https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 19 Apr 2026 02:40:55 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2118533 Mon, 23 Mar 2015 14:06:10 +0000 Smurfette 2118533@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs.Someone: yeah we never got 2 hour naps until she went to 1. She napped at 9 and 1, so day care just gave a bottle when she woke up and we did the same at home. If she took a long morning nap, then lunch would get pushed back a little since she just had the bottle. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2118521 Mon, 23 Mar 2015 13:57:24 +0000 Mrs.Someone 2118521@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Smurfette: Yea, it sounds like a good schedule. I don't really believe in the "food before 1 is just for fun" since its not like you can immediately switch at 1, it should be gradual. Also, I edited to ask about naps, how did they fit in when feeding every 2 hours? Not like we often get long naps, but it happens sometimes :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2118515 Mon, 23 Mar 2015 13:49:51 +0000 Smurfette 2118515@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs.Someone: I don't see why it wouldn't. But I think every pedi is different. I think this made it easier to switch at 1. She dropped her afternoon bottles at 11.5 months due to teething, so we just went with it. Then two days, after shots, she turned 1, we dropped bottles cold turkey. It was so easy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2118509 Mon, 23 Mar 2015 13:48:06 +0000 Mrs.Someone 2118509@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Smurfette: this is really helpful! Any idea if the same idea is appropriate for BF babies? seems like it would be. Also, how did naps fit in? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2118487 Mon, 23 Mar 2015 13:36:52 +0000 Smurfette 2118487@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SweetiePie: no, alternating them. I listed out the times for a typical day in my first post.</p> <p>I fixed my last statement to show bottle or solid! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2118485 Mon, 23 Mar 2015 13:35:38 +0000 SweetiePie 2118485@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Smurfette: when you say "every two hours, bottle or formula" did you mean "solids or formula"? Just want to make sure I understand correctly. Because a bottle every 2 hours is SOOO different from what we're doing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2118276 Mon, 23 Mar 2015 11:27:15 +0000 Smurfette 2118276@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>my LO was on all formula around 7.5 months. By 8.5 months she pretty much ate every two hours, bottle or solids. Our pedi wanted her on 4 bottles and 3 meals by 9 months. Sample day (if I can remember!)<br /> 630 bottle 4-6 ozs<br /> 830 breakfast (half a banana)<br /> 1030 bottle 4-6 ozs<br /> 1230 lunch - big container of puree, or solids, half avocado, turkey meat<br /> 230 bottle 4-6oz<br /> 430 snack at day care to tide her over till we get home, mum mum, or some puffs<br /> 530 dinner big container of purees, or our leftovers from the night before<br /> 630/700 bottle 4-6 ozs</p> <p>I know it looks like a lot but she dropped in weight %s till we went to 3 meals, mostly regular food at 9 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2118267 Mon, 23 Mar 2015 11:20:05 +0000 SweetiePie 2118267@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Updating in case anyone searches in the future.<br /> I told my ped how much formula and solids he is eating, and that his spit up has increased. She said to offer 7oz in a bottle and see if he is satisfied with that. If so, go down to 7oz in all his bottles and see if it makes a difference. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2117992 Mon, 23 Mar 2015 07:56:27 +0000 SweetiePie 2117992@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: yes for sure! All so different. My doc said meat purees at 6 months, but I get all kinds of parenting newsletters and a recent one had another ped saying there's no reason to not give meat purees at 4 months. There are so many decisions to make these days and I'm just following my peds lead. It's less stressful for me! For example, I thought that I HAD to make my own baby food and was really dreading it (I don't do much in the kitchen). Without my prompting my ped said "he's ready for solids If you want to start them. Don't worry about making your own. Just buy the jars unless you WANT to make your own. It's easier and it's perfectly fine. Don't let people scare you into making your own food". And that made me feel so much better. But, had she said I should most definitely make my own (as I'm sure some peds do) I would have. I'm just being a robot right now and doing what she says, unless I feel strongly. She also told me at 4 months to get rid of the paci. And again at 6 months. But not for health reasons, she said it'll be easier for me in the long run. I'm just not ready, he doesn't depend on it, but it certainly helps calm him in a pinch.<br /> So, this is all off topic, but just to agree with you that there are so many pieces of advice out there about every aspect of parenting. And we just need to choose what we deem a reliable source and make decisions based on that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2117969 Mon, 23 Mar 2015 07:10:22 +0000 looch 2117969@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SweetiePie: What you can do with eggs is hard boil them. Separate the yolk from the white, mash the yolk a bit, thin it with formula, add to some cereal or baby pastina.<br /> Egg yolk has a strong flavor, so you might want to start with small amounts.