Moving from 4 bottles to 3

[angel24711]

Advice needed on which milk feed to drop.

7 month old DS currently has 4 bottles of formula and 3 solid meals. I know I should be dropping down to 3 bottles about now, but what feed should I drop? I love to hear others experiences

Current schedule is
7.00 - 210ml milk
8.30 - solids
11.00 -210ml milk
12.30 - solids
3.00 -210ml milk
5.30 -solids
6.30 - 240 milk

Many thanks

I see no need to drop a feed unless your ds is showing signs of taking less in a particular bottle. MY ds dropped to 4 feeds at 8 months and down to 3 feeds at 9 months. Why do you think he needs to only have 3 feeds?

i wouldn't drop any. milk should still be the main source of nutrition until your baby is a year old...
he'll drop it when he's ready

Drop it when he wants to. There's no set schedule. He's very young to start taking milk away. It's still the main source of nutrition.

Thanks for your responses. It's interesting to hear other people didn't cut down at this stage

My gp told me that I should be cutting down on his milk and to move from 4 feeds to 3. I have also read in a few books that he should be getting more like 600 now (Anna Karmel). It also says 3 x bottles of 210ml on his formula box (cow and gate)

like most people i am a bit worried about over feeding at this stage as he's a good eater and is eating well a meal times. You hear such negative things about over weight children, and that it might lead to problems with their weight when their younger

What did others do?

I wouldn't drop any either if he still needs them. However the first one I would drop would be the 3pm one. If you feel he needs to drop maybe gradually decrease how much he is getting then ( ie 1 oz less each week) and add a snack.

I still offer all ages milk with snack anyway so maybe just move so he eventually has say 3oz of milk in a cup with 1/4 -1/2 avocado/ banana. Once he is a year this can just be a little cows milk in a cup. The doidy cups are good as you can see what is being poured.

Later drop the lunch time, then morning, then bedtime one last ( although many children still have a cup of milk before bed also at all ages- just less and downstairs before teeth/ toilet)

This is the schedule for my just 9mo -

7am - milk
8ish - cereal
Sleep
11.30-12 - lunch
1.30-2 - milk
Sleep
5 - tea
6.15 - milk
Sleep

I dropped the extra feed a month or so ago just did it one day and everything seemed to fall into place. She settles much better with milk before the afternoon and night sleep too.

I don't think it's essential to drop the feed at all though, just do what works for your lo.

when ds dropped a feed it was the 11am one that went first and was replaced with a snack and a drink of water. The mid afternoon one was dropped around 10/11 months. You could drop the amount in a bottle by a couple of ounces rather than stop it completely and see how he gets on

I dropped the morning feed around this time and just make sure lunch is on time.

DD is now 11 1/2mo and has milk feeds at 7am, 3pm and 5.30pm - tbh the 3.30 is likely to go soon as if she naps late is difficult to get both feeds in and they feel to close together.

My DS is nine months old and his routine is:

6.30am - milk
7.45am - breakfast
noon - lunch
1.30pm - milk
5pm - tea
6.45pm milk before bed

I dropped the mid-morning bottle about six weeks ago, gave him a snack instead to keep him going until lunch. He didn't miss it at all, and gradually increased the amount he ate at lunch.

I have a slightly different routine.
Milky breakfast at 7ish
Sleep
10.30 milk
12 lunch
Sleep
3.30 milk
5 tea
6.30 milk.

Just 180 each time but has milk extra with cereal, cheese and yoghurts

my first was still having 4 or 5 bottles a day at over a year old and he's a giant skinny 8.5yr old now! (anecdotal I know)

my 2nd and 3rd were breastfed, but they were almost certainly having as much, if not more, milk than my first at that age too. they fed v. frequently