Eating 9-11 times a day and nearly 8 months old

My guys physical development is great, but their eating and sleeping leaves a lot to be desired. So I've done the math, and my boys are currently eating 9-11 times a day. This is more often than they ate as newborns (8 times back then). Our routine goes something like this:

1. 7AM Wake 5 oz bottle formula
2. 8AM solids usually about 5 ounces of cereal and fruit split between them
3. if still hungry after solids a small bottle
4. Between 10:30-11 BF
5. 11:30 solids usually a jar of stage 2 food plus EBM and cereal mixed in again about 5 ounces split between them
6. around 2BF
7. around 4-5 BF
8. around 5:30-6 solids about 2 jars about 6 ounces
9. 7PM 6.5 ounce bottle EBM off to bed
10&11 They usually wake twice, recently they woke once so we may be headed in that direction. I BF for 10 minutes, and back it up with 2-3 ounces of formula.

This seems way outside the range of normal--eating 9-11 times a day at this age? They are also slimming out a lot, not losing weight, but they are losing baby fat.

I ask because tonight--they polished off approximately 4 jars of baby food (some of it was homemade, so I don't know exactly how much) after being breastfed (tandem 5 minutes). Then, they both ate 4 ounces of EBM/formula 30 minutes later. So between 5 and 7 they eat 3 times.

I'm also concerned because they are getting constipation off and on, which they never got before solids. I've pretty much banned rice and bananas, but I wonder if they are getting too much solid food.

Oh one more thing, they get a sippy cup with 1 or 2 solid meals. I let them drink about 1 ounce of water from the sippy.

Is this too much eating??

 

This was our schedule at 8 months, copied from the [wiki]First_Year_Schedules[/wiki] Wiki article:

7am wake/bottle
830 fruit and cereal
930 nap
11 bottle
12 fruit and veggie
1230 nap
2 snack, usually puffs
3 bottle
330 nap
5 fruit, veggie, cereal
530 bath
7 bottle/bed

I pick up my older kids from school at 2, which is why we are still on a 3 nap schedule. The middle nap is a very short one. They are starting to be able to eat some table foods, soft pasta, very cooked fruits, and veggies.

 

QUOTE(becky5 @ Feb 7 2009, 09:25 PM) [snapback]1181161[/snapback]
This was our schedule at 8 months, copied from the [wiki]First_Year_Schedules[/wiki] Wiki article:

7am wake/bottle
830 fruit and cereal
930 nap
11 bottle
12 fruit and veggie
1230 nap
2 snack, usually puffs
3 bottle
330 nap
5 fruit, veggie, cereal
530 bath
7 bottle/bed

I pick up my older kids from school at 2, which is why we are still on a 3 nap schedule. The middle nap is a very short one. They are starting to be able to eat some table foods, soft pasta, very cooked fruits, and veggies.

So I counted 8 feedings, one of which is a snack. So 9-11 do you think it's too many?

What do you ladies think about the constipation issue?

 

I'll be interested in hearing replies to this, for us we are trying to nail down a schedule, but this is what we are doing right now (they are 9 mo, and just started solids at almost 8 mo).

1. 7-7:30a - BF about 8oz each
2. 8a - solids about 4 oz each
(nap 9a-11a)
3. 11:30a - BF about 5-6oz
4. 12 noon - solids about 4 oz each
(nap 2-3:30?)
5. 3:30-4p BF about 5-6oz
6. 4p solids about 4 oz each
(nap 6p or early bath)
7. 7:30-8 final BF 3oz + extra EBM 3-4oz


I'd love for their feeds to be more (like 8oz during the day), but they are thriving... so I guess its ok that my supply isn't as much... I pump after the first morning feed and after their last feed so I can get the extra for their last feed.

They pretty much sleep from 8 or 9p to 7a... they started getting back up in the middle of the night when I tried to cut out that last EBM bottle last week... I was tired of pumping... but I'd rather pump than get up at 3a...

as for constipation, I read the Super Baby Food book by Ruth Yaron, and she suggests a yogurt (organic whole milk yogurt) based meal for the 2nd meal... when I established the good grain meal in the morning and the yogurt at noon they are much more regular.

