Author Topic: How to change schedule before starting food?  (Read 2304 times)

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Offline amyonkman

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How to change schedule before starting food?
« on: January 15, 2012, 19:51:46 pm »
My DS is 4 months this week, and is still just being FF, he has five feedings a day, plus still wakes up one time at night, so six total.  I tried him on rice cereal, but he did not like it yet, so I figured I'd give him some more time before I try again, so maybe in a week or so I will try again.  I am wondering if I should try to get him on a four hour feeding schedule by the time I want to start introducing solids around 6 months (he already usually does one four hour feeding, so i think he can do it) so he will have four feedings during the day, plus whatever solids?  I see a lot of people do a FF and then an hour later or so will do solids.  Is this the case when you are first introducing solids, so if he is just having solids for lunch in the beginning, should it be an hour after a bottle?   Also, how many oz should you typically be trying to get them to at least drink?
« Last Edit: January 15, 2012, 23:43:15 pm by amyonkman »

Offline Buntybear

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Re: How to change schedule before starting food?
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2012, 18:12:49 pm »
Hi, I don't know anything about formula but there is a link to advise on how muck milk your LO should be getting.

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=67933.0

4 months old is very young age to be starting solids. Has a doctor advised you to start for reflux or similar?

In another 2 months and I am sure you will be comfortably in a 4 hour routine. There is a huge growth spurt at 4 months so don't be surprised if he wants to feed a lot more at the moment. Yes, solids come one hour after milk as milk at that age is a priority.

HTH

Offline amyonkman

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Re: How to change schedule before starting food?
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2012, 20:48:16 pm »
O, No sorry, Im not starting him on solids yet, I just wanted to make sure i got him on a good feeding schedule for solids, by the time he's going on them..do you know what i mean??

Offline Lolly

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Re: How to change schedule before starting food?
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2012, 20:58:19 pm »
Formula fed babies do go longer between feeds before breast fed babies because formula is harder to digest. Both mine were formula fed and what happens is they start to go longer between feeds around 4 months and take bigger bottles. If/ when your baby starts draining all his bottles add another oz into them and then next time he starts draining them increase them again. By 6 months ish the milk isn't enough, so what you will find is that you can start solids and he will be hungry enough to drink his milk and have a bit extra. If you follow his hunger cues it will all fit in.

You said you have tried rice cereal and will try again very soon - giving rice cereal is starting solids so I would wait. Rice cereal can be very harsh on tummies that are not ready for it yet and it's very common for it to cause constipation and digestive upset during the night. Breast milk or formula is all he needs for a couple of months yet and should be the main part of his diet until he is much closer to 1.

Laura


Offline amyonkman

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Re: How to change schedule before starting food?
« Reply #4 on: January 17, 2012, 23:37:16 pm »
Ok!  Sounds good!  Thats why I stopped trying, he wasn't responding well, so I figured it was his way of saying no mom, not yet! :)

Offline Buntybear

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Re: How to change schedule before starting food?
« Reply #5 on: January 18, 2012, 18:12:15 pm »
Great that you are listening to your LO! He will let you know when he is ready x

Offline amyonkman

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Re: How to change schedule before starting food?
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2012, 20:38:12 pm »
I have started my DS on cereal, and we are slowly adding veggies, three days of each before moving on.  He's gone through green beans, and peas, and just started squash.  He is on a 4 hour easy, does his FF and then about and hour later does some food.  Im wondering, since he is on a 4 hour easy, he's not taking 2 two hour naps (because it affects his night sleep)  so sometimes he does an hour and a half, and a two hour nap, but sometimes only two hour and a half ones, so he has A time before E time...but then that pushes when he is having his solids closer to his next bottle feed, so sometimes i feel he is not as hungry for his bottle.  Any tips on how to handle this?   here is his easy for more info:
7:/30 8 wakes, bottle (usually around 5 z)
nap @ 9:30/10, usually goes two hours
eats bottle @ 11:30/12, usually 5/6 oz,
eats food @ 12:30/1, just give him a little bit, about a tablespoon or so
nap @ 1:30/2 usually an hour and a half (depending on the morning nap)
awake at 3/3:30, so its usually not at the four hour mark and we wait about a half hour til its time to have a bottle, then he has about 5/6 oz (i always try for six at least) and then an hour later at about 4:30/5 he has cereal (will be starting to add some food in here soon)
CN @ 5/5:30 for a half hour
awake time, bath at around seven, bottle after bath and in bed around eight...and right now he isnt doing the best at night..grr..  but im more wondering how to handle him being awake for that half hour before a bottle sometimes, making his feeding of solids too close to his next bottle as possibly being a reason he will only take closer to 5 oz, when he really should be having at least 6?  should i maybe just feed him sooner than the half hour if that happens?  thanks..sorry if this got long!

Offline amyonkman

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Re: How to change schedule before starting food?
« Reply #7 on: February 08, 2012, 15:06:20 pm »
any suggestions??

Offline Lolly

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Re: How to change schedule before starting food?
« Reply #8 on: February 08, 2012, 16:37:53 pm »
How old is he now? If solids are interfeering with milk then you can reduce the solids right back. He needs milk much more than solids and it could be the solids that are causing problems with his night too - rice cereal is very hard to digest.

I would just offer solids once a day for now and add another *meal* in when he gets to 6 months - keep it in the middle of the day so he has time to work any digestive discomfort out by bedtime.

Laura


Offline essexlemon

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Re: How to change schedule before starting food?
« Reply #9 on: February 15, 2012, 12:59:18 pm »
rice cereal is very hard to digest

Eek.  I'm planning to start my DS some time this week (he's 5.5 months and in the 75th centile so I figure he'll be needing a little extra soon) but I've bought baby rice to do it.

Am I better off making up porridge (proper, grown-up's porridge from oats) and then pureeing it for him than using the baby cereals?  He's already prone to constipation (even on just BM) so I don't want to make matters worse - hence waiting to start solids despite his size.

Sorry to hijack someone elses thread - it just seemed too similar to go starting a new one.
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Offline Lolly

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Re: How to change schedule before starting food?
« Reply #10 on: February 15, 2012, 13:25:32 pm »
If he is prone to constipation I would avoid cereals altogether for a while. You don't have to start with cereals, Tracy suggested pears as a good first food which would be a good choice for your LO I would think. I would just introduce fruits and veg for a couple of months and see how he is handling them then maybe move to cereal. You could even avoid puree altogether and do Baby Led Weaning!

Laura


Offline essexlemon

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Re: How to change schedule before starting food?
« Reply #11 on: February 16, 2012, 09:44:48 am »
Thanks Laura.

Pears sound good. Think i'll start there.
My husband is running 13.1 miles in the Great North Run in memory of my brother. Please can you help us raise funds for the Cardiomyopathy Association in his memory?
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