9 MONTH OLD - SHOULD BE DROPPING FEEDS BY NOW?

[Canadian Nat]

Hi All

Should my 9 month old be dropping milk feeds in the day by now?

She is only breastfed still on waking in the morning, then we go down for breakfast, which ends up being about 1 hour after that.  Then she has formula bottles the rest of the day.  So one at about 9.30am/10.30am, then lunch about 1pm, then bottle about 3/3.30pm, then dinner at 5.15pm, the bedtime bottle at 7.15/7.30pm (we start the bedtime routine at 7pm).   I've been advised by the nursery nurse to try just giving her 150ml bottles in the day and keep the 260ml bottle at bedtime, as I was worried her bottles were interfering with her appetite for lunch and dinner.  Having done that for a good week or two, I notice that she sometimes cries after she finishes the 150ml bottles and seems to want more.  What should I do?  Shouldn't she be wanting less by now?

Thanks.

[Martini~]

What is her total daily milk intake and how it is divided by bottles? At 9mo it is possible to drop to 3 bottles per day, but crying after finishing bottle doesn't seem like she is ready...

Why you are feeding her at 9:30am? Is she hungry by then after WU breast and breakfast?

[Lolly]

From about 9/10 months most formula fed babies are dropping to 3 bottles. The routine tends to be wake up bottle, a bottle after lunch before the afternoon nap and a bedtime bottle. Not all babies do this though, it does depend on solid intake, if it's not increasing much it's worth dropping to 3 bottles/ milk feeds to even things out a bit.

It sounds like 3 bottles may suit her better as you can offer a bigger bottle after lunch and not worry about it having an impact on solids as she will have already had her lunch. In the UK we don't limit bottles too much, and 8/9oz (240/270ml) bottles are the norm at this age really. They need a minimum of 20oz a day, but most babies are taking between 720ml and 810ml in 24 hours with solids.

Laura

[Canadian Nat]

Hi

I'm feeding her at 9.30/10am because it about 4 hours since her last milk feed (the wake up one).  I thought I had to still keep her milk feeds roughly 4 hours apart?  So, it she wakes around 6am, then I am giving her the milk at about 10am again.  I get what you mean though, I don't know if she's really hungry for it but I just thought the general thing was that she should be on 4 hourly feeds by now, so that is why I'm feeding her at this sort of time.

With regard to her total intake, I'm not sure, it can vary but she drains 150ml twice a day (so, that's 300ml so far there) and I don't know how much she takes from the one side of breast on wake up, and as for the bedtime bottle, she can drink about 250ml or it can be half if she's had big lunches/dinners and/or feeds were late in the day and backed up a bit, so she's not really that hungry for the bedtime feed sometimes.  So in total, milk alone can be 600ml (ish, including the unknown breast milk).

So it sounds like if most babies at this age are dropping to three feeds a day, then my one is still on four?  (Breast feed on wake up, mid-morning bottle, afternoon bottle and bedtime bottle), so should I drop one?  Which one?  The mid morning feed?

I'm so worried about all this, and confused.  She's a fairly good eater on foods but I think she used to eat more solids and as time has gone on, is now eating slightly less.  What might have caused this too is the fact that I used to solely breastfeed her day and night (except the bedtime bottle), but since I had to start work again recently, that is why I have introduced the formula bottles the rest of the day.  I wonder if she started to really like having the formula and that has filled her up and made her appetite less?

[Lolly]

I think it's probably the spacing of feeds that needs a tweak now. It's recommended that babies who are breastfed still have 4 feeds a day, but one breastfeed and two good bottle feeds is fine as far as I know. Is she taking some water with her solids?

As they get closer to 1 they don't have feeds at 4 hours as solids are taking over, you can give a snack at 10ish rather than a milk feed in she is hungry. I would try 3 bottles, you will more than likely find that she takes more milk in the remaining bottles, so offer full bottles for a week or so until she settles into the new routine and you know how much she needs.

Keep the first and last milk feed and offer the third one after her solids lunch, just before her nap but try not to feed to sleep! My DD dropped to 3 bottles at 8 months so she had solids lunch about 11.30/12 and then her bottle at 2.

I would say though that there is nothing wrong with what you are doing and if you prefer to stick to that for a couple more months that's fine too! Don't let the nursery push you into something you aren't ready for unless you feel there is a need to change.

Laura

[Martini~]

Agree with Lolly totally which is of course obvious!
My DS is 8mo almost and have the same problems so don't worry Hon, it will settle but don't be so stressed about what you have to do but do what's best for you and your kid.

[Canadian Nat]

Hi

Thanks to you both.  I'll think about trying the 3 feeds a day then, but up the bottle size to cover me and see how that goes.  It may take a little while to try and do it so I'll let you know over the next few days/week (s) when I tried and what happened.  Might be tomorrow! Who knows!

Thanks again.

[Lizzielulu]

Excuse me butting in but wondered about making a couple of suggestions. I note you only feed from one breast on waking. She might do better at this stage to have both breasts, or one before and one after breakfast. Might up her milk consumption at this feed and fill her up a bit to keep going. Sorry if I've misunderstood by the way.
My LO is younger but has started weaning (naughty). She has bottle on wake up but doesn't usually finish so has the rest around 8am mixed with breakfast and then offered rest of bottle if still some left. This is a 5oz feed. She has solids at 11-11.30 after morning nap, followed by 4oz milk. As her solids increase at lunch I will decrease the milk and replace it with water from a cup once she is not taking more than 2oz. After post lunch nap she then has a 6oz bottle at 3pm which she is hungry for. She then has supper solids at 6pm followed by a 7 oz bottle, she will typically have half before bath around 6.30 and half after bath at about 7.15. (Still has df at 11, 3oz but planning to phase this out and increase her first morning milk). Therefore the three bottles by nine months for my LO should be 7am, 3pm and 6.30-7.30pm, if it goes to plan). I know this wouldn't suit everyone, particularly if you want her to have an earlier supper, or milk with her lunch, but if you like the idea, it could work something like that.