Reduced bottles - liking solids too much?

[Lindsay27]

My DS had absolutely no trouble at all when starting solids, he gobbles everything up no problem...quite the piglet!  I was initially giving him 2 meals a day (lunch and dinner) of fruits and veggies.  I make all his purees and he would eat about 3 ice cubes at each meal and he was still doing good with his bottles, taking 4 x 6-7oz bottles during the day, and one through the night (5 bottles total).

He had his 6 month check-up and our doc told us that he was in the 10th percentile for weight (only 15.5lbs at almost 7 months), but that he was still healthy.  She advised to add breakfast, giving cereal and fruit, and also to add meat to dinner, so I did.  Now however, I can barely get him to take a bottle.  I always offer solids about an hour after a bottle, but he is only taking about 3 - 4oz bottles now.  It seems like he is either to full from the previous meal, or he is holding out for solids.

Anyone experience this?  Any suggestions?  Should I drop a meal, or reduce the amount of solids I am giving, or is his fluid intake sufficient?  He also seems to want to hold the bottle himself, but can't full manage it...maybe if I try formula in a sippy cup?

[Lindsay27]

Or, I was just thinking...maybe it's time to go down to 3 bottles during the day?  Then he would probably increase how much he is taking?

[<Catherine>]

Hi there sorry I missed your post. I will move this over to bottle feeding where I think you will get more help

[*Kara*]

Hi Lyndsey -

At just 7 months, it is too soon to drop to 3 bottles and too soon to replace milk with food... there is more in terms of fat/calories in his formula than solids.

What is your current feeding routine?  Times for bottles and solids?

[Lindsay27]

A typical feeding day would go something like this...

6:30am - bottle #1
7:30/8am - cereal & fruit

11am (dependant on what time he wakes from his AM nap) - bottle #2
12/12:30 - veggies & fruit

3:30pm (dependant on what time he wakes from his PM nap) - bottle #3
5pm - veggies & meat

7pm - bottle #4

NF - bottle #5 anywhere from 1am - 4am depending on what time he wakes

Bottle #1 and #4 are usually the best, he will usually take about 5oz - 6oz for #1 and 7oz for #4, his NF he also takes 7oz.  Bottles #2 and #3 are a toss up - he will take around 3oz - 5oz for those.  I was just concerned because he used to take about 7oz for all bottles.

[*Kara*]

Might be time to start cutting that NF down

Reduce it down to 5 ozs right off the start...

I also jigged around the quantities of each bottle at this age...

we were

6 oz
6 oz
6 oz
8 oz at BT

[Lindsay27]

Okay, I'll start reducing the NF...I was actually starting to wonder when I should be starting to wean it!

How many days would I stay at an amount before reducing again? 3 or 4?

[*Kara*]

I did a few days (generally 3).. once I saw daytime intake start to creep upwards, I reduced that night feed an ounce further

Another question though: how much cereal are you giving at breakfast?  It can really make them feel full and forgo their milk

[Lindsay27]

Ugh, just typed a whole reply and forgot to hit post!  Hate when that happens! 

For breakfast I give 2 cubes of fruit and probably about 2 tbls of cereal (that would be measuring before it is mixed with water, I just sort of eyeball it).  Do you think that is too much?  I always give the fruit first, cereal second...though, it doesn't really matter because he always eats it all no matter the order!

For the NF, I think I will stick to 5oz for at least the next week.  DH and a I are heading out of town on Thursday for 4 days, and my SIL is going to take care of DS, so I don't want the poor woman having to deal with our NF weaning!  If his bottles during the day increase then I can go down to 4 oz on Sunday when I get back.

[Lindsay27]

My doc actually wanted me to give cereal twice a day because of the high iron content - she said it would help with weight gain.  She told me cereal for breakfast and with dinner or before bed, but I really just think that is way too much, so I just stuck with breakfast.  He already has a fairly big dinner and still takes a 7oz BT bottle, and I wouldn't want that BT bottle to drop!

[*Kara*]

The iron in cereal isn't really all that well absorbed   Formula is better for that!

I would try reducing to 1 tbsp of cereal at breakfast.

Your doctor sounds like my stupid doctor in terms of weaning   Solids before one are only for fun, not for nutrition and certainly not to make baby sleep better!

[Lindsay27]

I went down to 5oz the other night and he ate much better the next day.

A day like today however it is hard to fit 4 bottles in because he had a 2.5hr nap this morning after 3hrs of A time, so he doesn't need to go down for his afternoon nap until 3pm...so his #3 bottle will be pretty late.  There will likely only be about 2-2.5 hrs between his 3rd bottle and his BT one, so I doubt his BT one will be very large.

With the longer A times and naps, some days he is almost in between 3 and 4 daytime bottles...it's awkward!

[*Kara*]

Yes, I remember that phase too... I think DD was 8.5 months when we dropped to 3 bottles... but she didn't have a NF.

I would keep slowly reducing the NF...

[Jaxsta81]

Hi guys,

I just came on here to post a similar thread. My boy chomps on his food like a goodun but is only having about third or at best half of his bottles and I was wondering if to cut one out.

I was thinking if he's taking the recommended amount in a 24 hour period it doesn't matter if he doesn't have one every 4 hrs whilst awake - does it? So for example, I have the same problem of he wakes from a nap at 3pm, give bottle then (not much taken), then food at 4.30/5pm and then bedtime bottle at 6pm and I've just put him down and he had 2 sucks and was pushing the bottle out. So...should I not give the bottle at 3pm in the hope he'll take the 6pm one better?

Thanks and sorry if that's a jumbled mess!!!

[Lindsay27]

Jaxsta - are you doing a NF?  I was feeing about 7oz for our NF and Kara suggested to immediately reduce it to 5oz and that has helped.

I know what you mean though, yesterday B napped from 3pm - 5pm, so he had a 6oz bottle at 5pm, and then a BT bottle at 7pm...which he obviously didn't take that much of.  It's a really awkward stage where you are sort of in between 3 - 4 daily bottles.  But, I figure, if he eats at 5pm and then again at 7pm, even though the BT bottle is reduced, he will still be full enough to make it through to the NF.

Also, we are going more like every 4.5 - 5hrs between bottles...anything less than that and he's not really interested.