Please help-8 month old feeding-formula or food?

edited July 2012 in Solid Foods
So my baby's pediatrician wanted her to start eating 3 meals (baby food) a day. She had been eating twice daily, we just stated working in the 3rd feeding yesterday. So both days, at daycare, she ate the food but then didn't want her bottle. She basically ended up skipping 1 whole bottle and would go 6 hours between her morning & afternoon bottle. She HAD BEEN taking 5 5oz bottles a day. So yesterday and today she'll get only 4 5oz bottles (doesn't seem like much?). So my question is, what is more important for her to have at this stage (8months) food or formula? I always thought food before one was just for fun, so I feel like I'd rather have her eat her formula first and if she's still hungry she can have food. I don't like that daycare had her go 6 hours between bottles, with nothing else to drink inbetween (I'd be thirsty!) But I guess I'm confused because maybe she is old enough to start taking less formula and more food? I thought the goal was to ADD food, not to REPLACE formula? Please help! What do you think? Thank you Thank you!!!!

Comments

  • My son is ten months and since about 8 months he has been like that, he never wanted his bottles anymore and always spit them up. He only gets two 8oz bottles a day but has water always available. I say do what your comfortable with and what your baby likes.
  • Im not sure what u can do about how things go at daycare but w my girls i always gave em the bottle first then food. I know that doesnt answer ur question but to me... The formula is more important at that age. But, im not an expert.
  • Thank you so much for the responses!
    @My2Boys So he's only taking 16oz a day and that's fine, like his doctor has never said anything about it? I guess I just don't understand if there's like a minimum they should get or anything? Thank you!
    @mommyof3girls I suggested that to our daycare lady too, that she give the bottle first and THEN offer food, she said then she'd never take the food because she'd be full. That's why I'm trying to figure out what the priority or goal is here. Maybe it doesn't really matter as long as she's eating something?? Maybe I'm overthinking the whole thing :/
  • The doctor didn't care at his nine month check up, he has always spit up a ton of formula and he loves food and is growing good. I figure they will let you know if they are hungry, plus if they are done with formula at a year then you have to slowly cut back and make sure they are good food eaters by then.
  • @Mom2ING @My2Boys

    Ladies! Thank you so much for your help! I appreciate it!
  • No problem!
  • I always hear they're supposed to get the bulk of their nutrition from formula or breast milk until age one. I always nurse and then give food to my 8 month old because of this. It sounds like she's still getting a good amount of formula even skipping a bottle, though. Maybe call and ask the pediatrician to be sure?
  • My 8 month old is a fatty cuz he drinks a 4oz cup of formula with a solid meal 3 times a day. And gets two 6 oz bottles (morning and bedtime).
  • not every pedi knows about the whole food for fun thing. i had a friend with a 6 mo who was bottle fed and eating food as well and the doctor told her only 2 bottles a day and the rest food because she was too fat :/ I believe its always best to give formula or bm and then food until they are one.
  • We haven't started 3 meals yet, but this is what we do. We give food about an hour and a half hour after she nurses or gets a bottle..so say she gets up at 7am..she nurses right when she gets up so around 8:30-9am she gets her cereal and juice and then takes her morning nap for about two hours. And then after she wakes up she nurses again...plays then 3-4hrs later another nap that only lasts like an hour..nurses again when she wakes up then an hour and a half or so later she gets a veggie and a fruit and some more juice...then she will nurse right before bed. So that's only 4 nursing sessions a day and when she gets a bottle its between 7 to 8oz..probly closer to 8. She is 8.5 months.
  • Mine lo is 8 mon and we started doing 3 solids/day after he was 6 mon. As soon.as we started that he dropped a feeding, which is fine. Make sure to offer water throughout the day, she shouldnt go.6 hrs without drinking something! My lo takes 4 bottles (5 oz each) and 3 meals. 7am bottle, 9:30 oatmeal a d fruit, 12pm bottle, 2pm solids, 4pm bottle, 6pm solids, 8pm bottle before bed. Hope that helps... and usually takes about 4-7oz of water throughout the day.
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