Bottle Timing Confusion

[Mom to M&M]

Need some help on timing my DDs bottles... She currently has 4 bottles/day (no DF, no night feeds) and takes between 24-30 ounces/day - usually closer to 26 or 27. She is currently only on two solid meals/day as we've had a very slow start with solids due to digestive and reflux issues. Those two meals only total about 4 ounces of food right now and are just fruits or veggies - no cereal.

At the same time, we are in the midst of dropping catnap - some days we have it some not. On the days we don't, it's really hard to fit in the bottles since that means a longer afternoon nap and earlier bedtime. So like today, she woke at 6:30 and played in crib until 6:50 and had first bottle (7 ounces) at 7. Then she had 2 ounces of peaches at 8:15 and fell asleep for first nap at 9 am. I will let her sleep 2 hours if she can/wants to, and she always needs time to wake up and play before eating - which would make her second bottle around 11:30, although she'll usually only drink about 5 ounces at this point. So I'd give her the other 2-3 ounces around 12:30 and then her second nap would be at about 2. Assuming again she might sleep for 2 hours until 4, I could feed her next bottle at 4:15 and then solids (2 ounces) at say 5:30 or 5:45. But unless she wanted to doze off for 15-20 minutes in stroller during errands, there would be no need for or time for a catnap so she'd want to go to bed by 7:30 at the latest - probably more like 7:15. But she never eats all her dinner bottle in one shot - she usually has half before her bath and half after.  So would I start feeding her the bottle at 6:45 even though that would only be 2.5 hours from last bottle? Would she even take much? I'd like her to take a bigger bottle at night so she's not hungry overnight. So do I make her third bottle smaller?

I know it will be easier when she is taking more solids and on 3 meals/day and then we can drop one bottle but what do I do in the meantime?

TIA.

[Lªuren]

Hiya, sorry its taken so long, I’ve been trying to post for ages!!!

We give or take the catnap as well and sometimes if the catnap is refused or we are not out and about DS is up from 1530-1600, his bedtime is ALWAYS 8pm, he will not go down before even if tired.  I wouldn’t want him in bed any earlier anyway as it would affect his routine for the following day. All babies are different though and some may not be able to cope.

The bath at 7:20pm seems to give him his second wind. His teatime bottle is between 4 - 5pm, then he starts his last bottle at 7pm then bath, then the rest of the bottle at approx 7:40pm – sleeping for 8pm until usually 7am. (no d/f either)

In answer to your question about the 3rd bottle being smaller, I offer DS his usual amount at this time and he still takes a whopper for his last split feed.  If you did decide to reduce this bottle you will probably need to boost the oz’s in the other bottles.

[Mom to M&M]

Thanks Lauren - and no need to apologize - the site is totally wonky again today!

So far today we've done:

Wake: 6:30, play in crib
Bottle: 6 ounces at 7 am, one ounce after peaches (see below)
Solids: 8:15 am - 2 ounces peaches
Nap: 9:05-10:55
Water (for constipation reasons): 2 ounces at 11:10
Bottle: 5 ounces at 11:45, 2.5 ounces at 12:30
Nap: 2:05 pm - still going (will let her go 2 full hours if she can)

If she were to sleep until 4 or so I would let her play in crib for 10-15 minutes and then probably give 5-6 ounces only at 4:15. Worried if I give more she won't eat dinner and last bottle. And I can't keep her up much more than 3 hours right now - she's way into army crawling and totally tires herself out. So if she were to wake at 4 I'd need to get her into bed by 7:15 or so. So I could do 5-6 ounces at 4:15, 2 ounces peaches (trialing new food tomorrow) at 5, stroller walk to relax from 5:30-6, 4 ounces bottle at 6:40 then bath and rest of bottle (hopefully she'd take at least 2 more ounces) and bed?

Now yesterday she took a shorter morning nap so I was able to (thankfully) get her to doze for 20-25 minutes in stroller. And I have a feeling it will go back and forth for a couple of weeks until we drop the catnap for good.

But in the meantime, it does make feeding a bit crazy - especially until her solid intake can grow more!

