Author Topic: What's the typical age to start offering snacks?  (Read 8532 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline lolsyb1982

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 34
  • Posts: 1192
  • Location: Essex
What's the typical age to start offering snacks?
« on: August 24, 2016, 06:15:47 am »
DD2 has just turned 9 months. She lost interest in her mid morning bottle a few weeks back so I stopped it and now she's only taking a few oz of her afternoon bottle too so wondering whether to just drop this one too and offer a snack instead?
She has never been a big milk drinker and I think since starting solids it's made her realise formula isn't all that tasty!
Lauren




Offline creations

  • Feeding Solid Food & EASY
  • Moderator
  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 496
  • Posts: 21993
  • Location: UK
Re: What's the typical age to start offering snacks?
« Reply #1 on: August 24, 2016, 08:45:07 am »
I'd probably keep offering that afternoon milk for a while longer even if the amount has dropped.  It's just that the formula is fortified with all the vits and minerals and solid food/snacks usually aren't so even if she only has a smaller milk drink at that time I'd still give it.

Are you giving a snack where the mid morning bottle used to be?

Are you giving dairy snacks such as yoghurt and cheese?  On the one hand these do count towards milk intake, on the other they don't offer as much nutrition as the formula.  Depending how much formula she's taking overall you might prefer she had more formula or fortified cereal as a solid snack.  You can use formula to make a milk pudding for instance which could then be offered as a snack if she is preferring the solid food to the bottle, or mine had some additional vits from his baby muesli which was fortified but I made it into firmish finger food balls for self feeding at breakfast time (so the cereal was fortified and I used formula to make it up).

One thing I found with my DS was that the more dairy solids I gave him the less formula he drank, as though he knew he'd had enough milky stuff, he was not a great fan of milk and for a while we did better with less dairy solids so that he took a better bottle.  Other LOs though seem to take their formula and all the dairy solids are in addition and don't impact on how much formula is taken.

Certainly it's a progression towards 12 months though, a gradual move towards more solids so if the 2 remaining milks are really good ones you might be comfortable for those to remain and for the mid morning and mid afternoon to be snacks or dairy snacks.  Sorry, not a cut and dry answer!  Like I said, if it was me I'd hold on to the formula for a bit longer yet.


Offline Martini~

  • Birth Clubs
  • Forum Moderator
  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 48
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 3009
  • Location:
Re: What's the typical age to start offering snacks?
« Reply #2 on: August 24, 2016, 08:59:26 am »
Mmmm we were at 3 full bottles at 7/8mo if I remember correctly. We dropped mid-morning milk as his two day bottles were smaller and smaller and we consolidated to one bottle at 2pm. I wasn't offering snacks as our routine was as below and with snack, he was not interested in dinner and he had a nap just after 11:00.
7am milk
8am breakfast
11/11:15 lunch

As our nap moved later and the lunch was closer to 11:30/12:00 we started to offer snack around 9/9:30 as he was hungry at 11:00 and was not eager to wait until lunch. But without his hunger cues before lunch I was not keen on introducing a snack and than fight for a proper lunch with him:).
~Marta

Offline lolsyb1982

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 34
  • Posts: 1192
  • Location: Essex
Re: What's the typical age to start offering snacks?
« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2016, 09:40:42 am »
I did think it was a little to early to drop to 2 milk feeds. I haven't offered a snack in the morning as her nap usually takes her close to lunchtime now so give that to her close to 12 or just before.

She has 6oz in the morning and at night so not huge amounts. I should also mention that I've just started to wean her DF (bit late I know) and hoping that once that's gone (down to 4oz now)  she may up her morning bottle a bit?
I think I will keep the afternoon bottle for now as its an extra 3oz or so of formula I'm getting into her and I could make porridge fingers for example with formula to give to her before her morning nap.

