Timings of meals

[Corky]

My 23 week old ds was a big boy (10lb 10 at birth) so needless to say I started weaning him at 17 weeks. He's on 3 meals a day and has 4 bottles of around 5-6oz formula. The problem I'm finding is that the HV'S told me to start trying to separate the solids from the milk so that he has breakfast around 8, lunch around 12 and tea around 5. How do you do this though when he only stays awake around 2 hours and always seems tired when he's due solids? He takes forever to drink his milk so by the time you've finished that you find that its soon time for the solids.

Anyone got any suggestions or tips on what to do?

Cheers

I started weaning ds at 20 weeks and he was on 3 miles a day at about 27 weeks. From memory I used to give him a bottle first thing in the morning (around 7.00) then his breakfast. He would then sleep for a bit. I would then give him lunch at about 11.30 (no bottle), a bottle at about 2.30ish, tea at 5ish and then a bottle at around 6.30ish. If he is sleeping when he is due a meal perhaps he is not hungry, how much does he have?

Hi how much milk was he having though at 20 weeks? I did think about dropping another bottle but he's only on 4 at the moment anyway and supposedly the back of the box says they should have 5 feeds. When he isn't irritable and doesn't need distracting during feeding he has 2 veg ice cubes and 2 fruit ice cubes.

Corky, dd is 6 1/2 months (lost count of weeks but not too many more than your ds !). She too is on 3 meals a day and 4 bottles of 5/6 oz. our feeding routine is like this -

wake up (around 7 ish) - bottle
sometimes 1/2 hour sleep
9 ish - breakfast
11/11.30 - bottle
sometimes 3/4 hour sleep
1 ish - lunch
3/3.30 - bottle
1/2 sleep if we're really lucky !
5.30 - dinner
7/7.30 ish - bottle
bed

I guess it helps fit all the feeds in as she doesn't sleep that well during the day. If she falls asleep out of sync so she misses a bottle or feed I miss out the meal but give her the next one a bit earlier and bigger. If she sleeps through a bottle I give her this when she wakes and give her a smaller meal as she is only just getting enough milk (the recommended is 500 - 600 mls/ 18-20 oz). She also used to be really slow with her milk but is much better now which is a relief but thats something she did by herself so no advice on how to speed him up !

HTH !

i think this is the hard bit, dd used to feed 5 times a day and sleep night thru, occasional stirring at nights but she didnt actually woke up and cried. but since started weaning we lost all routine she has less milk after meal( once at lunch at the moment) and she she wants more after 1 hour. she wont have much cause she is full and she gets hungry again, and we are in the middle of right mess, i feel like i should nt wean her at first thing.
but she loves her meal, cries because purees not run like milk, suppose we need some time to get used to it.
i think any ideas will be great for us too. thnx all in advance

hi corky, my 6 mo routine is this - my d's also gets grumpy at the 2 hr+ awake mark,

7 ambottle on waking, breakfast at 8
9am to 11 asleep
11am 4 ou bottle
12.00 dinner
1 - 3 asleep
3pm 4 ou bottle
5pm din dins
playtime/bath
6.30 bottle, then bed anytime after

i found this works well for me as it seperates bottles, gets enough sleep in, and generally she can last 2 hrs awake (but i am gradually extending this and finding she is ok with this) HTH

Hi,
My DD is five months old we started out doing food and milk at the same time then split them. But i found i was giving food or milk every other hour and sometimes she still wanted milk with her food. I dont know if this will help but this is what we are upto at the moment:

Night or first thing: 8oz milk
8 ish rice and fruit puree (4oz milk if feed during the night.
Mid morning drink of water/juice
12 ish veg puree, 5oz milk, fruit puree
Mid afternoon drink water/juice
4.30-5 ish Veg puree, 6oz milk, fruit puree.
7.30 ish Milk 8 oz
Bed

If he is taking ages with his bottle maybe a teat with more holes or even try a beaker so he can drink quicker. Just a thought, hope its some help.

Sorry forgot to say she only has two half hour naps about 11 and then 2/3

my babe is 7 months her routine is
7- 5oz bottle
730 breakfast
930 4oz bottle and nap about 40 mins
12 dinner
130 sleep about 2 hours
330 snack fruit and juice
5 dinner
7 bed and 8oz bottle