Solid feeding and a formula question

[TiffanyJaynexo]

Hey girls,

Grace has been on solids from 6 months old (she's 9 months next week) but now I'm really wondering just how much food I should be giving her, we aim for three meals a day, her last meal being the biggest with a few snacks in between.

* We start the day off with a bottle of formula and then a nap (if I'm lucky), then after her nap I make her some breakfast which is usually either: toast, fruit, cheese on toast, or sometimes the baby weetabix you can buy. Yesterday she had toast and banana pieces.

* For dinner she has either: a sandwich, homemade omelet or pancakes, something on toast (scrambled egg, tomatoes etc) or half a jar of the large baby food's you can buy, very handy if I'm in a rush to be somewhere!

* For tea she has a lovely meal that my OH cooks, it varies every day so it could be anything like: homemade cottage pie, homemade pizza, pasta, spaghetti bolognese, fish with vegetables and potatoes etc.

She does have formula throughout the day but I'd say only about 2 bottles, she wastes a lot as she falls asleep. For snacks she has either baby yoghurt, some fruit, some carrot sticks/cheese and herb sticks or some rice crackers. Then for bed she'll have a bottle of formula. She also has a beaker of cooled down boiled water throughout the day, she drinks that during meals and sometimes picks it up herself if she wants a drink whenever.

I think I'm feeding her okay, it's what the midwife recommended (she gave me guideline chart) but I'd really like some feedback and some ideas for other meal ideas for breakfast and dinner time, I'm not a great cook (my OH does all of that) but I'd really like to be able to prepare things for Grace and myself now I'm pregnant, I'm eating like a horse at the moment! I should also note that the last meal she has is a meal that I share with her, so if OH makes a cottage pie, he'll have half and I'll have half but Grace will have half of mine and some vegetables of her own, if that makes sense! Or say if we have fresh fish she'll have half of mine with vegetables/potatoes of her own.

I also have a question about formula, I had no idea until last night that babies come off formula at 12 months! I shall wean her off them when she gets closer to that age but I have a question about bottles, last night my niece was here who is about 18 months old and was drinking cow's milk from a bottle, I'm confused because I just read that bottles aren't recommended after the age of 1, so would I start giving her cows milk/baby juice etc in beakers rather than bottles when she turns 1? Thanks! xxx

 

[Hunnie]

We have started using a beaker cup that Sophie can hold but fits onto her original bottles but with an different lid that doesn't leak but isnt like a teat if you get me. I've made it so she now gives herself her breakfast bottle by just giving her the cup and letting her get on with it. I hope to fingers crossed have her off bottles by 12 months but I think I'll carry on with a hot drink of sort at bedtime as a routine until she grows out of it herself x

 

[mum2b410]

Congrats on pregnancy!!......I was like you and never a great cook and OH was better than me at making stuff from scratch but since I got the BLW cookbook I feel I am going from strength to strength- so I would really recommend that for ideas on recipes!........

As for the bottles I am not sure myself so will be interested to read responses.......Ethan has 2 formula bottles a day as well as 3 solid meals. He drinks water from a beaker which he can do himself at each meal and inbetween. We have started giving him some cows milk in a beaker with breakfast too- just to get him used to drinking something else from it other than water. I have friends who still use bottles way past 1 year so I dont know what they best way to go about it is? I was thinking once we got to 1 year we would try putting cows milk in the beaker and warming it like he always has his formula and see if he'll take it......or put cows milk in the bottles for a little while, get him happy with it from there, then switch to a beaker?.......Its hard, coz I havent seen much advice about the best way to do it and like I say, most of the mums I know with kids over 1 carried on with bottles but just switched to cows milk! xx

 

[TiffanyJaynexo]

Congrats on pregnancy!!......I was like you and never a great cook and OH was better than me at making stuff from scratch but since I got the BLW cookbook I feel I am going from strength to strength- so I would really recommend that for ideas on recipes!........

As for the bottles I am not sure myself so will be interested to read responses.......Ethan has 2 formula bottles a day as well as 3 solid meals. He drinks water from a beaker which he can do himself at each meal and inbetween. We have started giving him some cows milk in a beaker with breakfast too- just to get him used to drinking something else from it other than water. I have friends who still use bottles way past 1 year so I dont know what they best way to go about it is? I was thinking once we got to 1 year we would try putting cows milk in the beaker and warming it like he always has his formula and see if he'll take it......or put cows milk in the bottles for a little while, get him happy with it from there, then switch to a beaker?.......Its hard, coz I havent seen much advice about the best way to do it and like I say, most of the mums I know with kids over 1 carried on with bottles but just switched to cows milk! xx

Thanks hun, I think I'll buy that book! My OH is definitely better than me, he's so technical in the kitchen making meals from scratch. I wouldn't have a clue

Well I've spoken to a few other mums outside of pregnancy forum now and apparently you should cut bottles out after the age of one and give beakers and cups instead, but some children can be quite attached to the bottle and will be a pain to wean off them (which is probably why I've seen 3 year old's holding them constantly). Bottles can cause dental problems if they're used a lot after your baby is one but the night time bottle is still 'acceptable'. I spoke to a mum who has a one and a half year old and she said she gives her daughter soya milk (because she's allergic to cows milk) in a beaker but she still has her night time bottle. She also told me the sooner you wean them the easier it will be Oh and no formula after the age of one too. Hope this helps xxx

 

[mum2b410]

Cheers hun, that clears it up! Guess it's bye bye to morning bottle for Ethan in 2 months then! x

 

[TiffanyJaynexo]

Cheers hun, that clears it up! Guess it's bye bye to morning bottle for Ethan in 2 months then! x

Grace has a morning one too! A bit worrying because she likes her warm bottle to fall asleep will have to try warm cows milk in cups instead if she's still having her naps by the end of the year xxx