I agree with the others. You need to go back to 4 bottles a day. My little guy is only days older than your DD and he's on 4 bottles a day as well as 3 solid meals. IMO, I think milk is more important than solids at this stage.
We have a routine of - 7am bottle, 9am breakfast, 11am bottle, 1pm lunch, 3pm bottle, 5pm dinner, 7pm bottle and bed. That's a rough routine. If he isnt drinking his bottles I usually skip lunch and offer him his bottle again.
I agree with the others, go back to the four bottles a day. I always offered solids about an hour after DS's milk feed. The at about 8 or 9 months I swapped it around. In the first few months we would have a week or two where he ate really well and then seem to go backwards for awhile. Like the others have said until they're 12 months milk is the most important source of nutrition. The 6 months beforehand are about gradually transitioning them to getting used to a solids diet. Personally I wouldn't start reducing her milk feeds until around 8 or 9 months and then gradually cutting back as you offer more and more solids iykwim. If at that point you go back to giving her solids first then the milk you'll probably find that she gradually reduces the amount she takes at each feed too before she starts dropping a bottle all together.
Trust your instincts hon. Sounds like you were going just fine before you dropped the bottle. My DD let us know when she wanted to drop a feed but she kept up the solids.
FWIW - My DD has never eaten rusks. Offered them from 6 months at the advice of MCHN and she's hated them from day dot!
Just joining the chorus. I'd concentrate on milk at this point too. You can cut back the solids and add them in later and see if that helps also.
she's still very young - they get much more nutrition from milk at this age as their digestive systems are still getting used to the solids.
Gah! How frustrating. Why fix something that isn't broken? I'm annoyed for you that the MCHN suggested something that hasn't worked. I am of the belief that you can't overfeed a baby unless you are forcing food down their throat. But I'm sure that comment will get lots of disagreement. I didn't have my DD2 weighed after 8 weeks. I could tell she was putting on weight and I didn't care if she was a bit chubby to be honest. I think like everyone else has said, introduce the bottle back in and do solids between bottles. If that means she only gets solids twice a day, then that's fine. She'll tell you if she doesn't want to eat them. Likewise, she'll tell you if she doesn't want her bottle. We did bottle, then two hours later morning tea was solids, then two hours later a bottle for lunch, then arvo tea was solids, then solids for dinner and a bottle before bed. Just giving you an indication of what our DD2 did at that age. She had a bottle at 3am too from 6 months for some weird reason.....At about 8 months, we changed things up a bit but that's ages away for you in the big scheme of things Maybe get her weighed every couple of months or something. She may have been going through a growth spurt last month, hence the big weight gain. And like you said, she's a good eater so why wouldn't she be putting on a good amount of weight! Go with your instincts hun. You're made to be her mother. If she doesn't want the food, she'll let you know xx
Thanks so much to all of you for your advice and support. Isn't it weird how 1 MCHN can have you filled with anxiety and concerned that you've done the wrong thing?? (And yet seeing my little girl instantly struggle once we implemented what really seemed like a "diet"... my instincts just screamed that I shouldn't have followed her advice or changed anything to begin with). I couldn't help but feel that, had I been able to BF DD that no one would be suggesting I restrict her milk intake or number of feeds at this age. Anyway. After reading all your replies I felt greatly reassured and went back to 4 bottles yesterday. We didn't get her sleeping her usual 11+ hours but she managed to last until 5am which was a big improvement on all other nights this past week! She also seemed a lot happier today (I don't think I'm imagining that) and I got my little baby bird back at meal times!!! (mouth wide open excitedly waiting for the next spoonful of vegie puree). Thanks again... bellybelly members are awesome.
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Maybe get her weighed every couple of months or something. She may have been going through a growth spurt last month, hence the big weight gain. And like you said, she's a good eater so why wouldn't she be putting on a good amount of weight! Go with your instincts hun. You're made to be her mother. If she doesn't want the food, she'll let you know xx
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