Reduced bottles - liking solids too much?

[Lolly]

The main problem with dropping to 3 bottles too early isn't the overall amounts it's more that the milk is also liquid for them and they could be going a long time without any fluids. Not many babies take a decent amount of water with food at this age.

Laura

[*Kara*]

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

I would cut the dinner solids personally.  He is quite young to have 3 meals a day...  there will be more nutritionally in his bottle than in the solids...

[Jaxsta81]

That's a good idea Kara. I'll try that today and see what happens.

No, no NFs here apart from the DF, which is turning out not to be a DF as he's having cot parties at 9pm!!

So 5 bottles a day for 7 month old isn't too much?

[Jaxsta81]

Right he refused it again BUT he did drink most of his 3pm bottle which is an improvement. I cut down his lunch by half and I think that did it for the 3pm bottle after his nap. I didn't give him any dinner apart from a couple of cucumber sticks as his teeth were playing up but he was pushing the bottle out.

The one bottle he's not that interested in in the day is the 11am bottle - do you think I should cut that out or is that too long to go - 6/7am and then 3pm for his bottles at his age?

[Lindsay27]

The 11am bottle is our worst too - probably too long to go if you cut it out though. 

What are you giving for breakfast?  I give fruit and cereal, but I cut down how much cereal I was giving because it was too filling.  What time is the first bottle usually?  If it is at 7am, maybe try waiting until 12 noon?

[Jaxsta81]

First bottle is normally about 6.30am and second is between 10.30-11am, lunch at 12/12.30pm.

I'll try cutting down on breakfast this morning and see if that does it. I normally give him either just fruit or baby rice with a bit of fruit purée or porridge. So difficult to know when they've had enough as he'll just keep on eating!!

[*Kara*]

I did find that DD would go longer between bottles once we started solids... most will go over 4 hrs quite easily!

This was us from 7 months to about 9 months (dropped to 3 bottles)..

Wake and 6 ozs at about 6am
Solids at 730/8am
Nap 930-11am
Bottle 6 ozs and solids at noon (bottle first, then solids right away)
Nap 230-4pm
Bottle 6 ozs and solids at 430/5pm
Bottle 8.5 ozs and bed 745pm.

I rarely gave a snack other than what is listed, but did offer Cheerios/Rice rusks if we were out and about...

[Jaxsta81]

That sounds like a great schedule, thanks for posting Kara!

[Lindsay27]

Thanks Kara for the schedule   That's probably about what we should be doing.

I don't really give snacks either other than the odd arrowroot cookie or rice rusks too.

[Jaxsta81]

Hi guys,

Just a quick update. Had major improvements here from eeking out that first bottle after the first nap slightly and massively reducing his food quantity. I realised I was probably giving him toddler portions!!! He is taking 90% of his bottles now and actually doing that excited leg dance when he sees it so it's good!

Thanks for your help!!

[mrssat]

Ooh glad I came across this. My 6 month old is hardly taking his milk. And we too have the late nap, bottle, dinner and BT bottle, so much in such a short space. No wonder he isnt interested. He loves food and looks at us when we are eating as if to say, eh wheres mine? I think a reduction in solids is defo needed here, I love the sample routine from Kara, thank you.

[*Kara*]

You are welcome ladies... remember, solids are only for experimentation before a year.... milk first