Formula advice for fostered baby... HELP

Sophie - posted on 02/04/2010

My daughter is 8 months and two days old. She is offered solids two to three times a day depending on appetite (teething). She is bottle and breast fed as well, eats any where from 18 to 24 ounces of formula a day and gets as much breast milk as she wants which usually only happens if she naps, is going to bed at night or wakes during the night. If I can get three tablespoon fulls in one meal and a couple teaspoons in another I consider it a success. My advice would be to continue offering the solids but keep on the formula until he is ready. From what I've been told babies will gradually wean off bottle/ breast in favor of solids when they are ready to do so.

Suzy - posted on 02/03/2010

Your nephews weight and length is perfect for his age. You mother and yourself are doing a great job! Good luck!

Eleisha - posted on 02/02/2010

Thanks so much everyone. This has been wonderful. He is currently 74 cm and 9.1 kilos (so he certainly is a healthy bub). We have decided to follow his cues and see what happens over the coming months. Thanks again :)

Suzy - posted on 02/01/2010

Hi Eleisha,
I am a mother of a 7 month old daughter and a Midwife. Firstly good on you and your mother for taking the time to ensure your little nephew has the best start in life. In response to your concerns.

What was your nephews birth-weight? And what is it now?

4 bottles is not too much for a bub of his age. All babies are different, and it's important for this little man to guage how much he wants to eat. As with breastfeeding, you can do demand feeding with formula fed bubs. This does change somewhat when solids commence. My daughter has her farex and custard for breakfast (Farex is mixed with a 180ml bottle). After she has had the solids, i wait an hour or so and give the rest of the bottle not taken with the farex. At lunch (approx 4 hrs after the 1st feed), I offer mashed veges. She eats a whole jar. At 7 months it is advised to introduce meat into bubs diet (this is nightmare for us, as our bub hates meat so far). The next feed I offer a 180ml bottle...she may only drink 120ml of that at times, I leave that up to her. Then for dinner she has rice cereal or another serve of fruit and veges. At 10.30 she has a "twilight feed" where I don't chat with her, and have all sound and light to a minimum. She tolerates 180ml (appears asleep whilst feeding), then sleeps till 0830-9am where the process starts again.

A sample meal plan for an 8 month old for example:
Early am - Formula 180-220ml

Breakfast- Mixed baby cereal with formula OR toast, lightly spread with butter or margarine. Pureed fruit. Water from a cup.

Mid am - Formula

Lunch- Minced meat, mashed potato, diced vegetables. Fruit and yoghurt. Water from a cup.

Mid afternoon - Formula

Dinner- Diced vegetables, diced fruit and custard. Water from a cup.

Sleep - Formula

If your nephew appears to not want much, he may be full, and you may need to spread the feeds out a little. All babies are fussy at some stage, but he will let ou know when he's hungry.

Hope this helps!
Suzy

Andrea - posted on 02/01/2010

My daughter is 7months old and her day is:

7am 240ml bottle usually only has 140ml

baby cereal with fruit/water

sleep

11am 180ml bottle

12 lunch fruit, veg & meat

sleep

3pm 180ml bottle

5pm meat & veg, fruit

6pm 240ml bottle

bed rollover at 10pm 180ml

health nurse is happy with her weight and she is classified as a big bubba 9.5kgs and 74cms, so I would think if that is considered as fine then your nephew is fine just work with what makes him happy

Monica - posted on 02/01/2010

My son is 8months and has 3 or 4 bottles a day, but also eats 3 meals of solids a day. his day is usually:
4oz bottle, play
baby cereal & fruit(roughly large jar worth), play
5-6oz bottle, sleep
fruit,veg&startch/meat(roughly 1 1/2 large jars worth), play
5-6oz bottle, sleep
yogurt (absolutely loves), bath, 8oz bottle,sleep
I am a first time mom and I dont know if thats alot, from what my mother&mother-in-law and grandma have told me its good.

Sheree - posted on 01/27/2010

My daughter is 7 months old and is also formula fed. I was told when we started her on solids that she needed to only have 3 bottles per day now at 240ml. My little girl doesnt want to drink that much all the time. She she usually has her 3 meals, she loves her solids and has quite a bit really and has about 4 bottles at 150ml sometimes 5. So her normal day would be
730am 150ml bottle and breakfast-scrambled eggs, toast, weetbix or rice cereal.
1100am Fruit for lunch
12pm-1230pm 150ml bottle
4pm 150ml bottle or sometmes afternoon snack instead
6pm dinner meal usually vegies and some of what we are having, eg roast, apricot chicken, meat loaf
730-8pm 150ml bottle and then bed for the night.

Hope this helps a little, but i really wouldnt think that the 4 bottles was too much, especially when he isnt having full ones. Best of luck :)

Eleisha - posted on 01/27/2010

Thanks for your feedback everyone. Being that I don't FF I just wanted some advice from other mums (and people who have actually had children of their own). I personally didn't feel he was getting too much, but was unsure about her advice and wanted to hear from you guys. My daughter eats very little solids also, and her main nutrition is from breast milk, and I figured FF babies were the same, but not according to the CHN. He is very mobile and was aware his weight would begin to slow. We have decided to keep him on his existing amount of solids and formula and just follow his cues.
Thanks again ladies
x

Madelaine - posted on 01/27/2010

Hi, i have no medical basis for this opinion, but i think YOU need a second opinion regarding bottle feeding your nephew. These CH nurses, esp older ones, have radical ideas that are not tailored to a particular child, they are personal opinions. I think you should be feeding in cooperation with your nephew, not trying to change his (healthy) personal eating habits. He is growing at an acceptable rate, as he becomes increasingly mobile his weight gain will slow as he is burning more energy. Follow your gut instincts, dont try to starve him into taking more solids, and he will eventually have a totally solid diet, when he is ready.

Nikki - posted on 01/26/2010

I don't think 4 bottles is alot at all, mind you my son is a very big eater and has been from day one. Now at 7 1/2 months he has at least 40oz (split into 4-6 ounce bottles at a time a day) and eats about the same size as a jar's worth of veggies, half of meat and half of fruits, with teething cookies as snacks, he weighs 23lbs and is 33 inches

Bridgette - posted on 01/26/2010

my baby is 7 months 1 week and he refuses to eat solid foods. Right now he drinks about 35oz of formula a day. He has about 5-6 bottles a day. it doesn't seem like 4 bottles is too much. I don't know about what your doctor says about the 3 bottles at 9 months and 2 bottles by 10 months and 1 bottle by 12 months, that seems wierd to me, formula or breastmilk is supposed to be the main source of nutrician for infants, so i would keep feeding him a bottle (or sippy cup) of formula at every meal. They say that at 1 year, you can try whole cows milk. I hope this helps somewhat :)