Constantly feeding...

We are now eating 6 jars of food a day, plus the homemade that I give them for dinner (too hard to send homemade to the sitters for breakfast/lunch). Plus of course they are eating 5 bottles of breastmilk/nursing, with occasionally some formula added.

When is this goign to end!! I feel like we can't go anywhere or do anything! We have a birthday part 25 minutes away Saturday afternoon and trick or treating with at my parents (20 minutes away) on Sunday afternoon. Somehow I need to get the girls fed their solids, their bottles/nurse, and find time to pump. it's just too much work, I'd rather stay home!!

When will we be eating "real food"? I know the dr. says to stick to stage 2/3 until 9 months and after that we will start with some finger foods, but I'm goign nuts!

I know if I'd quit nursing it would solve part of the problem, but I'd really like to make it at least a year.

Sorry, i guess I'm just venting. But it woudl be nice to be able to have a life, instead of constantly worrying about feedings. Dont' even get me started on when they will have time to nap!!

 

6 jars a day total, or per baby? I'm nursing, too. The babies usually nurse 5 times a day and have 1 jar of baby food. We just moved up to stage 2. How much time do you have between feedings? We usually have 3-4 hours, and I think that is rough to fit stuff in there. (My older girls have sports to go to, etc) You have to be feeding non-stop!
As for finger foods... my pediatrician said we can start some cherrios and other small easy to eat stuff since the babies can sit well on their own. He said that is more important than the age. He also told us if we have mashed potatoes or other soft table food we can start giving that to the babies. I haven't tried any of it yet, though... I'm a little scared!
At risk of sounding stupid... how would giving up nursing solve part of the problem?

Sorry... I seem to have more questions than advice! But I would like to add this... it might be easier to feed the babies at your parents house... that will expand your "window" at least a little bit!

Helen

 

They split 3 jars at breakfast, 3 at lunch, and then dinner is homemade. They are skinny minnies so I really dont' think they are eating too much!

Our schedule goes like this:

6:00 nurse/bottle
mom has to find time to pump somewhere here
9:00 baby food breakfast (fruit, oatmeal)
9:30 nurse/bottle
mom has to find time to pump somewhere here
1:00 baby food lunch
1:30 nurse/bottle
mom has to find time to pump somewhere here
5:00 baby food dinner
5:30 nurse/bottle
mom pumps
7:30 nurse/bottle
mom pumps

Addison would never latch and I just nurse Ella. so I have to pump for Addison's bottle. Giving up PUMPING would give me so much more time. But I refuse to give one formula and not the other so I'd stop nursing all together. But I won't!

 

I wish I had any suggestions for you, but we're in the same boat here! I feel like we're either nursing, eating solids, or getting ready for a nap! And they don't really stay sleeping in the car anymore so it's hard to try and get out and still get a nap in.

Sigh...

 

I really don't think your schedule is that different from mine or most of us with babies close to this age. I think we do end up feeding/preparing to feed for most hours of the day.

Here's my schedule:

5:30ish bf
5:45ish oatmeal/fruit (the boys usually go back down until about 7:30)
9:00 nap
10:00 8 oz bottle
12:00 cereal with veggie and fruit
1:00 nap
2:00 8 oz bottle
4;30 nap
5:30ish 8 oz bottle
6:30ish dinner
7:30 bedtime

We do some finger and table foods too. Cheerios, puffs, wagon wheels, mum mums, diced carrots, cut up green beans, toast, smashed bananas, well cooked pasta, avocado, diced peaches and pears.

Perhaps pumping for both girls during the day and saving nursing for the evenings may save you some time so you don't have to find time to do both...don't know if that will work for you though. sorry I wasn't more help.

 

Mandy, I remember that stage! It was alllll day feeding with the solids added in! It will get easier when they aren't drinking so many bottles. :hug99:

 

I don't really have any advice. Just wanted to say I feel your pain about all the pumping. I'm counting down my last few weeks of pumping. Hallelujah! Just hang in there. You'll make it though & what a great accomplishment it is :clapping:

 

:hug99: I understand what you mean about constantly feeding and trying to find time to do things in between. I pumped for both babies until 10 months since I could never get either to latch properly. I wanted to make it to atleast a year but I gave it up the day they turned 10 months because it got to be way to much for me. They needed alot more interaction and were not happy about having mommy pumping when they wanted to play. I will say I regretted it at first and felt guilty about it but it was such a relief to have that load off of my back. I'm not saying that you should give it up completely but maybe cut down on it and give them a bit of formula instead just to get a bit of your sanity and freedom back.

 

Wow pumping and nursing. That is really wonderful. Great job. I dont nurse my boys, but we are finally just getting out of the eating all the time months. We are down to just 3 bottles and 3 solids and it makes a world of difference. Hang in there.