Feeding a Baby is Stressful - Part 3

Wait what?! "But you already made the switch to formula, you have gone through it all" you say...but this is motherhood and its not over until...forever. Dun Dun Dun!

As you well know feeding Jack has always been a struggle, you can read about it here and here.

Recently he has been eating 5 bottles a day each 6 oz, and 2 oz of solids at breakfast and at dinner. For some reason or another a few weeks ago he decided eating was over rated. He wouldn't take a bottle or solids. He decreased his eating down to two bottles a day and no solids. Every terrible memory of his first few days of life came rushing back. I wondered if he was losing weight, if he was getting dehydrated, if he would have to be re-hospitalized. My mind was traveling to all the worst places.

Thinking you are starving your child is stressful.

After about a week of barely eating Max and I took him to the Dr. He had no other symptoms, no fever, no rash, no soar throat, no signs of a cold, etc. so the Dr. didn't really know what to do or what was wrong. He still gained a teeny tiny bit of weight since his last appointment so she didn't seem too worried and told us to just keep an eye out and come back for a weight check next month. So we went home. I became a hawk again; downloading a new baby tracker app, measuring bottles down to the last drop and spending hours frustrated and crying over the health of my little tiny baby.

Trying to force a bottle nipple into a child's mouth while he smiles and spits it out is stressful.

Then that glorious day came. I picked him up from daycare and the babysitter told me he ate all his bottles and every bite of his breakfast. He even fussed for more. My healthy baby was back! The clouds lifted and I was so happy I cried the whole way home. He has upped his bottles to almost 8 oz and now scarfs down his solids. He has also started crying for food which he NEVER did before, we always had to keep track of the time and offer it to him instead of him asking for it.

Having a wonderful babysitter watching him and who is as worried as I am makes this a little less stressful.

Jack has started solids, as I'm sure you have figured out from here and here. So far he has eaten every thing I have given to him except beets. He hated them, the second time I tried to feed them to him he projectile vomited all over the kitchen. It was like a horror movie with purple/red beet vomit everywhere.

And now since he's tried a variety of foods we are starting to dive into combinations. How do I do that? Do I choose like 4-5 fruits and veggies and puree them and freeze them. Then take two cubes and mix them together when it's time to eat? I think so, that way we have many options. But here's another monkey wrench he's also getting good enough to start eatting chunkier (stage 2) foods. But if I make enough purees to last another 4 months then he's past that stage and I have a whole bunch of food he's past eating now. So is small batches the answer? But in small batches there isn't a lot of variety? It all seems so over whelming.

Digging through a pile of solid food suggestions is stressful.

Through this whole feeding process I have felt stressed and judged by myself, strangers, other mothers, co-workers, family, and friends. But the truth is nobody is the same, we all do things a bit differently. So why do we judge each other so easily? Why do we make assumptions and accusations when the truth is we are all in this parenthood thing together? So to all the breastfeeders, the formula feeders, the pumpers and bottle feeders, the solid food buyers and makers, and to all those doing their absolute best to feed their babies I APPLAUD YOU! What we do is not easy it is not stress free (See above) but is the best. Whatever you are doing, however you are doing it, it is the best. You are doing your best, and nothing is better than that.