ready to drop DF?

[katiemgarvin]

My LO is 5.5 months old.  His daily routine is:
E: 7 am wake and morning bottle (6-7oz)
A: till 8:45-9
S: 9-11 (not continuous, but he usually naps off and on for this period)
E: 11 (usually 6oz)
A: till 1ish
S: 1-3 (same as above)
E: 3 (usually 7oz)
A: till about 5
S: catnap, anywhere between 5-6 for 30-45mins
E: rice cereal (about 1.5 Tbsp) around 6:15
A: play and bath is around 6:45
E: BT bottle around 7, usually 6-7 oz
S: usually in bed by 7:30
E: DF at 11 usually 6oz

I need to add that I usually put about 3 tsp of rice cereal in each bottle (mostly due to reflux/spit-up).  He also has been waking up around 5 am and needs to be settled with paci.  Usually once or twice.  Sometimes every 20-30 minutes till wake-up.  He's getting really good at settling himself, but this one he has a harder time.

So, here's my problem:  he's not always interested in eating.  Especially at the DF and first thing in the morning.  Even if he doesn't take a full DF, he doesn't gulp is bottle down.  I'm wondering if he might be trying to drop the DF.  If he takes a full DF, he most of the time doesn't take a full morning feed.  Thoughts and TIA!

[*Kara*]

Only way to know is to give it a try... that said, it could just be that you are getting to him at the wrong time in his sleep cycle - did you try 15 mins earlier?

Could be that the rice cereal in each bottle plus the dinner offering is filling him too much too.  Have you tried a nice gentle veggie at dinner time instead of additional cereal?

[katiemgarvin]

We just started him on the rice cereal dinner less than two weeks ago.  I was letting him get the hang of that and then I was going to start veggies.  I'm going to the grocery store tomorrow and was going to pick some up because I think he's ready.  I'll try his DF a little earlier and see what that does.  In the past when we've tried it much before 11, he only takes 3-4ozs.  Yesterday he took his BT bottle right before 7 and took 5 ozs.  His DF was 7ozs at 11pm and he took the whole thing.  His am bottle was 7ozs and he took the whole thing.  So, I'm not really sure.  Maybe it's just a phase!  He's a big boy, though.  He'll be 6 months on the 13th and weighs 16lbs!  Thanks for the advice!

[*Kara*]

Veggies are actually much easier on the system that rice cereal is... can cause issues with night sleep as it keeps the tummy working hard into night sleep when given at dinner... I generally suggest starting with a breakfast offering (especially a good idea with new foods - you don't want a reaction at bedtime!), then adding a lunch offering a few weeks later, then a dinner offering a few weeks after that... then add snacks as needed as baby gets a bit older.