Dropping feeds

[Lou]

Hi

I've decided to drop 2 of Isaac's bottles of milk and possibly 3 soon because he is picking at his food and the milk is filling him up. I'm still going to give him a bottle in the morning and porridge then normal lunch and dinner then before he goes to bed another bottle and whatever he leaves I make up with baby rice.

He needs longer between his meals aswell now so I have to leave 5 hours between meals and not 4 anymore which means if he gets up late, say 8:30 like he did today then I can only leave 2 hours tops between his dinner and bedtime feed. Touch wood he doesnt seem to mind this but it would be very late if I had to wait another 5 hours before bedtime! I am going to have to set my alarm and give him breakfast at 7am from now on I think

I'm also going to start giving his milk to him in a beaker and chucking his bottles away.

What are your thoughts ?

Lou

 

[lauramumof2]

Im not sure about cutting out so much milk, at 7 months I would recommend more milk than the food. Mines is 2 and still gets a bottle at bedtime and first thing. But if she gets dinner quite late then I still offer a bottle.

I let her cut back the milk herself, it seemed to work okay and I always had the milk as a fallback incase she didnt eat dinner.

It all depends on you and your babes

 

[Lou]

didn't see the point in starting a new thread but I also wanted to know how long have the formula cartons been advising to throw away unfinished milk? Can't you make up bottle's and keep them in the fridge anymore?

I only noticed on a new carton today!

Lou

 

[Lou]

The thing is though he drinks about 3oz of milk then about 5 mouthfulls of dinner and refuses afters but if I give him no milk he eats all his dinner, savoury and afters. He really doesnt seem to enjoy his milk anymore aswell.

Its tricky isnt it?

Lou

 

[Rosieroo]

I thought that up until the age of 1 babies still need milk whether it be breast or formula to be their main diet as that's what they get the most nutrition from?

 

[Lauz_1601]

my HV told me not to reduce her bottles yet, but to increase the food, eventually the bottles will be reduced just let baby guide you.
HV said the aim is for by the time they are 1 yr old they should be having 3 meals a day and at least a pint of milk, and this can be counted in any yoghurts of cheese or dairy products that they have. hope this helps sorry not explained very well

 

[Kim]

didn't see the point in starting a new thread but I also wanted to know how long have the formula cartons been advising to throw away unfinished milk? Can't you make up bottle's and keep them in the fridge anymore?

I only noticed on a new carton today!

Lou

I think it means once the feed has been made up and heated it must be thrown, not put back in the fridge. They recommend throwing the bottle after 1 hour of it being started. I think it's still ok to make them all up and put them in the fridge though. I sometimes do.

 

[Em78]

Hi Lou



i have just recently reduced alex's bottles as he is such a piggy that he will eat or drink whatever you give him and if he doesnt need it he just sicks it back up!

he now has 20 ozs + an ounce or two with cereal. to start with i spread this out over 4 bottles and have just reduced it to 3 (same amount just more at each feed) we now do 6 ozs first thing, 6 ozs in the afternoon and 8 ozs before bed.

Lauz is right that they should still be having a pint (20 ozs) a day plus food.

maybe you could try seperating meals and milk - maybe he doesnt want food if he knows he can have milk? what about giving a bottle at say 11 then lunch at 12.30 / 1pm then another bottle about 3? thats how i used to do it. please ignore me if you've already tried this!

x

 

[Urchin]

didn't see the point in starting a new thread but I also wanted to know how long have the formula cartons been advising to throw away unfinished milk? Can't you make up bottle's and keep them in the fridge anymore?

I only noticed on a new carton today!

Lou

I think this might be about it. Someone mentioned it aaaaages ago.

 

[Lou]

Hi

Thanks for your replies. With regards to the making up bottles thing the back of the cartons are diferent and no longer say you can store feeds for 24 hours in the fridge. ?

Its really dificult with Isaac because he will drink a few oz's of mik but then pick at his solids and won't have any milk during or at the end of his food. He had 4oz this morning then a good amount of porridge. The thing is he is so happy and settled and still sleeping through I don't want to cock his meals up and make him grumpy.

And he still isn't having any finger foods because I gave him a 7 month jar with lumps in and after 5 mouthfuls he choked and threw up what he had eaten. I am absolutely terrified of him choking. I just keep thinking about the boy that died in the supermarket because his mum gave him a grape to eat.

Lou

 

[Beany]

Removed due to deciding too personal for public viewing

 

[Urchin]

And he still isn't having any finger foods because I gave him a 7 month jar with lumps in and after 5 mouthfuls he choked and threw up what he had eaten. I am absolutely terrified of him choking. I just keep thinking about the boy that died in the supermarket because his mum gave him a grape to eat.

Lou

Brody has choked a few times too, unfortunatley I think they just need to keep practicing. With the 7 month jars, I mash them up even more at first, so there's hardly any difference between them and the 4 month stuff. Brody has now got the hang of chewing, it didn't really take him that long to get the hang of it...he still gags now and again though

 

[Em78]

i found that the easiest way to introduce lumps was to put tiny bits of banana or other fruit in his mouth. he'd roll it round and start to mash it. if i gave him mushy food with lumps then he would assume it was just mushy and try to swallow it. once he had got the hang of checking if it was chewy food or swallowing food he was fine with food with lumps. he occasionally forgets and has a little choke but he just coughs it back up and chews it! as urchin said i think they have to learn that for themsleves.

rice cakes are great finger food as they suck it till its mushy then get bits off.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Rosieroo]

Lou the Organix carrot things are just like big carrot wotsits, they're easy to hold and I couldn't imagine anybody choking on them as they turn to mush immediately. Maybe you'd feel comfortable getting him used to feeding himself with something like that?

And as for the mother that gave her baby a grape, that's one of the biggest no nos of finger foods as it's a massive choking hazard, so try not to dwell on it too much. I know it's scary, but Ella has a little cough now and again on her lumps, personally I try to see it as part of her development. There was a boy once on House of tiny tearaways that wouldn't eat anything apart from yoghurt and would urge any time anything solid went near him (he was over 2, can't remember his proper age), that's part of the reason that I chose to start Ella on finger foods instead of purees at first. Also because personally I do feel that spoonfeeding interfers with a baby's natural development, but that's just my opinion

 

[Lou]

Hi and thanks for your replies. I agree with all of you!

The carrot "wotsit" things that Kina suggested sound excellent so maybe when I feel brave I will try them out on Isaac I know I have to expect some amount of choking and coughing but it scares the living daylights out of me everytime he gags.

As for his milk I tried to slip in a bottle yesterday between feeds but he wasn't having any of it. This morning I gave him his milk and he drank 7oz then I let that go down while I washed up his bottle then gave him his porridge and he ate all of it! Seem's like he just needed a minute or two to let his bottle go down before his solids. I'm going to try this again at lunch and dinner so I'll let your know how I get on

I'm rushing because my computer is on the loft and its like a sauna up here, only not as fun.

Thanks again

Lou