Ready for solids?

[Columbus]

All

Am new to Mumsnet and wanted your advice. My ds is 5 months old and I have been giving him a bottle for the last 4 weeks (expressed milk first then formula) as I have returned to work part time. At first he would not take the bottle at all (major screams) and now takes it willingly but only once each feed and will not go back on. So he only typically gets between 100 and 150mls per feed. The cartons state for his weight he should get 200ml 5 times per day. He had been a good weight gainer when bf (91 centile) but now is tailing off (50 centile). He looks well and seems OK with the bottle rather than breast (we have done trial and error with different teats).

We decided not to give him solids at 4 months as there is no rush and we wanted him to take more milk. However, 1 month on his intake has not improved plus he does not wake hungry in the night which seems strange...surely he must be hungry. He is however 'very' interested in our food at meal times and knaws at his hand, clothes, my shoulder, toys, the teat of his bottle (whilst being careful not to drink any milk) etc constantly!

Do you think he is just bored with milk and needs solids now or should we persevere with trying to get him to take more milk?

Any views?

TIA

Welcome Columbus!
Am quite new myself (couple of weeks).
My ds2 is 20 weeks old tomorrow and still exclusively breastfed. We tried him on solids twice and his stomach wasn't ready (v bad colic pains with only a teaspoon of either baby rice or mashed banana), so we've had to stop. If your ds is happy enough, I'd just keep up with the milk for now. As long as he's still gaining weight, I expect he's fine. I think bf babies drink less than bottle fed ones (mine never took as much from the bottle as was recommended on the box), so maybe he's just feeling full after 100-150mls.
I doubt he's bored of milk as he's never known anything else, but he is at an age where he should be showing a general interest in lots of things (incl your food) going on around him. Have noticed this in our ds more and more each day.
I'm probably waffling and not very helpful, but wish you luck anyway.

Thanks Aero. Not waffle. It's good to hear someone else with a ds that does not take the recommended amount. Was beginning to get depressed by the number of mums I know who say...'Oh my baby gulps down 260mls in 10 mins'!

How much did yours take and how often? I am trying to avoid taking him to the hv to be weighed as it makes me anxious so he could have lost weight. Seems longer and slimmer. Even though happy, should I give him solids to help with weight gain?

Ds1 only ever had a few bottles in his life and never finished them (he's 6 now). Dd had a bottle a day from eight weeks and I always made it up to the rec. amount and she usually left a couple of oz.(she's nearly 4) Neither of them were ever exclusively bottlefed but breastfeeds never seemed to take very long (10mins or so) and they only fed on one side at a time.
With ds2, any bottles he's had, he's usually left 1-2oz in the bottom, though has finished it a few times. I was also giving him a bottle a day from eight wks, though have stopped doing that now as found it messes with my bf system and timing etc after a recent bout of mastitis and continually having blocked ducts.
If you are anxious though, I would pop him along to the HV to be weighed etc. Both ds1 and dd were started on solids at four months with no problems whatsoever!! Just depends on each child - they're all different! She'll be able to advise you regarding solids. All the advice seems to be to wait until six mths now, and if he isn't hungrier, this is probably what she'll advise, and if he's underweight, she'll also be able to advise you of what to do if that's the case. Sorry to garble - they're round my feet, demanding tea......

Thanks Aero. Seems like I am worrying about it too much. He seems happy and healthy so I should just relax about it.
I remember when he was born and I was just starting out with breastfeeding I used to think that an advantage of bottlefeeding was that you knew how much they were getting....now I think it's best not to know.
I wanted to continue with breastfeeding in the am and evening when I went back to work but ds would not eat anything at all during the day and wait for the good stuff! It never improved and being at work I felt I had no option but to put him on the bottle exclusively. Expressing 4-5 times a day for a month (including at work) was no fun I can tell you! I am so glad I managed to breastfeed exclusively for 4 months, the closeness was wonderful.....I feel so guilty now that it's over, I feel like I have taken something he needed away from him just because I had to work.

Hi Columbus

My dd is 20 weeks and she does same as your ds. She has been bottle fed since 3 weeks and now only drinks a similar amount to your ds. She chews anything too and watches me eat every mouthful. She is still sleeping through at night tho so I'm just going to carry on as I for another couple of weeks and see if she starts waking in the night hungry, if not I might just give it a go and see how she feels.

Try not to feel too bad about giving up the bf, you managed a lot longer than I did and shared that wonderful closeness.

Another one in the same boat! I feel much better particularly as your dd has been bottlefed for a while. I was beginning to think this was all about missing the boob, your message would indicate not.

Also it's encouraging to hear from another mum whose baby sleeps through the night and does not eat the recommended amounts of formula. Others will always say that we are v lucky and have no right to have any worries implying that if your baby sleeps at night all is well with the world, but when your baby is not waking when they have only had 600mls and no solids it is a bit of a worry. At the moment I would happily get up in the night if I thought he was feeding well. I think my obsession has been stoked by an episode when ds was 8 weeks old. He slept for 15 hours and ended up in hospital on a drip due to dehydration, he got himself into a cycle where he was too tired to feed. So I do get a bit paranoid!

Do you think I should get him weighed again or avoid it like the plague? If he has dropped to another centile my paranoia will be re-ignited!
He is between 75th and 91st for height and on 50th for weight, is that out of proportion?

Thanks for the support.

afaik the 6 months for solids doesnt apply to bottlefeeding and i believe there's no benefit waiting for solids after 4 months if not breastfeeding.

iiwy and my baby showed signs after 4 months of wanting solids I would do it.

Hmmmmm my dd is on 25th and always has been, she puts on 3-4oz a week but I only get her weighed every fortnight. However I have given it a miss this fortnight cos I get paranoid like you about her not putting enough on. All her friends seem much bigger, 15lbs plus whereas she is only 13 1/2oz.

But their babies dont sleep through so I think I would rather have a petite baby who sleeps through than one who deosn't.

I wouldn't know whether that was in proportion or not so I would try and find a friendly HV to give you advice on that. Mine just keeps telling me that as long as her weight goes up even by just a little they are happy.

My dd did the sleep without feeding thing at 1 week old, didn't end up in hospital but was very yellow (jaundiced) and floppy. So I can empathise with you about it making you paranoid.

If you are worried get him checked out to put your mind at ease. If they are concerned then they will give you advice. If they aren't worried I would just make the most of clean carpets and furniture while you can

C
Not much time now but please don't feel guilty!! You're doing a fantastic job just by being his mummy! He's clearly content and happy and doing well - you have nothing to worry about. You're going back to work to provide him with the best life you can.
Expressing milk is no fun IMO anyway. I certainly wouldn't be doing it if I were in your shoes! You've given a fabulous start and it seems all is well with him, so be kind to yourself and no more guilty thoughts. Enjoy your baby. I'm sure he's wonderful!

Thanks to you all. Need to meditate or something and just relax and enjoy him, he is afterall v happy, smiley and active. Should just stop being a control-freak and go with the flow!

hi columbus

just wondered how u were getting on?

My dd gags and heaves when i try her with food. Asked two health visitors about it in the space of 5 mins and got two conflicting pieces of advice. One said try every day, the other said leave it 4 weeks then try again so not sure what to do.