Feeding Schedule

I don’t know if this will make you feel any better or not, but Myles was eating much less than that at 9 months of age. I am convinced that he had DGE as well as reflux and that’s why his appetite was not great even when he was pain free on Prevacid. He ate enough to survive and that’s it. The important thing is that he did thrive on what he was eating, which was about 550 calories a day. My theory about this is that babies with DGE absorb more nutrients from their food because it takes so long for it to move out of the system.

Anyway, when he outgrew his DGE it was so obvious because his appetite increases substantially, but he did not put on huge amounts of weight, which supports my theory that he’s absorbing less of what he eats because he eats tons more than he used to but stays in the same 40th – 50th percentile for weight.

So, I guess my advice to you would be to let her weight be your guide to whether she is getting enough or not and try not to focus so much on ounces or amounts that she’s eating. Also, I think many 9 month olds are on 3 bottles per day. She might eat more solids if you dropped it down to three bottles. Oh, and take advantage of her interest in self feeding and try to offer lots of variety. This is a great time for her to learn to like all kinds of foods.

Sounds like she’s doing well!

Currently Alana’s day is such

6.30-7 bottle

7.30-8 b’fast

10-10.30 Morning tea

12 to 12.30 lunch

1-2 hrs later after lunch Bottle

3.30 afo tea

5.30 tea

6.30 bottle.

She only takes about 6-7 ounces in each bottle but even when she was on 4 bottles she only took about 18-20 ounces all up.

Prior to transition to 3 bottles her fourth bottle was in place of morning tea (she only ever used to take about 2 ounces).

I just go by weight and wet nappies now. Alana keeps gaining and has wet nappies so I am learning just to go with her flow. I also offer water before and after every meal (she usually only takes it after).

We do finger foods at at least two occasion during the day…jsut to keep her stimulated.

Cheers

how much does gabby nap during the day?shane only does a total of 1.5 hrs. on average..and actually has only been doing one nap recently.. soo by 6 o’clock he is soo shot! does gabby nap more than he does? if so, thats probably why she is up later

Yes, I agree. Being a SAHM is the hardest job in the world. Bedtime can never come soon enough for me!

Sorry, for some reason I thought she was on four bottles.

I kept my girls on two bottles (nap time and bedtime) until they were 18 months; Liza may have been even older than that. I think they were probably younger than a year, probably 10 months or so when they went to two bottles. And Myles still gets a bedtime bottle. I don’t see any reason to have babies off the bottle at a year, as long as they are not sucking on a bottle all day or taking it to bed with them.

Lauren, Tea is Dinner or the evening meal (I think you sometimes call it supper).

Maybe Gabby would eat less than four hourly if finger foods were offered??? I think 9 months is probably a good time to up the amount of finger foods.

I’ve also noticed Alana is starting to eat less at each meal as she gets older…but I think that is normal as they get older (and was needed because she used to be a snorty pig).

My understanding is at 9 months you can offer milk after food rather than before, so if you were thinking of cutting out a bottle, thats probably the way I would do it. Offer a meal first. But it should still be their major food source.

I am going to keep going with three bottles until one and then lose the daytime one. Keeping the morning and night ones for maybe 3 months longer, then drop the night one. Alana will not eat food that has her formula in it….she can sniff it out at 5 paces so I don’t have that option. She also is not into cereals at all, so I can’t add it to that either.