Solid food and snack questions

[sce]

We only give her juice at solid feeds just like you've said is normal. 

She's not constipated anymore.  We got over the hurdle.  Our concern now is that on the new schedule she'll have only 3 milk feeds and 2 solid feeds.  I don't think that's enough for her so I'm not sure how to alter it.

[Skadiver13]

Why only 3? She's 8 months now right? Can you post the routine you are thinking of? Can you just offer water instead of juice? Or you could offer BM in a silly or cup at meal? No expert just trying to help. have you looked at the sample routines?

[sce]

The routine that's being recommended right now is
8:30 E-BF
9 A
1030-11 S
1:15 E-snack BM
1:30 A
2:30 E-lunch solids
3:00 A
3:30-4 S
5:30 E snack BM
5:45 A
7-7:30 E dinner solids
8:30 A bath, story, bed time

So if we follow that we only have 3 BF's and 2 solids.  Before we were doing the schedule that I posted earlier and she had more feeds.  With the new one we'll have less feeds and I'm worried it won't be enough.

[Skadiver13]

Ok, again I'm not an expert so hopefully the mods will correct me if I'm wrong but I know you don't "have" to drop to 3 feeds unelss you want to or unless you see your lo start to take less of a bottle. Mine dropped down to 3 when his routine had him only taking around 3/4oz of his 4pm bottle once I introduced lunch. So we dropped from around 26oz a day to 22-24oz a day on 3 bottles but htat's ok as he was on 3 meals. We did this around 9 months, but it  can be done earlier if some lo's have a voracious appetite for solids but ar estill taking enough BM/formula. You are BF correct?

what time does she wake up for the day? It looks like you are doing  2 30min naps a day? Is there a reason?

[sce]

They are over 2 hour naps if you see when she goes to bed and then when they next feed is.  Sorry, maybe I didn't make that clear.

[sce]

And she wakes at 8-8:30

[Skadiver13]

Oh sorry It said 10:30-11S I thought you meant she slept 10:30-11..I see what you mean now. It looks like you are still on 3 naps? Is she high sleep needs?  How much is she drinking (or how long if she is BF). A time is from Eyes open to eyes shut. She's sleeping from 9:30PM-8:30 AM. Is she SSTN, or are there any NW?

so currently you are doing.
W:8/8:30
E:8:30 BM
A:8:30-10:30
S: 10:30-12:30
E:12:30 solids and breast milk (do you do it at the same time or feed solids first than offer BM in a bottle or breast?)
A:12:30-2:30
S:2:30-4:30
E: 4:30 BM
A: 4:30-6:30
S: 6:30-7:30
A-7:30-9:30
E:8:30 solids and breast milk (are you offering BM at the same time or before/after?)
9:15 bath time
9:30 S
11 DF breast milk

sorry for all the questions just trying to get it right, don't want to give you bad advice. Looks like you are offering 5 feeds (to include DF) and 2 solids (breakfast and dinner), most people offer Breakfast/Lunch then add in dinner but if dinner is working for you keep it and add lunch closer to 9/10months if you want. We just added dinner in (he's a little slow to take to solids) at 11 months (but that's just us).

[Shiv52]

At 8 months most would be on 3 meals plus 4 BFs, maybe 5 including DF.

So looking at your routine, I'd do:

Breakfast at 9.30 an hour after milk

BF on waking from nap and then lunch at 1/1.30

BF at 4.30 then dinner at 5.30

BF at bed and DF

Does that make sense? 

Are you talking about the routine I recommended ?  It has 5 BFs and 3 solids meals.

[sce]

Okay, I think it's my fault.  I don't think I'm making myself clear.   That's the routine we've been using, but she's getting fussy during her 6:30 and 8:30 naps and during her meals so we're changing the schedule up to make her more comfortable.  The schedule that we're thinking of changing to is:
8:30 E-BF
9 A
1030-11 S
1:15 E-snack BM
1:30 A
2:30 E-lunch solids
3:00 A
3:30-4 S
5:30 E snack BM
5:45 A
7-7:30 E dinner solids
8:30 A bath, story, bed time

and we're worried cause it's not anywhere near the same amount of food.
 
To answer your questions we normally don't give her any milk at lunch because she already struggles with eating enough solids.  SO we leave it at that and give her some cheerios for a snack later on.  For the 8:30 feed it's only BM.

does any of this make sense?  She was loving her schedule, but now she's getting fussy o we're trying to change it up to make her happier, but we don't know what to do.  She wakes up at 8:30 usually so it's hard to fit everything in.  I just need help cause I'm getting frustrated.

[Shiv52]

Sorry I get it now.

It not unusual for things to go a bit funny at this age but BFs are most important.

If you feed at 8.30am, can you not do brekkie at 9.15/9.20?

At 8 months though 10.30 would be far too early for the first nap. 2 hours A time is typical of a four month old. At 8 months A time would be about 3.5-4 hours.

Also sorry if I'm being dim but in the routine you post is your LO only napping 10.30-11 and then 3.30-4?

[Skadiver13]

Hi Shiv, I had that issue and asked. I feel bad she's answering the same questions twice. If you look up a few posts I think it's just the way she wrote out her easy.. Here is what she's actually doing:
W:8/8:30
E:8:30 BM
A:8:30-10:30
S: 10:30-12:30
E:12:30 solids and breast milk (do you do it at the same time or feed solids first than offer BM in a bottle or breast?)
A:12:30-2:30
S:2:30-4:30
E: 4:30 BM
A: 4:30-6:30
S: 6:30-7:30
A-7:30-9:30
E:8:30 solids and breast milk (are you offering BM at the same time or before/after?)
9:15 bath time
9:30 S
11 DF breast milk

It's a lot of day sleep and not a lot of awake time for her age plus a long nap in the late evening?? That's looks almost like 5hrs of Day sleep? Am I missing something? Is she waking at all at night of is she sleeping straight through from 9:30-8:30 with no NW? Do you like the 8:30 wake up?

What you can do is offer solids 1-2hrs after BF. So for instance.
W:8/8:30
E:8:30 BM
Solids: 9:30
S: 10:30-12:30
E:12:30 Offer BF
E: 1:30 solids
S:2:30-4:30
E: 4:30 BM
E: 5:30 Dinner if you like
S: 6:30-7:30 (is ther a reason you are offering a CN so late in the day?)
E:8:30 BM I wouldn't do solids this late in the day
9:15 bath time
9:30 S
11 DF breast milk

Although it does seem like you'll be feeding her all day so at some point you can drop the DF if you want, you are getting close to that age where it's suggested it drop anyway that's up to you, and with the introduction of solids she may drop it naturally as some do, but some moms kind of need to force it. I never did the DF as it just disrupted my lo's sleep for the rest of the night he was off.

[Shiv52]

Thank you lovely for clarifying.

I think where skadiver has suggested meals and BFs is great.

But by 8 months LOs are normally on 3.5 hours A time and 2 solid naps. Is your LO high sleep needs?   Is she an independent sleeper?    We did at 8-8 routine and it suited us great.

[Skadiver13]

I agree RE sleep.