8 month old - milk or snacks? Help please!

[cravingyorkiebar]

Breastfed baby just over 8 months old and having 3 meals a day. I am abit confused as to how much milk he needs and how many snacks...

I started weaning onto puree/mashed at 6 months initially once then twice a day. After 2 weeks I was told by HV to up this immediatly to 3 times a day then after a few days change his mid morning milk to a snack and a few days later to change his afternoon feed to solid snack.. Oh and not give him his morning milk - to start with breakfast ( so within 2 weeks or so only one bedtime breast feed??). I didn't do that...! I felt at 6- 7 months that he needed more milk than that as I bought into the "food is fun until they're one" mantra (was told by hv that this only applied to babies weaned before 6 months..)

So I think I need to substitute at least one daytime bf now? does this sound ok?
(times approx)
5:30-bf

8:00 - porridge & 1/2 slice toast

10:00 - banana or cheese or breadstick or should stay bf?

12:30 - lunch (usually mash veg dish a la Annabel Karmel!) & yoghurt

15:00 - as per 10:00

17:00 dinner (meat/fish dish & fruit)

19:00 bf

Will sometimes sleep through but usually wake once for bf - maybe midnight, maybe 3 ish.

Thing is today we had to be somewhere early- he woke up late so we went straight to breakfast (no bf - last had at 1am), then mid morning he had some banana & mini bread stick & rice cake...). Then 2 hrs later boobs about to explode so tried him - he took abit but then stopped so expressed 120mls!.

2 hrs later he had lunch, then a biscotti at 3pm, chicken & petit filious for dinner & a bf at 7!

Is three bf in 24 hours ok for him (should have been 2 really, he wasn't bothered about lunchtime one but should I offer?) Weightwise he's gone from 25th to just under 50th centile in 4 weeks - am I overfeeding him... gawd I'm confused. If you're still here thanks!

[Mimulet]

This is all very personal, I don't think there is right or wrong, but you must use your knowledge of your child as to whether you give 2 or 3 in 24 hours. my opinion is 3 but be guided by him. What i don't like is knowing that children aged 2 are still being breast fed. kind regards.

[mummysmellsofsick]

What is it with hvs trying to get babies off breast milk? I have ignored them all and my DS bfs and snacks on demand. Hth!

[cravingyorkiebar]

To clarify I'm not trying to get him off breast milk, well not yet anyway! I'm just not sure how much he needs and when food takes over if you see what I mean? When would be reasonable to think he would just need morning and evening? My body isn't telling me as this lunchtime I was really full & ds would probably have been happy with solid lunch!

[ItLooksLikeRainDear]

Do what you feel is right, even if it changes day by day.

Sometimes your DC may feel like a snack & sometimes milk.

If you are wanting to encourage snacks, perhaps offer the snack first & DC refuses then offer milk?

[victoriaplum01]

Ahhhhh! I feel your pain DD2 is also just over 8 months and still breastfed. Personally, I still give 3 feeds a day, but I have friends who are still bf'ing 4 times a day. If you feel he needs three feeds, then go with your gut.

Our routine is 7.30am - bf / 9am - Breakfast / 12.30pm - Lunch / 3pm - bf / 5.30pm - dinner / 7.30pm - bf. Late breakfast means I don't normally give a morning snack, otherwise I feel like I'm feeding her all day!

I'm not a healthcare professional, but at this stage I doubt you are over-feeding him. DD1 went really chubby at around 8-9 months and I was told they tend to chunk up before they start moving around a lot.

It is all so confusing, and even if you speak to your HV, the next one you speak to will give you a different answer.

Good luck.

[SoftSheen]

Milk should be the main source of nutrition until a baby is one, and the World Health Organisation recommends that babies should have a minimum of four breastfeeds a day until they are 10 months old.

Why not just continue to feed on demand- he will probably eventually drop feeds of his own accord.

[cravingyorkiebar]

Thanks victoria - that's really helpful and reassuring that that's pretty much what I'm doing!

