Heeeeeelp!? getting the milk/food balance right

[squirrel999]

My baby is 7 months and 3 weeks old, I started weaning at 5.5 months, she didn't start eating properly till 6.5 months. She's now on 3 meals a day and is still breastfed. She is reducing her milk intake which is the right direction to be going in but how do i ensure that she has the recommended milk intake when she doesn't want to drink milk? she won't take formula, have tried sma and hipp organic follow on milk. she has never taken a bottle. she will drink water out of a cup. Here's an example of what she eats. 7 - 8am little bf, Porridge, apple & pear puree, (sometimes toast fingers) 11 - 12 lunch chicken casserole (5 table spoons), sometimes half a pot of mango and banana (her fave) and some greek yogurt. 2.30 - 3pm big bf, 5 - 6 red lentil, cheese & tom, some greek yogurt, sometimes a sugar free rusk.
Yesterday she didn't drink much milk at all, my boobs were like rocks. Is this supposed to happen?

Today I gave her a big bf first thing, gave her toast fingers and some yogurt for breakfast. When putting her down for her nap she had another big bf. How do I get the balance right? And how do I get to the stage where she only has 1 or 2 bf's a day. I'm happy bfing really and am secrerctly pleased that she prefers mummy's milk to formula but would like to have more freedom in the day though i am a sahm so there's no hurry....

Any suggestions please?

[moondog]

At this stage,most calories should still come from milk and if it is your own,better still !!

Before you know it,she will be aeting more and more.

You can leave her for a few hours though. At this stage,mine was in nursey and went without breastmilk all day (I didn't want her to have formula) Just had water.

[lulumama]

milk first , then food ! milk is the main source of nutrition and calories...for the first year really...don;t stress too much about a balance, it is still early days !

[squirrel999]

Hi moondog, thanks for your reply. so how did it work with your lo just having water throughout the day? i'd like to go out shopping for the day or something and this would probably be what I would like to do (or have to do ha ha ha) as she won't take expressed or formula in a cup or bottle.

[cheritongirl]

oooh yes answers please, I am facing exactly the same issue in same situation, although ds a bit younger. So, should i cut down on solids to get him to take more breastmilk?
Sorry to hijack thread!

[IcingOnTheCake]

Mine is 7 months old, i give her a 7oz bottle at 8am plus cereal, at 12pm she has a solid meal plus water. Then at 3pm a 6oz bottle, at 5.30pm she has a solid meal with water then 8pm she has a 7oz bottle then bed. You sound like you are doing just fine.

[FrannyandZooey]

Until she is about a year old you should offer milk first and then other foods afterwards. It's important she gets most of her nutrients from milk still.

This page from Kellymom might help.

[moondog]

Squirrel,she just took it from a cup given by nursery staff.

[moondog]

Floating,how is your eating plan going with your child?

[sparkymummy]

I second the "don't worry" suggestion. My DS is 1 in a few weeks and I spent days worrying he had had too much milk, then days worrying he'd not had enough. I've come to the conclusion that as long as you are offering both throughout the day (not constantly, just, say, milk and food at your meal times, milk at other times) then they balance themselves out over the days and weeks. I find with DS that things like teething, feeling poorly, tired, grumpy, being very busy etc all effected how much milk and solids he'd have.

As for the going out thing I'd go for it, give milk before you go and then when you get back and while you are gone whoever is looking after her can give her solids and water, she'll be fine for a couple of hours, she'll just make up for it when you get in!!

[moondog]

Oh,glad to hear it.

[willowsmom]

A baby should be getting no less than 24 oz. of milk at this age. And upto 32 oz.

[dazedandconfunded]

I have just received exactly the same advice as Floaty from my HV: concentrate on 3 meals a day, give less bm .... it was contrary to what I had read here and elsewhere. DD is 6m and a slow gainer.

So we are alternating: bf when she wakes at 7, breakfast after school run; bf at 11-ish; lunch at 1; b/f after her afternoon nap, then tea about 5pm, then bf before bed. So four daytime bfs, though one of them she usually just nibbles at,and then one at night usually. HOPE this is enough milk for her

[mylittlefreya]

I think the recommendation is more usually 20oz (a pint). I struggle to get all that much of either into dd, but keep offering, and do the alternating thing. I think they also have hungry days and not so hungry days, and are better at regulating their intakes than adults. It's so easy to worry though.