Confused about 'mealtimes' and bf'ing, please help!

[viennesewhirl]

Db is a big boy (almost 20 lbs at 6 months) and ped recommended introducing solids at 4 months. We started slowly at about 4.5 months, about a week after we started I was very ill and had to go to hospital, so dh was home with db and 4yo, feeding baby formula (I was pumping and dumping, on antibiotics) and the solids, with some chaotic system all of his own.

So - a bit of a disorganised start. Quite quickly though, db was eating a whole jar at a session, which he was getting around lunchtime and late afternoon. Ped says if he eats a whole jar, we should drop a milk feed. (I'm bf'ing again now). But I keep reading that the milk should be the main source of food for the first year, so feel unconvinced about dropping 2 feeds already.

Also, I seem to keep timing it badly so that db is cranky and rubbing his eyes when I give him solids, so obviously too tired to eat and only having a couple of spoonfuls.

What is/was your routine for feeds at this stage? At the moment mine is something like this - but I feel sure it's not ideal! -

6.30 bf
8.00 bit of baby rice and fruit (he's not really interested though)
9.00 nap
10.30 bf
12.00 solids
15.00 bf
17.00 solids
(17.30 db EXHAUSTED)
18.30 bf, bedtime
anywhere between 1.00 and 4.00, bf

Looking at this, I'm feeding him every couple of hours! Can this be right?!

This is db#2, so I should know what I'm doing, but obviously I don't!

TIA

[viennesewhirl]

Forgot to say - he has second nap around 12.30/13.00. If anyone can help with my routine, I'd be grateful!

[ByThePowerOfGreyskull]

how old is he now?

You are only feeding him about every 4 hours, IIRC the calorie intake from food at this age is minimal in comparison to their milk intake. If you are eager for him to have more food you could always give up on trying to do food at Adult meal times, why not give him some food at 10.30 instead of a BF and BF him before his nap, then switch the afternoon boobie for food?

These are just ideas though..

[Seona1973]

at that age ds's day was like this (he was bottlefed):

7am - milk
7.45am - breakfast
11am - milk
12pm - lunch
2.30pm - milk
5pm - dinner
7pm - milk
in the night till 8 months - milk

his meals were still tiny at this age (started weaning at 5 1/2 months) and he didnt start cutting his milk till 8 months when he stopped the night feed. I didnt cut the milk, he did it by himself.

[viennesewhirl]

He's 6mo now.

[Seona1973]

if you feel he is too tired at the current times then why not move them by half an hour or so e.g. lunch at 11.30am and dinner at 4.30pm