7 month old losing interest in daytime feeds

[NuzzleandScratch]

Dd2 is nearly 7 months, & doing really well with her solids. She feeds really well morning and evening, but when I try to bf her mid morning & mid afternoon, she doesn't seem interested, & hardly takes any. I'm not sure whether I should continue to offer these feeds, or offer her something else, such as a solid snack, instead. Our day at the moment looks something like this:

Bf on waking - this varies in time, but typically around 7.30am
8.30/9am - cereal such as Oatibix with whole milk, with a cube of fruit mixed in (different fruit each day)
Around 10am - nap
11/11.30 - offer bf - usually not very interested
12/12.30 - lunch - some sort of protein & veg purée (homemade) - has so far tried chicken, lentils, lamb, cod & salmon. Small yoghurt afterwards
Sometimes nap afterwards.
Around 3pm - offer bf - again, not very interested, will take a few sucks, but then nosying at what's going on!
4.30/5pm - dinner - usually single veg purée followed by single fruit purée/mash
Bf before bed - usually 7pm

Also at least one feed in the night, may be 2am or as late as 5am.

I always offer water with meals, which she takes well (not large amounts, but a good few sips).

So any thoughts on this? She's gaining weight well, & tracking her centile, but I don't want to cut down her milk too quickly. But I assume they take what they need, do they?! I can't say she's ever been a huge milk fan!

[Weightlessbaby]

Myy DD is (was) FF. At 7 months her diet looked v similar to your Dd2, except she would have a bottle 7am, 1pm (before nap) and 6.30pm (before bed, then slept through with no feeds). Like your's she's never been a milk fan and we had real poblems at first.

Now she is nearly one and has no milk at all! We were advised by the CNN to see milk as a drink from c.11 months and not worry if she wasn't fussed. She is on vitamin drops and has plentyl of dairy in her diet; also lots of water.

I know your Dd is a bit smaller but Basically, I wouldn't worry. If she's having two decent BFs a day she's getting all she needs from those and obviously she is having alot of nutrition otherwise. I am anything but an expert but my ethos has been scratch the guides and listen to your baby (with common sense as a background)!

[samandkat]

Have you tried giving her a different drink like juce or try her with a little snack like a biscuit or bread stick with a little drink after maybe she has decided to stop bottle feeds during the day due to the purees shes having if she does drop bottle feeds dont wprry and just offer something else xx

[NuzzleandScratch]

Thanks for the replies. That's reassuring that your dd was the same Weightless. Can I ask when you gave lunch, if you gave a milk feed at 1pm? I'm trying to ensure she has a good intake of dairy, so the milk on her cereal, a yoghurt at lunch, & sometimes cheese and/or milk in her purees. I assume she'll just take more at the morning & evening feeds if she needs it, do you think?

Thanks SamandKat, I haven't tried offering a drink & snack at those times, but I think that's where we're heading. I intend to stick to water, as dd1 was always happy with that. Perhaps I wasn't clear, but I'm breastfeeding, which I think is part of the issue actually, as she's constantly trying to turn her head round from me to see what's going on! I bf dd1 until she was 14 months, so hope to do the same this time. I'm not sure she's ready for breadsticks just yet, but she'll certainly have a good suck on a rice cake if I hold it for her, so perhaps we'll start with that!

Also, does anyone know, if I offer her a snack & water, & she actually wants milk, will she cry?

[Weightlessbaby]

Nuzzle, from around 7mo DD has always had lunch at around 11.30-12p.m, then she'll have have a play for around half an hour before milk and afternoon nap. (she's nearly 1 now and we still do this)

In terms of dairy our DD has (whole) milk on her cereal, cheese, yoghurts, and anything in our food (we blend and freeze leftovers) Have you introduced your DD to finger foods? Our DD loves munching on bits of cheeses for eg (despite having only 2 teeth) and my mushroom risotto has also proved a hit - she scoops it up and shoves it in!

Not an expert in BF (sadly) but after obsessively measuring intake of formula for 11 months with a very non milk centric baby I would say they know when they've had enough

[NuzzleandScratch]

Thanks Weightless, that's helpful. I actually did her an early lunch then 1pm feed just now, & she's now asleep, as she got woken from her morning nap, then was too tired to eat a proper lunch, but she took her milk well at 1, so that system might work well for us!

