Routine...?

[shish]

I'm a breast feeding mum - Am I the only one with a 4 and a half month old that doesn't ahev a set feeding and sleeping routine?? He feeds roughly every 2 hours, but not at the same times every day and doesn't always nap at the same time either.. Is this the saem with any bottle fed babies?

Did either of your babies take the bottle? Mine won't - that's part of my battle. He's getting hungrier and hungrier and the nights are getting quite bad. On the advice of my hv, we started baby rice on the weekend and from tommorrw I will be giving a second meal of veg aswell.. How else can I get him to drink other fluids? I'm trying both bottle and beaker at the moment - bottle when he's playful - again, as advised, and beaker straight after his food.. any ideas. I'm also quite worried about how I will weak him off the breast when the time comes. I wanted to do this by about 7-8 months, but |I can't see how I'm ever gonna do this..

Sorry tiktok - I know what you mean. No - when I said no reason why baby shouldn't go 4 hours I meant exactly that - no reason why he shouldn't, but absolutely no reason why he should, either, if mum is happy with the 2 hourly routine - or 3 hourly in your case. I think there are far too many people preaching that their way is the only right way. You do what feels comfortable for you and enjoy it - they don't stay babies for long

shish - yes, both mine would take a bottle, but don't worry if yours won't - the rice and the cup should help.

He seems to like playing with the beaker (avent magic) after his meal and has a pretty good grip of the handles too. Do you think I may eventually be able to get him drinking his milk from this if I have no luck with the bottle?? Thank you all for your help x

Message withdrawn

Shish-My dd has never taken to a bottle. I have moved on to a tommee tippee trainer cup. DD likes it and will leave trying to get her on a bottle now. On the feeding issue, my dd has been the same, although as she gets older, the time between feeds is getting longer.

shish, my experience with dd is similar to oops. Dd went from breast to cup eventually. there is a good chance you will have luck with the beaker, esp as your ds gets older.

Fortyplus, I don't know about going for 4 hours between feeds. Maybe there is no physical reason (but I can't see why some babies can't be snackers), but even an emotional reason for comfort is a valid need for a baby. My dd and ds would never have waited 4 hours without hysterical screaming. It is perfectly acceptable to encourage (as shish should since she wants to space out feeds), but like oops says, you can't force it. And as you said, they don't stay babies for long.

oops - doesn't sound as though shish has a problem with bf - what she needs is a cup counsellor!