How much should my 11 month old be eating?

[Amanda5555]

That's also where we're at. 3 8-9oz bottles a day (Hard to tell exactly with thickener). Lately B has stopped taking all of his last bottle in the day.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

I can't even remember where we were at that stage, though I imagine we may have been down to 3, one morning and one bedtime milk feed of 8 oz and a smaller one after nap time with as a snack.

[ENMS]

Thanks everyone

Seems to be working well so far.

He woke at 11:15 last night, DH tried for 30 mins to resettle him but ended up giving a bottle - 6 oz. Then at 5 he woke again I gave him 4 oz and he slept through to 7:15. He had breakfast (2 oz of formula for his enzymes, 2 oz of pears and some nutrios) and I didn't offer another bottle. Then for lunch he had more than 2 oz of chicken with about 2 oz of zucchini with some nutrios. Then I offered a bottle again and he took 5 oz.

I know it's unconventional but I'm thinking my priority now is to reduce the oz during the day so that he starts eating better quantities (while holding the same of reducing the oz at night). Then once he's eating satisfactorily, I'll work on shifting those calories from night to day. That way I'll know he's getting enough to eat during the day which is the priority. I've held off until now to reducing the day formula since I figured the nighttime oz should go first but I think now I don't have much of a choice.

[*Kara*]

Sounds like a good plan to me!

[ENMS]

It's been working well . He is now eating a good 2 oz of chicken or turkey a day, with 4-6 oz of vegs, and quite a few Nutrios (at least 30 maybe)? He's also getting 2 oz of pears every other day.

I'm just wondering, what is the mimimum formula intake at his age? He hasn't been drinking his bottles fully even though I'm offering only 3, so I'm wondering if he's getting enough fluids. I did offer water with every meal and he takes a bit, but not a lot.

[*Kara*]

Milk intake from a year is 16 ozs (in Canada) so I'm sure he is just fine   And really, most countries (the UK) suggest 12 ozs per day, so not to worry!  Our recs in Canada are based on Vit D in cow's milk... which can be supplemented of course so not really a concern.

[ENMS]

Phew!

I had in mind 24 oz so that's much better.

Hopefully things go well and I can start weaning the NF in a few weeks!

[*Kara*]

LOL!  I remember being in a panic because DD wouldn't replace her lost formula with the same amount of water   Funny enough, she has survived!

now she has about 12 ozs of formula (which will be going away soon since I found a milk she likes - almond/coconut).. and generally about 8 ozs of water over the whole day.

[ENMS]

Well of course he caught up with 2 NF

Starting to think I may be getting him into bad habits now with this is it too much to do everything at the same time (wean NF, drop a daytime bottle)?

[creations]

Hi Elise.  I haven't read through the full thread but wanted to jump in to offer support.
I personally wouldn't try to wean the night feeds along with dropping a day bottle.  I'd go for the night feeds first and see what happened to the day milk and solids as a result.
I know you've had such a difficult time with feeding, do bare in mind that just about ALL of us panic about milk and solids intake, I think it's naturally built in to mums to worry about it!
My DS took only half the recommended milk intake, wow I worried but he's never lost weight, he just didn't need as much as some other babies (I give vitamin drops which is recommended in the UK).  I still worry about his solids even though he is generally a good eater so I think in your case there is an understandable additional worry because of what you've been through already.  The thing to keep in mind IMO is that unless they are currently very sick they are pretty good at monitoring their own intake, their survival instinct is pretty good and they won't let themselves starve, yk?

hugs x

[Amanda5555]

I'd go for the night feeds first and see what happened to the day milk and solids as a result.

I agree with this very much as well. If he is getting his main meals (ie formula at night) he won't need/want the calories in the day. Viscious cycle for sure.

[ENMS]

Thank you ladies. 

Creations I had decided to try to wean a day bottle because on Friday DH forgot to give a bottle to M and he ate so much better.  As you know we've had lots of problems with solids and I was trying to up his solids intake before weaning the NF. But I guess that if I know he CAN eat well, then I don't need to worry about weaning the NF - I couldn't do it until I knew he could digest well a reasonable amount of solids, but now I know he can, so I guess in the end he chooses what and when to eat now - so the rules of the game are changing.

I have already started decreasing the oz in his night bottles. He was always at 1 bottle until he started walking (which coincided with me going back to work) when he started wanting 2 NF  . 

So can you ladies help me with a plan? Do I start with fully weaning one of the 2 bottles cold turkey? Some nights he has 1, but I'd say he has 2 at least 2 nights out of 3.  ALso, when he has 2 bottles at night, the second one is always early morning (5AM-ish), and when that happens I don't give him a morning bottle anymore. So should I work on resettling him for that second feed first, and giving him an AM bottle instead, and once that's successful, move on to the MOTN bottle by slowly reducing the oz? Do I continue to offer 4 bottles during the day while I do that?

[*Kara*]

I would Elise... be sure that the first NF is a full bottle for now and resettle for the second one (then we know it's not a hunger wake given the full feed earlier).  Leave day bottles as they are for now and adjust the volume as you see fit to get the solids intake established...

[ENMS]

Ah ok, so I'd keep 4 x 6 oz bottles for now let's say until the NF are fully weaned, and then once that's done start decreasing the other NF slowly until I get to 0.

Then as a 3rd step, once all NF are gone, see to make the transition to 3 day bottles?

[creations]

on Friday DH forgot to give a bottle to M

And did you say "What do you mean you FORGOT to feed the baby?"

A 5am bottle is hard to wean IMO because the resettling is so hard at that time in the morning.  You might want to try a W2S or even a GW to reduce the oz and make up for them at morning WU.  But if you can go cold turkey then all the faster.

Good luck xx