I'd like to start introducing finger foods now, she seems keen, as she sometimes tries to grab the spoon or bowl when I'm feeding her. However, if I give her something like a rice cake to hold, she can't get it to her mouth! If I hold it for her though, she sucks it with enthusiasm, & chews the little bits that come off.

Mushroom risotto sounds yummy, could you give me the recipe?

[Lonelybunny]

I started a thread on something similar my DD is becoming the same, except she is doing blw and not eating very much. But when I feed her she is distracted and wants to look all over the place ! I'm worried my milk will dry up and Ashe still feeds 3 times in the night, I'm so tired lol

[Weightlessbaby]

My DD was just the same with finger foods at first. We had to hold things up to her mouth and she's chew away but didn't seem able to make the connectionas to how to do it herself at first. It didn't take long for her to get the idea though- I think the best thing is to view food as fun playtim at this age, even if it does result in huge amounts of mess!

(Risotto is a sort of adapted version of the Jamie Oliver one where you make the base version first then add what you want later-have actually just made a version this evening that was eaten and approved by PILs! Let me know if you want further details and shall msg them!)

[NuzzleandScratch]

Thanks LonelyBunny, seems like your dd is catching up with her milk at night then! That is tiring!

Thanks WeightlessBaby, I wasn't actually sure if I should hold finger foods for her, but I'll continue doing so if you found it worked. Sadly dd2 was hospitalised yesterday with a chest infection, & we're now waiting for test results, so we've put the solids on hold, as it's just easier to breastfeed while she's in hosp.

Which Jamie Oliver book is the risotto in? I've got quite a few of his. If I don't find it, I'll let you know. Thanks again for your replies! Really hoping we can get home soon, then hopefully get the eating back on track when she's feeling better.

[Weightlessbaby]

Oh goodness, that sounds terrifying - puts niggly feeding concerns into perspective I suppose. Really hope the test results are good and your DD2 is back home where she belongs soon x

[SamraLee]

My daughter was similar to yours in that she wasn't really interested in bf during the day. She was getting bored and was distracted, rather than not hungry so I did a few things that seem to help. I offer her the breast before her nap and when she wakes up so the schedule looks like this wake-up, bf, breakfast, bf, nap, bf, lunch, bf, nap, bf, dinner, bottle, sleep. I also let her breastfeed on and off for a few minutes if she asks for it. The other thing is I use a breastfeeding necklace so she can play with that which helps her to breastfeed for longer and hold her attention.

I hope your daughter comes home safe and sound soon.

[NuzzleandScratch]

Thanks, we came home this afternoon, which was a relief. She tested positive for RSV, which is the bronchiolitis virus, as well as a likely chest infection too, so we have antibiotics, & she just needs to recover at home. She's very tired, bless her, as she hasn't had much chance to sleep, what with inhalers & tests in hosp. Glad to be back in our own beds tonight!

[NuzzleandScratch]

Thanks SamraLee. That's an unusual schedule, but might be worth a try, think a feed before nap might help to settle her, as I have had trouble getting her to admit it's nap time.

I also like the idea of a breastfeeding necklace, she does like to twiddle! (often with my hair, ouch!). Is there one you recommend? I suppose anything long & beady would work.

[SamraLee]

On eBay there is a seller called breastbuddies, I really like that one. They personalised it for free too if you like that. I also got one off Etsy from Freja's Toys and it's a lovely crotched and wood bead necklace which she really loves too. I orginally got the necklace because she was pulling her own hair, which she hardly does anymore.

I'm glad to hear your daughter is home, I hope the antibiotics start working soon and your daughter soon feels better.

[NuzzleandScratch]

Thanks, hopefully she'll feel better soon.

Thanks for the info on the necklaces, I'll check those out! Very interesting about the hair pulling!

[NuzzleandScratch]

Just had a look at the Freja's toys ones, they're gorgeous! To be honest, I wasn't sure when you said crochet & wood, but they're just lovely!