When did your baby start dropping bottles?

[Summerdays2014]

Hi all,

I had some really great advice from this forum recently, so I would like to pick your brains again please.

I've been weaning my 6 month old for about 3 weeks now and we are doing breakfast (porridge, weetabix, puréed Apple etc) and lunch (puréed veg/fruit) with some bits of finger food (toast, slices of mango etc at some meas) I was wondering when you started to drop formula feeds? I offer 7oz every 3 hours (5 bottles a day) and the majority of the tine he drinks the full bottle. Should I now start increasing the amount of food I give him? I stop feeding him solids when I feel like he should have had enough, he doesn't seem to stop himself, but on the other hand he doesn't cry when I take the food away... He also doesn't always cry/get fussy for a bottle, but I offer it anyway after 3 hours and he always drinks it.

I am a worrier and am convinced I am going to over feed him... I spoke to my health visitor today who was not really much help...

Thanks in advance for any advice.

When do you offer milk and solids? I wouldn't drop milk until he us taking 3 meals a day and starts leaving milk in the bottle. I gave milk first and then solids an hour or so later

Thanks for replying pixie. Like you I give food about an hour after solids. Bottle at 6.30 am then breakfast at 7.30. Bottle at 9.30 and 12.30 then lunch about 1.30

I wouldn't try to reduce milk at least until he's on three varied meals a day. (Personally, I just waited till DS naturally cut back himself.) Milk is calorific and contains protein and fat which is vital for his growth, and a bit of fruit/veg/toast isn't enough to replace it yet.

Also, I would be led by him re amounts as he's the best judge of what he needs. It's really hard for you to determine what should be "enough" as their appetite can vary massively. If he's looking for more food, go with it.

I think you'll probably find the baby starts dropping feeds himself bit by bit. My baby is now 8minths and now only has one 8oz feed during the day, occasionally 2, and a bedtime bottle. I can't pinpoint exactly when this happened, but it was gradual. I suddenly realised I wasn't having to take several feeds with me for a day out, just one ready made carton 'just in case' that usually comes back unopened.
As PP says, be led by him, maybe rather than automatically offering milk at set times, see if he starts 'asking' for it iykwim. It's still early days with the weaning so I wouldn't do anything drastic right now.

Good luck :)

Thanks for the replies. The past few days I have him a small amount of puréed fruit at about 5pm in addition to breakfast and lunch. (Have also been making lunch a mix of diff things and introducing rice/cheese etc for the first time) Yesterday he had 7oz milk at 6.30 then only 5oz at 9.30, 12.30, 3.30 and then refused evening feed. He woke up at 3am having been properly sick (never done this before) today he had 7oz at 7.30, 5oz at 11.30, 2oz at 3pm and has just had 3oz now at 6.30. Pear purée in morning and carrot at lunch. I'm so worried I'm doing something wrong, worried that he was sick, that I'm over feeding/under feeding, worried I've introduced new foods too soon and I don't know what to do for the best. I'm going to see health visitor again on Monday, but she was no use at all last week. Any ideas?

It doesn't sound like you're doing anything wrong. You can't over feed a baby (I'm assuming you're stopping feeding him when he turns his head away), nor does it sound like he's being underfed.
Being sick isn't very nice, but it's not something to massively worry about unless it's happening all the time.
maybe give him something more bland in the evening like baby rice/porridge/weetabix rather than fruit purée just in case?
It sounds like you're doing a good job and that you're baby is thriving.

Thank you arched