I've always made the connection between NOT giving Noah his solid meal(s) and him drinking/feeling better. Thanks to Leigh, I've now realized that Noah IS, in fact, dehydrated due to his low intake. His BM's are almost always dry. I'm hoping this explains the constant irritability that's been going on for a month or so. Maybe even some sleeping problems? Well, even if there is no connection, this all happened when Noah's ounces dropped off again.

After even a small serving of solids, Noah's next bottle is awful. If I DO get in an extra bottle INSTEAD of solids, Noah feels awesome. It perks him up instantly.

I'm skipping solid meals now to get him good and hydrated, especially since he puked his guts out yesterday, but I wonder how big of a deal it would be to limit him solid intake. My old GI stressed 3 meals per day, and I decreased the amounts, but it only seems to help if I just don't serve them at all.

What if I just gave him one small meal in the morning to keep him practicing, and maybe a few finger foods in the evening? Would this screw things up?

I still skip solids if Catherine is cantankerous, tired, whiney, etc. And if she protests at any point during a meal, it ends right there. I'm not going to let mealtime turn into a battle, and she is still primarily formula fed from a nutrition standpoint anyway. I don't think it's a big deal.

I don't let the meal go on either if he doesn't want it, but he always does. He eats like a pro (only a few foods), but AFTER, he doesn't seem happy, plus it ruins a chance at an extra bottle.

its funny, our GI told us to go ahead and forget the solids with Eli, he did better without them. Even still at 3 1/2 we have to do that sometimes. When things got rough taking away the solids was the best help for him. He actually held on weight better that way, because his tummy had it easier.

Since Noah is only 8 months old, I would think that it should be fine. He'll still be getting practice with solids, and you can always add in another "snack" mid-day if he's hungry. There have been tonnes of times that Evan has had to go back down to liquids only when his reflux was really bad, and we had to rebuild from there.

I didn't start really pushing the 3x/day solids until 12 months... and then, it was only to offer them 3x/day, not really "eat a solid, big meal" - kwim?

Offer some cheerios in the morning, or banana pieces... and offer some chopped cooked carrots or another veggie in the evening... maybe a few bites of your bread, etc. I think at 8mo, it's still all about practice, not actual intake.

Alright, then I'm done with solids for a while. I figured I'd stick him in his highchair every evening when we eat and give him a couple crackers. Lucy, he can't have any of those good foods you suggested, but hopefully soon! The 3 times he woke last night to eat went much smoother, and so did the bottle he had for breakfast INSTEAD of YoBaby. I'm not calling the ped or GI on this one, because I know I'm right about solids just being bad news for him, and my GI would shake his head and say "he'll get used to them." Yeah, maybe, but we're making no progress after 3 months. Anyways, I know he's perfectly capable of spoon feeding, so I'll ditch it for now and come back to it once his tummy can handle it.

I see a new GI Feb. 1st, so maybe I can get this guy on board about Noah's solid issues.

I only give Kaitlyn solids in the morning and MAYBE a small meal at night. Most of the time it's between the first and second bottle because this is when she is most accepting. She will take them in the evening too but I usually only give her a couple ounces of something because most of the time she is still vomiting up bits the stuff she ate in the morning. I just make sure she gets her bottles because right now i think they are most important. She gets her practice and thats all I care about... I wont be worried about it until she is older anyway.

I guess what I'm saying is, I agree with everyone and I think you would be fine just giving him one meal a day. I dont think you should cut it out completely, but just do once a day instead of trying to stuff 3 meals in.

Good luck Maggie!

Sounds good to me. I think you always have to try different things to see what the like. The formula definitely is better in terms of calories. Hope it goes well for you.
karie

I gave in and gave him one jar of the oatmeal he likes after he refused a bottle but did the "I'm starving and I will soon expire if I am not fed" thing. I guess one meal is okay compared to the three, although they were not all one full jar, just whatever he would eat. I'm still contemplating what to do. Noah's naps have been 1/2 as long yesterday and today (the days I quit the solids), so I wonder if I should still give breakfast. He has taken almost TWENTY ounces today!!! That's the monthly record. His BM today was still hard, but it was not completely dry, so I really think he needs more ounces to keep him hydrated.

It sounds like you guys are on the right track. It's a good thing that Leigh mentioned the dehydration issue, eh?