</p> <p>We didn't do puffs, I couldn't find them locally, but he did like baby Mum Mums, so he had those for a bit. What I can tell you is that baby feeding is a topic that every doc on the planet views differently. I lived abroad when my son was small, and the recommended first food is meat puree. Back when my husband was a baby, they started him on orange vegetables. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2117964 Mon, 23 Mar 2015 06:57:07 +0000 SweetiePie 2117964@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: thanks! My son is actually on alimentum formula so the doc wants to wait a little longer to introduce yogurt, she said 8 months. She mentioned that at our well visit a couple of weeks ago.<br /> That's interesting about eggs. Do you mean scrambling and "chopping" very finely? She is very old school so the handout she gave me says only egg yolks once he is 8 months.<br /> She also told me Cheerios and puffs at 8 months so I'm thinking she wants only purees until that point, but that might be my incorrect interpretation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2117947 Mon, 23 Mar 2015 06:23:53 +0000 looch 2117947@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SweetiePie: Haha, I didn't mean jars vs. home made, what I was trying to get at is not all food is created equal from a nutrition standpoint. I'd rather have my son fill up on his formula over applesauce, for example, but if he was eating, say, chicken, I'd be okay with less formula.</p> <p>From what you wrote, I can tell you my son was consuming about the same. Since you're going to the ped, I'd ask about introducing yogurt and eggs. Those are two foods that have a lot of nutritional bang for their buck, but are allergenic, so you have to be careful. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2117589 Sun, 22 Mar 2015 15:27:23 +0000 SweetiePie 2117589@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: @regberadaisy: @catomd00: @BabyTsMom: @gingerbebe: @Mae: Thank you all for your input! I think that what I've gathered is that I shouldn't restrict his formula, should let him finish as much as he wants. We still always offer 8oz and most often he finishes it or leaves behind a very small amount. The least he'll drink is 6oz but that's even maybe once a day. </p> <p>@looch: He's having purees at this point. I'm a bad mom, I use jars :shocked: :silly: So he's having half a jar of a fruit mixed with multigrain cereal in the AM. Afternoon for lunch I usually do a single vegetable like peas, green beans, squash, etc. Sometimes he has the whole jar, sometimes he has as little as half. For dinner I try to do some kind of veggie medley or veggie &amp; meat purée, and a lot of those also have some kind of grain. </p> <p>Two things my doc stressed is that I should offer variety and let him tell me how much he wants. Never force but don't limit either (though I've never given more than one jar/serving in a sitting). So as soon as he is disinterested, turns away, purses lips, etc I stop. </p> <p>@Mae: Thank you! That is an interesting idea. At the 4 month when she gave tbe go ahead for solids, she said to def do bottle first because the solids should only supplement and not replace anything yet. But maybe now that he's 6months that has changed. I actually see my ped tomorrow for his MMR shot so I'm just going to ask her what she recommends. </p> <p>I also wonder if he's spitting up more just because he's sitting up now and bending over at the waist to pick things up. Maybe when he's full it's just naturally traveling back up.<br /> Anyway, I'll ask her tomorrow :-) </p> <p>Thanks! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2117578 Sun, 22 Mar 2015 15:05:30 +0000 Mae 2117578@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our LO is 10mo and eating 3 meals/day and still eating 34 oz/day formula. She isn't eating the volume of food that yours is because we do finger foo though... I really have no idea how many oz she is eating of solids. I talked to our ped recently about this and the fact that she was still drinking so much formula and not really eating THAT much of the solids. Her suggestion was to do solids first and let her eat as much as she wants and then do a bottle after. She said not to restrict the amount of formula at all but just be aware that she only really NEEDS 16-24 oz at this point so the hope is she'll start eating more solids and less formula. Hasn't worked for us yet.. but I wonder if you offer solids before bottle if your LO might drink less and spit up less...? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2117547 Sun, 22 Mar 2015 14:18:28 +0000 gingerbebe 2117547@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well DS went from 30-32oz a day to 24-25ounces between 4 months and 6 months on his own. I don't think it was solids because he was barely having a few spoonfuls of cereal a day. We asked our pediatrician and she said it was because before that point he didn't know how to refuse feedings and his growth velocity was slowing down. She said it was normal and fine. </p> <p>So now DS gets 6oz of BM before his 3 feedings and 7-8oz of formula before bed. He eats 2oz of solids at a time of he's eating well and eats a few spoonfuls if he's not feeling it. He definitely isn't eatinng an entire container of anything at one sitting. </p> <p>DS is 6.5 months, 16.5 pounds (25th percentile), 28 inches long (90th percentile), not very good motivated in general. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2117305 Sun, 22 Mar 2015 05:23:52 +0000 looch 2117305@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What kind of solids are you offering? