Just weaned from breast to formula, a few questions....

[rebecaq]

Hello!

I just weaned my ds cold trukey from the breast, for biting reasons  ...don't even get me started....

He took the changed beatifully and doesn't even look for my breast any more.  But since I've never done the whole bottle thing I'm confused with a few things :

1.) He doesn't seem interest in drinking in the morning, when I would think he'd be hungriest, just messes around and drink MAYBE 4oz, I use the other 4 to make his cereal.  For lunch he drinks from 6-8 and at dinner all 8.  Is this normal?

2.) For dinnertime, should I prepare the 8 oz and then take some of that out for his cereal, or let him drink all his bottle and make some more for his cereal?

3.) since he was breast fed unti,now he never needed or seemed to be interested in drinking water, should I offer more now?


TIA!!!!!

[LŠuren]

rebecaq

Difficult to answer!  Does he take a feed in the night and that is why he is not hungry first thing. My DS's last feed it at 1945 and when I go to feed him at 0730 he isn't always interested in anything past 4oz, but I just persever with it and he takes it - DS takes 4 x 7 - 8oz bottles per day + 2 or 3 meals, however my DS is a lot younger than yours.

At you LOs age they need about a pint of milk a day and their solids. Is he happily drinking all the milk you give him?  You could start to offer more water or juice after meals.

If he takes 4 + 8 + 8 =20 (just under 600mil/pint) + whatever you are adding to his food, sounds about right to me.

I will check with Leahs Mom the other mod, her LO is older so she will have gone through this stage.

[Mom to M&M]

Hi there! Marisa went through a phase with this and not being hungry in the morning. I know it seems odd but apparently its not unusual and as long as DS ie getting enough rest of the day no worries. Plus the other 4 ounces to make his cereal totally counts!

I'd let him have as much as he wants from the dinner bottle plus extra for cereal.

Marisa doesn't like water much - she'll drink a bit from a sippy but mainly just get frustrated. Maybe just see if he'll take a few sips with each solid meal?

Good luck!

[Leah's Mom]

At this age it is normal not to be hungry first thing in the AM. At this age my DD's first bottle of the day was at 9 am before her first nap. Is he on three bottles a day? Does he get the bottles with meals? Or in between as snacks? I would offer him the full 8 ounces at night and then use more to make cereal with. At this age, he should have around 24 ounces per day. It looks like he gets this with the 4 ounces in his AM cereal. I would start offereing water in a sippy cup with snack. Does he take a sippy?

[rebecaq]

Thanks for all the answers!

Lauren -- He takes his dinner bottle at 6 and has his cereal at 6:30, then he's asleep by 7:15 -7:30, he stopped the dreamfeed at 2 months and sleeps straight till 7 a.m.

Karen --  Dinner is usually no problem, it's breakfast that has me baffled, and I know what you mean about the water, he looks at me like " Hey! No flavor! What gives?!?!?" LOL

Christine -- Santiago is on three feeds since about a month ago, even before I introduced the bottle, so I just kept the same amount.  I give him his bottle, wait about 30 mins and then give him solids, I tried giving them as snacks and it wreaked havoc on his sleep!  And he eats the same amount of solids with or without the bottle, so I left it as it is.  Good to hear about giving him more milk for his cereal, that's what I was doing and was worried it was too much.  He takes a sippy, but the water is not such a big hit, I'll keep trying just in case.

[Leah's Mom]

I don't think water is such a big deal. My DD doesn't drink much, mostly milk. I just thought something in the sippy is good, because all too soon he will be off bottles too! 

[rebecaq]

Well, I waited about 45 minutes this morning before giving him his bottle and he drank all 8 oz and then ahd 3 oz with his cereal   I think I was just used to the fact that as soon as he woke up in the morning he would nurse really well.  Sily me to think that would remain the same!

Thanks for all the help!

Christine, I know what you mean about the sippy cups, I give him his juice in glass with a spout but it isn;t the no-drip system, to start getting him used to it so by the time he's a year old he can start the transition to the cup more smoothly!

[LŠuren]

Glad to hear you have made progress