Feeds per day and solids

[channy]

My dh is 6 1/2 months old and is having solids three times a day. Lately he will generally not even eat 1 1/2 tablespoons of food. At the moment he has between 5 and 6 milk feeds a day but each bottle is only 150ml. He weighs about 7 kg but due to reflux and supply issues has never been an overly big eater. I just wondered how many feeds a day others give their babies. I have tried increasing his feeds to 200ml and spreading them out a little but he will not drink it all so have gone back to the 150ml. Also how much should they be having solids wise? He took really well to it for the first week or so and now he has seemed to go off it a little. Can they get sick of the same food? It is confusing with the bottles too because they give how much they should be having per day but when you make a 150ml bottle up it actually equals 180ml so do you take it as they had 150 or 180 so if there is 40ml left how much have they actually had?! I have been breastfeeding and topping up until a few weeks ago so totally bottlefeeding is new to me. Thanks all.

[cobysmummy]

my son is 6 months old too... (born 21st March!) and we are currently weaning to bottles as well... he is having three solid feeds... cereal for breakfast (either baby or weet-bix) yogurt or fruity combinations for lunch and vegies for dinner... at the moment he is having 4 bottles... 240ml water and 4 scoops formula... but usually leaves 70mls... and is having a little bit of a breast feed.... i dont understand the formula thing either.. whether its is 240mls coz of the water or what it adds up to once the formula is added? but that is my sons routine... hope it helps you.!!

[cobysmummy]

my son (born 21 march!) is currently weaning onto bottles... he is currently having 4 bottles a day.. 240mls water 4 scoops formula but usually leaves 70mls or so...and i dont understand the bottle thing either... whether it is 240mls or what it adds up to when its got the formula in it... as im new too...

he also has three solid feeds a day... cereal for breakfast either baby or weet-bix fruity comnbinations or yoghurt for lunch and vegie combos for dinner... i always change it just coz i think he may get sick of the same varieties...

hope this helps you out channy!!!

[HoopDeeDoo]

I found with my son if he has a cold or teething he went off his milk or solids until he was feeling better. Maybe it could be that? If you are still bf occationaly they might be getting more bm than formula so thats why they don't need as much formula.
My son suffered reflux aswell, but i found it made him drink more often. Usually he was having exactly what the tin said he should be drinking, sometimes a little bit extra :)
Every baby is different though and as long as they are putting on weight and having wet nappies all is well. Solids aren't as neccessary as milk so don't panic if he's not eating much next week he'll probably be eating faster than you can keep up :D

[Jessicasmum]

Hi re: how much is the bottle etc. I have been bottle feeding since 6weeks, dd is 61/2 months now, and the clinic nurse said you take the made up amount, so if 180ml of your formula makes up 220 mls that is the amount you add for total days drinking. As a side note, my little one is not interested in solids and only takes 840ml total a day of formula, with pretend solids. This is still on the pre 6 months formula, once you are using the follow on, i think you give much less, like about 600ml total, from what I understand. Maybe you are trying to give too much??? It is very tricky. Also, she only feeds 4 times a day and has now for months 6, 10, 2 and 6 then bed.

Good Luck, I just wish jessica would take more solids

Mel

[Sharlee]

Hi
My baby is 6 months and usually has 3 feeds of solids and 4 (200ml) bottles a day but now she has a cold is only having 3 (100ml) bottles and 4 small feeds plus water. She will only drink and eat what she wants, when she wants which makes it hard as everytime we go out we seem to pack a picnic :cool:

[Shelz]

Hi channy,
My bubs is 6.5 months old too and I am trying to get her to eat three meals a day, but like your bubs she started off with a bang with her solids and would eat lots of fruit, veges but now she hates all veges and will only eat banana or pear mixed in her cereal for brekkie. She only eats a small amount but am not worried as she is still having 4-5 breastfeeds (before her meals) and this is what is more important. She loves to eat toast fingers with a scraping of vegemite on it so if nothing else works I give her this.
I think its just a bubs thing and later when the variety of food increases I am sure her apetite will too. Cheers. :)

[JessandKirra]

hmm... kirra is weaning as well.

My daycare suggested to add a thickener and drop her back to 4 hourly feeds instead of 3 hourly feeds and give her more food. She is happy as now and we are only 3 days into the change.

Before she was solids once a day and feeds at 6.30bf 9.30btl 12.30btl 3.30btl and 6.30bf then bed. She was puking constantly and cranky (not reflux, more too much milk).

Now she is 6.30bf 9.30rice cerial 10.30btl 2.30btl 5.00solids 6.30btl and bed

I am now looking at introducing more food she can feed herself. Bit stuck on this one, but I think they might get bored with the same muck every day. Then as I say that I am a little scared to intruduce new foods, v confusing on what they can and cant have, how to prepare etc. (thats another post altogether)

I like the idea of vegemite on toast. Didnt think you could give them toast (brown bread?), choking and all that.


Any how I dont know if this will help, I find knowing other peoples situations helps me make my own decision.

Cheers Jess

[ToTeenyTots]

Hi Channy
This probably wont help you at all but I thought I would let you know how it goes in this house.
Tashie is nearly 10 months old now and has never been a big baby. Healthy but small. I BF from birth with no major dramas and at about 6 months attempted to intro the bottle ...Silly me! She started on solids at 4 months and never actually ate any till about 7 months, all before that was usually just smeared all over her face! About 1 month ago I had to start to wean her as she has 6 teeth and was cutting me badly each feed. As she is only small to start with I was really concerned about her weight health etc.
I went to see the pediatrician when she came through town and she explained that Tashie needed 3 serves of dairy a day to meet her quota. Problem with that was by the time Tash had eaten those she was done for food for theday. Anyway she now has BF when she wakes then cereal (usually about 3/4 a jar - its actually homemade but just using the jar for size) then sippy cup of formula which she would drink about 50/60 mls maybe then bed. Lunch is usuall about a jar then sippy cup about 50/60 mls. For tea she can have up to 11/2 jars and about the same amount of formula. I always offer finger food at each feed aswell but that is more for entertainment value it feels like, as not much goes in but she feels like a big kid. She then has a BF to go to bed with. I really want to cut out the BF as it really hurts but I worry about her intake still.
Anyway all my rambling aside the pediatrician told me that as long as she is happy and active with the right amount of wet nappies it will generally be OK. Most babies will fluctuate with eating and growth/weight till they are about 2. If Tashie is getting teeth she will not eat! She got her first tooth at 5 months.
Sorry for the ramble.
Anna

PS
The Pediatrician also told me to watch how much water I was giving Tash as I would leave her with her water sippy cup all day and she could drink whenever she wanted. Apparently this fills them up and therefore they eat/drink less. Tashie still has her probably too much water during the day but by taking the cup off her and only giving her a drink every now and then between feeds I have managed to increase her formula intake to the staggering amount of sometimes up to 100 mls but usually only 60. Which is not much I know but its alot more than she used to take. We have even hit 150 a couple of times.