Six weeks in and feel we're getting nowhere!

[fadingfast]

DD is 7.5mo and we've been weaning now for 6 weeks, but not progressed very far and I'm starting to panic!

Most of the time she is still only taking about 5-6 small spoonfulls of solids at each meal (altho' she would eat much more baby rice and fruit, but I am reluctant to overload her with this!). I am doing breakfast, lunch and tea (but only one course for each) and I've cut out one breastfeed so we are now doing 4 per day. Our 'routine' goes a bit like this:

BF on waking - 7.30ish
Breakfast either before or after nap (if I wait til after nap she takes more but this has a knock-on effect to the rest of the day).
Late morning BF
Lunch around 1pm
BF around 3ish
Tea around 5pm
BF at 6.30

I am interested in how this compares to others at the same stage, and I am also wondering whether I should try and cut out another BF (maybe the late morning one) to see if she will take any more solids?

[whomovedmychocolate]

That's a lot of food for six weeks in? Sounds like you are doing fine

[thisisyesterday]

hiya fadingfast. at her age solids is all about learning baout textures and tastes and how to eat. it should not be replacing breastfeeds.
milk is her main source of nutrition until she is at least a year old.
so don't worry. some children take longer to get going, but that's fine!

[robbiesbiggestfan]

Hi
My DS is 28 weeks and I've been weaning for about 4 weeks now. Am only just about to start introducing another meal (breakfast as we are doing tea time at the moment) but we're taking it nice and slow and just enjoying all the different tastes and textures weaning brings.
Try not to worry and enjoy, sounds like she (and you ) are doing great.

[neenztwinz]

Hi fadingfast, I have 7mo twins, their routine is
7.30am BF;
8.30am breakfast of fruit and baby rice;
11am lunch;
11.30am BF;
2.30pm BF;
5pm tea then BF;
6.30pm BF then bed.

I wouldn't worry about the amounts she is eating as long as she seems satisfied. If you are worried she is not liking what you are offering then big faves in my house are sweet potato and other sweet-tasting root veg like parsnip and swede. Also mixing food with lots of ebm and baby rice always makes it go down a bit better.

[Tinkjon]

I agree that sounds like quite a lot of food for that age actually!

[MrsThierryHenry]

You'll get there! Don't worry, 6 weeks is barely the end of the beginning. By the time she's 10 months old she'll probably be much more settled into eating, though she'll spit food out a lot as she's experimenting with flavours.

Just keep up the good work, and make a note for 27th Feb (random date in the future) to revisit this thread so that you can see how far you've come.

Good luck!

[fadingfast]

Thanks everyone. It is reassuring to know that we're doing ok. I just find it such a slow tedious process. I was exactly the same at the same stage with DS (now 4), and got all stressed about it. I vowed this time to take it slowly and not get stressed, but easier said than done! She just really doesn't seem all that bothered about solids but at least she is taking some.

I am very confused about the milk feeds though - everything I have read suggests that you should gradually increase the amount of solids and cut down on milk. I suppose I am a bit under pressure due to the fact I am going back to work part time when she is 10 months and so by then was hoping to be down to two feeds per day.

[goldFAQinsenceandmyrrh]

I won't tell you about my DS1 and 2 (both weaned years ago at 4 months - as they ate ridiculous amounts alongside their milk almost straight away). And they cut down on their milk take of their own accord at about 1yr old

However, DS3 - I did BLW (although I think it would have been the same had I puree fed him tbh).

We started at 5 1/2 months, as he was driving me crazy when his brothers were having dinner. He picked at stuff. He continued picking at stuff until he was 11 months old (when I put him on cows milk) when he did actually start eating stuff - not a lot.

He's now 18 months, his appetite is good, but certainly nothing to write home about, it probably improved to "good" about 3/4 months ago. However he still has 4 (yes 4 occasioanly 5!!) 9oz bottles of milk a day. I have tried to move heaven and earth to get him to cut at least one of them out, but if we do "miss" one it backfires later in the day (or at night) when he wakes up and won't settle without one. He's been known to have 2 x 9oz bottles of milk in the space of an hour before in the evening if I've skipped his mid afternoon one!!!

I was worried about it for a while, but not anymore, he's happy, he's healthy and he's a big boy - he'll get there when he's ready.

[fadingfast]

At the suggestion of MrsThierryHenry (above) I thought I would report back just in case anyone else is having the same issue. DD is now just over 9 months and is eating really well. There are still things she turns her nose up at (brocolli being one of them) but she eats plenty of fruit and veg, likes fish and chicken and especially lentils. She really loves finger foods so I'm giving her plenty of those with a few spoons of mush. She dropped another breastfeed almost without me realising at around 8.5 months and is now down to 3 a day.

She had a stage of about 3 or 4 weeks of not really being interested in food, and I just gave her simple things like baby rice and smooth fruit but carried on with her breastfeeds. DS did exactly the same thing and I think it must be quite common for babies to have a period when they regress after intially being enthusiatic about food (especially when they are ill or teething). So if anyone else is having this problem then take heart and persevere!

[Darkmere]

How nice to post fadingfast . Its very encouraging for us newcomers to the world of weaning to know they get there in the end.

Your DD got there ahead of Mrs Henry's schedule as well!