Moving to 3 bottles a day

Our PED said we can start feeding solids before bottles now instead of between. How nice it is to not be feeding 8 times a day. We have been on 4 bottles since they were 2 months old. Now it seems as though the 12 and 4 feedings are hard. They do not really want the bottle and only drink a small amount. I have been thinking of combining the 2 small feedings into 1 larger one at 2.

It seems early to me, but it seems like this is what they want.

Also the PED did say they should start drinking less now and gettine more nutrition from the solids.

Thoughts?

 

It sounds like your pedi is a bit out of date... The most recent recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health organization are:

-no solids at all (including cereal) until 6 months
-6-9 mo (or even 6-12 mo) solids for practice, not nutrition - most/all nutrition still coming from breastmilk and/or formula

If I were in your shoes, I would cut back on the solids a bit so they'd be more interested in the bottles.

However - I know that's not what you wanted to hear!

 

QUOTE(fuchsiagroan @ Dec 30 2007, 12:14 PM) [snapback]550828[/snapback]
It sounds like your pedi is a bit out of date... The most recent recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health organization are:

-no solids at all (including cereal) until 6 months
-6-9 mo (or even 6-12 mo) solids for practice, not nutrition - most/all nutrition still coming from breastmilk and/or formula

If I were in your shoes, I would cut back on the solids a bit so they'd be more interested in the bottles.

However - I know that's not what you wanted to hear!



We started solids even before 4 months as per the the PED and GI. Early introduction of solids is helpful for babies with severe reflux. It has helped tremendously. we now only change clothes about 5 times a day.

We had cereal since 2 weeks.

Even the 1st year handbook on here has 20-30 oz. of formula recommended for 7-12 months as opposed to 32-36 for 4-6 months.

I know they will start drinking less as they are not growing as fast now. I am just not sure how much.

Elizabeth has never drank more than 24oz. a day. Of course she has a ton of cereal in her bottle for the reflux so I know she will not drink as much. We actually beef the solids up with formula powder which thickens it as well as giving her more formula.

Any reflux moms out there start solids hard core so young?

 

We haven't gone to 3 yet and the girls are almost 10 months old. We are considering replacing the 4pm bottle in the next month with a sippy with some formula and a snack (I'm getting better about giving them real food now!), but if we do we'll probably bump up the other 3 bottles from 7oz to 8oz and see if they will drink it all. I know I'm taking this food thing much slower than others, but every baby is different so you have to work with your pedi to do what is best for your kids.

 

No advice here -- my older DD still got four bottles (sippies) a day at 2 years old -- morning, bedtime, and before and after a long afternoon nap. She liked them, and I saw no reason to stop -- when the ped advised that we cut down her milk, we just gave her smaller amounts per sippy. Of course, it's much easier when the kid can drink by herself.

My little ones are still on five bottles a day -- and I can't figure out how to reduce them to four yet, because they're still only on one meal a day. (Although, I think I need to add a second meal, because they both take 28 to 30 oz of EBM and formula, plus a good sized lunch, but DS has woken up hungry the last two nights and sucked down 6 oz.)

Could you just offer smaller amounts in the 12 and 4 bottles, if they're not drinking it all? Three bottles seems like too few at this age....

 

QUOTE
We started solids even before 4 months as per the the PED and GI. Early introduction of solids is helpful for babies with severe reflux. It has helped tremendously. we now only change clothes about 5 times a day.


Not trying to step on any toes! I was just concerned that you might have gotten advice that could be less than ideal for your babies' health --- also because your pedi has you giving very infrequent, large feedings to heavy refluxers instead of the frequent small feedings that most experts recommend (as in this website, for example).

That's great that they're getting formula mixed in with the solids - that should really help beef up the nutritional value.

5 clothing changes a day? I think you should change your screen name to SUPERWOMAN! :lol: :bow2:

 

QUOTE(Becca34 @ Dec 30 2007, 02:53 PM) [snapback]550981[/snapback]
No advice here -- my older DD still got four bottles (sippies) a day at 2 years old -- morning, bedtime, and before and after a long afternoon nap. She liked them, and I saw no reason to stop -- when the ped advised that we cut down her milk, we just gave her smaller amounts per sippy. Of course, it's much easier when the kid can drink by herself.

