switching to solids, doesn't want bottle!

[marijke]

Since 2 weeks I replaced 2 breastfeeds with solids, because on monday I have to go back to work. But my son doesn't want a bottle, so I only give him a bit of water after solids. I was wondering until what age I have to breastfeed, because now I can never leave the house on times he needs to feed (pumping doesn't go well)!

[RachelC]

Can you post your daily routine?  How old is your lo?

[marijke]

Daily routine looks something like this (but still lots of night wakings, different hour waking in the morning)
6.30/7.00 get up and bf (sometimes already awake from 5.30, chatting for a while, when crying I give paci and goes back to sleep for a while)
8.30/9.00 sleep (1 hour, sometimes more)
11.00 solids (fruit) + water
12.30/1.00 sleep (1 hour, sometimes more)
3.00 solids (veggies + water)
4.30/5.00 sleep (short nap)
6.00 bath + bf + bed
10.00/11.00 bf
wakes during the night, since I started solids I stopped feeding him at night, that's going very well, he's not hungry at night.

[RachelC]

How old is he?  I would make sure that he gets his bf before solids!  He may be getting too many solids, so he does not want the bf.  I would aim for something along these lines:

bf upon waking.
7:30/8 solids
11 bf
12 solids
3bf
6bath bf bed

It is important to keep breastmilk (or formula) as the main source of calories for quite some time.

[daisymelan]

I agree with Rachel, but it all depends on the age of your lo.

Bfing or formula should be the #1 source of nutrition through the first year.

[marijke]

He's 6.5 months, but I can't bf him at 11 or 3 because I have to go to work. So that's when he should take a bottle of formula but he doesn't want it. My midwife said it's ok if he gets 3 bf and 2 meals of solids + water (he gets enough fluids then she says). He loves the solids but only wants to drink milk from me (or my milk in a bottle is also ok)! Should we try to give him formula and if he doesn't want it give nothing else so he will get hungry? That doesn't feel right but maybe it's necessary?

[marijke]

Ok so I'll keep trying to get him to take formula... That's what I've been thinking, we'll see how it works out! Thanks!

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

If he likes your EBM, and you're able to pump even a little, then you could try giving bottles or sippy cups of EBM and add formula to it - gradually increasing the amount of formula so he gets used to the taste.  I also agree that milk has to be a priority for the first year over solids. Good luck!

[marijke]

Thanks for the advice, I don't know what happened but he drunk 90 ml of formula before solids! No problem at all!  Let's hope he likes it now!

[marijke]

Second time today drank 180 ml of formula but didn't want to eat solids afterwards. Maybe I should post this in the bottle feeding forum but has anyone got an idea of how much formula I should give him if I breastfeed him 3 times a day still? 90 ml was ok to have solids afterwards, but isn't that too little?

[RachelC]

At 6.5 months, solids are just about first tastes and experimental.  At this point, solids should be 1 - 2 tsps per meal.

Sounds like things are going well.

[marijke]

Yes things are going well!!!  I breastfed before so I don't have an idea how much formula a baby should drink but on bottle forum I found around 600 ml so I think 90 ml + solids 2 times a day should be ok. We had to start solids because of severe reflux and the ped said starting solids can help. It's definately much better (less vomiting) but I don't want him to miss nutricients from milk. He likes solids a lot though so I'll keep offering him!

[marijke]

Ok but that's like 180 ml so he won't eat solids after this? Everyone seems to have a different opinion about solids, I mean ped and midwife and Tracy... Difficult especially with the reflux thing... Ped will not be satisfied if I say he doesn't get a lot of solids