How much formula for weaning 7 month old?

[nunnie]

My DS is almost 7 months and has never taken the full average formula, he has been on 210 4 times a day 3 hourly then nothing through the night for about 2 months now. Have been weaning him for about a month he is now on 3 meals a day, should I reduce the formula? I am giving him a 210 bottle every 3 hours as before and feeds inbetween, but I am lucky if he takes 120, should I have reduced it by now or just continue as normal?

Hi, I would let him take as much as he wants of the milk, as time goes on he will get more of his nutrients from the solid food rather than the milk. I have had a look back at what my DTs were having at 7 months for you:

they were having milk at breakfast time (approx 7am), lunchtime (11.30am), 2.30pm and 6.30pm and sometimes milk with their dinner at 5pm, obviously if they wanted milk between those times they had extra (looking back it seems they sometimes had an ounce or two at 9am or 4pm)
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Looking at what they were having in terms of milk, it was between 1 ounce adn 5 ounces (30ml - 150ml?) so not very much (they were small though). I would not worry about him taking only 120ml, 3 meals a day must be filling him up - they only have small tummies! If you are worried re calcium intake then include cheese and milk (e.g in mash potato), greek yoghurt etc in the meals. If you are making up a 210 bottle and in reality he's not drinking it, then you could make up less (can always give more if he wants it) as that is a lot of undrunk milk in a day that you are throwing away.

they tend to 'tell you' what they need e.g mine stopped drinking thier 2.30pm milk at around 15 months so I knew they didn't need it any more.

It seems your LO is still needing the same number of milk feeds, but with those 3 solid meals he doesn't need to take as much milk - it sounds fine to me, dont worry!

Thank you, think I will stop making 210 bottles as he hasn't taken a full one for a while now and seems an awful waste. My main concern was dehydration really but he isn't showing any signs of that yet so think he is getting enough.

Hi, just seconding what givemeaclue said - sounds like he's doing fine. weaning babies older than 6 months need at least 600ml(20oz) of formula a day but this is a rough amount, and as givemeaclue said, you can give him milky rich food like cheese sauces, yoghurt, milk in cooking etc too. I wouldn't reduce his milk feeds - just let him do that - but as you said, if a lot is going down the sink reduce what you're making up a bit. I wouldn't worry about dehydration if he's in control of how much milk he wants, and remember you can offer water in a cup at his food meals.

My DD is 8 and a half months and is still on 4 milk feeds a day, but nothing at night, as well as 3 food meals a day. She is still drinking about 5-6 ounces a milk feed, but gobbles down lots of food too, so I'm sure she'll reduce her milk intake in time.

Nunnie if he is having milk every 3 hours I don't think you need to worry about dehydration, but as borrower says, you can give water too