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Showing posts with label dropping feedings. Show all posts

Eat

The first element to the Babywise routine is "Eat." These posts will help guide you through the elements of "eat" you will encounter as a Babywise mom. Visit this page for help on the "Wake" portion of the Babywise routine. Visit this page for help on the "Sleep" portion of the routine.

Everything you need to know about feeding a baby on the Babywise schedule | Babywise | Feeding babies | #babywise


Bottles

Breastfeeding 


Discipline and Feeding:

Dropping Feedings:
Feeding Cycle:
Feeding Supplies:
Finger Foods:


Making Babyfood:

Mealtime:

Newborns and Feeding: (for more on Newborns, see the Newborn Index)
Nighttime Feedings:

Picky Eating:


Schedules: 


Sippy Cups:

Solid Foods:
Snacks:
Toddlers:
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Reader Feeding Questions

Dropping Feedings:

  • The Todd's said...
    My friend and I really enjoyed reading the information you have on this site. You have done an outstanding job with so much info. provided. We do have a question though that we were unable to find the answer to. We were wondering at what age is it recommended that we drop the early evening bottle? We have our babies on a 9:00, 1:00,5:00, 9:00 feeding schedule. So when are we supposed to drop the 9:00 P.M. bottle feeding? My son is 10 months old and hers is 8 months. We would appreciate your insight and guidance. Thankyou.Christina
    July 18, 2008 10:32 PM
    Plowmanators said...
    Christina,Thanks! You are on a 4 hour schedule, and that really isn't dropped until usually older than 1 year. Most moms start the day earlier, so they start in the 7AM hour and have the same type of schedule as you, but end the day at 7 rather than 9. You can certainly do 9 if that is your desire. If your baby is sleeping until 9 AM, 9 PM will be the last to get the 12 hours of sleep (if she sleeps 12 hours). Once you move to milk (if you are breastfeeding), then you just need to make sure the correct # of ounces are being drunk each day. I shoot for 24 ounces. If my daughter (now 15 months old) has had about 24 ounces in three meals, I don't worry about a 4th liquid feeding. It sounds like you are bottle feeding. In that case, figure out the appropriate number of ounces for your baby and make sure she is getting that much in three feedings if you want to do it in 3. That should be fine for the 10 month old, but the 8 month old still needs it in 4. Do be aware that if she goes to bed earlier than 9 PM, she will most likely wake earlier.
    July 21, 2008 5:05 PM

Mealtime Manners Questions
  • Rachel Stella said...
    Along with how to train manners at home and in a restaurant, I wonder what expectations are reasonable at certain ages. I mean, can you really expect a 10 month old to sit still in his high chair for 30 minutes while everyone eats. I don't want my kids to be running around like crazy while everyone is still eating, but how can I expect them to sit still at the table when they are done eating and adults are sitting there talking for a while after. I mean, sure I could make them stay there, but is that really fair to do to a young child?
    November 21, 2008 10:41 PM 
    Plowmanators said...
    Rachel, I do think there is a limit to how long you can expect the child to sit there. One thing I would caution, however, is just don't let them get down on the ground. You could hold him in your lap while you talk, but don't let him down. You will then create a situation you need to retrain for. Perhaps a 10 month old can't do much, but a 3 year old can. If it was allowed at 10 months and you suddenly stop it once the child becomes a problem for other people, a fit will follow. Start as you mean to go on. Part of this might mean you need to leave the restaurant earlier than you might if you have no child. Try to think of somewhere you can all go to visit if needed.
    November 22, 2008 7:06 AM