Thanks ladies, helpful as always  :)
Lauren




Offline Haribo2012

  • Toddler Sleep
  • Forum Moderator
  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 75
  • Posts: 4924
  • Location: England
Re: What's the typical age to start offering snacks?
« Reply #4 on: August 24, 2016, 09:49:40 am »
With DS1 I gave him formula in a cup in the afternoon for a while when he was getting ready to drop second bottle. I think the bottle was just too boring for him lol, so I'd sit him with cup and some fruit so at least he'd get 4oz x
Zoe


Offline Martini~

  • Birth Clubs
  • Forum Moderator
  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 48
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 3009
  • Location:
Re: What's the typical age to start offering snacks?
« Reply #5 on: August 24, 2016, 12:32:22 pm »
Ohh I would definitely say dreamfeed can make the difference. I mean - when DS dropped DF around 6mo his overall milk intake went up. Are with minimum 18oz a day? I would say if yes it's just fine.
Sometimes more bottle doesn't mean more milk:).
~Marta

Offline lolsyb1982

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 34
  • Posts: 1192
  • Location: Essex
Re: What's the typical age to start offering snacks?
« Reply #6 on: August 24, 2016, 13:01:12 pm »
With the reduced amount DF she's just hitting the minimum in formula. Was planning one more night of 4oz DF and then dropping completely. We shall see if it makes a difference!
Lauren




Offline Martini~

  • Birth Clubs
  • Forum Moderator
  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 48
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 3009
  • Location:
Re: What's the typical age to start offering snacks?
« Reply #7 on: August 24, 2016, 13:33:01 pm »
Adding some milk in cooking shouldn't harm (however there are cases where with added milk children don't want more formula LOL). I dropped DF with around 2oz as a final bottle and needed couple of days until I have seen daily intake increase.
~Marta

Offline michaeljacknnugg

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 214
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 13362
  • New life
  • Location: UK
Re: What's the typical age to start offering snacks?
« Reply #8 on: August 24, 2016, 16:53:09 pm »
We are EBF so I've no idea how much milk he has, but he has loads of snacks atm! And full meals!! I'm offering a morning and an afternoon one, but if I'm in the kitchen he generally comes and asks for something to eat, too.
My 'little man' - kind-hearted Spirited whirlwind, 2008
My love, my everything - BabyTwo, Nov 2015

Offline Martini~

  • Birth Clubs
  • Forum Moderator
  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 48
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 3009
  • Location:
Re: What's the typical age to start offering snacks?
« Reply #9 on: August 24, 2016, 17:13:32 pm »
LOL Helen, from what you said he is just hungry and eats loads:)))!
~Marta

Offline Lindsay27

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 78
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 4031
  • Location: Ontario, Canada
Re: What's the typical age to start offering snacks?
« Reply #10 on: August 25, 2016, 02:03:07 am »
Not sure if this helps but this is our general feeding routine, no DF no NF.  All the bottles I make are 7oz but she doesn't necessarily finish them all, but I'd say she's generally in the 18-21oz per day zone.  She's not a big morning eater and tends to eat more as the day goes on.

7am - bottle (takes anywhere between 4-7oz)
8/8:30 - breakfast (cereal and fruit.  Leftover formula goes in the cereal)
Nap
12pm - lunch
2/2:30pm - bottle (takes anywhere between 4-7oz)
Nap
5/5:30 - dinner
7pm - bottle (generally about 6/7oz)



Offline lolsyb1982

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 34
  • Posts: 1192
  • Location: Essex
Re: What's the typical age to start offering snacks?
« Reply #11 on: August 27, 2016, 17:56:32 pm »
Thanks Lindsay, we're pretty much on the same routine.

Anyone know if you can freeze formula? She loves the fruity ice lollies I make for her and thinking I could add her milk to them as well?
Lauren




Offline creations

  • Feeding Solid Food & EASY
  • Moderator
  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 496
  • Posts: 21993
  • Location: UK
Re: What's the typical age to start offering snacks?
« Reply #12 on: August 27, 2016, 18:14:45 pm »
Yes you can freeze formula, as with any food you wouldn't be able to freeze, defrost and refreeze.