🩵🩷 Bumps 2 Babies & beyond #2 🩷🩵

[CheeseAndCrackersx]

New thread as the other was getting full 😀

We're only still on 2 meals a day.

Im hopeless at getting the porridge right is why he only has 2 still currently 😂

It's either too runny or too thick 🙈

Porridge is a nightmare isn't it!

We do dinner and tea. Found the tea does help in regards to night time.
Still waking once though.

@Ebonythoughts a meal about 5pm should help with night time sleep- try aim for a carbohydrate based meal to fill them up (I go for sweet potato, or a veg and pasta puree mainly and give a protein based meal at lunch.

We were at 2 meals and suddenly it just clicked and she started to really want the food and eat most of it.

A lot of the recipes I use are from the Annabel Karmel app. There's so many on there and a lot are so easy. I now have freezer full of little pots of purées so she has something different most days.

We've realised that she loves anything with a little curry powder or garam masala her favourites being sweet potato and mango with curry and sweet potato and carrot with garam masala - maybe try experimenting with something like that a bit more flavour, sweet potato and mango also might work if you say they prefer the fruit pouches.

Also on the porridge front- she can take or leave breakfast, some days she'll wolf down her weetabix with banana and other days isn't interested. She's always better with her lunch and tea it's the same with her bottles- has hardly any of her morning one and guzzles her bed time one... and I'm like that, I'm not a big eater on a morning haha so don't be too disheartened if you feel one meal hasn't gone as well, just try again with the next one 🙂

@Ebonythoughts I don’t think you’ve left it late at all, with teething we’ve had a few days of complete food refusal and by “meals” I just mean a spoon food (from me) and a finger food to self feed 🤣 so he has a mixture of BLW and purées/yoghurts/porridge etc. We still have 4/5 bottles during the day and he sleeps 7pm-6am.

@Ebonythoughts I found that giving my baby some melty puffs helped to ease my anxiety around finger food, and once I saw that he was managing those I felt more confident to give him sticks of soft banana, avocado etc to nibble.

This is mainly for those who bottle feed but if you bf don't feel excluded 🙂

How many oz a time does your lo have? And how many bottles.

Little man has 4 8oz bottles during the day and his 5th he has in the night.
I remember the HV saying about 8 months bottles start to drop is that true?
Cos he's started draining most of his the past week or so but I don't want to up to 9oz if he'll be dropping soon anyway

In a bit of limbo 🙈

I bottle feed breast milk so will be slightly different to formula feeding.
I express 5 times a day and make him 5, 6 or 7 oz bottles for during the day. He doesn't usually finish it. He also has a 5 oz bottle about 4am. But again doesn't finish it. I pour away so much.

He does have 3 meals as he loves food. 1 of them is porridge made with breast milk, lunch is usually finger foods he feeds himself and evening is pureed food.

@Hotpolarbear did you find his milk intake reduced when he began 3 meals a day? Or was he always a snacky drinker? X

Hes always been a snacky drinker, sometimes will take 2oz, other times drains 7 oz. His milk intake did reduce slightly when he started food but not massively. He only has 3 meals a day as he kicks off if we eat and he's not got food. He's normally easy going, he just loves food

@CheeseAndCrackersx we have cut to 4 x 8oz bottles in last week after dropping the dream feed, now feeds approx 6:30, 10:30, 14:30, split last feed between 6pmish and 7 with at least 30 mins gap to max feed before bed. But actually had a few days where was taking 6-7oz some bottles so was about to drop to 7 then last couple of days has upped to 8 each again and gave an extra ounce as was done before half 6 yesterday so 9oz for bedtime feed 🤷🏻‍♀️ must be a growth spurt!

@Ebonythoughts still on one "meal" a day here but I'm not fussed, he's finally actually eating some of it! He had refused spoon feeding so was BLW with minimal consumption haha but will now take fruit puree on spoon now. I'm focusing on milk until he can eat more nutrition dense food and not take up room with a load of low cal fruit/veg puree.

@Hotpolarbear exclusive pumping? Hats off to you, that's impressive and must be gutting when not finishing!

@Ihatewinding it's been tough at times. At first I didnt want to pour even 1oz away but I produce double the amount he drinks so now il happily just pour it down the drain. I've donated to 2 people and 3 lots to nicu. We had to get a chest freezer which is nearly full again. I'm about to start cutting down pumps again as I am more then ready to stop and have enough to hopefully make it until his birthday.

@CheeseAndCrackersx we are on 5 x 7oz bottles a day but he doesn't finish the morning feeds.
Timings are approx 7am, 10.30am, 1pm, 4.30pm, 7pm.
He has a few spoons of porridge at about 8.30am and some puree and finger food at 12pm.