Nighttime Feedings:
  • Brett and Gisela said...
    Someone recommended your blog to me...I have "skimmed" over the baby wise book and liked the principles that I read. I have a two year old and a new born (10 days old). My question is about the new born. I am nursing as I did with my two year old and we are having a lot of trouble at night. She seems to want to nurse very often (every two hours) and has trouble falling back to sleep. She twists and turns with stomach cramps I think until she can have a bowel movement. Any suggestions would really be appreciated...techniques...anything. Thanks so much for such a interesting blog.Gisela
    February 21, 2009 3:55 PM
    Plowmanators said...
    Gisela,What do her days look like? I would have her eat every 2.5-3 hours in the day. Then at night, she should be able to sleep longer. Beyond that, really the entire BW book is going to lead you to your answer :)
    February 26, 2009 11:48 AM
  • Lindsey and Nick's mommy said... I need help! Your blog has been so helpful in my quest for a good sleeper. My Nick is 10 weeks today. He is on a great 3 hour schedule during the day taking 6 ounces per feeding. I set my alarm and feed him at 11:00pm then let him wake up on his own for the next feeding. For a while he was stretching that all the way to 5.5 hours at one point. My problem is that in the last week he has slid backwards and is now back to waking at 3 am which is only a 4 hour stretch. Then he goes 4 more hours until his 7 am wake/feed. He is a big boy in the 90th percentile on height and weight. Very healthy and does go right back to sleep after his 11 pm and his 3am feedings.Why has he went backwards? I just recently (last week) went to the 6 ounces for 7 feedings/day as he was on 5 ounces for 7 feedings/day. PS: I feel confident he is hungry at the 3am feeding as he does take in the majority of his 6 ounces. However his 11pm feeding is a little more challenging taking only about 4 ounces. Also, I did go back to work last week but I am positive my babysitter is following the plan to the "T" as she documents everything for me including wake and nap times.
    August 11, 2008 9:17 AM 
    Plowmanators said... He could be waking earlier for a growth spurt. He could be waking earlier for more mommy time. He could be waking earlier since you said he isn't taking as much at 11. He could be having teething pains. There are so many possibilities, you will have to troubleshoot to figure it out. See this post for help: Night Hunger : http://babywisemom.blogspot.com/2008/05/night-hunger.html Nighttime Sleep Issues: http://babywisemom.blogspot.com/2008/01/nightime-sleep-issues.html
    August 12, 2008 2:27 PM 
    Lindsey and Nick's mommy said... Thanks for your help. I guess I did post it right. I am technology impaired. Anyway, I have noticed that the past few nights he is trying to stretch out the time from his middle of the night feed until morning now. Before he was stretching the time from his dreamfeed to his middle of the night feed before he regressed. However, because I am waking him at 7 am each morning hopefully he will get it. Also, I thought I would go ahead and try to move his dreamfeed to 11:30 instead of 11:00 and see if he will eat a bit more. If that does not work then I will try to feed him 30 minutes earlier 7pm vs 7:30pm and see if he will take a better feeding at 11pm. Does that sound like a good plan? I know everything is trial and error. However, it always helps to have someone tell you if you are on the right path or if you are driving off the cliff! Thanks again.
    August 12, 2008 2:43 PM 
    Plowmanators said... You can always try it, however if it were me, I wouldn't move back to 11:30. Anything past 11 is really a night time feeding and if you wake him to eat for it, it could disrupt nighttime sleep. But if you want to try it and see how it goes, do it! :)
    August 13, 2008 8:21 PM 
    Lindsey and Nick's mommy said... I never thought of that. I fed him at 7 pm two nights ago because he was hungry early. By the 11 pm dreamfeed he was a lot more willing to eat a full feeding and thenwent 5.5 hours! YEAH! So moving his bedtime and feeding up 30 minutes proved to be the resolution. Two nights in a row he has done much better. Thanks again.
    August 14, 2008 7:14 AM 
    Plowmanators said... You are welcome! I am glad you have seen improvement.
    August 15, 2008 2:42 PM
  • Army Wife in the Making said... My baby is waking at night with gas & then about an hour later wanting to eat. He is 19wks (14wks adjusted) & sleeping an average of 9-10hrs per night.
    August 25, 2008 8:18 PM 
    Army Wife in the Making said... I forgot to ask...how can I get him to go back to sleeping through the night. Most of the time he doesn't wake with gas...
    August 25, 2008 8:19 PM 
    Plowmanators said... Army Wife, does he know how to self-soothe? If you are positive he is not hungry and everything is fine, you can do CIO. But I wouldn't do that if he has gas. See this post:Nighttime Sleep Issues: http://babywisemom.blogspot.com/2008/01/nightime-sleep-issues.html
    August 28, 2008 9:22 PM
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Index: Dropping Things

Dropping Feedings
Dropping Naps

How To Posts
In Action Posts
Polls
Swaddling
Timeline
Weaning
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Tips for Dropping the 4th Feeding {Bottle or Breast}

Tips for Dropping the 4th Feeding {Bottle or Breast}. Get ideas for when to drop the fourth feeding and move to three feedings a day.

Tips for Dropping the 4th Feeding {Bottle or Breast}. Get ideas for when to drop the fourth feeding and move to three feedings a day.


Many moms are unsure when they should drop that 4th liquid feeding. There is a lot of variation on timeline among mothers for when they drop this feeding. I know some moms who have dropped this feeding around 9-10 months, even while nursing. Others are beyond 18 months old when they drop the 4th feeding.

Keeping Four Feedings a Day

I personally for sure keep 4 liquid feedings while I am nursing. While I think I can maintain a supply with 3 feedings later in the year, I just feel better about 4 feedings. Brayden was around 18 months when we dropped the 4th liquid feeding. I think we did it around the same time we dropped his morning nap since his bedtime moved up by an hour. I think Brayden needed that 4th feeding for a longer time because he just has a fast metabolism and needed that extra feeding in the day. He also would not drink more than 6 ounces per feeding, and I wanted 24 ounces of milk in him per day.

As Brayden got older, he would drink more than 6 ounces at a time sometimes. I would give him however many ounces he needed to get to 24.

