Strange feeding schedule..

[Kitkat09]

9 month old.

5oz at 5am

Breakfast 7 am

5 oz at 10:00 am

Lunch at 11-12

5oz at 13:30pm

3:30 Fruit / yoghurt

And then nothing up until 7pm 5 oz bottle

Water in between.

I have gone through so many different schedules. I'm so tired thinking about if this is right or wrong. She seems happy. I'm just worried about the no formula from 1:30 pm to 7pm.. is it okay to leave a gap like that?

(She has always hated formula)

FTM here.

Thank you

Maybe not strange.. I think I'm thinking too much about 4-5 hour feeding times.

Where is dinner? Introduce dinner at 5pm.

Hey, I struggled with the same thing when my LO started eating solids more than once a day. He's just turned 10 months old now and his schedule looks like this:

6:00am Wake up

6:30am breakfast (yogurt, cereal, fruit)

8:00am 5oz milk

12:00pm Lunch (sandwich, or hummus and pita, veggie sticks or fruit)

2:00pm 5oz milk

5:00pm Dinner (fish, cous cous, veg and sometimes fruit)

6:30pm 5oz milk

7:00pm bed

I think as long as baby is trying food and getting atleast 500ml milk (formula?) a day then they are fine. The only thing I have read is anything less than 500ml of milk, a vitamin D supplement is recommended.

Maybe if you introduced a dinner rather than a snack, she might drink less milk. Are you offering water with meals?

I know it's difficult not to over analyse everything they consume (or don't!)

@PearlHeart3 @MrsSSG if I give dinner then she won't drink her formula. Was thinking rather give her formula than dinner. So cut back.

@PearlHeart3 thank you for sharing that. I give her vitamin drops. Since birth :/ that is what HV said and recently found out I did not have to give it her so early on!

She doesn't drink huge amounts of water either.

I will see how it goes and maybe give dinner.

@PearlHeart3 just reading your schedule again and thank you soooo much for that!! Will refer back to it when we are at 10 months!

You're welcome. My little one dropped his 4th bottle when I introduced dinner. You could always try giving a bit of extra milk on bottle number 2, skipping bottle 3, give her dinner and then give her bottle 4 (now 3). Good luck.

And yes, I didn't even realise vitamin drops were recommended after 6 months, I only discovered this when I started reading about formula quantities. He gets a multivitamin in his first bottle now.

Too much formula there I'd say. My DC also hated formula and thrived on solids. I'd ditch the afternoon bottle and have a proper tea about 4pm.

I would swap the 3.30pm snack for dinner at 4/4.30pm. Then she will be hungry again for bedtime milk.

How about stopping the yogurt and fruit and introducing an early dinner instead?

At 9 months, mine were on 3 solid feeds a day and 4 milk feeds. Solid feeds were with the family at our meal times. Milk feeds were before breakfast, mid morning, mid afternoon and just before bed.
If you always give a feed as soon as she wakes up (5am?) her body will begin to always expect it then and so she’ll always wake up then. Try to gradually leave it longer and longer after she wakes up so that she starts waking later.

It's a good time to introduce dinner. Swap the fruit out at 3.30 for a dinner of sorts at 5. Start with something like mash potato and peas (something small and easy to make) and build from there

@Fatted sounds like a good idea. Thank you for that.

@PearlHeart3 thank you. Problem is she never takes more than 5oz. I think I'm just going to drop a bottle like you and give her dinner! :)

@Ricekrispie22 my lo had severe reflux issues so only takes her formula when asleep. 5am is perfect becase she wakes up hungry but wants to sleep too so sleeps while feeding. I don't mind waking up at 5am as long as she wants to drink

I ask this ss gently as possible, but why would you rather your 9 month old was drinking formula rather than eating solid food? She's not "new" to weaning and in a few months you can completely remove formula from her diet. As they eat more solid food, the amount of milk they drink drops so if you say she's not keen on formula then increasing the amount of solids she's eating seems like a good plan.

I know all babies are different with the amounts they eat, but mine at that age would have 3 meals plus snacks (usually fruit) plus 3 5oz bottles of expressed/formula, plus water. We've always done dinner (whatever we've had the night before, but you can start out small/basic) at 4.30/4.45 then has milk at bed around 7pm.

@Cardboard33 thank you for the reply.

Right now she isn't eating a great amount either. I have a container and she only eats about 2oz of food. 🤷‍♀️ Doctor said to offer formula first till 12 months but as others have suggested I'm dropping the bottle and offering little food through out the day. I did that yesterday and today.

