger food for snacks as well? It was recommended to me to give snacks of quite a large size - eg crackers, cheese and fruit instead of a milk feed. Not too sure if it would make him too full for his lunch! Guess I should just try it and see what happens.

[sieger]

Don't know if it helps but I was told that ds should have 20oz or a pint of milk/other dairy and he is nearly ten months.

[Mimi 2]

I think your routine is fine.  Unless your lo shows disinterest in the bf then you may want cut one back but right now he is eating fine and loves his bm.  Don't worry about following a set feeding routine for him as you will see that there are so many variations to it. 

You can offer finger food as snacks and top up with bm if he wants.  It is good for him to get the practice of self-feeding.

I noticed your other post regarding breakfast, what you may want to do is delay breakfast a bit.  I know that both of mine eats better when they are giving some time to "wake up". 

[littlerascalsmum]

Thanks Mimi, just to throw yet another spanner into the works he has just decided that there is no way he is eating anything off the spoon - just screams and shakes his head/pushes the spoon away. He has his top 4 teeth coming down at the moment so I think that has something to do with it. Thankfully he will still eat finger foods but nowhere near as much as he used to! Seems crazy as just last week he was eating huge amounts. I think I will definitely keep the other BF until his appetite picks up again. Good to hear your suggestion of snack then top up as that was the conclusion I have come to! I will try brekkie a bit later but it does get tricky as he gets pretty tired as we get close to 9. Worth a shot thou!

[Mimi 2]

Don't worry about the quantity of finger food.  Remember that purees consist of mostly liquid.  If you offer high caloric healthy finger food then it can even surpass certain purees.

[littlerascalsmum]

True, I didn't think of that! Thanks Mimi, I know I shouldn't stress so much, but I just do!

[Mimi 2]

No problem.  I think it comes with the territory of being a mom, being a worrier.  My mom did say that having kids will age me more quickly than anythng else.  lol