Dropping the Fourth Feeding

Kaitlyn is 15 months old, and we are apparently in the middle of dropping the 4th feeding. It is a weaning process for us. I am not doing it on purpose, but some days she has it, and others she doesn't. I don't count ounces with her like I did Brayden. I currently give her about 10 ounces at each meal (but she rarely drinks that much at a meal). When she was 12 months old, she drank different amounts at each feeding. Some it was 3 ounces. Others 8. As she has gotten older, she has been able to take in more ounces per meal and therefore needs that final liquid feeding less.

So with Kaitlyn, I give her 10 ounces at each meal (three times a day). Then sometimes I give her the 4th, also with 10 ounces, if she seems to need it. I can't really describe it other than I just know when she does. Part of it is that I am a more seasoned mom now and better at reading my children. Part of it is that Kaitlyn is an excellent communicator.

Kaitlyn can handle the way I do this. She monitors herself. She has also always been a small girl, usually in the 20% percentile. I am not concerned about her eating too much. She also is a random drinker. Some meals she drinks 10 ounces--others she drinks one ounce. It isn't the same feeding, either. I know there are some kids who will eat everything you put in front of them. Some kids will drink more than they need. Do what works for your child.

You can drop that 4th feeding if your child gets the liquid he needs in 3 feedings. You would also want to make sure if you give more ounces per meal that your child still eats the solid food well. You can drop it if your child continues to grow well and sleep well when you do so. I think with the 4th feeding, it is something you will just kind of know when it is the right time. Remember, if you do drop the feeding and it turns out your child isn't ready for it, you can always add it back in (thought it might be harder to do that if you are still nursing). Trust your Mommy intuition!

You can see more on dropping feedings in general on this post: Dropping Feedings

Tips for Dropping the 4th Feeding {Bottle or Breast}. Get ideas for when to drop the fourth feeding and move to three feedings a day.

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How to Drop a Feeding

How to Drop a Feeding. How to know when to drop one of your baby's feedings and how to go about doing it.

When you drop a feeding, you don't decrease the amount of food your baby eats. You rearrange it. More gets taken in during fewer feedings.

There are three ways described in On Becoming Babywise (affiliate) to drop a feeding:
  • Dropping the middle of the night feeding. This usually happens between weeks seven and nine--though it is perfectly normal to be later! Some babies drop it altogether, while others gradually stretch it out. By this I mean your baby was eating at 2 AM. Then moves toward 3 AM, etc. If you have a "stretcher," see this post: Early Morning Feedings Before Waketime. There are some who don't go by the book. Don't worry if your child is one of these. It doesn't mean you are doing anything wrong or that you are a bad mom or that your baby is difficult. It just means your baby is one of those babies described in Babywise: "not all babies go by the book" (page 124). See the Early Morning Feedings Before Waketime for strategies on helping your child drop this feeding.
  • Dropping the "Dreamfeed" or "late evening feeding." Babywise says this typically happens around three months old. My daughter didn't drop it until six months old. For more on dropping the dreamfeed, see: Dropping the "Dream Feed."
  • Extending your routine. This is moving to a 3.5 or 4 hour routine. In this case, a daytime feeding will usually be dropped. Baby is usually ready to move to a 3-4 hour routine between three and four months, but there is no rush to get there. For more on this, see: When to Move to a 4 hour Schedule. You can also read Baby Whisperer: Four Hour Schedule.
I have listed these in the order they should be dropped. First, the middle of the night. Then the "dreamfeed." Finally, you drop daytime feeds as you extend the schedule. Be sure your baby is ready to do these things--don't force it. If you wonder what ages your child should be doing things, be sure to see: Babywise Milestones or Your Babywise Baby: First Year Overview.

Reader Questions:
  • Emily said...
    Hi,Question for you (long, sorry!)I have been weaning my daugher off of night feedings. She was not eating well during the day, so my pediatrician recommended diluting her bottle each night slowly over the course of a few weeks (ie putting less formula in the same amount of water) until she was just on water, and then when she was making it through the night on that, cutting out the water and letting her CIO.

    I've been doing this for 2 weeks, and was down to 1 ounce of formula in a diluted bottle. Well, my helpful husband got up just now at 2 am when she was crying and gave her a full strength 8 ounce bottle. I won't even get into how irritated I am, but I'm wondering what your advice would be on what to do next. Should I start all over from 8 ounces and work my way down to 1 AGAIN? Or since I KNOW she'll make it through the night on just 1, should I just go back to the 1? The other issue is that since she had that full bottle tonight she probably won't eat well tomorrow and will need a night feeding again tomorrow night....ugggIt's 3 am, sorry if I'm rambling. Thanks for your help :)
    October 10, 2008 12:44 AM
    Plowmanators said...
    Emily, I would just go back to 1 unless she eats so terribly today that you need to offer her a bit more. That is good advice for dropping the night feeding.
    October 10, 2008 2:44 PM
How to Drop a Feeding. How to know when to drop one of your baby's feedings and how to go about doing it.

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