Feeding FAQ: 6-9 months – Weaning/Solids

Since starting second stage weaning with my twins of 7.5mths I am concerned that I am losing the routines and they seem to be eating less

Since starting second stage weaning three weeks ago the routine is going completely wrong.
I did initially start with organic baby food jars as we moved from the USA to the UK and then stayed in various places before settling down. The last two weeks I have made their own food. The twins were 6 weeks early so I use their adjusted age for weaning.

Both babies seem to be able to take much breakfast. I have tried tier feeding, solids first, full bottle first etc. I have now found an amount of milk they will drink when they first wake and the cereal quantity is the maximum they can manage.So around 10.30am they are puckish and I give them a small feed of 2ozs each. For lunch they used to take 2 jars of the organic baby food, since making my own form the GF Weaning Book I have measured that they can hardly eat the equivalent of 1.5 jars between them.
Once again I tried tier feeding, offering milk right after solids and right before lunchtime nap etc, but things seem to have got worse since introducing protein.
My son in particular doesn’t seem keen on the 2.30pm feed until later. The 5pm dinner goes just as badly as the babies don’t seem hungry until 6pm. The last two nights both babies have had dinner, bedtime milk and then the baby rice/oats with fruit as they were still hungry.
¾ of the way through each meal the babies start crying hysterically and I have offered milk and water/juice to no avail. Eventually I sop feeding them as they are tired and grumpy and I can’t tell if they have had enough. It seems to me that they are eating less and less each day.
My daughter’s problem is that she always wakes up crying at lunchtime after 1hour, though often settles herself again but wakes her brother. She used to do this when I gave her a top up of milk before going down, I am not sure if the reflux she suffered made it worse. Things got better after I introduced her to solids but worse again since the introduction of protein.
My son’s problem is that he is waking earlier and earlier each morning, 5.30am now [though not crying but waking his sister up]. I have tried to wean him off the late afternoon nap, but this results in him being hysterical over dinner and falling asleep during it. I tried moving this meal to 4.45pm but they are not hungry and if moved to later he won’t drink his bedtime bottle. The early morning waking means that both babies want to sleep much longer first thing in the morning, although I don’t let them. I also have to stretch them to 9.15am; otherwise they become overtired at lunch. I start lunch by 11.30am so they can be settled for their nap by 12.15pm. This means they don’t wake too late and so can have a quick nap before dinner.
I am getting really stressed as for the last two months the routine has worked like magic despite moving countries, houses and both babies cutting 4 teeth in one go!
I just don’t know how to make them eat more and sleep properly like before. The whole day is just a constant round of feeding, unsettled babies and clock watching so they get their naps in order to stay awake and happy during meal times.
The only good part of our day seems to be the 3.30-5pm walk, should they be at home playing instead? I can’t go to any mother and baby groups as my son cries hysterically at the other babies’ noises and it always seems to be their feed time. I feel so trapped. Please help as I want my happy babies back.

My son feeds at 7.15am 5.5ozs, 8.15am ½ weetabix/oats mixed with 1.5ozs formula, 10.30am 2ozs, 11.30am, equivalent of ¾ jar of homemade vegetables with chicken/lentils/ fish or turkey, 1petit filous, 3.00pm 6-6.5ozs, 5pm equivalent of ¾ jar home made vegetable soup/ root medley, toast, 6.45pm 8ozs. He weighs 20lbs.

My daughter feeds at 7.15am 4.5ozs, 8.15am, ¼ weetabix/oats mixed with 1oz formula, 10.30am 2ozs formula, 11.30am equivalent of ½ jar of homemade vegetables with chicken/lentils/ fish or turkey, 1petit filous, 2.30pm 5.5ozs, 5pm, equivalent of ½ jar of home made vegetable soup/root medley and toast, 6.45pm 6ozs.

Both babies are offered water/diluted juice in a beaker at lunch and dinner. She weighs15lbs.

The twins nap at 9.15-9.55am, 12.15-2.15pm and 4.40-5pm. They settle at 7pm.

Your twins seemed to have coped exceptionally well in the recent weeks considering all the changes and upheavals they have had. It may take all of you time to settle into your new surroundings.