[Lªuren]

Wake 0630
E – 0700  milk 6oz                        6oz
A – 0730
   E – Solids 0815 – 2oz fruit + milk 1oz    7oz
S – 0900-1100 (varies)
A – after nap

E – 1145 milk 7.5oz with 15min rest         14.5oz
A - 1245
S – 1400 – 1600 (varies)
A – after nap

E – 1615 milk 5/6oz                       20oz
A - 1645
   E – Solids 1700 – 2oz fruit
A – 1730 stroller 30 mins

E – 1840 – 1st half of feed 4oz             24oz
A Bath
E -  2nd half of feed 2oz                  26oz[/b]
Bed


Alternative with introduction of 2nd meal at lunch, instead of diner.
Wake 0630
E – 0700  milk 6oz                           6oz
A – 0730
   E – Solids 0800 – 2oz fruit + milk 1oz                       7oz
S – 0900-1100 (varies)
A – depending on length of nap

E – 1100/1130 milk 7.5oz with 15min rest         14.5oz
A – 1215
    E – Solids 1300 – 2oz veg?? + milk 1oz?                   15.5oz
S – 1400 – 1600 (varies)
A – depending on length of nap

E – 1600 milk 5/6oz                             21oz
A – 1630, incl. walk in stroller at 1730 for 30mins*

E – 1830/1845 – 1st half of milk feed 4oz                   25oz
A  - Bath
E -  2nd half of feed 2oz                       27oz[/b]
Bed

*will she nap here???


I have put the introduction to another meal at lunch time. I know when I introduced solids it felt like I was feeding him all day!!!  At the moment I give DS breakfast and lunch every day consistently. After his 3rd bottle I will give him a little yogurt, but I will be changing this soon to possibly veggies and he can have the yogurt as dessert after lunch.

And another reason is that you are still tacking the catnaps and maybe trying to get a solids feed in there as well is going to be too much all at once. You need your diner as well! I know it always feels like a marathon in my house at night, between feeding & bathing DS and getting our tea.

You also don’t want to be making your LO tummy to stuffed just before bedtime or else you may find that she will have tummy cramps during the night = night wakings!!!!

Hope this makes sense.

[Mom to M&M]

Thanks again Lauren. I'll do it the first way this evening but try the other way tomorrow and do just breakfast and lunch for now! Will let you know how it goes...

[Lªuren]

Good luck 

[*Natasha*]

Hi Karen,

It is a tough time when trying to fit in solids into the day. At the moment i feel like all DD does is eat and sleep. I am now also thinking about introducing snacks as well so i think DD will either be in high chair eating or asleep in cot  At 5 months we were juggling DD dropping cat nap and a bottle. This is how our day looks and has since 5 months.

7am - Wake
7.30am - Bottle 7ozs
8.15am - Cereal with 1 small tub yoghurt and 1-2oz milk
9.30am - Sleep 1.5/1hr 45mins sometimes 2hrs
12pm - Lunch Fruit and custard
1pm - Bottle 7ozs
2pm - Sleep Sleep 1.5/1hr 45mins
4-4.30pm - Want to introduce a snack here.
5pm - Dinner 1tbls Meat, 3-4 veges and sometimes pasta/rice
6pm - Bath
6.30pm - Bottle 7oz
7pm - Bed for the night.

So in total she has approx 23ozs and plenty of yohurt/custard.
We were very successful in dropping cat nap so if you need help please ask 

[Lªuren]

Karen How are you getting on with the routine?

[Mom to M&M]

Hi Lauren. Things have been a bit jumbled since we seem to be alternating one day on/one day off with needing catnap - depending on wake time and length of first two naps. Her A time is pretty consistent and very stretched - I think the nap issue will go back and forth another couple of weeks before we are finally able to get rid of catnap completely.

So the bottles are a bit all over the place too. Yesterday DD would only drink 5 ounces at 4pm and 4.5 ounces at 7 pm before bed - but at least she still slept through night - well didn't wake us anyway. She was up around 3 am playing and talking in her crib but fell back asleep after about 20-30 minutes and slept until 6am and then downed 7 ounces at 6:30.