Advise on Chaning 9Month Old Feeding

The only thing I can suggest is try watering down her solid food with the milk/formula. My baby had a hard time eating any sort of pureed food if it was too thick. So to make it a thinner consistency, I'd add formula to it and she'd take it then. Start out slowly and things will get better.

Why are you trying to get rid of the bottle? The first 12-18 months of eating is all about exploring new things and enjoying the new sensations. Have you talked with the pediatrician about this?

My son will be one next week and we have started offering only water in the bottle. If he wants formula or juice, he has to take the cup. We JUST started this. Our goal is to get rid of the bottles before he goes to "baby school" in September, but if it doesn't happen it's no big deal.

As for the solids, your daughter will tell you when she's ready for more texture. If you force it now, you're setting your daughter up for a disordered relationship with food as she gets older. Seriously. Put some cheerios or puffs on her tray and let her play with them. Is she able to pick things up on her own yet? If so, let her try to feed herslef. My son was much more open to the new textures when we let him feed himself- he needed to feel it and play with it first. They need to feel some control over what they eat, so let her just play with her food a little (plus then you get bubble time after dinner, which is great!)

If you really want to ditch that last bottle, then find another way to soothe her to sleep. My little guy gets a story and a backrub from his daddy after his last bottle of the night and he goes right out.

Your baby needs more than just 2 bottles a day. She should be having 3-4 bottles a day or still nursing at least 4 or 5 times a day at 9 months. Why the hurry for solid food? During the first year of life, formula or mother's milk needs to be the primary form of nutrition. You do not need to ween her of anything anytime soon.

Stop weaning your child off her bottle! The first year of life the baby should be having more breast milk or formula than solids. They cannot process all the nutrients they need from just soilds. Your baby should be having at LEAST three bottles a day. Bottle should be offered about an hour before you give solids as well so that they get those nutrients and then feed the solids. Weaning of the bottles should not happen until well after her first birthday.

Personally I've never heard of not giving a baby the last bottle before bed. I have three children and when they had 3 meals a day, I just worked it out so they were close to our breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They need to get on the family meal schedule somehow. That also meant though that as babies our children had their dinner when we did...5:30-6:30 and that last bottle right before bed.

Don't rush the food if she is not tolerating it well. I nursed my babies exclusively for 8 months and they were all very healthy robust babies. If you are already up to 3 meals a day, I'm sure she is doing fine. I don't know what is in her bottle. I didn't use bottles, I used straw cups, but I always allowed my children to have milk before bed. I guess it is what ever you are comfortable with. She is still very young. I wouldn't worry too much about her having a bottle. If you want to switch to a straw cup, they are actually better for the development of the muscles in the mouth and placement of teeth over a sippy cup. But really I think you are fine. They all grow up sooner or later :-)

As far as foods and not tollerating them. I don't know what foods you are feeding her, but you might want to make sure they are some natural and homemade foods. Bone broths, mashed veggies, and mashed fruits are good. I would limit any processed cereals. It's funny that the cereal is the first thing we are recommended to give our children. www.westonaprice.org might have some suggestions or at least might give you an idea of what you shouldn't be feeding her.

I don't know if any of this helps. I have 4 children and have been down this road a few times.

Blessings,
T. E.
www.LiveWellShopSmart.com
www.LovinLifeWithHomeBiz.com

I might be misunderstanding your post. Is she only getting 2 bottles a day? Milk is still supposed to be their primary source of food until they are a year. The solid foods should be thought of as "dessert". I have a 9 month old too and here's our schedule:
6-6:30am wake up
7am bottle
8:30 oatmeal/fruit
9am nap
11am bottle
12:30 fruit/vegetable
2:15 bottle
2:30 nap
5:30 bottle
6:30 meat/veg/fruit
7:45 1/2 bottle to top off before bed
8 bed
I also feed him those Puff things as snacks or to keep him happy at the table until I get his food to him. Or even to buy me time to do the dishes.
My son loves feeding himself so we are trying to feed him very small pieces of banana, mango, etc.
I read on babycenter just yesterday that yogurt is good at this age too. They aren't supposed to have cow's milk until 1 yr but I guess yogurt is different. But baby can't have honey yet so don't buy any yogurt w/ honey.
So keep that last bottle and make sure your baby is still getting 32-40 oz of milk!
Best,
Christine

Please don't wean her at 9 months. She should get breastmilk or formula as her primary nutrition until at least 12 months - or even longer, if she doesn't tolerate solids well, or eat enough of a variety to meet her nutritional needs. Mine were still nursing at least 5 time/day at that age, and meals were a fun supplement of exploring new tastes and textures. I didn't reach the morning and evening only stage until my kids were more like 14-15 months (two were very late teethers). I would say at least 3 bottles/day would be an absolute minimum at this age, unless she's eating a wonderful variety of ultra-nutritious foods - vegetables, meats, eggs, sprouted grains, yogurt, etc.

My almost 10 month old's feeding schedule:

6a: 5-6 oz formula
7:45a: cereal mixed with formula (appx. 4 oz of prepared cereal) + 4 oz jarred fruit.
8:30a: nap
11a-12p: 4-6 oz of formula, he may or may not drink it.
12p: 4 oz stonyfield farm plain yo-baby yogurt mixed with fruit (4oz - mashed banana or jarred fruit)
1p: nap
4p: 6-8oz formula
5:45p: 4-6oz jarred veggie with some protein (meat, chicken, egg, tofu, beans), 4oz jarred fruit.
6:30-8p: 4-6 oz formula and then bedtime.

I was told by my pediatrician that he should not be drinking more than 24 oz of formula. Sometimes I am lucky if he even drinks 20 oz. She is not concerned, as he is in the 50% for weight & 95% for height. He pees 8-10 x per day, so he is getting enough fluids.

Babies 9 months old should be getting ###-###-#### calories per day. Remember formula is 20 cal/oz and has a combo of carbs, proteins, & fats. Be sure that the solids that you are giving her are well-rounded overall. She should have a protein at each meal - breakfast (formula that is mixed in the cereal), lunch can be yogurt, dinner can be meats, fish, chicken, tofu, or beans.

My son is slowly getting used to food with texture. I give him some stage 3 foods that are chunkier. For the most part he eats it. Keep trying, over time she will get used to eat. My son is able to feed himself a teething biscuit, rice cake, pieces of melon, pear, etc. He has more difficulty with the cheerios.

Only eliminate the bottle before bedtime once she is getting more formula throughout the day. You can slowly reduce the amount you give her each night, until you are down to 1 oz, then stop the next night.

If she is having a tough time with drinking from a bottle during the day, try giving her formula in a sippy cup with handles that she can hold. My son sometimes prefers that.

Good luck!