What is your solids/Bfing routine?

[Seriouslysleepdeprived]

Just started 6 month old DS on a few solids. Mostly BLW with a bit of porridge here & there. All seems to be going ok so far. However i'm not really sure how to fit it in with BFing. I know milk should be the main source of nutrition for now, so i feed him first then give him a bit of food an hour or so later, when i assume he might be hungry.

It was suggested by a friend i try a sandwich feed and split the milk feed, so milk then a bit of solids, then milk & slowly they will have less milk as they fill up on solids, which made sense.

I now realise i'm totally clueless - is there a recommended way, does it make a difference or is it just what works for you?

[melliebobs]

Dd is 7 months n community nursery nurse told me to focus on one meal at a time (less stress that way) and build an appetite for that meal then move onto the next. So for us it was easiest to start with breakfast.

So dd would have breakfast. Porridge/eggs/toast/cereal/yoghurt or whatever then just bf

After about 2 weeks (cos I got bored) we incorporated tea. So breakfast. Bfs tea with a creamy dessert then bf before bed

We're at 7.5 months now n slowly adding lunch in. But it's a bit hit n miss though cos if we've been to a baby group in the morning she tends to nap at lunchtime. But I'm in no rush to be getting 3 meals a day in and so far it seems to be working

Just wish she'd bloomin sleep through the night!

[Seriouslysleepdeprived]

Thanks...I think I'll just concentrate on breakfast for while then. I'm in no rush either & it's far more time consuming than I thought it would be! Feel like I spend the the whole morning feeding him in one way it another. May be if I get a bit more organised it will help

[Chelly71]

Hi, I'm on dc2 and remembering that this stage feels like all you do is feed, feed, feed! My dc2 is 6.5 months and I am doing 3 meals a day but aiming for a good lunch and finger food tea, not worrying about that 3rd meal too much. So bf at 7am, breakfast at about 8, bf about 11 with lunch at 12, bf about 2.30, snack about 3, tea at 4.30 ish and then bf at 6.30 for bed. Thankfully the bf are getting quicker otherwise I'd barely have time for anything else once you factor in a sleep every 2 hours. But my HV told me to start giving milk AFTER food from about 7 months so they take more food and less milk. Given I'm still up 3 times a night feeding I think I'll blatantly ignore pass on that in the short term.. I was told , until they are one food is just for fun, which is why I'm more obsessed with getting the milk in... And I'd like more sleep! However, these last few days my dd has already started having much less milk at the 11am feed, might be a phase might not.

Good luck, I find it really emotional and worry when they don't eat but have a sense of achievement when ey do, especially if it something you've made!

[Seriouslysleepdeprived]

Thanks Chelly glad its not just me that feels like im always feeding! I was excited about introducing solids but actually it's just making my day pretty frantic trying to fit it all in. I can barely het out the house.

I think a more structured routine with times would help. I've been following the same kind of idea as you for breakfast and lunch. I think I will just add in tea & dinner as we go along (totally copying you!), so that really useful, thank

[Chelly71]

Glad that helps! And I hope you can name change soon, you sound like me! A couple of other things I've learnt if they help at all, feel free to completely ignore of course... I stocked up on cheap flannels and for each feed I have a warm wet flannel for when dd has finished, wipe her face, hands, arms, neck etc, table, high chair, floor and surrounding areas then the cleaning up is all done. Use a fresh one each time so no faffing with lots of cleaning cloths. Also bought those silicone muffin bakeware things for freezing portions of food, found they are a good size for when they are a bit bigger rather than the ice cube size ones. I use about 1 now for lunch all in but when bigger will use one as the protein bit e.g. The bolgnase or fish pie contents and then 1 for mash potato. I found that size lasted ages for my ds and then I just padded it out with other things when he was bigger. Just things I found to make my life a bit easier anyway! X

[SarryB]

My LO is 6 months, we started weaning about 19 weeks old. Our routine is like this (most days - the last couple of days he's clearly been going through a growth spurt and keeps rejecting the boob). I usually do solids about 1 hour after a BF.

6.30am - BF
7.30am - small pot of either fruit puree or porridge (or a mix)
10am - BF
11am - small pot of fruit or veg puree, and some finger foods to smush into the carpet.
2pm - BF
4pm - BF
5pm - small pot of something (this evening was spinach, potato and peas), followed by finger foods.
6.30pm - formula feed.
7pm - bed.

Sometimes he eats it all and wants more, sometimes I finish the pot. YUM! I am managing to slowly inch the BF and solids to the same time.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Planning to start solids shortly. Routine will be:

Bf on demand.
Give solids of whatever we are eating at mealtimes or snack time.

[SarryB]

Forgot to add - that I do actually BF on demand, but he still seems to feed within the same 30 mins each time.

[Seriouslysleepdeprived]

Thanks. I ordered some silicone pots & flannels today.

I have been feeding on demand & like the joining us at meals concept. if he's fed just before lunch I doubt he will want any & I would t want him eating if he is due a fed but may be I'm over thinking it. Not that he's really eating much anyway!