How to move to move to 3 meals a day?

[SamsmumKaren]

Hi all,

I'm new to this so apologies if this is a common question, but I can't seem to find an answer anywhere.

My little boy is nearly 7 months, he has been taking solids (and loving them) for a good 2 months, I am unable to get a full bottle down him in the days (dream feed is fine though) so have been giving him 4 ounces before food which is working fine. Our 4ish feeding schedule is as follows;

7.30 - 4 oz bottle and breakfast cereal
11.30 - 4 oz and food
3.00 - 4 oz and food
6.15 - 4 oz and food
bed for 7pm and then dream feed (6-7oz) about 10.15. He is mostly sleeping through the night, although is waking about 3am and unable to settle himself - I know I need to 'wake to sleep' with him just havent got round to it yet 

My question is this... my health visitor says that he should be moving onto just 3 solid meals a day plus snacks..... What do I do?, drop a feed and come off the 4 hour routine?, or try and replace it with a full bottle? (which I know he will refuse). I'm confused and reluctant to mess with his schedule as since being on it he has slept through the night generally (before was 2 night feeds).

Also I read that the dream feed can be dropped at 7 months or when solids are established which is about now, do you just take it away all together and then do the shush/pat if he wakes up. Or move it earlier so it eventually becomes the last feed before bed?

Im getting a bit confused at the moment, I thought I was getting to grips with everything then you hear different advice! Help me someone!

Thanks

Karen

[toffer]

Hi Karen here is my daily feed schedule which I started doing with my LO at 6 months. I think you need to seperate bottle from meals into different times like this schedule. You LO is too small of a tummy to do both and soon will get hungry between meals as he gets more active IMO I think the 4 hr easy starts to disapear at this time as far as food is concerned. Also Dream feed can be moved earlier and earlier in 3 night increments until it is gone.

6:30- wake him up and BF left side
6:45- pump other breast ( about 6 oz) for later feeds then BF Right side
8- solids. pureed pear mixed with yogurt and oatmeal plus fruit and toast finger food and in cup 60 ml EBM then 60 ml formula if still thirsty
11- BF right side then small snack
12:30 lunch of pureed fruit, pureed veg, minced meat with rice cereal plus finger foods of fruit/veg/meat/cheese,  in cup 60 ml EBM then 60 ml formula if still thirsty
4-BF left side
5-dinner of pureed fruit, pureed veg, minced meat with rice cereal plus finger foods of fruit/veg/meat/cheese,  in cup 60 ml EBM then 60 ml formula if still thirsty
7:15- BF both sides then bed

So basically solids follow milk an hour or so later.

[~inbalance~]

Milk is more important, and especially since your LO's milk intake is a bit on the low side I would not drop any bottles yet.  Usually you would start offering snacks once you start decreasing milk, but that doesn't happen until after 9mos and often closer to a year.  I think your routine looks pretty good, I agree with offering solids about 1hr after milk feeds.  Think of the milk feeds as the E part of your EASY since they are the most important part, and solids are part of the A time. 

[SamsmumKaren]

Thats great, thanks ladies!...

I'm thinking if I bottle feed then solid feed an hour or so later that means his sleeps are going to be further apart? at the moment he can do 2 hours tops between sleeps. Just wondering how to get the activity time in before sleep, as it will probably work out he goes to bed straight after his solid feeds?

I'll probably try this way and depending on how it goes try bringing the dream feed forward (he is starting to wake around dream feed time anyway)

Also with the last feed of the day, at the moment I feed him, then bath, then bed. Should I start giving milk after the bath and just before bed?

Thanks Ladies, just trying to get my head around new schedules!

[~inbalance~]

Honestly, all this stuff comes down to what works for you guys.  Sometimes you have to play around a bit with the timing to figure out what is best for your situation, there is no right or wrong.  As he gets older his A times will increase, and you will find there is more time to fit the solids in.  For now, if you want to do them 30mins after a milk feed, that is fine too.  Just remember to keep milk as the primary source of nutrition.  I always gave milk before bed, but I BF so I'm not sure if it is different when bottle feeding.  Again probably comes down to what is better for you personally.