Author Topic: started solids --> messed up routine  (Read 2148 times)

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Offline sun_shines

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started solids --> messed up routine
« on: January 01, 2011, 00:08:22 am »
Happy New Year to all of you!
My LO is 5 1/2 mths old now and we've had a pretty good E.A.S.Y. routine so far. The only issue was the short naps(45 min.) which was fixed, except the morning nap that goes beteen 45 min and 1 hr.
At 4 mths we started with rice cereal, since he gave signs of readiness for solids and woke u more often at night than before when he would wake up only once. At 5 mths we gradually introduced carrot, apple, butternut squash, sweet potato, peach. He loves them all. i would give him 1 tbsp of each vegie and fruit once a day. The problem is that he started to reject the breast or have just a little bit(he has more when he's sleepy), so we introduced formula which he has 5 oz at the time every 4 hrs. I ry to bf him whenever he accepts, i pump but my milk suplly is getting very low(i'm not sure if my daily head aches are related to this).When i give him solids i give them after the bottle, just to try not to sustain. Recently he started to refuse the bottle as well or has just 2 oz. and many times he is willing to eat after 5 or 6 hrs which messes up the routine. He wakes up earlier now, around 6.30 am(his wake up was 7.30-8.00 am)and i can't ut him  back to sleep and goes to sleep later, 8.30-9.00 pm. he naps 3 times during the day: 2 naps of 45 min in the morning and late afternoon and 2-2.5 hrs nap around 1 pm.
he is a very good and predictable baby, but i am totally confused by him drinking so little milk/formula lately and going without eating for such long strech of hrs. i am not doing the dream feed anymore because he has a bottle before he goes to bed.
should i give him more solids? is this just a phase? people tell me that babies have moments when they eat less or more.

Offline ~inbalance~

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Re: started solids --> messed up routine
« Reply #1 on: January 01, 2011, 01:05:36 am »
Hi there.  :)  Can you post your routine, including the amounts of milk he is drinking at each feed (if bottlefed).  I just want to caution you that his milk feeds are and will be until a year, more important than solids.  So you don't want to be giving him more solids and have him drinking less milk.  If anything, because he is still so young and not even 6mos yet, I would back off on the solids.  Here are some links to have a look at: 
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=68458.0
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=57483.0
Remember that the World Health Organization recommends waiting until 6mos to start solids, so there is really no rush to get him eating lots of solid foods just yet.  :)
Em
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Offline sun_shines

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Re: started solids --> messed up routine
« Reply #2 on: January 01, 2011, 03:34:32 am »
Hi and thanks for your fast reply. well, the routine looks like this:
wake up 7.00 am
E: 8.00 am
A:
S: 9-9.30 am (45 min.)
A:
E: 12.00 am
A:
S:1-1.30 pm (2-2.5 hrs.)
E: 4.00 pm
A:
S: 5.00-5.30 pm
A: bath at 7.30 pm
E: 8.00 pm (eats well after his bath)
S: 8.30 pm

wakes up and feeds(breast milk) at night around 2 am and 6 am(i try not to feed him at 6 am, in order to eat better at 8 am).
he started sleeping long thru the night since he was 5 wks. old.
he is drooling/teething since he was 3 mths old and he is quite gassy. the formula we use is Nestle Good Start with B-lactis, but i gotta keep an eye on how he reacts to it. i wonder if this makes him gassy.

the solids i give him is just a little, just to get a different taste and not every day.
E

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Re: started solids --> messed up routine
« Reply #3 on: January 01, 2011, 14:13:57 pm »
Well, I don't think this is a solids issue but I will say definitely focus on the milk feeds and not the solids for now.  If he is refusing milk or not drinking enough you might want to work on that before continuing with the solids.

Do you want to continue breastfeeding, or are you trying to make the switch to bottles, or do you want to continue with both?  Both the breastfeeding and bottle feeding forums will have useful information that might help. 
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?board=11.0
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?board=12.0
If you are more concerned about how to make everything work in your routine, you might find some help in the EASY forum.
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?board=41.0

It could be a phase where he is uninterested in eating.  Teething and illness often ruin a baby's appetite, so maybe he is cutting some teeth or feeling a little off.  Often they will seem like they don't want to eat for a few days but things to return to normal.  :)
Em
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Offline sun_shines

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Re: started solids --> messed up routine
« Reply #4 on: January 04, 2011, 23:58:06 pm »
sorry for my late reply.. i forgot to mention that the amount he has per feeding is ~ 5 oz.
I intend to continue feeding him both bm and formula. I stopped giving him solids for the last 2 days(noticed his poo is very dark green-not sure if this is normal).
he seems fine and in a good mood, except when he bites on teething rings which probably causes gum pain. I give him softer toys to bite on.
he still doesn't eat when he wakes up, although the last time he eats is around 1,30 am(he only wakes up once lately since is give him a dreamfeed around 11 pm).
he would eat only when he's half asleep before his naps, but that ruins the routine and becomes A.E.S.Y.
also, he only drinks 5 oz. he used to drink less than that1 month ago.. he's weight when he was born was 5 lbs, 10 oz. and now he weights 15 lbs. 8 oz. He is quite tiny.
i am glad that he at least he eats, but i really hope this is just a phase because i am affraid that eating everytime before sleeping might develop a pattern. He's been like this for the past 10 days.

