7 month old amount of milk

[nikki444]

We started weaning my 7 month old at 5 1/2 months and shes been doing really well. Up until about 2 weeks ago this was her feeding schedule;

6:30 bottle (240ml)
8:00 breakfast (with 60ml mixed in)
12:00 lunch + bottle (180ml)
4:30 dinner + bottle (180ml)
7:00 bedtime bottle (240ml)

The problem is the last couple of weeks she has really been tucking into her lunch and dinner and wont drink more than a couple of sips of her bottle afterwards. I offer her water throughout the day so im sure she's getting enough liquid, I'm just concerned if shes getting enough actual milk?
According to the guidelines I've read a 7 month old needs between 500-600ml, so with her waking bottle, breakfast cereal milk and bedtime bottle shes getting 540ml. Do you think this is ok and should I not worry about offering the lunch or dinner milk? She has a very good diet and has lots of fruit/veggies and loves yoghurts so hopefully is getting enough calcium/vitamins etc. Am I worrying over nothing or should I cut back on the food so she takes more milk?
Thanks

[penny14]

Hi Nikki,

Unfortunately I can't offer any advice but I'm keen to see other people's responses so am following.

I am in the same position with my twins but they are both still up through the night to feed (admittedly likely due more for habit rather than hunger so trying to break that now). I'm trying to up the daytime milk to eliminate the nighttime feeding but sometimes feel like I'm forcing it which can then lead to sickness!

[SleepThief84]

They need around a pint at that age, and your DC is getting that. I wouldn't worry too much if she's eating well. I'm assuming it's still formula or BM at that age, not cows?
Some babies just take to food earlier than others and lose interest in milk. Is she still gaining well?

My DD was a real milk hater and a slow weaner. She stopped drinking any milk entirely at 13.5 months. She had other issues with silent reflux etc and I really struggled to get milk in her but she was always ok. I dreamfed her because I had to ensure she was having enough (for to some medication she was on) but if it hadn't have been for that I'd have let her just drink what she wanted, which wouldn't have been much!

Always good to look at milk intake over a week rather than a day too. I found daily amounts really varied but overall I'm a week she'd normally have a decent amount.

[SleepThief84]

To answer your question (sorry, just re-read!) I wouldn't reduce food personally - thrnend result is that she'll eat food as her main source of nutrition and it sounds like she's taking to it well. I'd look at maybe dropping the after lunch bottle if she doesn't want it, and maybe increasing the size of the ones she will take by an oz or two. So less bottles, but slightly more volume in each.

[dementedpixie]

I didn't give milk at the same time as food so milk was at 7, 11 3, 7 and food at 8, 12, 5.

[nikki444]

Thanks for your advice. She is gaining weight really well and is (touchwood!) a healthy baby :) Yes she's still on formula but its a special allergy formula as she's allergic to cows milk protein. I might try increasing the 2 bottles she does drink, that sounds like a good idea!

[SleepThief84]

Oh gosh I feel your pain with the allergy, a lot of the same symptoms as silent reflux and it's a nightmare! You often find allergy babies and refluxers go off milk early, I'm on a FB group and it's really common. I found once we started dropping bottles it happened quite quickly, but at 7 months I'd try to keep them up for a good while yet if you can. Like is said I had to dreamfeed (but I had to dreamfeed every bottle from 4 months - what fun that was!) From 12 months of she wants to stop it's not an issue as long as she's getting her calcium and fats elsewhere in her diet.