Baby feeding times

kit

Hiya. Last time I posted on here about feeding baby Kit I got so much good advice that I'm back for some more!

Baby kit is almost 6 months old, she wakes up at between 6.30/7.30am and I feed her as follows:

7.30/8am - Breakfast (usually a fruit and baby rice mix) and about 7 oz milk
12/12.30 - Lunch (veggy combo or similar) and about 6 oz milk
4 - Tea (as lunch) and about 6 oz milk
7 - Bedtime bottle of about 7 oz.

Until last week she was having a mid morning bottle but over the past week she has chosen to drop this. Health visitor says its ok to let her drop this one. She is still not really drinking juice or water - she will have about half an oz a day.

I was speaking to a friend today, she feeds her baby like this:
6.30 - bottle
9 - food
12.30 - food
4 - bottle
5.30 - food
7 - bottle

Now I am thinking that maybe I am doing it wrong and should be giving her bottles at different times to her food.
Can you advise if my way is ok??!!

margaretclare

Hi kit

You are doing absolutely fine. I'm amazed that your friend manages to feed her baby as per clock - I thought this idea went out the window donkey's years ago.

The only comment I might possibly make is that especially in hot weather your baby could perhaps do with a little more water - milk is her food, you see.

Best wishes

Aunty Margaret (was a midwife in a previous existence)

Spendless

Hi
mine are 5.5 and 2.5 and my memory a bit hazy, but I don't think I gave a bottle at the end of the meal with the exception of when they were 1st weaning. At that time recommended weaning was at 4 months. I know its now changed to 6 months so are you just starting to wean?

I think that I used to give a bit more dinner or dinner and pud and reduce the milk drink. At bed time though they would have a bottle of milk prior to going to sleep.

scoobylou_3

My routine is a bit of a combo of yours and your friends but it works for me and my baby. She is 71/2 months old now but has been following this routine since 6 months.

7am 6oz bottle and food eg oat cereal, banana mashed in [extra] milk

12 noon lunch chicken or fish based puree and a drink of juice no milk.

2.30pm 6oz bottle

5pm tea vegetable mix pureed fruit as a dessert drink of water or juice

7pm 8oz bottle

scoobylou_3

Does your baby take her food well? Reason I ask is if she is only taking a tiny ammount of food she may be making up with the milk. I would try giving slightly more food and she may naturally reduce her milk intake at mealtimes. I did this gradually til Mia was taking just 2oz milk at lunch and dinner times and then it was easier to drop it completely and replace with juice/water. Anyhow theres no right and wrong way. You do what suits your child and if shes happy as she is for now theres no panic. Good luck

fsdss

your baby needs only 16-20 oz milk a day for a 6mth old (buts thats only for the vitimin/mineral suppliments etc) , and also water. your routine sounds fine if its working for you. my 6mth old is on a similar pattern to your friends, because i want her to be on more solids than milk (she has just started weaning), however the little porker is still having 28oz a day having just dropped her lunchtime bottle.

brummiebabe

Is your baby content and happy with your routine? If so - why worry? All babies are different. Mine (now 5 and 2.5) would not take milk at the same time as a meal, so I would give milk inbetween times (from what I remember anyway -its amazing how soon you forget this stuff!) As they get older, too much milk can ruin their appetite but yours is only 6 months-so milk still plays an important part!

Ultimately, you do what's right for you and your child. Someone once told me, "listen to people's advice, take from it what you like, and discard the rest!"

Best of luck!!!

bonvonnie

my 2nd child currently 8.5months routine

6.30am 6oz bottle

8am breakfast and juice

11.30am-12pm lunch and yoghurt

2.30-3pm 6oz bottle

4.30-5pm dinner and youghurt

6-7pm bedtime bottle

my 1st child now 2.5years was pretty much the same

you feed your child however you are happy with. dont go comparing.

Woby_Tide

similar to lot of the above 9 mth old

7.30AM 7oz bottle
9ish breakfast weetabix or banana
11ish 4oz bottle
12ish dinner and yoghurt
3.30ish 4 oz bottle
5.30ish tea and yoghurt
7ish 7oz bottle

sometimes skips morning bottle depending how he feels, however he does drink a lot more water now compared to when we used to to do as Kit said in first post and give bottle at same time as food, also struggled to get him to finish meals that way

Little_Miss_Winner

Hello, :hello:

I have always followed the advice given in the *Contented Little baby Book*, not only with food, but settling into a good sleeping / eating / playing routines too.

For a 6-9 month old baby with reference to the book heres the outlines;-

7am - Full bottle, followed by breakfast cereal etc.
11.45am - SHould be given most of his solids before being offered water or well-diluted juice.
2.30pm- Full Bottle feed, (not to be given later than 3.15 as it will knock all other feeds out)
5pm - Should be given most of his solids before being offered water or well-diluted juice.
6.30 - Full bottle feed, ready for and in bed at 7pm.

(The milks are all 7oz) - I havent posted nap times, but can if you would like to compare against your own routine?



The above are all quotes from the book, and I can only give my own opinions at to what I have done in the past.
I have used this book for all 3 of mine from birth, and they have all always slept through from about 8 weeks. (7pm-7am), so it has worked for me. :T

From looking at the routine you have at the moment though, everything seems just fine, so although advice from anyone else is fine. Sometimes the routines that you both have work out better.

Regards
pot

kit

Thank you all so much :T

Baby Kit is a VERY hungry baby. She is chubby and her weight is currently half way between 91st and 98th quartile. She started weaning at 4 months so is eating a far amount of food and having the milk on top. If I dont give her the milk she just crys for more! She is really good at eating her food but she prefers the milk and always wants it no matter how much food she has had.
Do I increase the food, swap her on to hungry baby milk or both?!