8.5 mths and still having DF and EM bottle. Need some reassure or advice please

[tel33015]

Hi there,

I am not sure if I am in the right area so please let me know if I am to post this somewhere else! I will post a standard day which happens pretty much 99% of the time.

4:30ish bottle (drinks all of what I offer quickly...usually around 4-5 ounces)
6:30 wake up
7-7:15 top up bottle (might drink 3ish ounces)
8:00 fruit (about 4-5 ice cubes)
9:45-10:00 nap (1.5hrs)
11:30 bottle (6 ounces, what ever he does not drink I use in his vegies)
12:15 lunch (5 cubes of vegies)
3:00 nap (1.15/1.5 hrs)
4:15-4:30 bottle (6 ounces, use rest in vegies if need)
5:15 dinner (5 cubes of vegies)
7:00 bath, book, bottle (around 4-5 ounces)
7:30ish bed.
DF 10:30ish (6ish ounces)

The EM and 7am bottles usually equate to 1 bottle.

I have been battling NW for about the last 2-3 months and I have posted alot on the NW board and have tried so many things to the point that I figured it was just my LO (nothing worked) and that he could not go more than 6 hours without a bottle....

I would really like some advice or reassurance on how much formula and solids are needed around this age. He used to wake anywhere between 3-5 and be awake until I fed him...that could last over an hour. The last few weeks I have just fed him straight away and he drinks it all and goes straight back to sleep. I figure he is hungry??? 

This is definitely possible that this has become habit so maybe need to go to props area?

Your thoughts will be much appreciated. Thank you.

[karebearry]

Have you considered introducing some foods that are more filling? Like cereals? Oatmeal, barley?  Might help fill him up, sounds like he's still hungry.

[Mama2Athena]

I second the idea of introducing more filling foods.  My LO is 9 months old and gets 3 solid meals a day.  Breakfast is always cereal with fruit, lunch is a container of veggies, and dinner is always 1/2 jar of meat and 1/2 container of veggies.  She also gets finger foods like crackers, avocadoes, cauliflowers, etc.  She used to wake up starving in the mornings, but with the addition of meat, sometimes she doesn't even finish her morning bottle.

[tel33015]

Thank you both karebearry and Mama2Athena I will def try that. I thought he might have some intolerances so I held off the cereal (wheat) but thats pretty much been ruled out so will give the cereal a go. Fingers crossed!

Do your little ones still have a bottle every 4-5 hours during the day? Things really did not appear to be like this with my girls, it was all easy!

[Mama2Athena]

Hi  again... my DD gets a bottle every 4 hours, so 4 bottles a day, along with 3 solid meals and one late afternoon snack (2 mum mums) with a sippy of water for practice.  Definitely give cereal a try - it's pretty filling.

[karebearry]

Hi, yes, mine still has a bottle first and then i offer food about an hour after. He doesnt drink as much as before though, now that he has solids and he still has a DF at 11ish and another bottle at around 330ish am.

[tel33015]

Hi there....just thought I would update. Things are really no different, have started offering cereal, fruit and small amount of toast for breakfast and he loves it. I increased lunch and dinner slightly too.

Really at a loss...maybe things will adjust when I introduce snacks? Considered introducing snacks and dropping a bottle. Not sure what to do.

[Mama2Athena]

Hmmm... Not an expert, but personally I wouldn't swap a bottle for snacks.  I think formula or breast milk is more calorically dense.  I was very surprised that the 2 baby mum-mums I give my DD as a snack are only 15 calories, which is less than one ounce of formula. 

Have you considered maybe dropping the dreamfeed?  That might shift the 4:30 AM bottle to earlier, but then the middle of the night feeding might get him all the way through to wake up time???  And then he'll be hungrier at wake up? 

We too struggle with EW (5:30/5:45) for as long as I can remember, on weekends she will sometimes go back to sleep for a bit if offered a bottle at EW. On weekdays, we just start the day then as she goes to daycare.

[karebearry]

Hmmm...I agree with the PP, i wouldnt drop the bottle feed for a snack. Formula/ breast feeding is far more nutritious. Iveheard that food in the first year is mostly for practice but the majority of nutrients should come from formula/breastfeeding.

[karebearry]

Hopefully someone with more experience will jump in with some advice for you.

[Haribo2012]

Hi my LO is 8.5 months and our HV advised to add more carbs as I was just giving veggies so now we have weetabix/ porridge for breaki with a few bits of toast as finger food then I tend to give veggies with pasta or rice at lunch generally mixed with some milk and a bit of cheese, offer grated cheese as finger food with LO loves. Then tend to have meat/chicken/fish mixed with potato/sweet pots for dinner with some more toast as finger food and or peas. Tend to offer puddings like mashed banana and natural yog or mashed pear etc
I often mix a bit of milk and cheese in most things for a bit extra calcium!
My LO has dropped his mid morning bottle flatly refuses now so we have 8oz at wake up then 6oz mid afternoon and 8oz at bedtime.

I'm always worrying I've got it wrong but HV just go with baby they'll let you know when hungry or full
Good luck