Starting solids--reduce formula?

[wendalah]

My DD is 6 mos and 1 week, and we have been feeding her solids since 5 mos., gradually increasing the amount of solids per day.

She LOVES just about every food we've tried, and is a good little eater. We are now up to three solid meals a day. On average, she has 3 tablespoons of cereal (rice or oatmeal), and three containers of baby food (right now she is eating the Gerber stage 1 vegetables and fruits).

However, I am concerned, because she has dropped from about 30 oz formula a day down to around 23-24. I know it is normal to drop some of the formula but just wanted to make sure this wasn't excessive.

At her 6-month checkup, her doctor said she is perfectly healthy and to go with her cues on how much she wants to eat. She is in the exact median for height and a tad bit under the median for weight, so she's your basic average baby with no size concerns.

[TracyDP]

My DD's consumption of formula leveled off about the same as yours when we really got going on solids. For the past 3 months (6m-9m) she has tapered off from 32oz formula a day to 20-24oz of formula a day (6oz morning, 2 x 4-6oz at naptimes...depending on how hungry she is, 6oz before bed) and doesn't seem interested in more. I give her water with meals from her sippy, and a few swallows of water randomly throughout the day. She is gaining well and is very healthy so the ped said the same as yours, go with her cues. I may switch her to the Go and Grow formula soon since she is getting a lot of different foods, many fresh homemade. It's also MUCH cheaper. I am also going to ween her off the bottle and onto her sippy full time in another month or so. I'd like to have her off the bottle by her 1st birthday but we'll see how that goes.

[amew]

It's normal for BM/formula consumption to decrease as babies get older and intake of solids increases. Like anyone, babies only need so many calories in a day, so if they are getting a lot from solid food, they need less from BM/formula. The important thing is to make sure that she still gets plenty formula since it is more nutrious than a jar of baby food--with three meals a day, I would feel fine with 24 oz. of formula, but I would try not to let it dip much below that for a while.

FWIW, DS is now 9 months and eats three balanced meals and two snacks each day, and he is down to somewhere around 18-22 oz. of BM (I am guessing since based on taking in about 10 oz. of EBM at daycare and nursing 3 times a day).

[Suzlywoozly]

At DS's 9 month WBV last week, the ped told me that he should be at around 24oz of formula per day if he is eating meals three times a day.

[Ericka_Jarett]

definitely fine in the amount of decrease. you use her formula to mix her cereal I assume. Is that added in your count of 24 oz or is it extra? Either way it's may sound like a huge drop, but really it's not that big since she is eating solids now.

[PinkMartini]

Yup, my DS dropped his formula intake once he was eating 3 meals as well. I would offer solids first and then depending on how much he ate, a bottle afterwards.

And I must say, wow, your DD is a great eater! My DD will be 8 months this month and isn't even up to 3 meals a day yet!

[Marisa]

As long as it doesn't dip below that -- even the most balanced diet of solids for a six month old doesn't have the same nutritional punch that formula would, so until she's closer to 10-11 months she should still be getting a good amount of her nutrition from her formula. It's such a crucial time for brain development, I'd be wary of skimping on the good fats, etc. If you find that she's dropping below that number of oz, you might cut back on the solids a little in favor of offering the bottle first.