If you're supposed to give solids an hour after milk...

[Gerty1002]

It sounds to me like giving solids an hour after milk means you will almost constantly be feeding your baby whenever they are awake! Do you phase this method out as they get older and take less milk, and are on three meals a day? I Struggle to see how you can establish proper meal times otherwise.

(Not really a big issue for me yet, Ds is only 20 weeks, was just wondering! )

[ecofreckle]

I found the first few weeks of weaning relentless! it was either milk feed time, solids time, nappy time or nap time. hard to get anything done alongside the cooking too! However! That all improved when we dropped one day feed. At 10 months we are breakfast whenever o'clock, milk 11 ish, lunch 1300 ish, milk 1530 ish, dinner 1730, milk at bed 1915 ish. Much more manageable. And many other mums of ten month olds have replaced the morning and afternoon milk with solid snacks so it'll jump towards easier again soon. Not sure if that helps!

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Its not really that hard. At first you just give them one meal a day and gradually build upto 3 meals between 8 and 9 months. The current advice is to give them milk before solids until they are 12 months.

It doesn't really matter for your time whether the food is before or after milk as you still have to fit the meals and milk feeds your day, but it makes a big difference to your lo as giving milk then solids ensures they get the correct nutrition.

HTH

[spookyskeleton]

Yes, I was talking to a friend about that yesterday whose DD is nearly 6 months. I told her exactly that -it literally seems that you are preparing milk or food pretty much constantly! As they move properly onto meals, they just have a bottle first thing in the morning and last thing at night...much easier then!

[Gerty1002]

I just wasn't sure how long you should be following that system for but looks like it's for a good while! Best start batch cooking!

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

I wouldn't bother with the batch cooking if its just for Lo. My dd was an adamant spoon refuser from day one. You could batch cook family meals though

[Gerty1002]

I'm possibly going to start before 6 months due to reflux, plus he's already almost sitting up unaided at 20 weeks. Therefore, I'll be starting with puree until he's ready for finger foods. awaits flaming

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

No flaming from me. I've weaned 2. One with purees and then purees and finger foods and one who would scream the house down if she so much as thought you were even contemplating going near a spoon, so feeding herself was the only way

[LittleBipper]

I didn't know milk an hour before solids was a thing, I started doing it because it's the only way DS will get anywhere near a decent amount of milk in him. I do:
Milk 7am ish
Breakfast 8am
Milk 11am
Lunch 12am
Milk 3pm
Dinner 5:30pm
Milk and bed 7pm

He's FF so I know how much milk he's having and can get him to take 20-24oz this way.

His childminder gives planned snacks mid morning and afternoon whereas I give him snacks if I think he could do with something. He won't drink milk with her which I put down to it being a new situation and person but could just be that the snacks are enough for him.

Gerty we weaned at 17 weeks, basically because DS wouldn't drink enough milk for his weight. Didn't officially see a HV although my MIL used to be one and my SIL is a midwife.

[Gerty1002]

My HV said on her first visit that Ds would be unlikely to wait until 6 months... He's been 98th centile since birth, now drinks about 50 oz a day and has had pretty good neck control almost from birth. Last time I saw HV she gave advice on early weaning.

I know so many people must claim their babies are different and ready earlier, but I really do think DS will be! Plus his reflux is really bothering him at the moment so if it helps with that then that's a bonus!

[hazchem]

I didn't time food. DS just ate with us. I guess it would be close to an hour after milk but no so ridged.

[catkind]

It doesn't need to be exact, and it doesn't need to be after every milk feed. It's just it's better not to give solids when they're full of milk as they're likely to be full, or when they're really hungry for milk as they don't yet understand that solid food will satisfy their hunger too and are not likely to be in the mood for experimenting.

PS 98th %ile dd was fine with finger foods. Not that there's anything wrong with puree if that's your preference, but HV should know better than to say big baby = needs early weaning. Big baby = growing great on milk! I don't know about the reflux side tho, she might be right there.

[Gerty1002]

I think it was more than just his size, like I said he's almost sitting up unaided already at 19 weeks (had my calculations wrong, he's 19 not 20!) and grabs things and puts them in his mouth. Think tongue thrust reflex is still there as yet, though.

[Gerty1002]

I don't think I could do it exactly... He's usually napping an hour after milk. Mind that very rarely lasts longer than 30 mins (five times a bloody day!) these days so wouldn't be too far out.

[catkind]

Sorry, our first HV visit was 10 days old or so, thought you were saying your HV was talking about early weaning at that sort of age! We did let ours have a go at (finger) foods once they were sitting up independently and started mugging us for our food, that was about 5 months.
Kellymom has a good page on what are and aren't real signs of readiness for solids:
kellymom.com/nutrition/starting-solids/solids-when/