Also at about 6 months I tried to get them to nap longer (applied pacifiers when they woke after 1 hr, and they started sleeping longer -for 2 hr naps), they started eating bigger feeds... that might help you to somehow space things out more so that they are still getting the same ounces per day but not so many small meals?

its all about learning our babies, isn't it?

 

QUOTE(maybell @ Feb 7 2009, 09:31 PM) [snapback]1181165[/snapback]
as for constipation, I read the Super Baby Food book by Ruth Yaron, and she suggests a yogurt (organic whole milk yogurt) based meal for the 2nd meal... when I established the good grain meal in the morning and the yogurt at noon they are much more regular.

Also at about 6 months I tried to get them to nap longer (applied pacifiers when they woke after 1 hr, and they started sleeping longer -for 2 hr naps), they started eating bigger feeds... that might help you to somehow space things out more so that they are still getting the same ounces per day but not so many small meals?

its all about learning our babies, isn't it?


OMG, I just tried yogurt the other day in hopes that it would help, but I made a banana, papaya, yogurt smoothy. They were terribly constipated, but I think it was the banana. I thought the yogurt and papaya would cancel it out.

 

At 8 months old we were doing 5 bottles a day, 1 at night <_< , and 2 solids meals. And I am sure there were days that there was another bottle in there somewhere. We moved to 3 solids meals at 9 months and didnt drop a bottle. So I would say that 9-11 times is really fine IMO. As long as they are happy and not losing weight then I would keep doing what you are doing. Sorry about still getting up at night...it sucks!

As for the constipation I would just do some more fruits like pears or even a small amount of prunes mixed into something. That might help. If we were having "issues" I would give them a 1/2 ounce of pear juice to 1/2 ounce water. That usually helped get things moving.

 

It may be a PITA, but it's not too much eating. Babies don't overeat. Yours are even slimming down right now. And the age you're at is distraction central - most likely they're getting bored of eating and antsy to move on to something else before they're full. It just goes with the territory. I think it's essential to give babies plenty of opportunities to eat at that age precisely because they're so distractible.

They're getting plenty of milk, which is essential - so with that as the foundation, you could try giving them more solids if you think they're ready. As for constipation, just focus on high-fiber stuff. Fruits and veggies, maybe let them nibble on whole grain cheerios. You could also try offering sippies of water at mealtime, since extra fluids will help keep things moving down below.

You're doing great! Don't second-guess yourself too much.

 

OMG, I just read the 8 month schedules. That was depressing. With the exception of Holly (fuschiagroan) nobody was even close to eating that many times. These boys are serious outliers.

 

QUOTE(fuchsiagroan @ Feb 7 2009, 10:06 PM) [snapback]1181199[/snapback]
It may be a PITA, but it's not too much eating. Babies don't overeat. Yours are even slimming down right now. And the age you're at is distraction central - most likely they're getting bored of eating and antsy to move on to something else before they're full. It just goes with the territory. I think it's essential to give babies plenty of opportunities to eat at that age precisely because they're so distractible.

They're getting plenty of milk, which is essential - so with that as the foundation, you could try giving them more solids if you think they're ready. As for constipation, just focus on high-fiber stuff. Fruits and veggies, maybe let them nibble on whole grain cheerios. You could also try offering sippies of water at mealtime, since extra fluids will help keep things moving down below.

You're doing great! Don't second-guess yourself too much.

LOL! I was writing when you posted. Did you see my shout out?

What's PITA?

 

pita -- pain in the a**

as for constipation... it might have been the banana... I know one day I did a nice smoothie for the babies, then later at my inlaws they gave them a banana when I hadn't given them enough food... well, it was too much banana, I totally cut it out for a while, now they are better... hopefully you get it all figured out.

