food/milk amount advice please

[first time x]

My twin boys started weaning a week or so before they were 6 months and have been on pureed food for about 3 weeks now. For breakfast they have half a weetabix with 2oz of formula milk, for dinner they have mashed veg with blended chicken and for tea they have veg with either pasta or potatoe and they also have some fruit and yogurt between dinner and tea. Their portion are the size of them little baby storage pots you get in the supermarket in the baby section... them pots are almost full at each meal time and their fruit and yogurt fills it about 3-4 of the way up. Sometimes they leave a spoonful or two but mostly finish it so i think their portion sizes suits them well. BUT obviously having twins ive been milk feeding on a schedule (every 4 hours through the day) from day one. Now i seem to be wasting alot of milk. they drink a full 6 oz bottle when they wake up, have 2oz with vitamin drops in at mid morning. they would usually have another 6 oz bottle in the afternoon, 6oz after their evening bath and 7oz around 10 then sleep until morning. Now they sometimes drink about 3-5 oz's from their afternoon bottle but arent always interested and they have only been taking 2 oz from their after bathtime bottle. Roughly they now have around 20oz milk a day but i need it to be on a routine not bits here and there and also dont want them to go thristy, i offer them water from a tippee cup every meal time but they only ever have a few sips. Soooo to sum up.. how much milk should they be taking and how can i arrange it around their mealtimes so its not being wasted? xx sorry about the long post..

 

[Noodlebear]

Before a year old they should still be getting most of the things they need to develop from their formula, not food, and they are eating an awful lot for their age although I think 20 oz of formula sounds like a good amount. (if I remember rightly they need about 17 oz a day).
Perhaps you could offer them small bottles before each meal or their snacks? That way they won't fill up on food without having the milk they need, you can fit it into your routine and when the time comes for them to drop a bottle you can just replace it easily with a drink of water and a slightly larger portion.

 

[missk1989]

It sounds like they are eating alot of solids for their age so im not suprised they dont want milk. I would drop any snacks for now and just give them solids three times a day for a bit longer. When they are still needing more solids on the same amount of milk i would give snacks but at the moment milk is more important for at least another month or so.

 

[sillysapling]

Is there any reason you need themt o drink on a routine? Can you get them to take sippy cups or bottles with handles (I don't know about UK brands, but Nuby has a nice no-spill* one) so that you can give them formula without having to sit there and feed it to them.

I agree with giving smaller amounts- maybe 2 ounces or so- at a time so that none of it goes to waste.

*no-spill just means that it won't spill if your kid is shaking it. If your babies are like mine and get a kick out of squeezing the nipple to make milk come out, you're screwed either way. You can get no-spill sippy cups as well.

 

[HKateH]

As pp have said, they should be getting the bulk of their nutrients from milk, so they technically don't need three meals a day and snacks. My LO is just over seven months and I still feed on demand. He generally has a seven ounces before breakfast, six ounces at lunchtime, six or seven ounces around 3pm and anything between seven and twelve ounces before bed. He eats a decent breakfast, a decent lunch and pudding (yoghurt or fruit) and a snack (fruit, toast, oat bar, rice cakes etc).

I understand it's a bit of a pain wasting milk, and I can't even pretend I know what it's like feeding twins, but I'd offer what you think they'll drink and if they don't finish it, maybe offer it again in a little while. Milk does get wasted but what can you do?!

 

[Librastar2828]

How old are they? Seems they are having a lot of food so probably will feel like having less milk.. Personally I would try spacing it out evenly ie milk at 7am breakfast at 830 milk at 11am lunch at 1230 milk at 3pm dinner at 5 milk at 7pm before bed.. Obviously working around your own schedule and naps and bedtimes ect but I would always offer the milks first and food after an hour or so, this way they should have majority of the milk and the food as a bonus. Make them wait four hours till re next bottle so they take more. Iv had to so this with my dd after she kept going 3 hours and not finishing bottles (she's 4months and not on solids tho) so I understand the hate for wasting milk! Food is for fun until one and supposed to be time for them to adjust and get used to food and gradually build up. They don't need there meals to start either so perhaps either cut a meal or reduce portion sizes as their main intake should still be milk. If they have taken well to weaning tho perhaps even it out and just give three bottles. The idea is spacing it out so thy drink more which may mean you have to delay them to begin with so they are mega hungry and take more at a feed then in turn they are full for longer, go longer between feeds and then are hungry so take another full bottle.. Trial and error till your find what works for the three of you

 

[lilesMom]

My lo is 6 months and one week.
He is 23 pounds.
For calories from milk he needs 20 oz a day.
But he needs over 30 oz of fluid. Doc said about 35.
He still only has one meal a day.
Um building up gradually cos he has reflux and he is still young.
3 weeks sounds quick to get to 3 meals and snacks
Are there tummies handling it ok?
Well that should give u an idea oz wise ;-)
I got it from a doc in hospital visit.