How to increase formula/calories when BLW???

[greenteamomma]

DD dropped her dream feed about 3 weeks ago.  She's had a cold and probably has some teeth coming so some days she's not a good eater/drinker.  We are doing BLW.  I'm ok with doing some spoon feeding too but she isn't so much so I can't increase her calories much. 

PROBLEM:  The past two weeks, she has woken 5 times, different times and for different reasons and ended up needing a bottle.  I fear she is not getting enough during the day.  I gave her a dreamfeed last night at 10:30 and she took it which actually suprised me.  She drank 4 oz. 

I fear I'm not giving her enough 1) food 2) formula?

How can I increase her formula or caloric intake when BLW?

[~inbalance~]

Hi there,

How much formula is she taking right now?

[greenteamomma]

Hi MArtina!

on a good day:
7:00 or upon waking: 5 or 6oz, offered 7
11:00 or after is she sleeps later: 5-6, offered 7
before nap if she woke late so 2:30 ish or after nap 3:30 or 4:00: 4 oz offered, drinks 3-4
before bed 6-7 but never empties bottle

last two nights 4 oz dreamfeed so she doesn't wake at 2-4 am

We weren't able to calm her down so offered bottle on the NW nights.  Not sure what's up but its the only thing that worked.  We even APOP and she just wont calm so we figured it was milk.  It really not like her to wake at night except for the odd cry out or because she is sitting up and asleep she's been a good night sleeper.

We tried fruit with formula today and yogurt yesterday...no spoon will enter her mouth
She has had a bit of cheese, mostly ended up on the floor but a few crumbs missing indicates she's eaten some.....

[~inbalance~]

Since her formula intake is still quite low, you really want to focus on that instead of the solids.  With BLW anyway, it is very normal for babies to not eat much solids before 8 or 9mos because it takes that long to acquire the skills needed to put food in their mouths, bite, chew, and swallow.  You will likely find that in a few months she'll be eating more.

Have you tried posting on bottle feeding before about her formula intake?

[greenteamomma]

No not posted there yet.  I wanted some BLW ideas since I have been offering her alot and can't seem to increase as is.  I offer her the "rest" of teh bottle 30 mins to 1 hr later in hopes that she eats the rest and to increase.  She sometimes does but mostly pushes it away.

[~inbalance~]

I think if you are offering a lot then that is really the best thing.  Like I said many BLW babies just don't eat much early on.  My DS2 didn't start to 'get it' until after 8mos for sure.  Fruits and vegetables are really the best things, avocados are good for healthy fats especially.  Broccoli is very nutritious too.

Definitely focus on the milk feeds though.  And try not too worry too much.    (easier said than done, right?)

[julesdq]

Hiya
I have also been doing BLW and my LO is 8 months old. She also has days of eating less and other days a lot more. She likes eating off a spoon as well as picking up pieces of food (i give her the spoon to hold or put it on her plate for when she's ready for it). So since i started giving her the spoon, she seems to eat more. so i can give her risotto, rice, pasta, mashed potato, porridge. i don't puree the food but add mashed veggies to it. i always offer finger food along side this and she usually takes from both. i've found that if i add some grated cheese to her food, she eats so much more! she also prefers to eat meats and veggies mixed rather than on their own.  i think she gets tired from feeding herself as she really needs to concentrate, so so i give her something to play with so she can have a little break in her highchair then after a few minutes of playing, she'll go back to the food. i also find that if i watch her, she eats less but if i wash dishes or keep busy then she concentrates on eating.
LO has also been waking around 4-5am so i was giving her a bottle and putting her back to sleep (in our bed) but the health visitor suggested that i rather not give a bottle as she'll get into a habit but try and get her back to sleep without it!! on the first few days i tried for ages but ended up giving her a bottle (or putting her in our bed) then the following day i tried rocking her back to sleep (took ages) but she fell asleep and stayed in her cot and woke at 6:30am. i did the same thing today and she woke at 7:30am. i'm not sure why she's waking up at this time but i'm sure if she was hungry then she would be crying and wouldn't go back to sleep! the health visitor said that if we (adults) woke at 5am we might not be hungry but might have a cup of tea and toast so baby might not be hungry for milk but since it's there, they'll have it! i guess it was the case for my LO but might not be for yours.
hope it all works out... i just love BLW :-)

[Lemonthyme]

If you sort out the formula quantities and still want something higher calorie, pasta with cream cheese based sauces is a good one.  http://mamacook.blogspot.com/2011/01/joy-of-cream-cheese.html

[julesdq]

such lovely recipe ideas! thanks for that :-)

[greenteamomma]

thansk for the suggestions and meal ideas.  I would really like to cut out the dream feed but now I'm more scared then before.  shall I do it the same way?  Last time with her, I gave it earlier and earlier until 10:00 and she stopped taking it.  I offered again 2 nights and she didn't take so we stopped. This time though, I am giving her the dream feed at 10:15-4-oz and she is draining the bottle.  I can't seem to increase her day feeds.  She's almost a snacker now as I offer her some more 10-15 minutes later to get in as much as I can.  However, I know this dreamfeed is hingering her day time intake, right?

[~inbalance~]

At this age she really doesn't need the dreamfeed, so I'd continue trying to wean it and hopefully encourage her to take those calories during the day.  It might take a few days for her to make the shift, but in theory she should do it.

[greenteamomma]

DF is weaned but still struggling with food and formula intake.  She complains and complains at the table no matter what we offer.  She trows most off her tray.  She will eat pasta with sauce and cheese to the point I'm scared she'll burst but she can't eat that for breakfast lunch and dinner!  We offer food often to practice.  She'll take a breadstick/ stick type cracker.  Fruit is too slippery and she just gets frustrated. 

I'm pretty concerned about the low formula so we offer laughing cow cheese (like cream cheese but firmer).  I put cheese, butter, avocado and/or cream cheese on toast fingers that she sometimes sucks on.  Not sure she's getting much.   

[~inbalance~]

I think you're doing a great job.  Still sounds like my DS2, and the good news is he is eating quite well now!  There are so many factors that can affect their eating at all different stages.  If you're worried about her overall nutrition, I would maybe talk to a naturopath.

[greenteamomma]

Well, we have just started offering more milk in a sippy and that seems to be making up the difference.  I "dropped" to 3 official bottles but she pretty much sips on her sippy at snacks and meals.  Its not ideal since she's having a bottle pretty much all day and lots of waiste as I dump it fairly quickly but I don't care.  Its just a phase. 

We've found a yogurt she likes so she lets me feed her that.  I've also been adding mashed veggies to pasta sauce with different pastas and parmesan and she seems to love this the best.  I just vary the veg.  So pasta sauce we would eat with mashed sweet potato for example.  She gets frustrated really quickly with fruit being slippery and gives up.  She'd eat carbs all day if I let her!  Pretty hard to bring stuff for meals out.