I guess my point is that I know she is getting the appropriate milk volume vs solid food volume and that was not my question or issue. Milk is still her main source of nutrition, that has never changed. I used Tracy's recommendations as guidance and she is still getting the appropriate balance of milk vs solid intake. But it is odd to me that we are on different pages as far as a solid food feeding schedule and that right there could answer my question partially. What you are all saying is that you did not need to transition from solids first or one feeding time to two because you all began solids with it as an activity at 8ish, 12ish and 5 or 6ish? That may explain a lot. I have found a couple things in the book I reference that seem to contradict themselves and I have had to figure it out for myself. Her bedtime and intake volume or ratio has never been an issue, and she has followed the EASY routine pretty flawlessly and sleeping well, eating well, and I have been able to tell when to add more to her intake and when she was comfortable and to leave it be. She wakes herself up at 7am, so I am very impressed with her own little clock. Even if something goes awry and she gets a later bedtime, which is rare, she still wakes up at 7am. Very seldom do I go in and have to wake her, but when I do she still seems unaffected and her routine goes on as usual. My question and problem was routine transitioning because I used the book as a guideline and then it said the goal later was something different and I am a bit confused about that.
What I am able to find quickly that references what I stated earlier, on pages 96 and 97 of The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems, the quick reference chart that states to give solids first in the beginning and then the bottle. And in the same chart it lays out a typical routine of doing the exact opposite and feeding a solid breakfast, lunch and dinner, AFTER the bottle and after significant activity time has passed. So I took it as instructions for in the beginning and work towards the typical schedule laid out in the chart for 6-9 months later. Then on page 137 in the same book, under the 6-12 month "Intake" section it states very exactly "Give solids when your child is alert and fully awake. If at first she finds it frustrating, take the edge off her hunger with a bit of breast or bottle. Once she gets the hang of things, always give solids first." In that same chart it later explains that by 9 months most babies are on [this] schedule, in which it goes on to detail and it resembles the schedule laid out in the chart on page 96 and 97 which seemed to support my assumption about it being something that was transitioned to later.
I have used this book mostly for guidance on setting up EASY for her and as a guideline on intake and when/how exactly to best approach introduction of solids. Luckily I have not needed the trouble shooting that is a lot of the book, but I am very thankful for my Angel Baby and know she is to thank for a lot of that, and me putting her on the EASY schedule helped too. She is very happy. The only time she seemed unhappy with what I have done with her is when I tried moving solids to during her activity time. Now I reverted back with tail between my legs to her old routine and am skiddish about trying it again. Understandably I like seeing her happy and have not had to deal too much with her being unhappy. Not to rub it in for any mothers who did have a lot of trouble either with colic, or a touchy or grumpy baby, I assure you I am very grateful to have her so happy and easy to please and know it could change 100% if I were to have a second. I had braced myself for any number of problems with her and for some cosmic reason the universe saw it fit that my problems be elsewhere.
I also referenced the book for dream feed phase out which confused me the most, but I suppose that is a topic for another thread entirely.
I do appreciate any help or advice; I did not mean to come across as not understanding that comments are coming from a desire to help. I just will disagree with being told her bedtime needs to change because I have laid out things for her with great consideration, thought and watching her very carefully. Despite my recent problem with trying this schedule with her, I truly do not feel her bed time or intake is the cause and it being said that another time "needs to be her bedtime" comes across a little harsh to me and does not take into consideration that I may have already tried the earlier bedtime and it did not fit her. And I am pretty certain she is getting the nutrients she needs to grow because formula is still her primary food and regardless of solid intake before hand, she still gets it all. I am very confused at the questioning of her nutrition because I have used Tracy's guidelines as guidance and a month ago on July 19th my daughter was 19lbs, 9oz and 28 inches long. She is very big and extremely healthy, I have very carefully managed the solid intake she does get so that she does not get dehydrated or constipated and she gets water daily in a sippy cup that she holds herself. There is no issue here other than I am confused about the contradiction about routine for solids. That is all. Her nutrition is fine, her bedtime is fine, she just did not like it when I tried to hold out solids until 8am. I mean essentially, if I did milk first, she would fill up on that and I would never have started her on solids? That is just my take on the contradiction that milk should always come first. I control her solid intake, but I do not control her milk intake as much, though I do watch how much, and it is by far what she gets the most of. She gets maybe 12 oz max of solids but takes anywhere from 24-32 ounces of milk a day. And according to Tracy's book, for a baby that once took 40 ounces a day of liquids (which she did but dropped to 36 band did not seem to miss those 4 missing ounces yet), the proper solid vs milk ratio is 15 of solid and 25 of liquid. Well she gets 12 of solid and about 24 minimum of liquid. TI just want everyone to understand that though this is my first baby, I am not completely without a clue here and I would just like that to be considered first before I get a lot of assumptions from others on what I am doing wrong as far as nutrition or sleep or what will constipate or dehydrate her. I have long since been there to make certain I was approaching all those things properly. I am saying this in an explanatory tone, so that you understand where I am coming from, no animosity or anything like that
and I truly want to understand where the contradictory views on approaching solids is coming from when I was pretty certain most of us read the same book? Standing by.
