Feeding schedule for increasing A times?

[JennVanessa1083]

Hi!

I was wondering what a BF and solids schedule would look like when A times are at 3.5 or more.

Right now this is his schedule:

WU/BF 7am
E 7:15
A
E 8:30 am (solids/ milk)
A
S 10:30-11:30 am (3.5A)
E 11:30
A
E 12:45pm (solids/milk)
A
S 3-4:30pm (3.5hrs )
E 4:30 pm
A
E 5:45pm (solids)
A
BT/BF 7:45 pm (3.25A)

However I notice he will wake earlier from his pm nap from hunger. Today I fed him after an hour pm nap and he went straight back to sleep. That does not happen in our household lol He's about to be 9 months in a couple of days. Is there a growth spurt? Or maybe there is something I should tweak? Maybe give milk top up 15 minutes after solids rather than immediately afterwards? I made sure he was full at lunch so not sure what this is about. 

Any advice or thoughts are much appreciated.

[creations]

Your E milk and solids times all look fine but if you feel he is waking with hunger in the pm nap then how about milk at 2.30/2.45 before the nap?  I know it's kind of not what you expect from the EASY routine but many people do milk before a nap for a while until A or E times change again.
If you do milk around 2.34 then nap you could move the solids dinner from 5.45 to 4.30pm. LOs tend to like dinner early anyway so you may find he eats more at that time and that sees him through to the BT milk.  If dinner is at 5.45 because that is when your family mean is then you could still sit him with you at the table for a nibble and the social aspect of coming together to eat.

Does he still need a top up milk after solids at 9 months? I would have thought a cup of water would be enough now and you still have plenty of milk feeds across the day.

[JennVanessa1083]

I can definitely give it a try in terms of giving him a feed before his nap. I do want to start eating with him bc usually I feed him before we eat dinner. I do the top up before bed because he doesn't really eat so much at dinner and prefers to nurse but perhaps it's because it's too late.

[creations]

It wasn't so much the BF at BT I was wondering about, I think all LOs this age will be having a BT milk feed, it was the top up milked directly after the earlier solids meals I wondered if he still needed, the 8.30am and 12.45 meals times which are solids but also have milk. I would think now you can move to just eater in a cup for those.

he doesn't really eat so much at dinner but perhaps it's because it's too late.

Could be.  It's common for LOs to take in more of their calories earlier in the day so breakfast and lunch then not so much at dinner but an earlier dinner can prove to be more inviting than a later one.  We've only just moved our dinner to 5pm (still more like 4.45-5pm) from 4.30pm and my DS is 5yo now!  Some just do need it early to be able to eat.

[JennVanessa1083]

You make some good points! So I'm wondering if giving him the top up milk feeds in a cup might be hindering the milk feeds. For example, I give him formula after a solids breakfast in a cup. I wonder if it makes him not take a full milk feed when he wakes up from the am nap which in turn makes him hungrier earlier from his pm nap. Is that even possible?

If I move dinner earlier then would I eliminate the feed after the pm nap and move it before the pm nap while no longer doing formula top ups in the sippy.

I wanted to get him acquainted with a different milk for when o wean him around 12 months. Maybe it's too soon to even think about that.

[creations]

If I move dinner earlier then would I eliminate the feed after the pm nap and move it before the pm nap

That's what I would try yes. Milk before nap and dinner after, it is the same number of feeds but just earlier.

Didn't realise you were giving formula in a cup, I can see your thinking on this.  Maybe just try for a few days or a week with giving water rather than milk at the breakfast meal and see if it changes the morning post-nap milk.  Possibly a bit of experimentation needed.

[JennVanessa1083]

Ok! I can definitely give it a go! Then I could try milk feed before afternoon nap then just dinner.

[JennVanessa1083]

Hi!

I was wondering how much before a nap I should do the second milk feed. I tried it today 45 minutes before and he fell asleep before it was time smh. I definitely don't want to create a habit. He is also teething his top teeth which may make him tired earlier.

[creations]

Hmmm...yes maybe teething has made him more tired. I wouldn't have expected him to still get sleepy from a feed if he doesn't normally associate feeding with sleeping.  Maybe just try again same time and see what happens?  Encourage him to stay awake.

[JennVanessa1083]

Ok I can do that. He may associate nursing with falling asleep at bedtime which is very recent so working towards getting that handled. But he goes to sleep independently for naps and I don't feed at every NW. I thought maybe teething as you said makes him more tired especially with the broken night he had. He was also crying inconsolably so I fed him thinking maybe he's hungry again. I'll try again tomorrow and make sure he stays awake.