At this age your twins may begin to experience separation or stranger anxiety. Until they are completely used to their new home they may be a little clingy and fretful especially in certain situations, such as a mother and baby group. However, despite his reaction, your son will, in time, get used it and it would be good for you, too, if you could continue to take them out to such a group. It would give you the chance to make new friends with parents who have babies of around the same age as your son and daughter and you would not feel so trapped at home. Twins of this age are hard work, especially if you are getting used to a new area as well.

As you were feeding them from jars initially it is not surprising the babies’ intake appears to have dropped a little now they are being fed homemade food. Commercial food contains less protein than an equivalent homemade recipe and also has a far higher water content. The density of home made food is quite different so your babies may seem to need less of it to fill them up. Have a look at page 10 of The Contented Book of Weaning for more about commercial baby food.

It could help your babies’ overall happiness if they ate slightly more at lunch and dinner. To help them do this offer them pureed fruit and natural yoghurt for breakfast for a while, instead of cereal, to see if they will eat more at lunch time. If they still seem hungry after their main course at lunch time you can always offer them a small bowl of cereal, providing this does not cause them to cut back on their bedtime bottle.

If the twins seem hungry around 10.30am have you tried offering them a small snack, such as rice cakes, rather than milk which could be taking the edge off their appetite for lunch? Depending how easy they find it to eat toast or similar finger food this may just see them through to 11.30am.

Until your daughter begins to eat more solids at lunch give her a small top up of milk before she goes for her lunchtime nap. If she receives it after her solid food it should not affect her reflux too much. Although it is advised not to give milk alongside protein, many babies do need a small top up after their lunch, until they increase their solid intake, to help them sleep better.

Tiredness may be the problem at dinner time so try letting them have a 30 minute nap in the afternoon if you are out with them in the pram, especially if your daughter has not slept well at lunchtime.

You could try to keep them more interested in being fed by giving them a small amount of finger food such as frozen mixed vegetables. Gently cook a spoonful for each baby and place a few pieces on their high chair trays. Mixed vegetables are colourful and have different textures. Not much may go into their mouths but they will attracted by them and tempted to try to pick them up. Offering them their own spoon can sometimes help when trying to feed babies who seem to lose interest in their meal and get upset.

The daytime sleep needs of babies do begin to change in the second part of the first year. The morning nap begins to shorten, to around 20-30 minutes. It also pushes on towards 9.30am which you have already started to do. The problems you are having with your son waking early will need to be solved before you can expect them to move this nap on much further. When it does move to 9.30am and shortens, it should also have the effect of pushing on the lunchtime nap to 12.30/1pm. This may result in them no longer needing the short afternoon nap. You could try waking them after 30 minutes of sleep in the morning, and see if they are still able to eat their lunch without being too tired. Moving the morning nap by a few minutes every few days is the best way to adjust a baby to the new times. The problems which can occur if nap times are not moved on enough are explained fully in The Complete Sleep Guide, page 117.

Do you think that even with the short afternoon nap, your son is going down at night exhausted and so falling straight into a deep sleep? This could be happening if your son is becoming more mobile and active in the day and could lead to early morning waking. One way to deal with it is to make his bedtime around 6.40/6.45pm, providing he will still drink 8ozs of milk once he has had his bath. Going to bed slightly earlier should help him settle down to sleep after 10-15 minutes of quietly chatting to himself. Once you settle your baby earlier in the evening, it can take up to two weeks before he starts waking nearer 7am but keep persevering with the new routine.

Check that no other factors are disturbing your son when he is in his light sleep at 5am/6am, such as the boiler coming on, a bedroom that is chilly in the early morning, outside noise such as traffic or your son being more mobile in his cot and banging into the sides. If he is moving around the cot a great deal remove any blankets you may be using and dress him in a higher tog rated sleeping bag so he can find his own sleeping position without becoming tangled in the bedding. If you feel that the room the babies sleep in may be cold in the early morning make sure your son has another layer of clothing, such as a long sleeved body suit or thin cardigan, to prevent him from waking up because he is chilly.