Feeding routine for 6-9months

[Mum2Connor]

Nicolanorway, he is hungry for his 6pm bottle, it is a cluster feed as we can't leave it any later or his bedtime and sleeping through would be messed up I feel. 

Did you mean to ask why we are giving the Dream Feed bottle @ b/w 9.30-10.30pm?  He usually wakes for this DF feed, last night we gave it to him at 10pm (i.e. 4 hrs after the 6pm).  From Tracy's book I gather we continue the DF until solids are really well established.

The cereal I make up mixed with formula not water, and he eats all of it.

Yes the teeth are a trying time  The child health nurse asked me when myself and my husband got our first teeth, which is something I need to ask our parents.  She felt that the age of teething is hereditary??? I hadn't heard of this.

[nicolanorway]

yep, i also heard that if you or your DH were early teether's then your off-spring might well be too. it sound's like you know what to do with your DS, obviously you know him better then anyone. i think you get rid of the DF between 7-8 mth's, it seems the norm. you should definitley not be worried about his milk intake if you are making up his cereal with formula and he is eating it all!!! good luck, nicola

[Mum2Connor]

sorry further question, which comes back to the question of the 6pm bottle.  (As per my 1st post he has solid dinner around 5/5.15pm, then bath and 6pm bottle.)

The last 3 nights (including just now) Connor only drank 100-120ml at the 6pm feed  I'm confused - although I do think he has teeth pain on and off, but he's managing good amount of millilitres during the day.  He is almost always showing tired signs during or just after the 6pm bottle.  Would it be better to put him down without the bottle?   And do a DF when he wakes?  About a month ago his DF would be b/w 10-10.30pm but I notice the last few weeks he's waking earlier for it which has been b/w 9-9.45pm. Tonight he woke at 8.30pm hungry so we did DF then, still sleeping through till 7am.

Sorry I'm pretty confused.  He's now having solids 3 times p/day.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Sonja

[Mum2Connor]

I've tried something new tonight - well just now and I hope it works.  Please advise your thoughts on the following:

3pm feed as usual
4.15pm tired cues; offered nap.  Babbled in cot -no nap - got up when getting fussy @ 5pm.
5pm Solids dinner
5.30pm bath
5.50pm tired cues, wind-down to S

So I've omitted the 6pm bottle.  He babbled, well more like bordering on fussing, really for nearly 40mins and then asleep.  I'm assuming that we give a bottle when he wakes hungry?  Not sure if this will be @7pm, or whether he may wake around 8/8.30pm? And should this feed be like a DF with no A.

Many thanks
Sonja

[Mum2Connor]

Hi Stacy

Thank you.  I really appreciate your insights, as I was skeptical about moving the 6pm bottle  . 

Could you also please read my post under naps "missing the window" this explains Connor's routine, where I asked further questions, I've included it below as well.  He doesn't have long A times after E b/c of his babbling in his cot before E.  He wouldn't take much of the 6pm bottle the previous 3 nights ie. 100 ml, I think he's too tired(?)  .  Last night he woke at 7.30pm and we did DF and he drank 210ml, so no A after.  He slept till 6.15am babbled till 7am and up and started the day.

I was worried about changing the 6pm bottle but his fussing at 6pm and not drinking is also difficult. We did try 3 nights of giving the 6pm bottle in his room, v.low light and straight in bed.  But he still only took 100ml.  Then he would wake earlier for the DF (understandly).
Here is his routine:

wakes b/w 6am & 7am talking
7am E bottle 170-200ml; nappy change, then A.
7.50/8am E solids breakfast (Rice Cereal made with formula 4-5 tsp - nearly finishing), then more A
8.15/8.30am wind-down for 5-10mins. Lay down to S.
Mantra briefly at this time then S. Wakes usually 10am babbles till 11am

11am E bottle b/w 180-220, nappy change, then A
11.50am E solids lunch (Rice Cereal again, as intro'd carrots on Sunday but gave him runny poo so switched back to cereal on Tues - temporary till intro new food on weekend), then more A
12.15/12.30 wind-down as above. Lay down to S
Mantra till 1pm usually, then S.  Wakes usually 2pm babbles till 3pm

3pm E bottle b/w 180-200ml, nappy change and A as above.
4.15/4.30pm start wind-down as above.  Lay down to S
Offer nap. 
However, has been dropping this nap on and off for 3 weeks. I always offer the nap in any case. He is naps tills 5pm or babbles till then therefore up again at 5pm. 