How did it go today and yesterday? 2oz is still a good amount of food - babies eat very little. Some days mine eats barely anything and then other days it feels like he is eating like he's never been fed. I've got no idea of the quantities though as I don't weigh it out. Mine also eats less if he's working on teeth or feeling sorry for himself/needy, I guess like adults do.

Did the doctor give you any background as to why you should try the formula first? That sounds odd unless it's for a specific medical issue, as it's not like as an adult you fill up on milk/water first and then the food aspect is a voluntary add on. I know initially food is an add on, but not really when they're coming up for 12 months. Mine dropped the mid morning feed first after starting solids, around 8/9 months then he's remained having about 5oz three times a day (wake up, after nap and then before bed) since then although he could probs drop the post nap one now, it's just habit to give him a snack and milk.

@Cardboard33 thank you for asking :)
So she refused her bottle before going to bed with dinner around 4:30. Bottle for 7. I tried again and she refused. Woke up at 4am!

I kept getting told formula until 12 months.. and babies still need 20oz 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ I'm going to stick with food and offer formula before bedtime , morning and nap time.

It's hard atm because it's been so hot - mine has been finding sleeping difficult so has shorter naps and overnights. Has she been drinking more water?

You need to use formula (rather than cows milk) until she's one, yes. You can give cows milk in foods such as cereal though. I'm not sure if you're aware but milk intake also includes foods so any cows/other milk plus dairy like yoghurt also count towards the total. I was told about 15oz by 12 months earlier this year by the HV at my 12 month review, which is roughly 3 X 5oz. I really wouldn't worry though as long as she's in that ball park, it's much better to get her to try more food.

I'm not sure if you've been given this due to lock down (apologies if you already have) but you might find this useful: www.nhs.uk/start4life/weaning/what-to-feed-your-baby/10-12-months/

My 7mo is breastfed but is eating 3 meals per day. He feeds once in the morning and then 3pm, 7pm and once overnight.

@Cardboard33 that is very kind of you. Thank you for the link. I will have a look. She hasn't been drinking much water either. So I'm sticking to morning , afternoon and before bed bottle. 5oz. And 3 meals. And today I added in a little yoghurt.

This makes it much easier. No point giving formula if she doesn't want it and when I can give her cheese and yoghurt to replace some of it.

@Hercwasonaroll thank you for the reply. I'm trying to push the second bottle for 3pm but she seems to have her nap at 1pm and wants the bottle then. She just seems to be hungry in the morning, mid afternoon and not hungry at all midafternoon and evening.

So far it's going

7am breakfast
9 am bottle
11 am lunch (meal)
1pm bottle
3pm fruit / yoghurt
4:30 a little more yoghurt
7pm bottle but today it was at 6pm

If I give meal at 4:30 she will refuse the bottle and wake up at 4am. :/

I'm juet going with her flow now.

@Cardboard33 I can't thank you enough. Your suggestion and asking how its going - has really helped.

I find it way less stressful now! 3 bottle and focus on the food. It has made life way easier.

I was so fixed on getting her to drink the "correct amount of formula" argh when she needs the food.

It sounds like you're doing brilliantly. Try not to worry, they'll let you know if they want anything!!

@Hercwasonaroll aww thank you!! FTM and it has been a journey - hard work! Especially with lockdown too and no one around to ask. This thread helped us achieve a turning point. I feel so relaxed now when it comes to feeding times.

Thank you so much!

@Kitkat09 going with the flow is ideal! Including yoghurt, cheese etc will make you feel so much better - if she doesn't want all of the formula then that's fine, just give her extra yoghurt then you can begin to add in additional food items.

You've got this and you're doing really well... I've got so much admiration for parents who have dealt with weaning etc during lockdown (or just become parents!) whereas this time last year we went to in person classes with the HVs in advance of starting. The content of their classes are in the links above - we just got given a paper copy too.

I would give dinner/tea at 4.30pm & if the bottle is refused at bedtime give it as a dream feed at 9pm.

Is the reflux treated? I would try and get that sorted, if its causing her pain she will get food aversions.

My LO has reflux too. Shes v small so amounts are smaller than average but at 10m corrected our schedule is:

6.30am/7 - 5oz milk
8.30am - breakfast (porridge)
11.45 - lunch eg scrambled egg toast fruit
1pm - 4-5oz milk
4.30pm- dinner (eg pasta bolognese)
7pm - 5oz milk.