I need help with this, im stressing!!!

[Mashingmummy]

Hi all, this may sound like a stupid question, but i need help with babys routine and how i can reduce her formula feeds. She is now 6 months, has been having solids for 3 weeks this is the routine at the mo.

7.00-7.30 - 7oz bottle & porridge

10.00 - 7oz bottle

13.00 - 7oz bottle and 2 ice cubes of veg and some banana for afters

16.00 - 7oz bottle with rice and pear quite a large portion

19.00- 7oz bottle and bed.

A friend says I need to reduce the amount of milk she's having but she absolutely loves the milk. I then dont know which one to reduce. Am I given her enough food, or should I know give her more ice cubes, she is very good with food, eats everything i give her.

Its so bloody confusing xxx

Mashingmummy - Can't help sorry but am in the same kind of situation so you are not alone My DD is also 6mths and have been weaning for 2 weeks but in the last 48 hrs she has gone from having 35 ozs a day to 20 ish so routine has gone totally tits up as she has dropped so much milk at once. So mealtimes that were nice and structured have changed etc and am stressing too!!

TBH your routine seems fine but if you want to cut a bottle out I would try the 1pm one and offer more solids and water/juice instead. Maybe not cut it out straight away but gradually reduce amount of milk offered ie go down to 5ozs first and see how you get on. I think the key is probably to do things gradually or you end up in a situation like mine

You don't have to reduce her milk feeds, you know, especially if she loves the milk that much! My ds is bf, so obv I don't know how much he is drinking at each feed, but he was still having 8 feeds a day at 6mo, and still has 4 at 9.5mo. Milk is still providing the bulk of your dd's nutrients for now and I reckon you'll find as she starts eating more solids she will naturally drop some of the milk feeds herself (I never had to cut out any feeds for my ds, he just decided not to have them any more).
Please don't stress, sounds as though your dd is doing fine!

Thanks for advice simpson,

I thought about reducing that feed but MIL said to reduce the 10 and 4 feed. thats why im so confused. How come ur dd has suddenly stopped having that amount milk, is she full from the solids? Do u offer solids then milk or vice versa x

Mashingmummy - I don't have a clue why she has cut back so drastically She is ff and never been an easy baby to feed too nosy with whats going on wriggle wriggle etc.

Weaning has gone well and I think she has upped the solids too much. It is not a huge problem in the day but in the evening she refuses milk before tea and only wants solids being very vocal if I am not quick enough/don't give her enough. Then the bottle that she has in her room before bed is refused as she is no room in tummy for it!! So our nice kid free evening is disturbed The plan of action today is to give tea a bit earlier and see what happens.

In your situation I would only reduce one feed at a time DS (now 3) reduced the 1pm thats why I suggested that one!! He had more solids to compensate. I would not reduce the 10am one as it is milk on its own iykwim.

If anything, weaning has made DS drink more milk - I don't think you should reduce the milk feeds, your DD should show you when she's ready to drop milk feeds, by not having as much, not seeming to ask for it, etc. Weaning is a slow process and milk is their main source of nutrition and energy until they're one.

you don't need to actively try and reduce milk feeds - it'll happen by itself as the amount of solids she eats goes up, as mrsjamin says.

my DD is 8 months and i was worrying about this when i started weaning her at 6 months, but in the end she just dropped the feeds herself - ie. didn't cry for milk anymore and rejected bottles she had before

this happened really when i started introducing starchy foods and protein, which fill her up much more than veg and fruit purees

HTH

oh, forgot to say, she also LOVED milk - wolfed it down

Hello, DS is nearly 7 months and we've been weaning for about 5 weeks, a cross between BLW and spoon feeding (not puree though). Some days he'll have 20oz, others he'll want 25. just depends on him. I try not to worry as I figure he'll let me know when he's had enough or wants more. Sometimes I don't even count how many ounces he has! Try to go with the flow and your DS will reduce when she's ready!

That is reasurring thank you ladies, im just going to carry on what im doing, one more question thou, do u give food or milk first at each feed xx

Milk straight away when awake, then wait 30-60 mins then offer food.

as MrsJamin - milk first thing, then porridge 1.5 - 2 hours later (having a child who insists on waking at 6 for milk and then going back to sleep for a bit!)

other meals, i just give them without milk, completely separately. DD's routine is:

6.00 - 7oz milk
8.00 - porridge
11.30 - lunch all solids, inc yoghurt if still hungry
2.00 - 7oz milk
5.00 - dinner
7.30 - 7oz milk

i make 7oz but DD never drinks this now, usually has 4 or 5

as DD is a very hungry baby, i had no success offering food after milk, as she would either be full or scream at having her bottle taken away and then refuse food

so, i offered food first, and found she started to want that instead of the milk fairly quickly. so, breakfast lunch and dinner were previously bottles

I know we mustn't even speak her name!, but the G- F- book on weaning is very helpful and goes into this with detail and info. She says milk is most important, so offer milk FIRST then food. If their milk quota drops dramatically, despite having lots of solids, it can mean they wake up at night again.

My DS2 is at exactly same stage as this. I was a bit stressed too till I dug out the Weaning book and read it.

Have to stick my head above the parapet and agree with BEAUTIFUL.

Gina's approach got me out of a right pickle with my DD who had gotten to stage of having neither solids OR milk, thanks to stupid advice to wean early...

It's VERY structured (of course) but hen you're in a muddle it can be very helpful just to have someone tell you what to do and when IYSWIM.

Recipes pretty good too...

db
xx

Sorry,

...when you're in a muddle...

as am not Glaswegian...