Offline ~inbalance~

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Re: started solids --> messed up routine
« Reply #5 on: January 05, 2011, 01:38:46 am »
Almost 16lbs isn't too tiny, especially since he started out so small.  Sounds like he's growing fine.  :)  I think my DS1 weighed that much or even less by 6mos.

Not too sure about the poop.  That is not normal for BF baby poop, but I don't know much about formula poop.  This link might help:  http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=157413.0

About eating before sleep, the biggest issue with this is the feeding becoming a prop.  Obviously in that case you want to avoid it.  However, if that is what is working and he is not depending on feeding to go to sleep, then I wouldn't worry about it being AESY.  I always found that after 6mos you start to move away from a true EASY anyway because they're A times are always changing.  Just something to think about it, don't stress unless you think it is a negative prop issue. 

If he is teething that could definitely be causing a lot of your problem and may be why he is not as interested in eating.  Hopefully once the teeth pop through he will start eating more.  :)
Em
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Offline sun_shines

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Re: started solids --> messed up routine
« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2011, 14:40:44 pm »
The poop link was very useful, thank you!  :)
Our feeding is still before sleeping.. it doesn't seem to be a prop for him(not so far).. he wouldn't care not eating even than.. but he needs to eat at least something.. i think that if i would wait for him to ask for food at this point, he would probably eat twice a day.. :(
He doesn't eat much solids either.. i am still trying to bf, but i barely have anything... i tried pumping to stimulate it more, but i am not getting fuller..
I hope my LO's teeth will pop out soon.. he's more cranky lately... but at least he sleeps well.. he only wakes up once at night(around 4 am) briefly, not even to eat..
will see how long the lack of interest for milk will last...

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Re: started solids --> messed up routine
« Reply #7 on: January 13, 2011, 15:29:18 pm »
Big (((hugs))).  Sorry that your supply seems to be low.  Are you worried about this?  Do you want to try to keep it up?  Here are some more helpful links:
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=178500.0
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=65905.0
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=89418.0
I would encourage you to post on the breastfeeding board for more advice on how to increase your supply, and hopefully get your baby drinking more milk.  Don't worry so much about the solids at this point, they will come in time and there is still plenty of time left for that.  :)
Em
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Offline sun_shines

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Re: started solids --> messed up routine
« Reply #8 on: February 23, 2011, 21:40:54 pm »
hi there and sorry for the very late reply... it's been quite busy with us.. lots of things have changed..in good!
my cutie pie is eating well again.. the lack of interest it seemed to be just a phase related to teething.. his teeth are almost out, I can see 2 whiter spots on the front of his gum.. he eats well and sleeps like a champ!
The weight and growth charts look good.The only thing the dr said is to give him solids first and then the bottle at every meal.
He has a bit of reflux.. spits up everywhere.. i am leaving him in the high chair a bit after he eats and give him the bottle 1 1/2 hr later.
He got used to having meals like this:
7.30 cereal & fruit
9.00 bottle + nap
12.00 bottle + nap
1.30 solids
4.00 bottle  + nap
5.30 solids
7.40 bottle

he wakes up for a bottle at 4-5 am and sleeps until 6.30 or 7 am
works for us, but i'm a bit puzzled about how to move solids first and then bottle..not sure what times to pick, since i still have to allow that 1 hr and a half for the food to settle, as the dr suggested.
for the rest everything is fine, he's such a good baby! i am very surprised that he gets things so quickly and easily.. i only showed him a clock on the wall and said "tic-tac" twice and now when i say "tic-tac" he looks at the clock.. he put  once his sooter upside down and i showed him once how to turn it.. he did it right away.. he's only 7 mths, but seems to understand a lot..i do a lot of talkig with him.. it's amazing to see how they grow! wish i would win the lottery just to spend time with him.. at the same time i feel like i should win the lottery just to pay for the daycare... what's up with this outrageously expensive daycare here in Canada? it's like a mortgage for a house! i wonder how they justify that cost..

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Re: started solids --> messed up routine
« Reply #9 on: February 23, 2011, 21:49:22 pm »
Hey, glad things are going well!  I think you'll find the bottle will be easier to fit in as his A times increase, which will happen soon enough. 

Where abouts are you?  I haven't looked into daycare yet, but I'm sure it's expensive!  Although I think it's more affordable here than in Toronto which is where we used to live.

Glad you're enjoying your little man.  :)
Em
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Offline sun_shines

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Re: started solids --> messed up routine
« Reply #10 on: February 24, 2011, 00:12:08 am »
Thanks! Yeah, i think it will be easier.. what's the A time increase going to be? 3 hrs? is that at 8 mths... i gotta read thru Tracy's books again.. i live in Cambridge.. the daycare i registered with as soon i as i got pregnant is the best in town.. people who have kids there, say that every penny is worthed.. but still... i immigrated from Europe and daycare in most of the countries is affordable, some of them even free of charge.. oh well, i was aware when i moved here that there will be pro's and con's.. good that the con's list is very short though :)

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Re: started solids --> messed up routine
« Reply #11 on: February 24, 2011, 00:32:37 am »
Cool!  My DH is from Cambridge and his parents still live there, so we visit a few times a year.  :)

As for the A time, it kinda varies from baby to baby.  You can check the sample EASY routines to see what other babies do:  http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=164253.0
This link might be helpful as well:  http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=84884.0

And if you have specific questions about your routine I'd suggest posting on the EASY boards.  :)
Em
Mama to
Mr. Personality 2008
Mr. Mischievious 2010
Little Miss Blue Eyes 2012