Softsheen - He's not demanding 4 bf tho- he demands 2 or 3 (morning, bedtime and usually mid afternoon - even if he has just had a snack). This is what is so conflicting - How can he have a minimum of 4 bf & meals & snacks.... He may pop..!

[mummysmellsofsick]

Mimulet OP's dc is 8 months, and although I'm sure she appreciates the advance warning that if she continues bf until he's 2 you'll find it distasteful, I'm not sure that's relevant or helpful

[neontetra]

My dd is seven months and on three meals a day plus one snack (biscotti). However, I still bf on demand, as I have always done - and she has a lot more than three feeds a day! Not saying this is right - I am just following my instincts really. But her weight gain isn't rocketing alarmingly or anything. Do you give your dc other drinks? If not I imagine he would still need quite a bit of breastmilk for hydration? Interestingly, on the days I work and my dd goes to nursery, she doesn't have a lot of formula - so perhaps she is bf for comfort not sustenance now? Who knows?

[SoftSheen]

OP I know what you mean! When my DD was that age it felt like I was giving a meal/snack/milk almost hourly! I expect he is absolutely fine on 3 BF though, if he seems happy.

[victoriaplum01]

mummys - thank you!

[cravingyorkiebar]

Thanks all. Neon - he has water with all meals/ snacks so I'm happy he's well hydrated.

I think this the only time I have wished I formula fed - at least then you know what the recommended milk intake is and whether he is having it!

[mumnosbest]

Nothing more to add really but dd is 9.5 and like most on here I give 2 meals, afternoon snack and bf on demand (usually 3-4 times). This week she's a bit poorly and barely eating but is making up for it in bfs. Last week she had 2 busy days where she only bf twice each day. I think its best to follow your instincts. If in doubt i offer a snack first then offer bf if shes not interested in food. I'll conti.uee offeri.g a bf as long as she wants it, maybe even beyond 2yrs!

[mummysmellsofsick]

mumnosbest bf is wonderful when they're ill, my 12 mo DS had a virus and didn't eat anything for 2 weeks recently but managed to keep small amounts of bm down and stay hydrated etc. I'm sure he'd have ended up in hospital without it...

In general though he bfs from around 5-6am, breakfast (normally fruit) at 8am, more bf at 9am and nap, lunch at 12 or 1, snacks throughout the afternoon or more bf if he asks, then if he's still up he'll have some of what we're having for dinner around 6pm then feed to sleep. Then lots of bf on demand all night.

Ha, probably doesn't sound like a routine anyone else would be aiming for, but we like it, and he's a tall, well proportioned and unbelievably active toddler so although I haven't had him weighed for 6 months now I'm confident it's all working out.

[mumnosbest]

mummys maybe you could tell my boobs that bf is wonderful, they're feeling a little overworked this week

[neontetra]

Mummysmellsofsick I admire your routine, it is exactly the same as mine! I find it reassuring to know that other people's dc still bf a lot during the night after six months as well - am made to feel like this is ridiculous and somehow a weakness on my part by a lot of my rl family, friends etc.

[poocatcherchampion]

This is useful to me as we are having the same discussions here and have decided to offer snacks mid morning and mid pm.

Great for a laugh at mimulet too!

[Bouncey]

Routine for my 11 month old - not set in stone, but she usually has 2 sleeps a day:

0800: bf
0900: breakfast - porridge, fruit and toast
1000: snack
1030: bf followed by sleep for about an hour
1230: lunch - meat or fish with veg and a yoghurt
1430: bf followed by sleep
1600: snack
1730: dinner - usually similar to lunch
1900 - 2000: milk before bed

I still feed on demand, although her mid morning and mid afternoon feeds are very brief - usually about 5 minutes. But at 8 months she was still getting substantial bf 4 or 5 times a day, partly because she's been quite a picky eater. If she's sick or teething, she'll usually have more milk and less solid food.