Lunch

[bubblegum23]

Hiya my dd turned 8 months yesterday and I'm unsure on how much I should be giving her for lunch? She used to have a bottle at lunch and a yoghurt or cucumber sticks etc but health visitor has told me to drop lunchtime bottles and increase the amount of solids she's eating for lunch, but what I want to know is what is a good amount of food She should be having for lunch? What do your dc generally have for lunch?

[dementedpixie]

How many bottles does she still have? Mine was still on 4 at 8 months. I didn't give them at mealtimes though so for e.g. Milk was at 7, 11, 3 and 7 and meals were at 8, 12 and 5. Does you lo eat finger foods? You could give small sandwiches, fruit, yoghurt.

[bubblegum23]

Hiya dementedpixie
She was on 4 bottles a day before yesterday when health visitor came for a visit and advised we drop one, well she actually advice we go to 2 bottles a day in morning and evening but not to drop them both at once. Dd is used to having a bottle at 11:30am and lunch at 12:30pm by which time she'd still be fairly full after her bottle so was only eating a little lunch, yes she loves finger food, we've tried toast, sandwiches, yoghurt etc I was wondering how much of each she should be having each time or a combination of them all? I don't know how much lunch they need at this age

[dementedpixie]

I don't think you need to drop to 2 bottles until closer to 1 year. You could always offer less in the 11.30 bottle so she is more hungry and then just offer lunch and see how much she wants. There is no great rush to get rid of bottles right now so don't why the HV would have suggested it so early on. They still need around 20oz of milk up to 1 year so having only 2 bottles would make it hard to reach that amount unless they were taking huge amounts at a time.

I bet you were happy with what you were doing prior to the visit so if you are happy and your Dd is happy why change things too much?

[thenewaveragebear1983]

My ds is 1 and he just has 'bits' for lunch, milk mid afternoon (and breakfast/bed) and a 4pm snack then dinner with us. By 'bits' I mean- a cracker spread with Brie, 2 cherry tomatoes, a satsuma, a piece of cooked ham, a few of those baby crisps while I prepare my lunch. Plus he will steal things from my plate (like olives!), plus his cup of water. Probably 50% of what I give him ends up on the floor. He will start to get restless in his chair and I take that to mean he's finished. I tend to just add new things into his tray from his plate and sometimes let him choose off the plate, and don't stick to proper 'courses' eg he'll have his fruit then go back for his sandwich. I love lunchtimes with him, by tea he's tired and it can be a battle whereas lunch he's fresh from his nap and we eat together without the rest of the family arguing there.

[bubblegum23]

Dementedpixie that's what dp said, If we're happy why change it? But hv seemed shocked when I said dd was still having 4 bottles per day (6 oz each) and said I should have dropped 2 by now! I've dropped the 11:30 bottle and just giving her a bigger lunch, but I don't think I'll drop another one tbh

Thewaver- I think that's what I'll do, that's what dd has been having anyway, just anything I can find suitable really, deffo agree most ends up on the floor I guess the answer is they'll just tell you when they're full up, I've been doing the same as you, I just think I'll increase the amount to make up for the bottle, thanks for your advice

[dementedpixie]

It's a minimum of 20oz that's recommended up to 1 year and with 4 bottles you were only just over that. I sometimes think HV exist to invent problems, not solve them.

[dementedpixie]

Ds had 4 at 8 months, 3 by 9 months and was on 2 by 11 months. I was guided by him which is the way it should be