Need help with 9mo feeding schedule
Let me caveat the following by saying that DD is 67th percentile in weight and 87th in height, so she's not malnourished and is technically OK. But...
I alternately feel that DD doesn't eat enough, but that she also eats too often. Confusing? Yes, I realize it is. Here's her current eating schedule:
6:00 - Bottle. Make 6 oz, usually drinks 4-5.
8:00 - Breakfast. Yogurt (2 oz) or grain (2 dry Tbsp) with one fruit or veggie cube, but she rarely eats all of it, and sometimes won't eat half. Make 6 oz bottle, use some in food and she probably drinks about 4 oz.
11:00 - Lunch. Same story as breakfast.
2:00 - Bottle. Usually takes 6 oz.
5:00 - Dinner. Same story as breakfast
7:00 - Make 6 oz bottle, usually drinks 4-5, then bed.
Since she's eating every 2-3 hours, I'm wondering if that's too often, which would make her eat less at meals. What do you think? Is what we're doing OK, or should I adjust the schedule. What schedule suggestions do you have?
Thanks for your help!
Re: Need help with 9mo feeding schedule
i think what you're doing is fine.. seems about right for what we did with ds at that age... but he was pretty much between 3-20% for weight up until he was a year or so old. he had reflux though so he didn't gain weight very well.
are you concerned with her weight percentile? my pedi stressed that the percentile itself isn't something to be concerned with, its more of whether they stay on the "curve" if that makes sense. as long as they're progressing at the right rate, their percentile really doesn't matter.
i wouldn't be concerned since both height and weight are above 50%, but that's just me :-), i think it sounds like you are doing a great job!
To me, it definitely sounds like she's getting enough, so I wouldn't worry about that. I also wouldn't worry about her getting too much, if she is interested in the amount of food/formula you're feeding her, and she's hanging out at average/ slightly above average percentiles. I think at that age, Holly was getting about 24 oz of formula, give or take. I don't exaclty remember, but I don't think we were doing a bottle along with the solid meals, and were doing an "entree", fruit, and veggie puree three times a day. I think that's about the time we started introducing finger foods (puffs, Cheerios, small bits of chicken, pasta, etc) as well.
I want to say we did a small bottle when she woke up (like 4 oz), then a grain & fruit for breakfast. I think we were sending 3 6-8oz bottles to DC, and she was also getting 1 meal of solids there. I think we'd do a dinner of solids, then a nighttime bottle of 6-8 oz.
Thanks, ladies. I feel better now. I'm not really concerned about her weight because I think it's OK. I'm just worried that she technically doesn't eat much at meals. But, I just remembered that when she was younger and the doc asked me how much formula she was getting a day, the amount was lower than recommended but I couldn't get her to eat anymore. She refused. But as he put it, she must be using the calories efficiently because she was above average in weight.
So, I'm worrying needlessly and need to just stop. Random freakout/babbling over!