My little ones are still on five bottles a day -- and I can't figure out how to reduce them to four yet, because they're still only on one meal a day. (Although, I think I need to add a second meal, because they both take 28 to 30 oz of EBM and formula, plus a good sized lunch, but DS has woken up hungry the last two nights and sucked down 6 oz.)

Could you just offer smaller amounts in the 12 and 4 bottles, if they're not drinking it all? Three bottles seems like too few at this age....



The only guidance my PED gave was that by 9 months we should be on 3 bottles!

Somehow I doubt mine will ever drink by themselves. They still do not like to play with toys much and are mostly happy just lying on the floor. :-(

 

QUOTE(fuchsiagroan @ Dec 30 2007, 02:57 PM) [snapback]550984[/snapback]
Not trying to step on any toes! I was just concerned that you might have gotten advice that could be less than ideal for your babies' health --- also because your pedi has you giving very infrequent, large feedings to heavy refluxers instead of the frequent small feedings that most experts recommend (as in this website, for example).

That's great that they're getting formula mixed in with the solids - that should really help beef up the nutritional value.

5 clothing changes a day? I think you should change your screen name to SUPERWOMAN! :lol: :bow2:



I did ask him about the whole 4 month vs. 6 month debate and he said that the AAP has guidelines but they are just that. They do not apply exactly to all babies and that you have to do what is best for your specific kids. Yes our GI and I talked about smaller feedings moer often, but it was not something Thomas took to very well. He screamed all day long! Truthfully it didnt seem to help much either. Reflux has been nasty nasty nasty.

5 is down from the 8 or so we were doing at 4 months. We would change bibs every hour and clothes every 1-5 - 2 hours. It was insane. Finally one day I took some thrift store towels and made bibs that cover just about all of them. Somehow several times a day they still get the clothes covered. Thomas likes to wear his bib as a cape.

The reflux is finally getting better though and I hate to cut back on solids and they have the spitting and refluxing come back full force.

 

I have reluxers as well though (knock on wood) it's been getting a little better recently. We are still giving 4 bottles though are starting to modify amounts. They take a full 7 oz. bottle (thickened) in the morning and then anywhere from 4-7 oz. bottles for the rest of the day depending on what they have for solids. Right now they are on 2 feedings of solids a day at about 3-4 oz. each when it goes well. The Ped. said to try to make sure they get 24 oz. of formula a day but honestly sometimes it doesn't happen and only comes to about 22-23. Most of the time we make it though. We tried smaller more frequent feedings too but found that unless the babies are really hungry, they will spit up anything given to them. We can't feed them a moment before they are ravenous or it all comes back at us. That's a great idea about mixing in the formula powder! I'll try it! I've been thickening the food with rice cereal or oatmeal but the formula powder would give a lot more nutrition. Though Alimentum tastes terrible so we'll see if they like it in their fruits and veggies... They are not crazy about straight formula and cereal even when mixed with a little fruit. Good luck with it all. I see no problem in dropping the bottles to 3 a day if they are handling the amounts OK.

 

hi tammy!

did they ever put him on any reflux meds? my ds had reflux and was on prilosec and it worked. then they had me add a little cereal to his bottle, but only for a short amount of time. we started cereal at 4 months. they do say though that eating for the first few months is mainly for practice. maybe even up to a year...because they get all the nutrition they need from their formula.

my babies were on 4 bottles a day forever!!! i was so jealous of my friends who were on 3 bottles a day. i don't think they ever got to 4 bottles. we ended up shifting to milk at a year. now they jones for their milk, which i was giving them 3 times a day and my pedi said to cut one out so that they will eat more! ugh!

good luck!

Lois

P.S. i still haven't gotten that box out, but it is packed up...will go out this week though!

