Ready for 3 bottles a day??

We are still going through our hunger stike here. I took DD to the pedi - there is of course nothing wrong with her. I am wondering if maybe they are ready to go to 3 8 oz. bottles instead of 4 6oz. bottles. I think that it is really early for this but I am not really sure what else to do. They are just not hungry. They aren't even eating their full bottle first thing in the morning.

We would do bottles at 7, 12, 5 and a small top-off at bedtime so I am not counting that on as a full bottle. (Instead of 7, 11, 3, 7)

I have tried faster flow nipples, sippy cups, cutting back on solids...

So - I guess I am wondering when you went to 3 bottles a day. Oh - and when you did did you add lunch?

 

Mine are just a couple weeks older than yours. I just added a third meal this week. I had been doing solids at lunch and dinner, and was reluctant to add breakfast because I was afraid they would not take as much from their bottles. We added breakfast this week, and they actually love it, and it didn't effect their next bottle at all. As for the three bottle thing...I am not there yet. My DD has recently started leaving at least an ounce sometimes 2 in her bottle every time, which has me wondering if she might be ready to drop down to 3 bottles as well. I also felt like it was kind of all to drop to 3, but I am curious what others say. I know I am ready to drop one of the bottles, I feel like all I do all day is feed them.

 

I went to 3 around 8 months and they do great! This is our day:

7:00 Wake and cereal
9:30 8 oz bottle
play, nap
12:00 lunch
play, npa
2:30 8 oz bottle
play, play, play
5:30 dinner
play, bath
7:30 8 oz bedtime bottle

It is GREAT not having to give as many bottles! Less washing too!

 

We had a similar situation around that same age. I attributed it to the fact that they were just soooo interested in everything they couldn't be bothered to eat. We ended up resorting to feeding them "Dungeon Style" (back bedroom, shades drawn, lights off). It did work for a while.

Hind sight, however, I should have just put them on 3 bottles and added lunch instead of my 11am bottle. We dropped to 3 bottles at 11.5 months & just today dropped to 2. I plan on keeping the bedtime bottle for a while, but hope to get rid of our last (afternoon) bottle in the next 2-3 weeks as we get better with the sippies.

I really wish I had taken their cues and started lowering their formula. We really struggled with our transition to table foods (9.5-11 months). As soon as I realized I was drowning their appetites (thanks, TS), they were on 100% table foods w/i a week.

 

One of my guys is not as big a solids eater as my other. So I am keeping them on 4 bottles for now because it works! I figure as long as they are happy with it... I am keeping it. If it ain't broken, don't fix it is my motto!

 

I switched my dd to 3 bottles around 8.5 months to 9 months. She wasn't finishing bottles so I gave it a shot and it worked for her. She is now down to 3 8-10oz bottles {I have some "spare" formula just in case} I switched ds about a week or so ago to 3 8oz bottles. I am pretty much on the schedule you said...7, 12, 5pm. It works for them. I don't do the bedtime bottle as they haven't had that in about 4 months. It also gives time for the solids. They are eating their solids better bc I have more time in between..so now I can wait an hour and a half and then give solids, so they are a little hungry. HTH and I hope your little ones start eating!!!

 

I too am thinking about switching mine to 3 8-oz bottles instead of 4. I have the same schedule as you right now (7, 11, 3, 6). We've been on that for about a month. DD fights us on several of her bottles, but DS can never get enough, so I think he would do better on an 8-oz bottle less often. I'm not sure how it will work giving them their breakfast in the morning first without a bottle. I always do their bottle first.

 

I think that we are going to cut the 3pm bottle starting tomorrow and move to water in a sippy cup with diluted formula. I think we'll keep bottles for "meal times" for the next few weeks, because hopefully that will make the transition to whole milk easier at 12 months if they drink it with every meal they have.