5pmish E Solids - pumpkin approx 2 tsp
A - watches baby Einstein while Mum gets bath ready – this keeps him calm as he’s usually grizzly by this time of day.
5.30pmish bath
6pm E bottle b/w 100-120 ml – was taking around 200ml but has dropped the last 3 nights – I’ve posted Q under feeding solids about this
6.30pm S bed.
DF bottle 180-200ml Last 3 nights has woken b/w 8.30/9pm hungry cry for DF.  Previously it was not till b/w 9.30pm & 10.30pm. 

My questions:
How do we handle 6pm bottle?  Is the amount of rice cereal earlier in the day the problem?
With short A times where do I move the solids dinner?

Many thanks

Sonja

[Mum2Connor]

sorry Stacy I should add that yesterday he didn't eat his cereal at lunch, just refused it.

[Mum2Connor]

formula at 11am wasn't really much higher, no.

So what do I do?  Do I continue to offer the 6pm, see what he drinks and then bed? If he drinks small amnt then the DF is earlier, is that ok?  Does that become like a cluster feed then?

Sonja

[djwflub]

Here's Gabrielle's routine, she's 7 months

6.30 wake, play (sing!) in cot
7.00 7oz bottle & weetabix (about a half) or porridge made with milk from her bottle, & fruit to taste
9-9.45 sleep
11.30 lunch - veg (about 60g) & 1 ice cube of fish, chicken or beef, half a yogurt pot or fruit & water to drink
12.15-1.45 sleep
2.30 7oz bottle
4.45 dinner - veg & dessert, rest of the yogurt or fruit or similar, water to drink
5.15 bath & ready for bed
6.15 7oz bottle
6.30-6.45 bed

[Mum2Connor]

HI Stacy - thank you.  Yesterday and last night were better.  He ate all of his pumpkin (1 cube) @ 5pm, drank 190ml a@ 5.50pm, was down to bed at 6.10pm, asleep by 6.40pm.  Woke for DF @ 9.35pm and drank 170ml! 

Thanks for all your help
Sonja
(ps we are going to try apples 

[hynoki]

Offer the dinner at 4:30/ 5 and if he doesnt want it, no big deal. I didnt even have a dinner until the dream feed was dropped and my son did the 11-12 hours without any df or night feeds. Offer the dinner earlier, if he doesnt want it, dont worry about it.  Offer the feed before bed and put him to bed earlier

Again thank you for this! I am happy to report that Milan's bedtime has moved to a more manageable 7.30 pm.

However we're still dealing with the 5 am or 6am starts! Any insights on this?
Current routine Milan, 7.5 months:
5am or 6am wake
(we change nappy, try pupd - more on this below)
7am - BF (i am weaning, so BM is almost gone- he prob gets just enough to last till breakfast)
8.30 big bowl wheat porride made with 180ml milk
10 - 11am sleep when at home (does a micro nap if we're out)
11.30am 150ml bottle or cup of fruit - is starting to want this later, to combine with lunch
12.30 or 1pm lunch: one slice brown bread w/jam, water from cup. He eats this totally on his own from a plate -his older bro couldnt feed himself till age 1.5!
3 - 4pm  sleep (lately has begun to fight this nap)
4pm - 180ml milk - often refuses it or drinks only 60ml
5.15pm - dinner solids -eats 200g jar if smooth, 1/2 jar if food has pieces
7pm -  180ml bottle with 6 scoops porridge
7.30pm sleep
9.30 often wakes crying for DF, which is 100 - 150ml milk plus 3 scp porridge
if he dosnt wake at 9.30pm, i give the DF between 10pm and 10.30pm

Then its 5am or 6am next morning!
If its 5am wake i am often able to get him asleep again with fresh nappy plus 30 mins (!) of shush/hold-in-bed after which he sleeps till 8am.   If its a 6am wake, then he's invariably done a big poop and after cleaning will not settle back to sleep. Either way, he starts out awake+ happy, then goes to crying with a coughing sound that's sounds to me like hunger - but i refuse to feed him till 7am as i think his daytime intake is large enough and dont want to encourage 5am feedings.

Are the early wakes a food problem a sleep problem or a habit? I can't figure it out. All help much appreciated!



  

[hynoki]

Have you offered a feed to see what he takes and then you would know if its hunger?  When you say milk, are we talking formula?  What is your total formula intake in a day, you dont want  lower then I would say 900-1000 formula in 24 hours.

