[OakShannon]

Originally Posted by aclee

One of the NP's at our practice (the one I don't like, and WON'T be seeing again) read me the riot act that Tyler occasionally didn't get enough formula. She told me in no uncertain terms that if he's not getting 24 ounces of formula everyday, he's basically not getting enough to eat. That many people mistake a baby that is a good eater for a baby that needs less formula, but that solid food just couldn't provide what they need in such small servings. She said even if he was "chowing down" on everything we gave him, his intestinal track wasn't developed enough for him to break down and extract everything he needed from his food. She basically told me I was starving my kid and I was crying by the time I hit the parking lot. Like I said...NEVER going to see her again. I guess they have had other complaints on her.

SO. I guess long story short is we are now in the exact same boat. Tyler drinks from a sippy cup with meals but we have formula "milestones" everyday, or we adjust mealtimes. If he hasn't has 10 ounces by lunch, he gets a bottle and has to have that till he's taken a total of 10 ounces before he gets solids. I feel like a monster, but for us, weight and formula intake is a big deal. He. Gets. Angry. When he wants lunch, he wants lunch. Sometimes I will let him get close to 10 ounces, and then give him lunch, and formula in a sippy cup and every few bites have him take a few sips of formula. He does pretty well with the sippy cup and sometimes it seem the change of pace will help. I don't think Ty would care ever one little bit of all he had from today forward was a sippy cup. Well...maybe his night wakings he would care...cause he's really lazy if he wakes at night, and just wants to suck down some food as easy and fast as possible...but otherwise. No attachment to the bottle at all.

I don't know if age one is some magical age where the intestinal track switches on and they can suddenly drink cows milk and we don't have to monitor their fluids or what? Maybe age one has a fluid intake requirement as well. Maybe I'm doomed to follow this kid around between 6:00PM and bedtime with a bottle or sippy cup getting the last 4 ounces into him for the rest of his life.

If you ask your Dr, tell me what they say. I'd love some back up that there MUST be a range in what they need? How does a 25 pound 10 month old and 17 pound 10 month old need the same thing? Doesn't make sense...

Wow. I wouldn't want to see her again either!!

D takes a bottle first thing in the morning. After that, I offer him a bottle in the afternoon and before bed, but he rarely drinks more than an ounce or 2. I mix it with his oatmeal so that he gets a little more that way. 24 ounces would be a stretch and I would hate having to fight him over it! It looks like people here are saying that there is a pretty broad range of ages when kids give up the bottle, so I'm taking that as a sign that this probably isn't a big deal. But I'll call his pediatrician this morning and let you know what he says.

D and Ty are the same age, but I don't think they are the same size. (D weighs about 24 lbs.) It does seem funny that there is a hard and fast rule about the number of ounces based just on age.

[OakShannon]

Originally Posted by Fran27

Aclee all doctors disagree on how much formula babies need once they start solids. It's funny actually. I've heard everywhere from 16oz to 30oz, which is ridiculous.

Mine get their bottle first though, otherwise they'd feel up on solids and not drink. They're not attached to their bottle either... they just drink because they're hungry.

But of course they're nowhere near ready for a sippy so it's going to be a while... I don't even know how to teach a baby to drink from a sippy when they can't hold their own bottle.

Fran - D does't hold his bottle when full either because they are glass and a little heavy for him to handle easily. But he drinks from a cup with handles. I started by helping him hold it and then gradually letting him take over. I only fill it about 1/3 full and refill as he finishes. He doesn't like the top on the sippy cup, so he just drinks straight from the cup.

His new trick is blowing bubbles in his water.

[Wisdom]

Our DS is ten months also and takes a bottle regularly so there's no problem with him not getting enough formula. You can ask the doctor about a vitamin. At some point all kids need to take them anyway, don't they? Our doctor wants our DS off the bottle by eleven months which is not going to happen, but I just started weaning him off it during the day and giving him his formula in a sippy cup.

[aclee]

Tyler *can* hold a full bottle. He can and does for many people. Just not for me. Occasionally he will for DH, and he always does for my sister, and for his daycare providers. He will NOT do it for me. He will grab it and put it in his mouth, and then he will make his hands like penguin flippers and do pitiful whimpers like he has no idea how to work them. Then he will cry. Only for me. If DH pushed it, he holds it. I can push it and he won't hold it. Ever. He never had. He won't hold the sippy either, but we don't have handles yet. He's getting them for Christmas.

I really will be following him around the rest of his life won't I?

He loves to drink from our glasses (another, I swear I'll never be that Mom) and he drinks from them like a dog...it's all tounge and it cracks me up. He would hold my glass by himself if I let him. He gets so excited when he sees us with a drink that we've taken to using straws cause he doesn't get those yet and leaves us alone.

Yeah...LOVES our glasses. I should put formula in my glass and act like I'm drinking it! Maybe I'll try that tonight.

[GoddessDanu]

I have a daycare policy that I stop giving bottles at 1 year old. I give them sippy cups after that. Even for naps, I give them their sippy cup then I rock them.

[OakShannon]

Okay, Aclee. That nurse needs to talk to D's pediatrician. He said, "As long as they're eating well, we don't worry about it. It's pretty normal. We don't worry unless they aren't gaining properly."

Now I have to find something else to worry about.

[aclee]

Originally Posted by OakShannon

Okay, Aclee. That nurse needs to talk to D's pediatrician. He said, "As long as they're eating well, we don't worry about it. It's pretty normal. We don't worry unless they aren't gaining properly."

Now I have to find something else to worry about.

She is one of "those" NP's. The ones with no kids that still know everything about child rearing...and can quote which book she learned it from.