 

QUOTE(fuchsiagroan @ Dec 30 2007, 12:14 PM) [snapback]550828[/snapback]
It sounds like your pedi is a bit out of date... The most recent recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health organization are:

-no solids at all (including cereal) until 6 months
-6-9 mo (or even 6-12 mo) solids for practice, not nutrition - most/all nutrition still coming from breastmilk and/or formula

I have had two different pedis for my girls (one moved out of state), both are fairly young and both recommended solids at 4 months. I don't believe either of our pedis are "out of date". It's different for everyone. Just because the AAP guidelines recommend the above doesn't mean the pedi is in the wrong.

Tammy,
We went to 3 bottles around 8 months. We started with a third meal around 7 months (pedi recommended 6 months but it took me a while to figure out a schedule). I stuck to the same amount of formula each day, just combined feedings, as you are mentioning. Our pedi said to cut back on solids a bit if they were refusing their bottle as the formula was the most important nutrition at this point. My girls were on 24 oz. per day for a lonnnng time. HTH!! Good luck!!

 

QUOTE
I have had two different pedis for my girls (one moved out of state), both are fairly young and both recommended solids at 4 months. I don't believe either of our pedis are "out of date". It's different for everyone. Just because the AAP guidelines recommend the above doesn't mean the pedi is in the wrong.


If the old official recommendation is 4 months, and the new recommendation is not til 6 months, then isn't that out of date? :unknw: I'm NOT beating anyone up, just relating what I've read at many good sources-

QUOTE
The AAP recommends that an infant not be started on solid foods until after 6 months of age. Many pediatricians still start babies on solids around 4 months of age.


Another page from the same site:

QUOTE
Remember, the World Health Organisation, the American Academy of Pediatrics, Health Canada, Health Insite - Australia and the Department of Public Health (U.K.) as well as the CDC all recommend that babies receive nothing but breast milk and/or formula for the first 6 months of age!


Of course it's not the end of the world to give solids early, but not all pedis are up to date on the latest recommendations.

Anyway, to Tammy - it's great that you've found a way to keep food in those tummies where it belongs, and not all over the clothes, the carpet, your hair... Sounds like your case is a perfect exception to the "rules"! Wow, you have sure been through the wringer with these little ones. I'm glad you've figured out ways to help them.

QUOTE
Finally one day I took some thrift store towels and made bibs that cover just about all of them. Somehow several times a day they still get the clothes covered. Thomas likes to wear his bib as a cape.


:rotflmbo: Laughing at the cape part, that is, not the covering the bibs part! Do you have any pics? That sounds too cute! It's a bird...it's a plane...it's SUPERBABY!

 

My 9.5 mo old boys still want 4 full bottles a day, as well as 3 meals. They are chowhounds!!

 

My eight month old girls still drink five bottles a day. I'm going to try to drop them to four bottles soon, but we're definitely no where near only three bottles a day.

I'm like some of the previous posters... I just don't understand your doctors advice to push the solid food. During the first year, the majority of nutrition needs to come from breastmilk or formula. A lot of people will tell you that... but there's a good reason. Solids just don't have as many calories or vitamins/minerals ounce for ounce. So by reducing formula in favor of solid food, you're actually depriving your baby of valuable nutrients he or she needs to grow. Plus, solids are more expensive ounce for ounce... so you're spending more money but getting less nutritional value and calories.

Solids can certainly help with reflux, but around six months many people notice that the reflux gets better... no matter whether the babies eat a lot of solid food or don't. So, your son might still do just fine without as much solid food. Actually, I think I've read that there's no research that shows that introducing solid food actually helps. It's adding rice cereal to formula that helps by weighting it down so it can't come back up as easily.

Good luck with whatever you decide... I hope the reflux gets better soon. My life got so much better when my one daughter's awful reflux took a turn for the better at about 5.5 months. No more puking! No more changing clothes all the time! It's wonderful, and I hope it happens to you soon.

 

My girls are 9 months and eating 3 meals a day and 4 bottles. However, they really don't have a lot of interest in bottles anymore. This posting actually got me thinking that maybe I should give them bottles before solids to see if they'll drink more. I do understand your frustration with all the spitting up. My girls were TERRIBLE until about a month ago. We were constantly having to have our carpets cleaned, changing our clothes and just about everyone left our house smelling like it since the girls never missed an opportunity to spit up on the guests. We never thickened their formula though and didn't start solids until 6 months.