Yes, milk = formula for 6+ month old babies

I think his intake does average above the 900ml - somedays less because when its hot he wants water, and some days more when the solids are challenging and he's eaten less as a result. Besides the BW book i have says you want to reduce formula intake proportionally to the solid intake, so while i always offer a 180ml bottle, i havnt re-offered it if he only finishes 100 to 150 ml of it, as he often does.

And yes, DH has offered formula at 6am, and he does finish a bottle. I just don't do this because i dont want to reinforce the waking habit, and because if i compare Milan's total intake to other babies intake posted here, he's seems to be eating far more than average - so how could it be hunger to the extent thats unbridgeable till 7am?
(he's growing perfectly well and is at the 70th percentile for weight/ height etc)


 

[sofiasmommy]

Can anyone please give me some feedback on my little ones feedings?? She is a few days shy of 10 months old and weighs almost 16lbs......she has always been tiny and had a slow weight gain, but the Dr. has never been worried she has followed her little 3rd percentile curve! She really does not ever give any hunger cues...she just is too busy to be bothered with eating. I just feed her because I know she needs to eat! She never refuses it, but if we are ever late or off schedule she is totally unaffected!

6 or 6:30am -BF
8:30am - 4 tbsp oatmeal cereal with 4 or 5 cubes of fruit
10:30 or 11am -BF
12:30pm - 5 cubes of veggies
2:30 -4:00pm (depends on when we wake from nap) BF
4:30pm - 4 tbsp rice cereal, 1 cube fruit, 1 cube meat, 3 cubes of veggies
6:30pm- BF or EBM (5oz) (I work 4 nights a week)

I have NOOOOOOOOO idea how much she gobbles down when she is bfing...she always was a 30-45 min eater (mostly only on one side), but about 8 weeks ago she became a 5 minutes MAX on each side girl! So, I have no idea.......I only cut out a 3am feeding about 2 weeks ago....she used to REALLY need that extra feed, but she was able to make it through the night on her own for a few weeks, then teething hit, so I figured she is okay without it.....are 4 bfs a day enough for her?

Is she eating enough???

[andrea21]

I am not sure if he is having enough,but this is what my Ds is doing and he is 9months old last week...

7am 210ml
7.30 weet-bix(only new at this did have full one today but only half the other day)

11.30am lunch we are on jar food as we are travelling soon  and he has a full jar 250g
12noon 210ml

3.30pm snak,normally a yougart
5.30pm tea,jar food too same size as lunch
7pm 270ml and to bed...

He sleeps the whole night on this,some days he has less when his teeth are hurting,but in general he has this every day...he weighs 10kilos,and hasnt put on not even a full kilo in 3 months,but cause of his weight nothing to worry about...

Hope this is some help,and someone else can help out too...

Andrea...

[sofiasmommy]

Hmmmmm thanks Andrea! A jar of baby food is about 4 ounces, correct? She eats maybe a jar and a little more three times a day.....that is the equivalent of her cubes of food.


Anyone else have any advice to offer?? 

[hynoki]

Im not sure but I dont ever remember anywhere in Tracys books her saying you reduce formula to add solids. Under 6 months old even 40 ounces if acceptable. Over 6 months in the neighnorhood of 32 is  normal or so.

I have the "BW solves all problems" in Dutch translation. In this book under chapter 3 (fluids) there's a table with recommended intakes per age grouping, and here under 6-12 months it says "5 feeds per day including solids. per day in total 950ml to 1420ml. When introducing solids, reduce the liquids with the same amount. etc"
But the same table later shows 7 (not 5) feeds per day in an "Example routine", not counting the DF!  So this is a bit confusing...
The same table also says under 1-2 yr old: "3 meals a day with a bottle in the morning and evening"
So, if the baby's taking 8 (split) feedings at 6 months, and working towards 5 feedings at 12 months, I thought it was ok for Milan ( 7.5 months) to combine a few feeds e.g. the 11am bottle and 1pm lunch, and replace some formula with solids. Solids and formula he is having are both approx 70 kcal per 100 g or ml, so the issue isnt fewer calories due to solids.   
 
Anyway, I am going to do as you suggest-  step up the formula, keep the feeds split, and also offer it at 5 or 6am or whenever he wakes, and see what happens.
I also think you're right about just having to accept the early wakings... i was lucky with DS1 who never woke before 8.30am, so DS2 is just evening the score!