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2117276 Sun, 22 Mar 2015 00:15:26 +0000 BabyTsMom 2117276@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO is 10 months and has been decreasing the amount of formula intake for about 4-6 weeks now. I'm attributing it to increase in solids... My particular doctor says as long as he's getting 24 oz of formula, he's good to go. He's gone from 31-32oz a day (pre-solids and early solids) to our current 26-29 oz.<br /> id say if your LO is still interested in finishing however much formula you're offering, I would still give it to him and follow his lead. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2117192 Sat, 21 Mar 2015 20:42:34 +0000 catomd00 2117192@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We offered Solids (blw, skipped purées) 30 minutes after her regular bottles of BM. BM or formula should be main source of nutrition in the first year. DD decreased her BM intake by a few ounces around 9-10 months when she started preferring Solids and eating more on her own. I just followed her lead. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2117171 Sat, 21 Mar 2015 20:16:46 +0000 Adira 2117171@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@regberadaisy: Oh yeah, you're right. I was trying to say that I didn't think you would decrease the amount as you introduce solids, but I guess I don't actually know what you're supposed to do with formula. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2117168 Sat, 21 Mar 2015 20:13:23 +0000 regberadaisy 2117168@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: I could be wrong but I think it's different with formula va breastmilk. I guess our breastmilk changes in fat content to accommodate the increase in their calorie needs. Which is why you don't need to increase the amount of breastmilk. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2117154 Sat, 21 Mar 2015 19:52:49 +0000 Adira 2117154@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This probably won't be helpful, but I was always under the impression that you're supposed to keep the BM/Formula amount the same and just slowly increase the amount of solids as their hunger increases.</p> <p>With Xander, we continued to give the same amount of BM every day and just slowly added solids to his diet over time. He didn't start drinking less BM until he was one and we started weaning. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2117111 Sat, 21 Mar 2015 18:33:27 +0000 regberadaisy 2117111@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SweetiePie: oh boy I had this long response typed out then the Internet ate it.</p> <p>Basically there's onv no magic formula. As long as it works for your child and your ped agrees then that's all that matters. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2117038 Sat, 21 Mar 2015 16:22:14 +0000 SweetiePie 2117038@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@regberadaisy: thanks! I know that the opinions on this, as anything, vary. I am definitely following my ped's advice and they tend to be more traditional. Although I will say that even if he is eating 6-12 oz of solids a day, he's still drinking 24-32 oz of formula a day. So he's still getting most of his nutrition from formula, isn't he? (I'm not asking to be sarcastic, it really is a question!)</p> <p>@Mamasig: thanks! I agree with your sentiment. My son seems a lot happier and more satisfied when we include solids 3x per day. Some days I miss 1 or even 2 "meals" because I can't get the timing right between his bottles and naps. Those days he seems to be fussier and naps poorly. But that might just be my imagination :-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2117023 Sat, 21 Mar 2015 16:07:56 +0000 Mamasig 2117023@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS1 ate about that much at the same age. He didn't start to decrease his milk intake until he ate "real" food and not just purées. That was probably closer to 9 months. By 12 months he was down to 3 six ounce bottles. </p> <p>DS2 is 10 months and hasn't really decreased his intake that much yet. Both drank formula. </p> <p>In my experience, the "food before one is just for fun" thing was not true. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2117006 Sat, 21 Mar 2015 15:30:45 +0000 regberadaisy 2117006@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know most will disagree with me but I think that's a lot of solids. My dd is 6.5m and I'm only doing solids once a day and maybe 1oz. I firmly believe at this young most their nutritional value should come from formula or breastmilk. On daycare days she gets (4) bottles at 3.5 ounce each and nurse 5-6x on top of that.</p> <p>Buttt my ped feels the same as me so obviously listen to the ped you trust with your child's care! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/solids-and-formulabreastmilk-amounts#post-2117000 Sat, 21 Mar 2015 15:23:30 +0000 SweetiePie 2117000@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hi, I'm wondering how many ounces of formula or BM per feeding your baby was drinking when solids were fully introduced. And how many oz of solids?<br /> LO is 6 months and typically eating 3-4 oz of purées 2-3 times a day. I'm still offering 8oz in each bottle and he usually drinks all or close to all of it. I know my ped said the formula would decrease around 6 months. But she said this 2 months ago and I forgot to ask at his last appt if I should decrease or if he will just start to drink less.<br /> His spit up has seemed to increase a ton, esp after a solids meal, so I'm wondering if 8oz of formula then 3-4 oz of purée an hour later is too much. My ped also said to give him as much solids as he wants, even if it seems like too much. So I'm just curious what others are doing. </p> <p>Thanks! </p>