Transitioning from 4 bottles to 3 – Help!

Maybe try switching the 3 o’clock bottle to right before her dinner at 5 and stick with the sippy and a snack at 3? That way it would be more of an after nap snacktime instead of a meal. Then, she could get some fluids with her meal instead???? And, I realize that might cut down on her intake at night too, but I think that’s fairly common as well. As they get older, babies don’t need to eat as much to last them through the night. Eventually, that bottle will be more out of habit than necessity.

I would stick with the sippy cup though. She will get the hang of it.

As far as snack ideas…. teething biscuits, diced fruit (peaches or pears are good), maybe some crumbled egg yolk, plain cooked pasta (like elbow noodles or small shells – Claire LOVED and still does macaroni and cheese – though Sarah might still be too young for the milk in that yet).

Great topic Amy, I have been thinking about this as well (both the dropping of the bottle and the food variety).

Alana seems to eat so many solids now I was wondering what to do about the bottle (she is a little young to drop one yet). Sometimes she only takes about 3 oz each from her 11 and 3 bottle (no more than 6 oz from the other two).

Anyway I looked up the stuff I got from the Maternal Child and Health Nurse and it says that from 9-12 months you can have solids before formula/breast milk. I think this is because it may become a little less important because the babies food variety gets wider and they are getting more nutrients etc. I guess this means that they probably start taking less milk overall. So I probably wouldn’t be overly concerned about that bottle and instead focus on her getting the hang of the sippy cup and water for the hydration. Or if she wants just up the food a bit…foods that have a high water content like fruut and also the sippy cup.

This is what Alana did today

7.00am 6 oz bottle

7.45am cereal with banana and pear (we have just started the cereal the last two days- I am trying to be brave and redo the grain thing

10.30 mashed fruit

11.15 5 oz bottle

1ish lunch- veges followed by fruit

3ish 5 oz bottle

then afternoon tea- some mashed fruit

6.00 tea- tonight was some delightful mashed sweet potato with chicken

7.00 4 oz bottle (she was stuffed)

Normally I don’t do morning and afo tea- but they do at daycare. Usually she will only do between 3-4 oz bottles at daycare but she has a little cold and I think she is trying to sooth a dry throat (i have it too, not painful just get a bit of a tickle so I can understand her wanting a drink)

We have done a little bit of toast with avacado (thanks Lauren) the last couple of nights after tea and Alana loved it (not sure how much she swallowed!!!).

In posting this, I can now see why she is the chubbiest cherub in town

Any ideas about variety are very much appreciated here to…but then when I look at my diet I don’t do much variety either!!!

Have either of you done tomato? I haven’t tried yet, but it would seem to be an easy one to maybe go with some pasta- I have been told there is a little italian pasta- bit like risoni but in little balls that a lot of italian mums feed their bubs. You then can do tomato based sauces, vege based sauces…they don’t stock it in our supermarkets, you have to go to a specialty store, but I think I might chase it down- most dry pastas don’t have milk but it would probaly be worth double checking.

I think I am ramblinnnnnnnng

Amy:

Abby really likes Kix cereal (the little balls). Easy to pick up and dissolves pretty fast. I have also made toast and cut it in really small pieces. It seems like that with Kayla, I never ran out of ideas but for some reason, I just feel in a fog when it comes to food ideas. As far as the bottle goes, it is just so hard to know. Abby has never taken more than 24 ounces in a day and lately has been averaging about 20. Can’t wait to get her off the bottle but she has a little attitude when it comes to her sippy cup. I think daycare is going to need to encourage her a little more.

Robin

Christine:

What type of straw cup did your kiddos use – maybe Abby would go for that???

Robin

my doctor said i think 18 ounces a day.. but i dont think 16 would really make a difference!

and i would love to know what kind of straw cup .. he wont do a sippy yet either.. wants nothing to do with it! or juice or water! and is it dangerous with the straw at all if they fall or no?

I have been doing some research- its my day of and Alana is asleep so… heres some ideas (ignore of course the milky cheesy ones for the MSPI bubs!)

1. Steamed veggies (sweet potato sticks, peas, carrot sticks, green beans, zucchini )
2. Grated soft cheese
3. Tofu chunks (Yuck but good protein)
4. Soft cooked legumes- if you are ready for these
5. Soft ripe fresh fruit, like banana, peach, papaya, (dice as small as you want)
6. Soft cooked fruit like apple chunks, pear slices, rockmelon, mango, peach, pear, watermelon, kiwi fruit,
7. Hard cooked egg yolk- if you want to try it
8. Ripe avocado
9. Toast sticks
10. Mini-muffins
11. Cooked pasta shapes