Figuring out feeding routine

[Yazzie]

Hi,

I'm trying to figure out our eating routine for my 7.5 months old ds. We are currently doing 3hrs A time & aim to have 3 solid feeds & 4 milk feeds in a 24hr period, so what we're doing is something more like this:

07.30 : Breastfeed   
08.30 : Breakfast
11.30 : Snack
12.30 : Lunch
04.00 : Breastfeed
07.00 : Breastfeed
We don't have a NF & do a NW instead.

So, I'm concerned this routine isn't good enough & that ds may not be getting enough milk, especially that the last two feeds aren't really spaced.I'm also concerned about the amounts of solids, he has about 2~3 tbsp per meal, is that enough?

Ok, so this is the last thing.....we also have a problem with drinking from the sippy cup, he's getting better, but not there yet & am worried that he might get dehydrated.

Thanks:)

[anna*]

I would do a BF at 7.30, 11.30, 4 and 7, and solids as you are. The routine looks great! Right now the sippy is just for practice, as you are still doing 4 BFs a day he will get all the liquids he needs that way. 2-3 tbsp is plenty at this age, he still needs to get most of his nutrition from milk.

[Mom to M&M]

DS will be 8 months next week and we currently do (times approximate, vary slightly by day):

Bottle: 7am (5-7 ounces)
Breakfast: 8am (oatmeal mixed with 2 ounces formula and fruit)
Bottle: 11-11:30 am (5-6 ounces)
Lunch: 12-12:30 (Usually scrambled egg yolk or egg/banana or mashed avocado/cheese or something like that)
Bottle: 3-3:30 (usually only 4-5 ounces)
Dinner: 5pm (usually mixed grain or barley with 2 ounces formula and veg)
Bottle: 7-7:30 pm

No DF, "usually" no night feedings - but once in a while one sneaks in there.

Do you mix his cereals and other appropriate foods with BM to thin them? I add formula to DS' cereal, to his mashed avocado or banana and to his scrambled eggs... I plan to start him on meats (probably in form of baby meatballs) soon too.

I think 2-3 tbsp per meal is a nice amount. Does he happily eat that much? Turn away/get fussy before he's done? Or seem eager for more once the meal is over?

In terms of the sippy, DS isn't too good with it yet either though we keep trying. He prefers small sips out of an open cup (that I hold for him or it goes everywhere!). I've been trying with a straw lately too. Is he constipated? Do you have a reason you are concerned with dehydration? Since BM/formula intake should really be the focus for the first year, why not cut out that snack, put in a BF around that time and make lunch a bit later?

[Yazzie]

My main problem is that I will probably go back to work in a month & won't be ard for the 11.30 feed & ds won't take a bottle...

He's happy to eat that amount & I guess I'm concerned about dehydration because we'll be taking away a feed.

[anna*]

In a month he might be ready to drop that feed, and/or better able to take milk or water from a sippy?

[Yazzie]

I was thinking I'd start early, so that the 2 of us get used to the routine, what do you think?

[Mom to M&M]

I wouldn't until he's better with the sippy to be honest...

[anna*]

I agree with PP. Things change so fast at this age, and 7.30am-4pm is too long without liquids if he's not getting any other liquids.

[Yazzie]

Just what I thought too...!

mmmm, so I'll keep our current routine, which is similar to the feeds you guys suggested & we'll be working on the water & see how things go, it was really in my heart of hearts to do that & thanks for encouraging me in the right direction..

He turns 8 months on the 12th, so will wait till then & be back again..

[Yazzie]

Hey there..!

Just had to come over an update you ladies that ds is starting to drink water out of a cup.....what a relief..!...we will be working on both drinking out of a cup & training on the sippy cup for the coming couple of weeks, I actually give him his sippy cup empty to play with & I try to act as if drinking from it, so he'll imitate me, not sure if this will help, but trying..

Have I told you how blessed I feel to have this great forum to help out, you give me answers & ideas that I KNOW i won't find elsewhere...

[lovebug29]

Hello! I was wondering if M & M could post her schedule again but add the sleep/nap and activity times to it. My son is almost 7 months old and has been on solids for nearly a month but only one a day along with rice cereal once a day, the other feeds are breastfed or formula.  Thanks!

[Yazzie]

Hey there, just in case she doesn't see the post, this link might actually help:
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=164030.0

If you're having any problems with your routine, try posting on the EASY board.

[First Time Mom]

Good to hear he's taking the water. One thing I did for dd when she was learning to drink from a sippy is I took out the stopper so that she could figure out water would come out and then I put the stopper back and she took to it. Though I have to caution, on one sippy I did this with she flat out refused to drink from it afterwards as she had to suck too hard in comparison to the others (it was a Dora one).

[Yazzie]

I really hope we are doing much better with the sippy cup these days, fingers crossed & will try giving him some formula in it today, we'll see.

Another question though, it's getting warm here & ds seems to be thirsty alot, gulps down water..hehehe...is there a limit to how much water or when, so as not to interfere with bfing?

[First Time Mom]

With my dd I started offering her water in a sippy at 7 months and it was around 8 months that she was on 3 meals of solids with a variety of foods and it was at this point I offered her a sippy with every meal. I always did the bf meal first, then solids after with a sippy of water. She wasn't usually too thirsty. I would hesitate to offer her extra water other than these times as if it's too close to the next bfing meal then the bfing might get cut down.