Help me get out of the house! Don't want to be trapped by solids!

My 9 mo twins have only been getting solids at 5 pm b/c I can't figure out when to do other feeds w/o having to stay in all the time (and lose my mind). This is our schedule now:

7-8:30 am: wake up, bottles and play
8:30-9:30ish: nap
9:30-11:30ish: get out of the house!!!
11:30 am: bottles
12-1:30ish: nap
1:30-3:30: play (at home or go out)
3:30: bottles
3:30-5: play or go for a walk
5 pm: solids
6 pm: start bedtime
bottles and bed

I really don't want to give up the 9:30-11:30 time because that's the only way I've maintained my sanity. And they aren't eating enough to cut out any bottles (it's already a struggle to get them to drink, that alone takes a long time). But I feel bad that they aren't getting what they should be eating.

Any recs?

Thanks for your help!

 

I would do another solids after the am bottle, about 30mins after. And when you are ready to go to 3 solids meals do it after the 11:30 bottles. When you think about it those are all natural times, breakfast, lunch and dinner.

And even when you get to 2-3 solid meals a day, you don't have to do it every day!!!!! If there is a day you want to get out sooner or they are fussy, don't worry about it

 

Just saw iluvpugs' similar post. Clearly I'm just destined to be trapped at home. Sob.

 

I agree with Kristi...do another solids during your 7-8:30 time and then incorporate lunch when you are ready. Or you can push back your am nap on occasion and have them do it in the car or stroller if you are willing.

ETA: I know the feeling of being trapped. I hated this feeling and believe me once they go to one nap a day it really does get more flexible. Hang in there...its not forever!

 

I love to go out too. I go crazy staying in all the time. I try to do 2 meals a day but if we are out at lunch time I dont worry about it. I do always try to feed them dinner though around 5 or so.

 

I do ...

7AM nurse
8AM solids
9:30-11 nap
11 nurse
12 solids
2:30 nap
4 nurse
5 solids
7 bed

We can go on outings between breakfast and nap quickly (like a walk) then we can go longer between lunch and nap ... I have about 2 hours there ... so we go on playdates or the mall or whatever ... AND sometimes I take their solids lunch wherever I want to go ... like I will nurse them then pack up their lunch and meet a friend for lunch or go to a friend's house for a playdate and feed them the solids there (my friend has twins so 2 highchairs too but if she is using them, I feed them in their carseats or just sit them on her kitchen floor) ... also, we can go on outings between dinner and bedtime ... again a quick outing ... like a walk or the park (we have a park really close by ... we walk there in 10 minutes). HTH!

 

Could you offer solids right before their bottle??? Here is our schedule, although I usually try to get out in the late afternoon b/c I have morning nappers.

7 wake
7:30 solids
7:45 bottles
9:30-11 nap
11:30 solids
12:00 bottles
1:30-3 nap
3 bottles
3:30-5:30 get out of the house
5:30 solids
6:30 bottles
7:00 bed

With this schedule though I often go out to lunch, I just do solids at home at 11ish and then hit the road and the babies sit in their carseats and drink their bottles while I'm out to lunch. I usually go out with a friend so I have an extra set of hands.

I also can't believe your babies make it from 1:30 to bedtime, I long for that kind of awake time, mine get crunchy just being up 3-7!!

 

I always end up doing a solids meal out of the house if I have to....Wherever I am. At friends, mall, store....whatever. I just whip out the jar, bib em up and go to it. It takes 5 minutes for them to finish a jar. They are usually in the stroller. Or I use my friend's high chair...lol...Months ago I wouldn't dare feed solids outside of the home because it was so messy, but they learned and got so much better at it! It's a relief to not HAVE to be house-bound. Our schedule is this:

7:30am - Wake up
7:45am - Solid breakfast (Fruit, yogurt, cereal, whatever) and then 8 oz. bottle right after
8:30am - Play
10am - Morning nap
11:30am (or close to) - Solids lunch (combo meal of veggies/meat or mac and cheese)
12:30pm - 8 oz. Bottle

This is the point we would venture outside, sometimes it is in the morning we do so if we have somewhere we need to be, otherwise I wait until after all lunch is done to go anywhere if at all possible!

The next feeding would be solids at around 3pm and it would usually be outside the house.

Then whenever we get home, if they haven't napped, then they would at this point....Or play....And then last bottle would be around 6pm - 8 oz.

7pm - Bath & Bed

So all in all, it's 3 solid meals and 3 bottles right now - They are almost a year, but they are preemies so 9.5 months adjusted age.

 

QUOTE(Luluthewondercat @ May 18 2008, 03:39 PM) [snapback]779856[/snapback]
Just saw iluvpugs' similar post. Clearly I'm just destined to be trapped at home. Sob.


Hi Lulu! Yes I am going thru the same thing. I am having such a struggle. Not with getting out of the house as much (because I don't anymore), mine is more with it just seems like I have to watch the clock and am constantly feeding them.

If I do go out I don't worry about giving them solids...it just ain't gonna happen for me, that is. With a 3 year old I'd rather stay home. It's just too hard to get out.

The other posters have some good ideas on when to get out so your not trapped. I guess I forgot how hard this is and maybe with 2 it's just different than having 1 baby...I just can't remember anymore.

Good luck! I hope you'll find the time slot to where you can venture out. If not now, soon.

Take care.
Kelley

 

I try to time going out with their naps or when they wake up and I know they will only have a bottle. If I am out and they are due for lunch or whatever, I skip it. I don't think it is that big a deal since their main source of nutrition comes from their bottles. IMHO of course, not for everyone.

GL

 

Thanks all. This is very helpful. Mine are still such messy eaters (this will get better, won't it?!?) that eating solids out is unfortunately not an option right now.

 

I always threw some of the plastic gerber containers and a spoon in my bag. I carried bibs (Even the pampers bibsters are great, because you can throw them away) and wipes. No matter how messy they were, the cleanup wasn't too bad. I never really let the feeding (or napping) schedules trap me in the house.

 

To answer one question - yes, they do get better or less messy. It takes a while, but the more practice they have, the better they get - or at least that was the case here. We ate on the go, too. I just took everything we needed, and extra wipes and clothes. It wasn't as bad as I had feared at first, and got easier over time.

We did a solid and a smaller bottle a number of times. Mine really took to the spoon, and wouldn't eat a bottle without first having some baby food or cereal at times.