Bottle and Solids at the same feed?

[ablack]

I have noticed that some people feed a bottle and then an hour or an hour and a half later feed solids  and then others feed solids just after giving the bottle/breast.  I have been feeding my daughter solids just before or after her bottle at breakfast and dinner and wondered if it would be better to do it the other way.  Are there any benefits or is it just personal preference?

[Olivia's Mummy]

I've been wondering the same thing. I feed my daughter her cereal first thing in the morning before I give her a bottle and then the same process again at lunch. However at dinner she gets only cereal and then her bottle after her bath and just before she gets her stories and bed. I haven't given her any other liquids other than formula (or initially breastmilk) and feel that after she has the cereal she needs to wash it down (at least I'd want to). I'm just not sure when to transition the bottle to a snack and make the cereal her only food at mealtimes or if I shouldn't worry about this until she moves to "real" food. My daughter is 6-1/2 months now and has been eating cereal for just shy of one month. Anyone have any input on the subject?

[Lola]

I was told that solids should be after the liquid because they still rely on the breast/bottle for nutrition. That never worked for my LO she had a small appetite and would never eat the solids bc she was full from the bottle/breast. I did solids first and then bottle and she still took the same amount of bottles every day.
She is now 9 months and it doesn't affect her at all...

[andrea21]

Hello..

I am not sure what is the right way to go but with my DD I did food then bottle,but with my Ds who is nearly 6months old I do bottle then food.
He has been on Cereal in the morning for about one month now and we started lunch time one week ago.
I think they say do milk then cereal,but I personally think every child is different and what is by the book doesn't work for every child.
I have done both my children different and they are both fine.
I personally believe readall the info then work out what is best for your child.thats what I do with my DS now,it took me 4months to work him out,but now he goes great every day without hardly any problems.

This probably doesn't help you,but i have read both ways too.

[Asher's Mommy]

We are just starting solids. Only one time a day so far. I feed Asher his cereal and then BF. If I BF first he wouldn't be hungry enough for cereal.
Annette

[tylersmommy]

Like Lola said, breast and/or bottle should still be your LO's main source of nutrition. I think that's why a lot of moms don't do solids first...it's easy for a baby to fill up on solids and not be hungry enough for the good stuff. All babies are different, though, so it comes down to what works best for you and your LO. If you can do solids first without seeing a drop in breast/bottle intake, then that's perfectly fine!

[ablack]

thanks for all the info.  i appreciate it!!

i was also wondering about the people who feed solids between bottles rather than at the same time.  for instance, i saw some who feed a bottle at 7am and then solids at around 8 or 8:30 and then a bottle at 11 and solids at 12 or 12:30ish and so on.  is it any more helpful to do it this way rather than to do a bottle/solids at the same feed time?

[andrea21]

I do it that way as it give my Ds time for his stomach to be a bit more hungry and it works in well with my DD school hours.
It is harder for  me to get out of the house some days,but if I have to get out of the house I just bring the 11am feed forward to 10.30am and then solids at 11.30am then I can got out until his next bottle at 3pm.

For me it would be easier to do bottle then feed but it doesn't work with my DS so I am stuck at home most days.

Go with what you feel is right for your child and what you are confortable with.

[Lara's Mum]

i do solids then half an hour to an hour later dd's bottle, never noticed that she was too full to have it... but i did notice that if i did it the other way round, she'd spit-up more frequently as if something was wrong with her digestion...but dd was a reflux baby...so maybe that's just us...

love

[bneydgrl]

When I started adding solids into Ella's diet i just did it followng her bottles.  Then recently at 9 mo we switched her to sippy cups at mealtimes instead of bottle followed by solids and so she switches bak and forth.  I did the bottle first b/c like the PP said, I wanted to make sure she waostly full from the formula first and then solids were for practice/dessert of sorts