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Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Weaning

How much milk should by 6.5 month old have?

20 replies

CustardL · 11/03/2013 15:10

I took my 6.5 month old to clinic last week and was informed that I should drop day time bf's and he should be having 3 meals a day and snacks with water to drink. I immediately put this into action and he seems happy enough and eating like a horse! He is bf when he wakes in the morning and before bed and is then still waking once in the night and being bf.

I am now questioning this as most Mums I say are still feeding the'r babies milk in the daytime. My question is can I give him milk from a beaker to drink if he seems a bit peckish between meals and is the above structure OK? Do I give him follow on milk? Just need a bit of reassurance. He is a solid, big baby.

Thanks

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ExBrightonBell · 11/03/2013 15:26

Hi Custard. Is there a particular reason you don't want to bf in the day? If you think he needs milk in the day why not just breastfeed? Save you having to pay for formula!

6 and a half months seems very young to be only breastfeeding morning/evening (plus overnight). Obviously I'm not a hcp so your HV must have had a reason for suggesting this - did she explain why?

CustardL · 11/03/2013 15:55

I was bf in the day until she told me not to......she said that he should be having 3 good meals and snacks and to not give him any milk apart from morning and night. He wasn't eating much solid food at meal times and I think this was because he was having milk feeds mid morning and mid afternoon as well.

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MakeItUpAsYouGoAlong · 11/03/2013 16:03

I'm intrigued by this as dd is nearly that age and yesterday had porridge, scrambled egg and then some vegetables AND 7 7oz bottles.
My HV told me to start dropping milk but she prefers or too food.
So I hope you don't mind if I watch

ExBrightonBell · 11/03/2013 16:07

Hmm. I wouldn't want to suggest you ignore the advice from your HV who presumably knows you and your baby's history... but from everything I have read about introducing solids, they are "complementary" to bf between 6mo and 1yr. I.e. they are in addition to bf and not instead of. AFAIK it is appropriate to still be feeding on demand at this age.

(The WHO have an explanation of this here )

Could you perhaps see a different health visitor and see if they offer the same advice? It just seems a bit mad to give formula in the day when you could just breastfeed.

Does your LO ask for breastfeeds during the day?

CustardL · 11/03/2013 16:42

I stopped feeds in the daytime 3 days ago and he shows no demand for Bf's already but is eating full meals at lunch and tea time. I am quite confused. There's a little bit of me that thinks maybe she didn't read my ds's age right and thought he was older as he looks about 9 mths and is sitting up well but I have seen her before. I was worried whether he would get all his nutrients?

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CustardL · 11/03/2013 16:43

I stopped feeds in the daytime 3 days ago and he shows no demand for Bf's already but is eating full meals at lunch and tea time. I am quite confused. There's a little bit of me that thinks maybe she didn't read my ds's age right and thought he was older as he looks about 9 mths and is sitting up well but I have seen her before. I was worried whether he would get all his nutrients?

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CustardL · 11/03/2013 16:44

Think I am going to have to go back and ask again

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CustardL · 11/03/2013 16:50

Thanks BrightonBell that link was really helpful. Feel a bit sad about the advice I was given :-(

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ExBrightonBell · 11/03/2013 16:51

I do wonder then if the HV did mistake his age! Presumably he's only been on solids for a couple of weeks?

My ds is 8 months (just) and still bf on demand as much as he wants. He eats a lot as well. He is bfeeding about as often as he was before weaning, although perhaps for not quite so long each time. However he is not that keen on drinking water from any type of receptacle so is still getting the majority of his hydration from bfeeding.

My own personal opinion would be if you want to breastfeed him in the day then do. Food is an extra at the moment and should be more about exploring tastes and textures than volume. But I'm not a HV or a doctor!

MajaBiene · 11/03/2013 16:58

HV advice was rubbish! Babies need milk as their main food source til 12 months - 3 breastfeeds a day sounds unusually little at this age, I would think maybe 5 in the day and 1-2 at night is more normal.

Even formula fed babies need at least 20oz of formula until 12 months.

MajaBiene · 11/03/2013 16:59

OP, I would cut out the snacks and breastfeed between meals. The advice at this age is to breastfeed an hour before meals so the baby doesn't miss out on milk.

Abigail9580 · 11/03/2013 17:09

Food is a supplement to milk until they are 1. My DS is7m still on 7 bf a day and 3 meals. But we are doing blw so sometimes he just squidges most of his food!! Definitely go see HV again.

CustardL · 11/03/2013 18:16

He's been on solids for about 3 weeks and am trying to do combination of finger food and some puréed. Feel so sad about it all and that I took the advise as my original question to hv was "when do they start dropping feeds" and do not know why I didn't question her advise at the time.

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ExBrightonBell · 11/03/2013 18:25

Well the HV should be giving out sensible and correct advice, so it's reasonable to not ask questions at the time! Don't be too hard on yourself :-)

You know you don't have to go and see the health visitor unless you want to? I haven't been since my ds was 5 months. He's healthy and I haven't got any concerns so I don't see the point of going there any more.

CustardL · 11/03/2013 18:50

:-) thank you! Wish I'd never asked the hv a question. I'm going to go to the local bf group tomorrow so will ask there. Think I will go with my instinct though and go back to bf when he seems hungry between meals and be led by him.

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CustardL · 12/03/2013 09:57

Rang the health visitors this morning and advise was that he still needs 20oz so he will need more than I was told last week. I can

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CustardL · 12/03/2013 09:57

Oooops - only presume the hv last week thought he was much older!

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MajaBiene · 12/03/2013 12:59

They need 20oz til at least 12 months, so she must have thought he was very old!

ExBrightonBell · 12/03/2013 13:24

Did you mention the wrong advice that you were given? The original HV should really be made aware of her mistake!

KatAndKit · 13/03/2013 22:40

HV is nuts. Offical NHS guidance is that milk is the main source of nutrition for a baby under one. Really you should introduce the solid meals and bf on demand inbetween them. Gradually your baby will eat more at mealtimes and bf less inbetween.

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