My child won't go to sleep, so frustrating, we have to pick my mam up from the airport early in the morning.

@CheeseAndCrackersx we are on 6 - 6oz bottles of formula with 2 meals a day which are breakfast and tea

@Cheetocat I swear they know when you have to be up early! I hope your little one has settled by now though

Whoa who is making you feel you should be on three meals a day?!?! Very very unusual. Take a look at the weaning guides by month on Ella’s kitchen, most babies would be 2 meals a day MAX, and some only one. You do you!!! baby led weaning is also over hyped, choking risk is real. I spoon fed, but let him hold the spoon and VERY safe foods like a huge piece of melon I let him hold and chew on.

We are also on one "meal" a day, occasionally two, now that we've started nursery part time!

Sometimes she eats lots and sometimes she doesn't feel like taking more than two bites. She absolutely LOVES peach though.

I'm loving how little man is now staring to rest his head on my chest or shoulder and reach out his arms to me.

It makes me feel like I am indeed doing a good job and my boy feels loved and safe even if others (in laws) are trying to tear me down every chance they get 🙂

@CheeseAndCrackersx It's a very special feeling when they begin to show that they want to. I find it so precious when my little boy reaches for me, it's a visible sign of our bond!

Hello everyone!

So much to catch up on. I can't believe our babies are crawling around and uttering their first words. Were did the time go?

A massive belated congratulations @Ebonythoughts I hope you start feeling better soon though.

Just a quick one for the BF mummy's ... I have myself a biter!!
Baby is nearly 7 months and has 4 teeth already! Although super cute she had started biting me half way through a feed. It is so so painful. I have tried a firm no and taking away the breast but she seems to find it amusing 🤦🏼‍♀️
Any tips at all as I'd be gutted if this is the end of of BF journey but I honestly can't continue like this, every feed makes me anxious,

@undercoverhero74

I am so sorry to hear you're going through this, but I'm so glad you wrote this. The last weeks I've also experienced biting even if my baba has only started getting her first tooth (so so sharp already though).

Two days ago, I thought I lost my nipple because of her bite. The blood that comes out everytime she bites me is also terrifying. I also have tried to be firm, say no, pause BF, she finds it hilarious. Needless to say, I'm in more pain than I've ever been and I'm scared to death everytime I feed.

However, because of this, I also started seeking advice.

First and foremost it seems like teething is a time when they attempt to bite more, and for the mamas i talked to, it passes, so hang on in there.

Then, watch for signs of boredom; some babies tend to bite at the end of feeds, try to stop the session before that. If feeding to sleep, make sure baby is sleepy before starting to feed so that they're in it for the milk, and not to play.
Offer teething toys between feeds so they use their urge to clench at objects other than the breast.

If biting happens, try to be calm and non reactive, removing the breast and stopping the feed for a long while (especially if they find it funny if you say no!)

Other resources: kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/biting/

Lastly, I take pain medication to help me deal with the pain (ibuprofen), and I have my silver cups on again permanently to help with the wounds.

Sending strength and solidarity!

@undercoverhero74 my boy has also started biting. It doesn't hurt yet because he still has no teeth but I think he's doing it because of teething pain. My aunt whose a bit of a pro with the bf said exactly what @novamama has said - don't react (any reaction is a good one to them) so if you can help it no yelping, or saying no. Just calmly remove them at the first bite. If you think they're still hungry you can pop them back on in five minutes. They'll soon associate biting with having the boob removed. I've been doing this now, even though it doesn't hurt to try and kick the habit before he gets teeth, it definitely seems to be working.

@LavenderSweetPea @novamama thanks so much for replying ladies.
Honestly I have a little vampire on my hands. She has 2 rather large bottom teeth and now has 2 fangs!! A Quick Look today shows she is just about to cut her top 2 teeth aswell.
I will try ignoring completely and removing the breast.
I definitely think she is doing it out of Boredom however she does it half way through so hasn't finished the feed yet. Maybe if I take it away for a longer period she may get the hint.

I'm so glad it's not just me. I mean what kind of 6 month old has nearly 6 teeth already 😂😂😂

Our little ones are absolutely thriving 🩵🩷

We're doing amazing jobs mummy 😀

Just wanted to say that incase no one else does to you xx

@undercoverhero74 my little one bites and pulls, it’s so painful! Second the advice above, it’s definitely lessened since I’ve been removing the boob but I think that maybe makes it worse, don’t know when it’s going to happen next and it’s excruciating!