I waited so long to start solids and to get it really going has taken a good month, now I feel like we are doing well with the millet/oatmeal & veggies for the 1st meal, and then yogurt & veggies at noon and a free for all at dinner.

like the others said you are doing great. its interesting to read what other people are doing for schedules to give some ideas. I feel like every week adds something in new and our schedule changes a bit...

 

OK so Im trying to think back.
At 8 months we were doing 3 solid meals a day with plenty of bfing.
At 9 months we did 3 solid meals PLUS a snack and plenty of bfing.
At 10 months 3 solid meals + 2 snacks and bfing 3-4x a day.

When I read your initial post I thought" she should feed them larger meals". Babies will let you know when they are finished. Do you feed them till they show signs of being done? (clamping their mouths shut, turning their head etc) the other thing we did at 8 months was sippy cups. I would fill them EVERY momrning at the start of the day. Usually 90% full of water, 10% full of juice. By the time we made it to 10 months my DD wouldnt even have a bottle anymore she was all about her cup By the end of the day their cups were usually empty.

I tried to always feed a fruit with breakfast, a vergetable with lunch and a vegetable & bread with dinner. My babies seemed to be pretty regular. I also did a little tummy massage after baths while applying lotion. I would just rub my hands in a clockwise motion over their belly. Starting by the right hip and ending by the left.

Babies eat alot! and everyday is not the same. sometimes I feel like I feed my 2 all day long. other days I feel like they hardly eat at all. as they get more mobile they will slim down. Its normal. they wont seem to be gaining much weight but they will be growing taller.

Have you been doing any finger foods?? things that are SOFT, SMUSHY, easily dissolve etc.

Keep up the good work! You sound like you're doing fine.

 

Here was my schedule:


7:30 AM - wake & play
8:00 AM - bowl of cereal, toast, and/or eggs, etc. & 4oz
10 - 12 PM - nap
12 PM - Stage 3 jar, and/or turkey, ham, etc & 4oz
2 - 4 PM - nap
4pm - Stage 3 dinner, and/or whatever we're eating & 4oz
7 PM - 8oz bottle and bed


So, I'm doing 20oz of formula per day, plus a snack or two in between meals (puffs, cherios, etc).

 

I think I've posted on your threads before...but we pretty much have the same babies. I have two boys, 2 weeks younger than yours. Not even close to STTN, eating a lot, one is often constipated (the other the blow-out king). Not preemies (nearly 39 wkers). I don't know what their problem is...big sister was a dream (STTN at like 8 wks).

Here's a weekday schedule (when mom's at work):
7:30 am nurse
8:30 am breakfast -- 1/4 c cereal + 1-2 jars of fruit
10 am 5 oz EBM
NAP 1-2 hrs
12:30 1 jar fruit/1 jar
2:00 5 oz EBM
NAP 1-2 hrs
4:30 5 oz EBM
5:30 1/4 cereal + 1-2 jars of veggies
7:30 nurse
11 pm nurse
2 am nurse
5 am nurse

Ok, they're at 8 milk feedings per day. On the weekends when I'm around all day, definitely add 1-2 times to that.

 

QUOTE(lucky123 @ Feb 8 2009, 09:02 PM) [snapback]1182117[/snapback]
I think I've posted on your threads before...but we pretty much have the same babies. I have two boys, 2 weeks younger than yours. Not even close to STTN, eating a lot, one is often constipated (the other the blow-out king). Not preemies (nearly 39 wkers). I don't know what their problem is...big sister was a dream (STTN at like 8 wks).

Here's a weekday schedule (when mom's at work):
7:30 am nurse
8:30 am breakfast -- 1/4 c cereal + 1-2 jars of fruit
10 am 5 oz EBM
NAP 1-2 hrs
12:30 1 jar fruit/1 jar
2:00 5 oz EBM
NAP 1-2 hrs
4:30 5 oz EBM
5:30 1/4 cereal + 1-2 jars of veggies
7:30 nurse
11 pm nurse
2 am nurse
5 am nurse

Ok, they're at 8 milk feedings per day. On the weekends when I'm around all day, definitely add 1-2 times to that.

We must have the same babies.